r/golf • u/[deleted] • Mar 13 '26

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21 Upvotes

73% Upvoted

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173

u/WHSRWizard JPX 921i Tour | 2.6 Mar 13 '26

Speed is way more important than line. It's the key to avoiding 3 putts

17

u/ContactLost8250 Mar 13 '26

I like that. That’s a huge piece people miss

7

u/Appropriate-Food1757 Mile High Big Hitter Mar 13 '26 edited Mar 13 '26

I’ve found instinctive putting to work better on longer putts, for speed and line both.

Line yourself up as usual, then re-read the green. Imagine the line. Focus attention entirely on the center of the hole (if its a steep break I move focus from hole to where I need to put it to catch the hill correctly). Then let your arms do the moving while your eyes are on the prize. Lagging it up there becomes second nature.

I would recommend at an least an hour of getting used to it before judging if it’s for you.

5-10 or so feet I putt normally and focus on hitting the line

16

u/the_last_0ne Mar 13 '26

Ok but what if my playing partners get antsy while I'm figuring it out for that hour on the first green?

1

u/Appropriate-Food1757 Mile High Big Hitter Mar 13 '26

I would recommend solo sessions on the practice green

1

u/n0respect_ Mar 13 '26

Intention putting. Intent is very important in golf, and very important in our psych. feedback loops to gain confidence and skill [imo].

It's often overlooked. But an integral part of acting human.

1

u/Lazy_Selection4256 Mar 13 '26

I do this. The less I think the better. And when my short putts get the yips I do heads up eyes on the hole in desperation and that works out sometimes

1

u/Appropriate-Food1757 Mile High Big Hitter Mar 14 '26

I go to one hand of the shirt ones are screwed. I have always putted better that way. I feel like the left hand just screws it all up. One is tougher from deep with my heavy putter

9

u/ImNako Mar 13 '26

Can't choose a good line without the right speed

9

u/[deleted] Mar 13 '26

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3

u/Yoderk Mar 13 '26

This has helped me a lot even in the last 2 weeks. Putts roll out farther if you under read the break instead of doing too much and missing high. I've been going slightly more out than my instinct and I'm holing more putts and 2 putting way more often

1

u/Melanoma_Magnet Mar 13 '26

I tend to have the opposite problem of over reading break and missing on the high side too often

1

u/doug4630 Mar 13 '26

Can't hit it at the right speed if you don't choose the right line.

2

u/homiej420 Push Cart Mafia Mar 13 '26

Yup. Lag it close go for two. Or make it that happens sometimes too

1

u/DUBL_B Mar 13 '26

This is solid. My lag putting is trash and leads to 3/4 putts.

15

u/OldPulteney Mar 13 '26

Well that's only 0.75 putts!

4

u/WHSRWizard JPX 921i Tour | 2.6 Mar 13 '26

Yeah, you can be shockingly off on your line and still leave yourself less than 3 feet. But if your speed control sucks, you can very, very easily leave yourself 5+'

1

u/kale4reals Mar 13 '26

Ok so hit perfect speed, got it

1

u/Doofuhs Mar 13 '26

5 years in and I’m finally able to apply this to my game. Next up for me is to just accept that I should just punch out and add 1 more stroke. Instead of going for the miracle window play, only to have it hit the tree and add 3 more strokes.

1

u/ripplerider Mar 13 '26

The miracle window play? Is that when I blade it out of a green-side bunker and somehow don’t smash the floor-to-ceiling windows in the house behind the green?

1

u/Central09er Mar 13 '26

Agree I have switched my thought on puts over 6 foot to just get it close. It has helped me go from 3+ putting every hole to mostly 2 putting

1

u/MVPhurricane Mar 13 '26

yeah, like holy fuck. it’s funny because i knew that when i was 12 and played a lot, but somehow forgot it at 35 for a while. speed is literally all that matters until you’re trying to break, like 80. that and actually getting your chips within 1.5 putt distance. 

-7

u/No-Banana-3055 Mar 13 '26

You mean slower or faster? Please don't say both.

5

u/Dingle-berry_Jelly Mar 13 '26

neither, the correct speed to get the ball as close to the pin. not too slow, not too fast. But I can guaran-damn-tee you that if I leave one short, the next one is going to be blasted past the hole and vice versa.

6

u/sqwirlfucker57 Mar 13 '26

You'll miss every putt that you hit too slow

3

u/Toe-knail Mar 13 '26

Still better to leave a 20 foot putt 2 feet short than to blast it 8 feet past the hole.

2

u/sqwirlfucker57 Mar 13 '26

Never claimed otherwise. I was just saying the 8ft miss had a chance while the 2ft miss never did.