Stop 3-Putting
Most golfers think putting is about making putts. It’s not. Great putting is really about eliminating mistakes, and for most amateur golfers, the biggest mistake is the dreaded 3-putt.
Putting comes down to three things: Speed, Read, and Start Line
Yes, start line matters. Research shows the putter face accounts for roughly 80–85% of a putt’s starting direction. But for amateur golfers, especially from longer distances, the real scoring killer is usually much simpler: poor speed control. Most 3-putts don’t happen because of a missed second putt. They happen because the first putt finishes nowhere near the hole. Leave it 8 feet short… blast it 10 feet by… now you’re standing over a nervy putt trying to save a 2-putt.
The Reality of Amateur Putting Distances
When you break down amateur putting stats, the importance of lag putting becomes obvious. The average first putt distance for amateurs is approximately: 16 feet on Par 3s, 28 feet on Par 4s, and 41 feet on Par 5s.
Think about that for a second. Most golfers are regularly putting from distances where the odds of making the putt are already low. Once you get outside roughly 15–20 feet, make percentages drop dramatically, even for PGA TOUR players.
Here’s roughly how PGA TOUR make percentages look:
3 feet: ~99%
5 feet: ~80%
8 feet: ~50%
10 feet: ~40%
15 feet: ~23%
20 feet: ~15%
25 feet: ~8%
30 feet: ~5%
So why do amateur golfers act like every 25-footer should go in? If the best players in the world only make a 25-footer around 1 out of 12 times, your goal shouldn’t be: “Make everything.” Your goal should be: Leave yourself an easy second putt. That’s what elite lag putting actually is: Proximity control.
The “17 Inches Past the Hole” Myth
For years, golfers were taught:
“Never up, never in.”
The old-school advice was to roll every putt about 17 inches past the hole. Sounds aggressive. Sounds confident. Unfortunately, modern analytics show it’s largely outdated. Data from systems like ShotLink, Decade and modern strokes-gained analysis, show that firm putting often creates more problems than it solves. Why?
Because firmer putts:
shrink the effective size of the hole
require more precise start lines
and dramatically increase the difficulty of the comeback putt
In other words: the harder you hit it, the smaller the hole becomes. Modern putting philosophy has shifted away from “ram it by” and toward: controlled speed and predictable proximity. Nobody is suggesting you try to “die” a 3-footer into the hole. But once you move into longer-range putts, especially outside 20 feet, the priority changes from “make” to “leave.” The best lag putters in the world focus on getting the ball to finish within a manageable range around the hole, usually within roughly 10% of the original putt distance.
That means:
A 30-foot putt finishes within 3 feet
A 40-foot putt finishes within 4 feet
That’s the real goal. Not smashing it 6 feet by trying to “give it a chance.” Because when amateurs get overly aggressive with speed, 3-putts skyrocket.
Great Putters Have Great Tempo
One of the biggest differences between elite putters and average golfers is rhythm. World-renowned putting coach Phil Kenyon teaches that elite putting is built on consistent tempo, not manipulation. His approach is incredibly simple:
“One… Two.”
“One” = backswing
“Two” = downswing and impact
The key is maintaining roughly a 2:1 timing ratio. The 2:1 putting stroke ratio refers to the timing and rhythm of your swing. It means your backswing should take twice as long as your downswing
What’s interesting is that elite players maintain this same rhythm whether the putt is 5 feet, 20 feet, or 40 feet. They don’t “hit harder” on longer putts. They simply make a longer stroke while maintaining the same tempo. That consistency is one of the biggest reasons great putters control distance so well. When measured with a metronome, many PGA TOUR players fall somewhere between 76–90 BPM. A smooth, repeatable rhythm helps regulate: speed control, face control, strike quality, and performance under pressure.
The Real Goal of Putting
Most golfers think putting is about making more putts. But lower scores usually come from: eliminating terrible first putts, improving speed control, and making stress-free second putts.