2 putt comfort zone

[Lbob]

I'm really appreciating the value of the short game, especially putting, in scoring consistently. This year reducing 3-putts has been a major emphasis. My overall putts per hole has gotten below 2.0 (so far!). My question is this. How close to the hole do you need to be to have about a 90% confidence that you won't take more than 2 putts. I'm not talking about really tricky putts. Just the normal ones. For me now I think that inside 20 feet I won't do worse than 2 putts about 90% of the time. Outside of 25 to 30 feet I'd estimate about 75%.

So what's your 2 putt comfort zone?

[iacas]

I'm really appreciating the value of the short game, especially putting, in scoring consistently. This year reducing 3-putts has been a major emphasis. My overall putts per hole has gotten below 2.0 (so far!). My question is this. How close to the hole do you need to be to have about a 90% confidence that you won't take more than 2 putts. I'm not talking about really tricky putts. Just the normal ones. For me now I think that inside 20 feet I won't do worse than 2 putts about 90% of the time. Outside of 25 to 30 feet I'd estimate about 75%.

I'm 100% confident regardless of the length of putt that I'm going to give it a good run. Deep down I suppose I know I'm not going to make every 50 footer I look at, but the thoughts going through my mind are "you've got the line, you've got the speed, knock it in." After all, that's what you're supposed to do, right?

A good putt for me rolls to a stop very near to the hole, so even with a horrible mis-read, I rarely have more than a tap-in left. I've two-putted from 100 feet this year easily, and yeah, I honestly felt like I had a very good shot of making the first putt. To say you have 90% confidence means that you're admitting you might three-putt 10% of the time. That's a silly thought to have. I don't even like to think "just nestle this one close for a tap-in" because that changes your mindset from "hole the putt" to "miss the putt."

[lamebums]

I'm really appreciating the value of the short game, especially putting, in scoring consistently. This year reducing 3-putts has been a major emphasis. My overall putts per hole has gotten below 2.0 (so far!). My question is this. How close to the hole do you need to be to have about a 90% confidence that you won't take more than 2 putts. I'm not talking about really tricky putts. Just the normal ones. For me now I think that inside 20 feet I won't do worse than 2 putts about 90% of the time. Outside of 25 to 30 feet I'd estimate about 75%.

Up until recently, I walked up to the dance floor with a mix of apprehension, fear, and a halfassed form of the yips. It'd lead to plenty of four putts, as well as going back and forth across the hole several times.

What I found to turn my putting game overnight however was simply to relax. No matter how far I'm away from the hole I think about putting it in. Trying to lag the putt within a few feet increases your margain for error - if you miss a three foot lag by three feet, you've got a missable six footer...but if you miss the hole by three feet you can tap that in. I've gotten the ball much closer because of that thinking, and holed my share of character builders in recent weeks. (Of course, some pros will say to lag the putts anyway. It's really what works best for you, there's no wrong way to putt except to not put it in the hole.) So really, I feel I can two putt from any point, really, and I expect to put it in within say...10 feet. What I really do, though? I tend to leave a 60 footer 15 feet off line, and three putt it anyway.

[dhyv]

My short game is by far the better part of what I do. Typically for putting I have a very strong confidence in ball placement. Something I am sure we have all heard several times before are the 3 fundamentals of putting.
The pendulum swing, make your back stroke a little shorter than the forward stroke, and the metronome tempo. The pendulum swing will keep your body in sync and minimize moving muscles to keep your stroke consistent, and the last two work together to make sure your swing is smooth, manageable, and to prevent deceleration on the forward stroke.

As basic and obvious as that all sounds, exercising that on the practice green and using it during my play I have been sinking 35-50 ft putts with and without breaks. I'm using an old very simple putter too.

[Warik]

This year reducing 3-putts has been a major emphasis. My question is this. How close to the hole do you need to be to have about a 90% confidence that you won't take more than 2 putts.

In his book "Putting Out of Your Mind," Dr. Bob Rotella is effectively saying that the best way to reduce 3-putts is to increase 1-putts. 90% confidence that you will 2-putt means 10% confidence you will 3-putt and 0% you will 1-putt.

During those rare rounds where I start the first 3 or 4 holes with halfway decent tee and approach shots, there is not a doubt in my mind that every single putt I make, regardless of distance, is going to hit the back of the cup and go in the hole. Consequently, I find myself ending up within tap-in distance or lipping out from beyond my typical 3-putt range on the first putt. I've even made a few "oh wow it's going in!!!" 15 footers. Of course, when my handicap catches up to me and I start slicing tee shots and hitting approach shots fat, my positive putting thoughts disappear and so does my good putting. If there's any useful, accurate golf advice a 30+ handicapper can give to anybody, it's that your mind is going to play a far bigger role in improving your putting than your technique will. iacas is dead on when he says 100%.

[Jeepthrills]

I'm 100% confident regardless of the length of putt that I'm going to give it a good run. Deep down I suppose I know I'm not going to make every 50 footer I look at, but the thoughts going through my mind are "you've got the line, you've got the speed, knock it in." After all, that's what you're supposed to do, right?

I agree with Erik. I don't try to think get it close too often. I still try to make most putts unless they are absolutely crazy in length or have too many breaks. Granted this thinking can lead to being overly agressive and blowing one by, but being too conservative leads to balls comming up way short.

As far as the question. I always expect to two putt at the max on anyhting inside 30'.

[CG031]

Mine is about 15'. I am not very good lag putter at all, but am very good within 8 feet...but yeah, my lag putting isn't good at all but I'd say I can comfortably two putt from 15'.

[Shindig]

I'm really appreciating the value of the short game, especially putting, in scoring consistently. This year reducing 3-putts has been a major emphasis. My overall putts per hole has gotten below 2.0 (so far!). My question is this. How close to the hole do you need to be to have about a 90% confidence that you won't take more than 2 putts. I'm not talking about really tricky putts. Just the normal ones. For me now I think that inside 20 feet I won't do worse than 2 putts about 90% of the time. Outside of 25 to 30 feet I'd estimate about 75%.

My last few rounds I've holed some putts that, after sinking, I felt I had no business making. It really increased my confidence.

As others have said here, forget the 2-putt comfort zone. Let the green be your "knock it in" comfort zone; practice varieties of distances on the practice green, get a feel for distance, and you'd be amazed. My 2-putt confidence zone doesn't even show up until I miss a putt (it happens... frequently), then I think "I can sink this shot." And, more often than not, I do (my 3-putt avoidance has improved much lately). But I don't go back and try to figure out where the first shot was from. If I miss due to a break, I do go back and re-read the first putt, if possible, while others are hitting. I'm still learning to read greens, so I go back, see where it went and where I thought it would go, and where it turned. I'm amazed at how much this helps. Someone else mentioned a book by Dr. Bob Rotella. His Golf is Not a Game of Perfect will help you increase your comfort zone and improve your putting.

[Ben]

Yeah, what iacas said.

[Dent]

Im comfortable inbetween inches-3 feet and 6 feet-8 feet. 4 and 5 footers scare me. But i have a pretty good 1.67 per hole and 30.00 per round.

[Lbob]

Interesting to read the replies. I was looking for a number/distance and got something totally different, but I think useful perhaps. I am starting to realize that I am a "defensive" putter. That is, I am trying to avoid three putts more than focusing on holing a putt. I took a putting lesson a month or so back, and I told the pro that when I got over a birdie putt the thought in my mind was "Don't blow the par." He gave me a real disgusted look. And then gave me a little come to Jesus talk a la Iaccas (you should intend to hole every putt).

I think part of the problem is that I know the odds. Even for a pro a 30 footer will be made very infrequently. However, I think that's carrying over to shorter putts. I may be making progress though. The last time I played I had a 15 foot birdie putt. I could see the break and had a good idea of the speed. When I hit the putt I knew it was in before I looked up.

[Shindig]

I think part of the problem is that I know the odds. Even for a pro a 30 footer will be made very infrequently. However, I think that's carrying over to shorter putts. I may be making progress though. The last time I played I had a 15 foot birdie putt. I could see the break and had a good idea of the speed. When I hit the putt I knew it was in before I looked up.

The pros know the odds too. If you were in a conversation with Tiger and you asked him the probability he'd knock in a 30-footer, he'd be able to tell you. Do you think that's on his mind when he's standing over a 30-footer?

There was one memorable eagle putt he had from the opposite end of a green from the flag, back at the Buick about six months ago. It missed and stopped about a foot from the cup. Tiger looked surprised that it didn't go in. I bet "well, that's part of the 99% of that distance I won't make" wasn't on his mind at that time. That 15-footer you described earlier: think of it when you have a birdie putt next. Just play the break and speed for the putt you're facing.

[ham_man]

Mine is about 25' if only because I have determined that I have a freakishly remarkable ability to drain 5' putts with ease...as long as they are my second putt and not my first one. I really don't know if I should be happy or sad about that fact...

[gaz d]

you have to be confident over every putt. i mean golf is a mental game as well right?

[lhshurdl3r]

2-putt comfort zone... if my ball is on the green outside of 6-8ft then it's a reasonable two-putt, but i still go for gold on any putt. my last two rounds i've had 3 triples and 8 singles.

[Undr Par]

I long as I'm on the green, I feel I will do no worse then 2 putt.....doesn't always happen but I've found that if you think positively you normally have a positive outcome...........