Distance Control

Goldilocks and the Three Putts

In lieu of Dustin Johnson’s U.S. Open “three putt heard around the world”, here are a few measures you can take to avoid the dreaded 3 putt:

• Work on speed and distance control. Most 3 putts are from poor distance control, not mis-reads.
• Notice your grip pressure. Too much tension will lead to poor lag putting.
• Practice, practice . . . and then go practice some more.

Here is a great drill to improve your distance control:
Goldilocks Drill:
Hit a medium to long distance putt.  Before you look to see where the ball is, say to yourself whether the putt is TOO LONG, TOO SHORT or JUST RIGHT. Then look at your putt to see how accurate you were at predicting your distance control.

Dodie Mazzuca is the Director of Instruction at Troon Country Club in Scottsdale, AZ (November-April).  She also teaches golf in Santa Cruz, CA (May-October.)