The Line on Long Putts

When you have a long putt break it down into thirds:

• Start behind the ball and look down the line towards the hole, get a feel for the overall line.
• Then walk up towards the hole, just on the low side. Visualize what the arc looks like at the hole and where the ball will enter the hole.
• Now, go about halfway to see what the balls going to do in the middle of the line.
• Next get behind the ball and gauge what the ball will do in the first 10 feet or so. This will give you a feel for how the ball will roll at the start, in the middle and when it reaches the hole.

Keep in mind that the faster the ball is moving the less it will take the slope.

Say you have a double breaker that breaks right 2’ early and breaks left 2’ late. You should aim slightly right, instead of straight at the hole.

When you strike a long putt, the ball is moving much faster at the start and therefore won’t take as much break as when the ball is moving slowly around the hole.

Remember the most important thing about long putts is distance, if you have a good gauge on the line then a putt with proper distance will get you within your 3-foot circle. Get your 2-putt and head to the next hole.