Lag Putting

Willie Park jnr 1920 Stance Long Putt

Better Lag Putting leads to lower scores. This means doing everything you can to avoid three-putting in the round.

Using your putting stroke with a chipping setup helps to overcome the problems of either leaving the ball short or over-shooting the hole when faced with a long putt

A Sense of Distance

Having a sense of distance is important to rolling your ball close enough for an easy tap-in. On the golf course there are fixed markers for full shots to help you. However, on the green you are on your own.

To become an accomplished putter you must learn to judge how far away the hole is so you can decide how hard to hit the ball.

You can judge distance better when you look at something with both eyes. This is because our brain uses the angle at which our eyes are converged - how much they are pointing towards each other - to calculate the distance between objects.

Putting Setup

In putting we are mostly focused on direction rather than distance. We set up to the ball with our feet, hips and shoulders aligned parallel to the target. This is the recommended position when you are putting for accuracy. However, the way your eyes are aligned, makes it difficult to judge the distance accurately.

In lag putting distance is more important than direction. While it is unlikely that you will miss the hole by more than three feet left or right, there is a good chance that you could leave your putt way short or a good way past.

When you are bent over the ball, turning your head sideways to judge the distance to the hole is not the best way to gain perspective.

To judge distance accurately you need to stand taller with your eyes more towards level so you can look straight down the line of your putt with binocular vision. To accomplish this you need to adopt a modified setup position.

Nine Decades Later Not Much Change

Chip-Putting

Chip-putting is chipping with a putting stroke. It is a term commonly given to a technique of using your putting action with a lofted club when your ball is on the fringe of the green.

However, you can also use the technique when you are on the green. The only difference is that it is considered etiquette to use your putter rather than a lofted club.

Technique

• Stand tall, but choke down a little on the grip.



• Assume a narrow stance with slightly more weight on your left side.



• Position the ball between your feet and stand closer to it.



• Open your stance and turn your body more to face the hole.



• Putt the ball in the normal way.

Lag Putting requires constant practice. However, with a modified setup position that gives you better perspective, you will be less likely to three-putt in the future.

Image Source
1 = The Art of Putting by Willie Park Junior