Hello, fellow Duffer! Sarah Chen here, your Golf Instruction Editor, and today we’re diving into one of the most crucial, yet often overlooked, aspects of golf that can drastically lower your scores: lag putting. If you’ve ever found yourself staring down a 40-foot putt, heart racing, only to leave yourself a dreaded 6-footer coming back, then this article is for you. It’s time to transform those anxiety-inducing long putts into confident tap-ins.
The Unsung Hero: Why Lag Putting Matters Most
In my 15+ years of teaching golf, from tour professionals to enthusiastic weekend players, I’ve seen countless golfers struggle with their putting. Often, their focus is solely on making every putt, regardless of distance. While that’s the dream, on long putts, it’s a pipe dream that can lead to more strokes, not fewer.
Lag putting isn’t about sinking the ball from across the green. It’s about precision in speed control. It’s the sophisticated art of getting your ball into what I call the “safety zone”—a three-foot circle around the hole. Why is this so important? Because from three feet, even under pressure, your chances of making that next putt skyrocket. When you master lag, you replace stress with calm authority, and that confidence spills over into every aspect of your game.
“Lag putting is the unsung hero of the low-handicap game. It isn’t about the glory of hearing the ball drop; it’s about the sophisticated art of speed control. It is the ability to cozy the ball into a “safety zone”—a three-foot circle around the hole—leaving you an effortless tap-in.”
Think about it this way: improving your lag putting is arguably the fastest way to shave strokes off your scorecard without even touching your full-swing mechanics. That’s a huge win!
The Power of Speed Control
On putts longer than 20 feet, here’s a fundamental truth I emphasize to all my students: speed is king. You could have the most perfect line engineered by a supercomputer, but if your speed is off by ten feet, you’ve still got a significant comeback putt. But if your speed is spot on, leaving the ball a foot or two from the cup, even if your line was slightly off, you’ve got an easy par or bogey save.
“On putts longer than 20 feet, speed is infinitely more important than the line. Even if you misread the break by three feet, if your speed is perfect, you’ll have a three-foot putt left. However, if your line is perfect but your speed is off by ten feet, you’re staring at a bogey.”
My goal for you is to shift your practice focus. Instead of endlessly trying to “make” long putts, concentrate on “lagging” them. This subtle change in mindset is incredibly powerful, transforming the green from a source of anxiety into an opportunity for scoring.
Pro-Level Drills for Mastering Your Lag Putting
To truly master distance control, you need to train your brain to *feel* the weight and length of your stroke. It’s less about a rigid, technical movement and more about developing an intuitive sense of touch. Here are my favorite drills to get you there:
1. The “Look at the Hole” Drill
Many golfers get so caught up in their ball position and stroke mechanics that they lose connection with the target. This drill is fantastic for re-establishing that crucial link.
Try This:
- The Setup: Find a hole on the practice green. Place three golf balls at varying distances—say, 30, 40, and 50 feet away.
- The Execution: Address your first ball as you normally would. Get settled. But instead of keeping your eyes glued to the ball, turn your head and look directly at the hole. Keep your eyes fixed on the hole as you make your stroke and strike the ball. You are NOT looking back at the ball at all.
- The “Why”: This drill forces your subconscious mind to process the distance you’re seeing and translate it into the appropriate stroke length and power in your hands. You’ll be amazed at how quickly your natural touch takes over, making distance control far more intuitive.
2. The Leapfrog Challenge
This drill is all about building “incremental feel.” It helps you truly understand how much effort is needed for very slight increases in distance.
Here’s a Drill:
- The Setup: You don’t even need a hole for this one! Find a flat, open stretch of practice green, about 30 feet in length.
- The Execution:
- Putt your first ball about 10 feet away from you.
- Now, hit your second ball just past the first ball, as close as you can get it without hitting the first ball. It must go past it.
- Repeat with a third ball, hitting it just past the second, but within a few feet.
- The Goal: See how many balls you can “stack” or “leapfrog” in a perfectly spaced line before you run out of green. If any ball stops short of the previous one, or goes off the green, start the sequence over. This drill hones your touch to an incredible degree.
“Nothing kills a round faster than ‘giving away’ strokes on the green. Conversely, seeing a 50-footer settle inches from the cup keeps your confidence high for the next tee box.”
Your Path to Lower Scores
Lag putting is a skill that directly translates into lower scores and more enjoyable rounds. By focusing on speed control and committing to these drills, you’ll develop a sense of touch that will amaze you. Embrace the process, trust your hands and your eyes, and watch as those intimidating long putts become opportunities to set up easy tap-ins. Your handicap will thank you, and you’ll find a new level of confidence on the green. Keep practicing, keep improving, and I’ll see you soon for more tips to elevate your game!
