ON THE GREEN CHANGE YOUR MIND-SET ABOUT LAG PUTTING
The leader in one-putt percentage on tour, Taylor Montgomery, gets it in the hole 46 percent of the time.
That’s impressive, for sure, but what it also should tell you is we’re missing more than we make, which is why sec- ond putts are so crucial to scoring. When you stand over a longer putt, what are you thinking about? I bet it’s something like, Pick a line and get it close. Me? I’m thinking about making them – and here’s why: If you’re think- ing about getting the ball into a three- foot circle but then miss by two feet, now you’ve got to contend with a testy five-footer. But when you try to make it, you sharpen your focus and the miss usually ends up in that three-foot circle for an easier second putt. I know a lot of players might need to practice feel and speed control, but that also falls into a get-it-close mind- set instead of I’m making this . That’s why I spend a lot more energy on read- ing the putt. I’ll read them from behind the ball and behind the hole, but I also read it from a few spots between the ball and the hole like I am here ( right ). I want to judge what the ball is going to roll over at various spots as it tracks towards the cup. My vision is getting worse, so I read the breaks with my eyes and my feet. You should, too. I saw a tweet from another tour pro, Michael Kim. He said under pressure, feel like you have to make every putt, but try to make them on the highest line you think the ball would possibly go in. If you do, as the putt loses speed, it’s going to move towards the cup, not away from it. That makes misses a lot easier to clean up. Don’t forget, bird- ies and pars are important for scoring, but so is keeping those big numbers off your card by three-putting or worse.
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 55
MAY 2026
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