Distance control vital to putting

By Tray Shehee
PGA teaching pro, Riverdale Golf Club

The average golfer's practice routine consists of taking two large baskets of balls to the range and hitting mostly drivers.

There is the desire to watch that ball fly high and far. I agree this can be a lot of fun, but it is not the best thing for the overall game. At most, the driver is used 14 times over the course of 18 holes, whereas up to 50 percent of the strokes are made with the putter. So common sense dictates dedicating 50 percent of practice to putting.

There are two goals in putting: direction and distance. If both goals are met, the ball goes in the hole every time. The most important goal is distance, because if the distance is correct, the ball will be somewhere near the hole.

So how do you improve your distance control?

There are yardage markers in the fairway that let you know the distance to the green, and knowing the distance to the hole on the green is just as important. Keith Martin, a friend of mine and fellow PGA member, told me 10 years ago I should start pacing off my putts. To this day it is the best tip anyone has ever given me.

After you've hit the ball onto the green, take the extra 5 seconds to pace it off. One pace should equal about 3 feet.

There are several sensible reasons for knowing the distance of your putt. For example, if your ball is six paces from the hole, then you have an 18-foot putt. It is almost guaranteed you will have several more putts from the same distance throughout the round. When you get to the next putt from the same distance, your confidence will be greater because you now have a feel for that length of putt. Also, when you pace off a putt you have a positive thought working to your advantage. You might not always know which direction the putt will break, but you know for sure the distance to the hole.

Practice distance putting without a hole. With 10 balls, try to roll each ball one pace farther than the previous one. Maintain the same tempo with all 10 strokes of the putter, making the stroke a little longer, not faster, with each distance putt. Your distance control will not improve overnight. But if you implement this tip faithfully and pace off your putts for the next five rounds, I guarantee you will have fewer three-putts and more long one-putts.