CONQUER THE LONG LAG

There are certain areas of your game that you can improve a lot faster than others. Learning to lag your long putts consistently close enough for a sure two-putt is one of the best ways to trim strokes quickly. USE SOME WRIST BREAK If you analyze why you three-putt or even four-putt those 40- 0 footers! you know the problem is almost always "istance! not "irection. #ou may leave the putt $% feet short or knock it the same "istance past! but you rarely stroke it more than three feet off line. &bviously! you must "evelop a more sensitive feel for "istance in your stroke. 'tart with the way you stroke the long putt. &n short- or mi""le-length putts you might have success using an arm-an"-shoul"er stroke! keeping the wrists firm an" the putterhea" low to the groun" an" accelerating through the ball. &n the long ones! though! this stroke may feel a bit woo"en. #ou might fin" it har" to reach the hole without using some wrist. (hen you face a long putt! particularly one that)s uphill! make a backstroke that)s long enough to get the ball to the hole without *erking the club back through the ball. Let the wrists hinge naturally so that the putterbla"e comes well off the groun" at the top of the stroke. &n the follow-through! match the length of the back-swing! again letting the wrists hinge slightly! with the putterhea" coming well off the groun". SHOOT FOR THE CIRCLE (hen preparing for a long putt! stu"y "irection first! then focus your attention on how har" you nee" to hit the ball to get it close. &n putts of 40 feet or more! your goal is simple+ ,ake the ball finish within a three-foot circle aroun" the cup. (alk quickly along the line of your putt! noting any uphill or "ownhill slope an" the length of the grass. The grass aroun" the cup will be more worn than at any other point along the line of your putt! so the ball will pick up a little spee" there- you may not notice that if you stu"y the putt only from aroun" the ball. 'ome players fin" it helpful to walk to the mi"point of a long putt! take a practice stroke from there an" "ouble the force of that stroke for the actual putt. .reaking the "istance into halves can give you greater confi"ence than trying to get the feel of a rolling 0-footer all at once.

,any players also ten" to un"erestimate how much an upslope or "ownslope affects the roll of putt. (ith a long uphiller! you may have to think a bit /long/ to get it insi"e that three-foot ra"ius. &n a "ownhill putt of the same length! you may be surprise" at how much farther the ball rolls than it woul" if the surface were level. 'pen" a goo" bit of your practice time working on those long! tough putts. 0lternate between long uphill! "ownhill an" si"ehill putts. It)s a goo" i"ea to putt only one ball to each hole. That way! you)ll have to a"*ust your force an" your aim with each stroke. This will help you when you face various types of long putts out on the course.