This scenario may sound familiar to you: You find yourself in front of a long putt with excessive break. While you know that getting down in two is acceptable, your eyes focus on the hole—and you start to really see the line, thinking you can get it.
But a few short moments after you hit the putt, your heart sinks as the realization hits—it’s way too short. Of course, this is a mistake that can affect you no matter where your skill level is, but it’s especially common with amateurs—you fell in love with the line. You put your focus on the break and neglected to focus on your speed.
Pushing Speed Aside to Get the Right Read
Wanting to master a right read on the line is a noble focus, but some of us get so enamored with it that we don’t spend nearly as much time working on what speed the putt should have. This mistake can cost you big over the long term when it comes to developing your golf game. You just have to spend the time working on your speed.
A Drill With an Impact
Try this drill developed by Phil Mickelson and improve your speed so that you can really make an impact with your read:
- Place three balls at 40 feet, 50 feet, and 60 feet.
- From 40 feet, you should attempt to get all 3 putts within 3 feet of the hole.
- Increase your distance to 50 and 60 feet, three balls each.
- It is fine if your ball is left or right, but keeping them within the same distance is the goal.
After practicing these speed drills, you’ll find that the end result of your golf game will be much improved.
