Lag putting

[titaniummd]

If you saw my putting a few months ago, you would have thought my screen name was "TRI-tanium MD" (TRI for the 3 putts). Lag putting was always my downfall.

Reading various methods of 'how to lag putt' such as looking at the hole, the ladder drill, 'instinct putting' and visualizing putting 18 inches past the hole are fine for people who have a lot of time to practice.

In the past few weeks, I have tried various methods. I have been observing others on the practice putting green and how they practice. Some folks putt with several balls. I initially started putting with just one. However, putting with 2 balls is optimal for me.

One tip that helped me was using gravity as the tempo for the downswing. With that, I have a consistent downswing for every back stroke.

What method do you use to lag putt?

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Here is how I do it:

I have essentially 4 stations with the backstroke (example of a general distance depending upon the speed of the green)
1 Putter to big toe, Small (10 feet)
2 Putter to little toe (fifth digit), Medium (15 to 20 feet)
3 Hands to little toe, Large (20 to 30 feet)
4 Wrists to little toe, Extra-Large (30 feet and more)

No matter what type of green or condition, I determine at the beginning of the 'practice session' to see how far each backstroke goes (determining the speed of the green). If it is a faster condition, the ball will roll further; and slower condition, it will roll shorter. Before I play a round, I do the same thing. I actually test the green with the various strokes.

If I am putting uphill, if the distance is, for example, 15 feet, I may use station 3. If putting downhill, I may use station 1 or even 0.5 (smaller downswing).

There is a similar tip that I saw in Golf Magazine this month (he uses 3 stations).

Anyways, it works for me and has led to a lot more 2 putts and a significantly fewer 3 putts.

Now, I just have to work more on my alignment for the 6 to 8 footers.

[Dub]

For me....it's all about feel.


I have to stand behind the ball and take a few practice strokes....get the feel of the "right" one.

Pick out my line and focus spot while practice stroking....then address the ball and make another look to my spot and then make a fluid stroke.

One key for me is that my head remain still throughout my putting stroke....I'll simply let my eyes follow the ball....not my head.


Great lag putting will sure enough save you from poor iron play!!!!

[GolferDot]

I personally find there is no substitute for the one thing that can never be explained, FEEL, FEEL, FEEL. Putts outside of 12 feet I just focus on putting the best stroke I can on the ball. Putting is something that needs to be practised and the best thing about it is you can do it at home on the carpet.

[ks8829]

I try to judge my distance of the putts by the back swing distance and the follow through putting swing. The change that I have recently made was to make my follow through putt extended approximately 3 feet in front of my forward foot on every putt, I judge the distance with my back swing of my putt, this has help me judge the lag putts more consistenly.

[goblue107501]

I will usually play a little more break than what I think on the gentle sloping long putts. That way, when the ball slows down it will get closer to the hole. If you happen to miss it on the low side then it will run away from the hole leaving a longer putt back. If the slope is extreme, then I will try and leave and uphill putt coming back. I would rather have a straight 5 footer uphill then a 3 footer downhill with some break.

These are just my rules of thumb. It doesn't always work out as every situation can be a little different.

As far as how to do it...as some have already mentioned, it is all feel. You just have to practice and get your feel down, no one can teach feel.

[dave s]

have to agree with other responses here ... it's MOSTLY about feel. And lag putting seems to be about the LAST thing people get a good handle on in golf. Getting down in 'two' from anywhere on the green is quite an accomplishment and again, one of the last things to master in this game.

That said, I think the only thing that increased my 'feel' for more accurate lag putting was practice, practice and MORE practice. And I still have the occasional 3-putt green. Maybe 1 or 2 in an 18-hole round--sometimes none!

The theory you presented about big toe, last toe, etc. may be a general rule of thumb and more suited to flat straight putts. It doesn't consider uphill/downhill or the relative speed of the green on which you are putting.

Again, hitting 20-30 lag putts before a round is going provide a much better 'feel' for the greens and probably increase the likelihood you'll get down in two rather than 3-putt. Good luck.

dave

[mruseless]

I'm a recent Utley convert. I'm a feel putter now. One thing that really helps my feel is to hold the club loosely . So loose, in fact, that it feels like my stroke is a little wristy. But in reality it's just the soft fingers letting the putterhead release through impact. Sometimes I will also imagine rolling a ball to the hole with my hand, and that is roughly the amount of movement I want with the putterhead.

[jambalaya]

Actually your system sounds spretty good but I don't think it would work for me. However, it could be a good starting point for developing feel for the long putts.

I start off my practice putting sessions with lag putting. I don't think about making the shot at first, just general line and most importantly distance. Then I try to make them and finish the putts off when I don't. I don't think about how far to bring the putter back. I just stare down path on which I want the putt to travel and let that vision guide the stroke length. If I have a downhill putt, I will pick a point between me and the hole that I want the putt to stop and let the hill take it to the hole. I find it harder to pick a point past the hole for uphill putts. I just look at the path and hole and let her rip.

[titaniummd]

Feel is great if I had the time to practice as often. What I have been doing is trying to decrease the amount of putting practice.

The theory you presented about big toe, last toe, etc. may be a general rule of thumb and more suited to flat straight putts. It doesn't consider uphill/downhill or the relative speed of the green on which you are putting.

What I do at the start of a round or a practice session is to test the speed of the green by stroke 3 putts with each 'station'. So the way I do it does factor the green speed.

When I am putting uphill, I take the raw distance that I am dealing with. So if it is a 'station 2' on a flat surface, I may stroke it with a station 3 or even '3.5'. When I am putting downhill, I take the raw distance, again. If it is a station 3 on a flat surface, I stroke it with a 2 or even 1.5. I tried the feel method and looking at the hole works pretty well. However, I found more reproducibility of putting distance with my graded backswing.

[Fourputt]

Quite frankly, I don't really ever lag putt.... at least I don't think of it that way. My intent is to hole every putt I face. In reality, I know that it isn't always going to happen, but I still aim for the hole every time, and it's strictly a feel thing for me. I just "feel" the distance and the elevation gain or loss, then match a backswing that will get the ball to the hole. At least that's how it feels to me. I've tried to do it mechanically but it just doesn't work... too many variables to calculate

There's no conscious thought that "it's 40 feet to the hole and 8 inches up and 2 feet of break." I try to read the slope, feel the distance and stroke the putt. Seems to work most of the time.

[Octuple Bogey]

Your method, actually noting the exact backstroke length on lag putts, sounds too complicated for my tastes, though it might work well for you. I go completely off of feel myself. I usually take a good look at the hole, but I don't stare at it too long, before stroking the putt, and somehow my mind computes just about how hard I need to stroke the putt without my having to really consciously think too much about it. I suppose that with enough practice on lag putts you get better at doing this.

A couple of good drills I know for lag putting are "the ladder" and "around the world". In the first drill you place about five to ten balls in a straight line, each about five or so feet apart. Standing about five feet from the closest ball you start putting balls. Try to putt the first so that it stops between the ball that is five feet away and that which is ten feet away. Try to putt the next so that it stops between the balls which are ten and fifteen feet away. Continue in this manner until you have putted the last ball in such a manner that it stops between the farthest two balls you placed. In "around the world", you place a marker somewhere near the center of the green and putt to each hole on the green from that marker, counting your total score for 18 holes. (You will have to putt to each hole at least twice, maybe more, to get in 18 on a typical practice green.) I feel that this drill is better since it forces you to focus on hitting your lag putts not only the correct distance, but on the correct line as well, and it gives you a considerable amount of practice on short putts.

[mruseless]

In "around the world", you place a marker somewhere near the center of the green and putt to each hole on the green from that marker, counting your total score for 18 holes. (You will have to putt to each hole at least twice, maybe more, to get in 18 on a typical practice green.) I feel that this drill is better since it forces you to focus on hitting your lag putts not only the correct distance, but on the correct line as well, and it gives you a considerable amount of practice on short putts.

That sounds like a great drill, I'm going to try it on my next practice session!