Viktor Hovland reminds you to vary your method once you’re staring down a long-distance putt.
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When amateurs have a putt from over 30 toes, many people method the shot incorrectly — which may add strokes and, in the end, end in three-putts.
Positive, we would undergo our pre-shot routine by studying the inexperienced, determining the velocity and distance, and checking our goal, however there’s a typical mistake that then units in — attempting to gap it out.
Are you aware how typically a PGA Tour participant makes a putt from 20-25 toes? The perfect golfer on Tour from this vary in 2024 (Max Greyserman) solely drained it 23 % of the time, that means an Common Joe such as you or me have an excellent slimmer probability to take action.
Good your lag placing and eradicate 3-putts by…closing your eyes?!
That’s the place lag placing comes into play, which focuses on dialing in your velocity and simply placing your first putt shut sufficient to sink the second putt.
So what’s the very best method when lag placing from lengthy distances? Within the video under, six-time PGA Tour winner Viktor Hovland shares his favourite ideas, which ought to enable you keep away from the temptation of locking in on the cup and as a substitute simply fear about leaving it shut.
Viktor Hovland says to disregard the opening when placing from lengthy distances
Within the video, Hovland particulars his method on a putt from a whopping 45 toes — which no beginner golfer ought to ever severely take into account holing out, even in case you’re feeling scorching with the putter.
As a substitute of specializing in draining it, Hovland says it’s most vital to simply give attention to velocity, ensuring you allow the ball someplace shut sufficient to the cup to make your following try.
“[On putts from this type of distance], it’s essential to have the best velocity, which is the place I’d say I spend most of my time preparing for a brand new event,” Hovland says.
This ‘baseline’ placing drill will enable you dial in your velocity on the inexperienced
As a substitute of worrying about making it, Hovland suggests selecting a spot simply over midway to the opening and being intentional about rolling it over that spot.
“Once you’re actually distant from the opening, as a substitute of wanting on the gap and pondering how far you might want to hit it to get it to the opening, I decide a spot about 60 % of the best way and take into consideration how briskly the ball must roll over that time to simply find yourself near the opening,” he provides.
As you handle the ball, be locked in on that spot you’re aiming for, focusing in your stroke dimension to make sure you’ve received the best distance management.
“As soon as I get my line and recover from the ball, I take a pair observe swings to type of feel and appear how far that spot is,” Hovland explains. “Once I’m standing over the ball, the road doesn’t matter, the stroke doesn’t matter — all you might want to be specializing in is the velocity.”
