How to Never 3-Putt Again
Three-putts are where amateurs bleed strokes and the fix is simpler than you think.
Video Transcript
Today I'm using Odyssey's AI-Dual Jailbird Mini putter.
It's the perfect combination of speed, control, and alignment.
The AI dual layer insert and enhanced forward roll grooves promote more consistent ball speed and a smoother roll, which will give you better distance control and feel.
Plus, the lightweight, counter-balanced steel shaft helps create a more stable, repeatable putting stroke.
I'm gonna work with David Armitage today to find out how we can use the technology in this putter, and his instruction, to never three-putt again.
So David, we've got a 45-foot putt here, and the problem with these putts for most amateurs is they turn into a three putt more often than they turn into a two putt.
So what do you think the reason that is for most players?
Well, look, I think, first of all, we've gotta try and eliminate the low-hanging fruit.
So every amateur has the same opportunity as a pro when it comes to the green.
So I think it's important to understand that.
And I think when working with students, I'm trying to help them understand that on the greens we can really gain shots.
So this is somewhere where we can get the ball in that circle of love very easily if we follow some simple principles.
So the first bit is what do we do before we hit the putt?
Mm-hmm.
So we've gotta look at the putt from different angles.
We've gotta read the green.
We've gotta try and educate ourselves.
Okay?
And I think a lot of people skip that step.
They maybe rush into making rash decisions.
Some people do overdo it, u- using sometimes aim point or different, strategies, and can overthink it, but you've gotta have a consistent pre-shot routine.
So that's number one.
Yeah.
So we're gonna go through that.
Number two is the technique, is trying to make sure that their technique is working consistently.
Mm-hmm.
So for, this type of putt, what I'm looking at is how do they create the distance with their putter, right?
Okay.
So first of all, when you're putting, you wanna reduce your power factors, right?
So we don't wanna use a weight shift.
We don't wanna use much rotation.
We don't wanna use much wrists.
We don't wanna use our elbows much.
Like we're trying to create power in the full swing, we wanna try and reduce a lot of those factors and limit them so that we can control the distance.
So I'm gonna look at the technique and try and work on creating a consistent tempo, and hopefully one where we can use the length of the swing to control the distance.
Okay.
What I feel most club golfers do, or amateurs do, is the backswing sometimes doesn't change, and the forward swing is where they create the distance from.
Okay.
And that can be inconsistent.
Yeah.
So that can be, you know, on a Saturday morning it may work very well, on a Sunday morning it works terribly.
So- Yeah I'm really trying to teach a player to do the education part very well pre-ball, have a consistent approach, and then work on that technique so that they have something that they can trust and that they can, rely on, not only when they're playing on their own with their friends, but under pressure as well.
You also mentioned that a lot of amateurs don't understand how to deliver their speed in their putting stroke properly.
Could you talk about that?
Because I think that's something that, I know I've struggled with my own game, but I've definitely seen it with some of my playing partners.
100%.
Well, let, why don't we hit a putt here- Okay and let's have a little look.
So, we've got it all lined up.
All right.
Ah.
So that came up a little short.
Yeah.
So look, what I would say is that most people don't have a way of calibrating to make that go longer, right?
Mm-hmm.
Because their tempo changes every time.
So what I want you to do right now is let's set it up again.
Okay.
So let's line it up for me, 'cause I think that line was pretty good there.
Yeah.
So we did a good, good job with the pre-work.
Yeah.
Okay.
I'm gonna make one little adjustment to your set up here as well.
Okay.
So tell me when you're ready.
All right.
So if I were to go this- So we're gonna make one little adjustment to just make sure that handle's a little And that's really important.
A forward press?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Just a little bit, because it's really important to not, putter's got loft on it.
Right.
It's important not to sort of have that loft exposed, because it's gonna make the ball jump.
Okay.
So we've gotta make sure that that loft's, sort of taken off the putter.
Yeah.
So we get a good roll, get the ball rolling as soon as possible.
So- Okay.
Yeah.
And then from there, let's just make that stroke a little bit longer on the backswing.
Okay.
And that's what we want overall.
For, for all putts, we want a longer backstroke than the through stroke, right?
100%.
So like a pendulum, that, that pendulum should work back.
It's never gonna swing through quite as far as it swings back.
You add the impact of the golf ball, it's gonna slow it down even more.
Okay.
So that's what we're looking for, is that impact of the golf ball, and it's gonna stop.
Yeah.
We're not looking for it being pushed through.
Right.
And that's what most people are doing, is they're trying to push it through.
So the aim of the putter, or the aim of the shot is done before we start.
Right.
The pace is done during the stroke.
Yeah.
And that's done by the length of the stroke- Yeah not during the stroke.
So let's go again.
Okay.
And let's just make this stroke just a little bit longer.
Yeah.
Hands forward a touch, yeah.
Like that?
And let's just lengthen that stroke out, but keep the same tempo.
Okay.
It's definitely a better putt there.
And there we go.
Yeah.
So right there, what we did is we didn't get reactive, which is what we see a lot of people, as you talked about earlier, uh- People go short, they go long.
We were able to fix it very quickly.
Yeah.
And that's what a sign of a good putter is, and that's what you see the pros do, is they're able to change and adapt very quickly.
It's amazing how many amateurs I play with that I can get to the seventh hole and I can't get the pace of these greens.
Yeah.
Well, if you have a reliable tempo, if they're slow, you just add length to your swing and suddenly you can adapt.
Yeah.
But if your tempo is always different- it's impossible for you to be, have something to rely on.
Yeah.
So I think the first thing is own a tempo.
Yeah.
Would that be like using a metronome or like, you know- Yeah having a phrase that you use?
It, it could be.
And what I would also say is that tempo has to be, in keeping with the course that you play, because if you play on golf, courses where the greens are slow- Mm-hmm you might have to have a quicker tempo.
Oh, okay.
Right?
So it's something you can calibrate every time you play.
If you, if you play on greens that are like glass, you might have a slower tempo.
If you play Like, I grew up in St. Andrews, Scotland, the greens were huge.
Yeah.
I had to hit 100-yard putts, right?
The fifth green at St. Andrews, like- front to back.
So I had to have a quite quick stroke because I had to get the ball a long way.
Got it.
Right?
That's, if you grew up in Pebble Beach with small, tiny greens- Yeah you wouldn't have to have a big stroke, right?
Yeah.
So you can actually tell.
When I look at p- players, I can tell where they grew up, how they grew up playing because of how they stroke the ball.
So- Okay I think once you own a stroke- Yeah then you've gotta stick with it, and you've gotta use the length of your stroke to control the distance.
So- Let's hit one more.
Let's line- Focus on the tempo let's line it up again now.
Okay.
Always go through that routine.
Yeah.
I like that, though, using the tempo to hit the putt versus, you know.
And look, again- Thinking about the hit every, every shot matters, so the more that you can go through your routine, the better.
I think too many people hit putts without thinking.
If you wanna get better, you've gotta go through your routine.
Right.
Otherwise, you don't know if you're aiming correctly, you don't know if it's good or bad.
Okay.
So always go through your routine, Maddie.
Hands forward a little bit just so we have a good contact.
Yeah.
Make that stroke that little bit longer.
Same tempo.
Ah.
And I think there, that stroke didn't quite go back quite as far.
Yeah, it didn't.
I don't think it did.
So let's try again one more time.
Let's- Okay.
Let's line it up.
Now, is there a drill that you would like to see players do?
I know sometimes, like, the ladder drill is something a lot of- I like the- tour pros do for distance control.
Ladder drill, putting towards the fringe, little things like that can be great.
Yeah.
So this time, Maddie, I'm gonna, I'm gonna challenge you.
I want this one past the hole.
Okay.
So we've gotta make that.
Now, keeping the tempo the same- Mm-hmm but I want that backswing definitely to be a little longer, right?
Keep the tempo the same.
I definitely grew up playing on, Hands forward a lot.
Good.
Longer backswing.
Faster greens.
Keep the tempo the same.
There you go.
Ah.
There you go.
That was way better.
Yeah.
You just need challenge, Maddie.
Yeah.
And that was a great putt.
Like, you hit that in a tournament, you're gonna be pretty happy.
Oh, yes.
It's got a chance of going in.
Finished on the high side, the pro side, and you know, it's within 18 inches of the hole so it's gonna be an easy tap-in.
I'm still gonna make you hole out- Yeah but it's, it's a great putt.
So look, tempo is critical.
If you don't have a tempo, you've got nothing to rely on.
Pre-shot routine is critical.
Warming up is critical.
Like, these components are critical to you being a great putter and having some consistency, having some baselines that you can build off.
This is the low-hanging fruit.
Yeah.
This, this is where you can s- shave strokes off your scores and, and I think that's where amateurs miss this part.
Yeah.
They don't practice their putting enough.
They definitely don't practice their long putting enough, and I think it's a place where they could definitely, get better very quickly.
Yeah.
And then what's, like, that ring of, like, a makeable distance that you can kinda set yourself for expectation of making when you step up to it?
Is it, for an amateur, is it four feet, you think?
Like, three feet, four feet?
Well, look, I think, I think on the PGA tour, sort of s- 7.5 to eight feet is that sort of 50/50 mark.
Yeah.
Right?
You know, they're sort of 95%, 98% from that sort of four-feet mark.
Like, I think amateurs, the closer the better, right?
Yeah.
Like, that's the way I would see it as an amateur.
You know, from these long putts, the average on the PGA tour at 32 feet is where the break even is of them, them as likely to hole it- as they are to three putt.
The PGA tour, the best putters average a q- quarter of a three putt a round.
So that's one three putt in a four-round tournament.
The average is two three putts in a four-round tournament, right?
Yeah.
The average amateur is probably averaging three, four, three putts a round, right?
And there's no advantage here, right, between a professional athlete and- Right an amateur on the putting green, right?
Like, there's no advantage.
Yeah.
I'm never gonna hit it as far as Tiger Woods did, right?
Right.
Like, he was just a phenom, right?
Or Cameron Champ.
But on the putting green, we're all equal, right?
Yeah.
So this is a place where every player can get better and every player can have an opportunity to shine, and I think, I think it's, it's, it's where we need to see a little bit more work.
Yeah.
It is a little bit more boring to spend time on the putting green, unless you're with, with yourself.
But I'd love to, love to see people working on the tempo, working on their pre-shot routine, a little bit more practice, and I think they can get a lot better.
I know that you've said I need to lengthen my stroke a bit.
You know, how do I- I develop that feel and that tempo, with a longer stroke, without losing that, you know, my tempo, my feel.
You know, with a, with a beginner, I might use the feet as, as some indicators, 'cause they've got that in their peripheral vision.
So I might use their, their feet as going back to the foot, going outside the foot.
It's, it's really a, it is a feel, but until you develop that feel, like you, you know, it's- it's hard to tell someone how far back to go, right?
But when you're standing here on the putting green, that's when you're trying to develop those feels.
So it's very easy to stand in the same place, and for a coach to say, "Let's go back further, let's go back further, let's go back.
Oh, you've got it."
Right?
Yeah.
But for some people, it's y- it's good using keys on the ground.
Mm-hmm.
Like your feet.
You could put tees into the ground, some cues, so that you can just feel, and then you've gotta relate it to that cue, right?
Okay.
But again, it's very critical that the tempo stays the same.
So for me, it's very important that we keep that tempo consistent, whatever it be.
If it's a faster tempo, like a Brent Schneiders that had a very quick tempo.
Sure.
Or it's more of that Matt Sciama tempo, which is very slow.
Whatever your tempo, we've gotta r- maintain that at all times at the heart of it.
Yeah.
I'm never gonna change someone's tempo if it, if it's good and, and consistent, but we've gotta help them understand, okay, how do we lengthen, and how do we then shorten, but keeping that tempo the same.
Okay.
So I think it's a feel thing, which feel is hard to teach someone.
Right.
Transfer a feel.
But- But- explaining it like a pendulum definitely helps.
Definitely helps I think.
And giving cues, like sometimes I'll have people widen their stance.
Mm-hmm.
Like, if you take this one and you widen your stance- Yeah for a longer putt, you now have, you now have a little bit bigger base that gives you a little bit of something to, to use.
Yeah.
Definitely.
Yeah.
So I think just some cues.
If someone's really struggling, I'll give them some outside cues.
Practice is the biggest thing, though.
Yeah.
You might stand here for a long time just working on trying to get that s- the, the trust of being able to lengthen that stroke.
Yeah.
But I think thinking about it like a pendulum, as you were explaining with this, that helps you kind of visualize how the putter needs to be coming through into the ball so that it's not too, like, wristy, or, right?
You're not losing that structure- Yeah of what it is.
And one thing to add to that, I don't want people to watch the putter, right?
Like- Mm-hmm the idea is those eyes are s- really looking at the golf ball.
Sure.
We don't wanna be watching the putter, 'cause I see too many people sort of watching that putter.
Really?
You, so- we really wanna make sure that our visual is right on that ball.
Okay.
Looking at a dimple of, of that ball.
So you don't wanna watch the putter to do this.
You've gotta feel it.
You've gotta have sort of like a, in your peripheral vision.
But you can't be sort of following the putter with your eyes.
Okay.
That's good to know.
So use those feet as cues, and think about moving the putter kinda like a pendulum to get your tempo- Yeah keep it, you know, consistent.
Yeah.
For sure.
