Judging and controlling the distance of a putt is one of the most important aspects of golf. Of all the places to drop shots on a golf course, the green is arguably the most infuriating. If you reach a green in regulation and three putt, it is very annoying.
If you are struggling on the green, one of the reasons could be distance control. Today we have some putting distance control tips.
Reading the line of a putt is an important skill but judging the distance of a putt is perhaps more important. If you can gauge the distance of a long putt, you will begin to the remove the dreaded three putt from your game.
So, the first thing you must do when preparing to play a putt is focus more on the distance you must hit the ball rather than spending too much time on reading the line. You know what distance away from the hole you feel comfortable holing a putt. It may be two feet, it could be three feet but if you know you can make a putt from three feet, aim to get long distance putts within this distance of the hole.
If you fail to read the line precisely, you will still be close enough to the hole to make your second putt.
When making your practice strokes, try and look at where you want to the ball to finish rather than down at the ball itself. Think about where the ball might have finished if you had made the putt using that stroke. Did it feel too hard or too soft? Try another practice swing to perfect the pace of your swing before making the putt.
Many beginner golfers waste their practice swings and put very little thought into them. Think about each swing and the distance the ball will travel before committing to the actual putt. Try and replicate the practice swing you were happy with when making the putt.
Much of the work when it comes to putting distance control is done off the golf course. It’s a cliché to say practice makes perfect but in this instance, it is true.
Think about how many hours of your practice time per week or month you spend on your putting. If you can give yourself just 2 hours per week to practice your putting distance control it will make a huge amount of difference to your game.
Spend the time working on putts from various distances. Start closer to the hole at between 2 and 4 feet and work your way out to between 4 and 8 feet, 8 and 12 feet and so on. Think about how much your are swinging the putter for each successful shot and how it differs between distances.
To make things more interesting, switch the distances and do not always start close to the hole and work your way out. By working on your putting distance control you will save shots on the golf course.
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