EFFECTIVE PUTTING
Speed is a major factor to consider in “effective putting” because a speed that is too fast can cause the ball to miss the cup with a lip-out, or a clear miss with the ball rolling well past the hole. While it is true that aiming for a putt to roll past the hole can result in fewer three-putts, it may not always lead to lower overall putts per round.
According to data from Shot Scope, a scratch golfer single putts 31% of the time and two putts 61% of the time. This means that focusing on distance control and reducing three-putts is more beneficial for most golfers than consistently trying to get every putt past the hole. Moreover, leaving the ball in a favorable position for the next shot can be a better strategy than attempting long putts that may lip-out or require additional strokes.
The optimal distance to hit each putt past the hole depends on various factors, including average putt length holed and capture speed. The average length of a putt holed for a mid-handicap golfer is around 4 feet. Leaving the ball more than 4 feet from the hole increases the likelihood of missing rather than holing the putt. Hitting a putt too far past the hole also makes it smaller, making it more challenging to hole and increasing pressure on subsequent putts.
To improve putting performance, focus on getting the ball rolling as slowly as possible when it reaches the hole. This enlarges the effective size of the hole and increases your chances of holing out or having an easy tap-in.**
