How is your long-distance putting?
You know the scene: You’re on the green, a million miles from the hole, and you’re forced to putt your golf ball a long way when you’re not sure how hard to hit it. You need to hit it hard, but you’re afraid to hit it too far past the hole and, at the same time, you’re scared you won’t hit it hard enough and leave yourself short, facing another doozy.
It reminds me of a good, fun and challenging mini-golf adventure.
There are two types of mistakes or fears we allow to effect our ability to lag putt. The first fear is that of sending the ball too far past the hole. The other fear is that of leaving the putt short of the hole no matter how hard you hit it.
If you’re afraid of hitting it long, you most likely take a pretty good backswing and then slow the club head down before it reaches the ball to ensure you don’t blast it by the hole. It’s a classic deceleration move that wreaks havoc. This player needs to control the pace and length of the backswing to set up the ability to accelerate the club through impact. Think low and slow.
If you’re afraid of leaving your long-distance putt short, you most likely have a shorter backswing and right before impact you add a blast of acceleration through impact, sending the ball speeding right past the hole. This player needs to focus on lengthening the backswing, use the same energy as a normal stroke and make sure to get to impact with no extra hand and wrist action. Keep your lead wrist flat to ensure a solid putt.
Pick a side of fear you may relate to and go to the practice green. Forget about the hole and just practice putts from one end of the practice green to the other, trying to get the ball to land just short of, or just on, the fringe. Practice these putts in both directions to account for varying slopes.
While you are on the golf course, if you have time, practice walking the entire distance from your ball to the hole so you get to see the distance and varying slopes your ball with face. Just looking at the line from behind the ball to the pin won’t cut it with these super-long putts. Walk it and see it to believe it.
Long-distance putting, or lag putting, takes a little practice, like everything else in golf. Spend some time on the putting green and practice some long ones.
This type of forced putting can be tricky and may feel like mini-golf sometimes. Just like mini-golf though, keep it fun, soak in the views, and enjoy the ride.
Peter Harris is the director of Golf at the Fore-U Golf Center in West Lebanon. His column appears weekly in the Recreation page during the golf season.