How do you define a ‘good’ putt? Legendary short game coach explains

Golf lessons are constantly evolving, but the best advice stands the test of time. In GOLF.com’s new Timeless Tips series, we highlight some of the best advice teachers and players have shared in the pages of GOLF Magazine. Today we have a thought-provoking article from our August 1987 issue on how to define a “good” putt.

When it comes to teaching short game, Dave Pelz is the king. Over the course of his life, Pelz worked with countless Tour pros and major champions, and (quite literally) wrote the Bible in short game.

GOLF Magazine was also fortunate enough to work with the legendary short game coach, and in the late 1980s he wrote an article breaking down what a “good” putt is. Check it out below if you want to improve your own putting – and to see if you agree with the original principles of the short game king himself.

What is a ‘good’ putt?

“Never up, never in.” An old saying, but still words to remember. After years of working with professionals and amateurs, I’ve found that the key to sinking more putts is to charge the cup like Arnold Palmer did in his prime. In fact, my research shows that the speed that gives a putt the greatest chance of falling would send the ball about 17 inches past the cup if missed.

A good putt must therefore be hit hard enough to have a chance of falling. But hitting the ball hard enough to get it in the hole doesn’t always qualify it as a good putt. In other words, you may not have stroked the ball firmly enough to give it the best chance of dropping, due to the effect variables such as breakage, grain, point marks, footprints, and even wind on the roller.

The influence of external variables became clear in a series of tests with Tour pros Ben Crenshaw, Peter Jacobsen, Tom Kite and Tom Purtzer.

Under perfect conditions (what I call “pool table”), where the ground is flat and the surface is smooth, these pros pierced an average of 99 percent of 3-footers, 85 percent of 6-footers, and 70 percent of 10-footers. Under real-world conditions (an “average” putt, depending on slope variability and surface irregularities), these Tour pros averaged 85 to 95 percent of 10-footers, 45 to 55 percent of 6-footers, and 15 to 30 percent of 10-footers. (The chart along the side of the facing page gives a more complete overview of the pros’ make probability under “real” conditions.)

The success rate of the players shows large differences between perfect and real conditions, due to the unpredictability of the external variables. Again, the best way to beat them is to stroke a putt hard enough to minimize their impact.

When was the last time you played with the ball and it took too long or it got knocked off the line by a point marker? Or, faced with a three-footer, have you ever ignored possible breaks and simply hit the ball against the back of the cup? You probably thought, “Even if I miss, the ball won’t end up too far past the hole.” That’s the attitude you should have with every putt.

If you look at the graph you will see that the percentage of pros on putts over 10 feet is nothing spectacular. But their putting ability jumps over 10 feet and less; this is the range that separates the pros from the amateurs. Tour players usually putt on manicured greens in top condition, where external variables are least likely to come into play. If the pros putt best on greens that are almost free of these variables, then it makes sense that you putt as if those variables don’t exist, even though they do. And my studies prove that the way to do that is to hit the ball firmly against the cup.

Try to worry less about the direction of your putts and more about the pace. Rely on your senses to align your body and putterhead with the target line and pay attention to stroking the putt at the right speed. Remember, the best way to ignore the variables on the surface of the green that you have no control over is to roll the ball straight through them. Hit a “good putt” by loading it to the cup and you will sink more.

Pelz Player Putting Mat

Pelz Player Putting Mat INDOOR PUTTING MAT – Developed exclusively by Catalyst Golf in collaboration with Dave Pelz! The world-renowned short game expert brings you a putting mat based on drills and games that Dave uses with top tour players to help win major championships. IMPROVE YOUR GOLF SCORE – Master putts within 10 feet to lower your score and become a better golfer. The same theory has been used by Master’s Champions Phil Mickelson and Patrick Reed PUTTING GREEN – The putting mat comes with instructions, drills and tips to help you improve your aim, speed and distance. MULTIPLE HOLE LENGTHS – Designed to work with the PELZ Player Putting Cups to help you set up your own indoor putting green studio. Putting Cups sold separately INCLUDES – 1 putting mat 26″ x 126″ (10.5 feet) with rubber backing to ensure a smooth putting surface and 1 foam wedge used for ball return at the end of the mat and for creating breaks. In the box: 1 Pelz Player Putting Mat 26″ x 126″ 1 Foam wedge used for ball return at the end of the mat and for creating breaks. Note: PELZ Player Putting Cups are sold separately Technical Details Package Dimensions ‎68.83 x 17.02 x 16.51 cm; 3.72 kilograms Manufacturer Reference ‎CGPELZMAT Color ‎Green Style ‎Putting Mat Brand ‎Catalyst Golf Item Weight ‎3.72 kg Mat Size 26″ wide x 126″ long (10.5 feet)

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