Can Five Balls Reduce Three-Putts?

A simple game for putting speed can close the distance between you and lower scores

Jerry Walters

It’s a fact. Few of us hit our approach shots as close to the cup as tour players do, resulting in the dreaded three-putt. The Solution: Get the ball close on your initial putt.

This sounds easier than it is. Improper speed control while putting accounts for more three-putts than improper line does. Therefore, I spend more time with my putting students working on distance management.

In working with juniors, I’ve taken a distance drill, which many golfers recognize, and have turned it into a game that will help any player improve their lag putting.

The Course:
Place a club or Tour Stick approximately three feet (a putter’s length) behind the hole. This creates a grid from the front of the hole to the barrier at the rear. Each putt must go past the front of the cup but not touch the club. Putts that end up in the cup count no more or less than others inside the grid.

The Rules:
Place five balls on the green, the first one nine feet from the hole and each of the remaining balls three feet behind the other (the furthest ball will be 21 feet from the hole). Beginning with the ball closest to the cup, attempt to stop the ball inside the grid.

Scoring:
After putting all five, count how many ended up inside the grid. Three is par; four is birdie and all five inside the grid is an eagle. If only two balls finished inside the matrix, count it as a bogey and if one or none of the balls were inside, that’s a double bogey.

Games:
Since you want to develop a feel for distance control, challenge yourself by playing nine holes and keeping score. If you want to make some holes tougher, move the barrier slightly closer to the cup or move the five balls further back. You’ll soon develop a skill for the correct speed on most putts. Play as many downhill holes as uphill and move the game around the green to simulate actual playing conditions. And, if you want to feel the stress of competition, play against a teammate or friend. Have fun and improve.

Jerry Walters gives putting and short game lessons at Trent Wearner Golf Academy at Meridian Golf Club in Englewood. trentwearnergolf.com. 303-645-8000

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