Let’s be honest.
Few things are more frustrating than watching your first putt roll toward the hole…
…miss by a few feet…
Then watching your second putt miss too.
Three-putt.
Another stroke gone.
And the first thing most golfers think is:
“My putting stroke is terrible.”
But what if the stroke isn’t the real problem?
A lot of three-putts happen before the putter ever makes contact with the ball.
It’s the read.
The speed.
The distance.
The decision.
And sometimes, it’s simply trying to make a putt that never needed to be made.
Here’s one of the biggest mindset shifts you can make:
Your first putt doesn’t always need to go in.
Sometimes your job is simply to get it close enough for an easy second putt.
Think about a 40-foot putt.
Are you really expecting to hole it?
Probably not.
So why treat it like a must-make?
Instead, your goal should be:
Get the ball close.
If you leave yourself a three-footer instead of a six-footer, you’ve already done your job.
That’s lag putting.
And it’s one of the easiest ways to start eliminating unnecessary three-putts.
When you’re standing over a long putt, it’s tempting to obsess over the break.
Left.
Right.
More break.
Less break.
But there’s another question that’s arguably just as important:
How fast do I want this ball to travel?
Because speed changes the amount of break you need to account for.
A putt hit firmly won’t behave the same way as a putt dying toward the hole.
So before worrying about the perfect line, think about your pace.
Ask yourself:
“Where do I want this ball to finish if I miss?”
That’s a much better question than:
“How do I make this?”
Don’t walk onto the green, stand over the ball, and immediately start putting.
Take a moment.
Look at the bigger picture.
Where is the high side?
Where is the low side?
Is the putt uphill or downhill?
Does the green appear to slope more from one side?
Even a quick look from behind the ball can give you information your eyes don’t get when you’re standing over it.
And don’t forget:
Downhill putts generally require more touch. Uphill putts can usually be played more aggressively.
The goal isn’t to become a professional green reader overnight.
It’s simply to stop treating every putt like a straight line.
Forget the “Perfect Putt”
This is where putting gets mental.
You stand over the ball thinking:
“I need to hit the perfect line.”
Now you’ve created pressure.
Your stroke gets tense.
You try to steer the putter.
And the ball doesn’t roll the way you expected.
Instead, change the goal.
Don’t look for perfection.
Look for good speed and a realistic target.
A putt that finishes two feet from the hole is a success.
A putt that finishes six feet away isn’t necessarily a disaster.
A putt that races eight feet past the hole?
Now you’ve created another difficult putt.
Good putting isn’t about eliminating every miss.
It’s about making your misses manageable.
If you want fewer three-putts, spend more time practicing distance control.
Not just five-foot putts.
Not just making putts.
Practice hitting the ball to a specific distance.
Try this at the practice green:
Place a tee or marker about 20–30 feet away.
Then hit several putts without worrying about the hole.
Your goal?
Finish within a three-foot circle around your target.
Do it again.
Then change the distance.
Now you’re training your brain to control speed rather than simply trying to make everything.
And that’s exactly what you need on the course.
Try the Three-Putt Prevention Routine
Here’s a simple routine you can use before longer putts.
1️⃣ Read the Green
Look at the slope and direction of the break.
2️⃣ Choose Your Pace
Decide how aggressively you want the ball to travel.
3️⃣ Pick a Landing Area
Don’t focus only on the hole.
Pick the area where you want the ball to finish.
4️⃣ Make a Confident Stroke
Don’t steer the putter.
Trust your read and commit.
5️⃣ Prepare for the Miss
Ask:
“If this doesn’t go in, where do I want it to finish?”
That’s the mindset of a golfer trying to avoid three-putts, rather than a golfer trying to make every putt.
Don’t leave your first putt short and on the wrong side of the hole.
A putt that finishes two feet short may leave you with an easy tap-in.
A putt that finishes two feet past but on the wrong side of the break can suddenly become much more difficult.
Your goal is to leave yourself a manageable second putt.
That’s why speed matters so much.
Make Your Practice More Realistic
Here’s another simple challenge.
Instead of practicing 10 identical putts from the same spot, change the distance every time.
Try:
15 feet → 30 feet → 20 feet → 40 feet → 10 feet
Now you have to readjust your speed every time.
That’s much closer to what happens during an actual round.
You rarely get the exact same putt twice.
Your practice should prepare you for that.
You’re going to miss putts.
Everyone does.
The goal isn’t to eliminate every mistake.
The goal is to stop turning one missed putt into two.
That’s the difference.
A good lag putt leaves you with:
A comfortable second putt.
A poor lag putt leaves you thinking:
“How did I end up over here?”
And suddenly a simple two-putt becomes three.
Instead of:
“I have to make this.”
Think:
“What’s the best place to leave this putt?”
Instead of:
“What’s the perfect line?”
Think:
“What’s the right speed?”
Instead of:
“I missed.”
Think:
“How do I make the next putt easy?”
Those small changes can completely change the way you approach the green.
Three-putting isn’t always a putting-stroke problem.
Sometimes it’s a decision-making problem.
Read the green.
Control your speed.
Give yourself enough margin.
Stop trying to make every long putt.
And most importantly:
Make your first putt easier to miss.
Because the goal isn’t to hole every putt.
The goal is to make three-putts the exception, not the expectation.
Find More Ways to Play
Improving your golf game isn’t only about what happens during practice.
Sometimes, getting better means playing more, meeting new golfers, and putting yourself in more situations to learn on the course.
That’s where Golf Connection comes in.
Use the app to find golfers, create a game, or join one that fits your schedule. Whether you’re looking for a regular group or simply want to get out and play more, Golf Connection makes it easier to connect.
More golfers. More games. More time on the course.
Download Golf Connection on Google Play · Download Golf Connection on the App Store
Stop waiting for your next round. Find it. Play it. Enjoy it.
