Author: Mark De Grasse

Learning how to avoid three-putting starts with controlling the first putt’s distance and completing the second with a clear routine. On longer putts, choose a line and pace that leave a manageable finish rather than treating every attempt as a must-make.

A missed short putt can feel like the whole problem, but the first roll may have left far more work than necessary. Practice the two-putt sequence so you can see which part needs attention.

Read the slope and choose an arrival pace

Check whether the putt climbs, falls, or crosses a side slope. Picture the ball approaching the hole at the pace you intend to produce. Choose a starting line that suits that pace.

Avoid treating speed and line as unrelated tasks. A different pace can change how a putt travels across a slope. An aggressive line with a tentative stroke may leave a very different result from the one you pictured.

There is no universal ideal finish 18 inches beyond the cup. A steep downhill putt and a gentle uphill putt can call for different approaches. Aim to leave a realistic second stroke if the first does not fall.

Rehearse the distance you intend to roll

Use your practice motion to feel the required length of roll. Keep the rhythm recognizable and let the size of the motion suit the distance. Avoid changing the entire tempo because the hole looks far away.

Then step in, aim, and make the planned stroke. Last-second uncertainty can turn into an abrupt hit or a motion that slows unexpectedly. If you genuinely need to reassess, step back and settle the decision before starting again.

This is a practice process, not a claim that every golfer needs an identical stroke length or technique. Focus on whether your routine produces predictable distance.

Use a clearly defined three-foot target

For a lag-putting exercise, “within three feet” means no more than three feet from the hole in any direction. That is a three-foot radius, not a circle only three feet wide.

Use tees or appropriate markers on the practice green to visualize the area when permitted. The target provides feedback; it does not guarantee that the next putt is easy or that all putts outside it are poor.

PGA instruction highlights the value of lag-putting distance control. The nine-attempt exercise below is TGN’s proposed way to practice a complete finish.

Play nine attempts from three distances

Choose starting points roughly 20, 30, and 40 feet from a hole. Play three attempts from each distance. Use one ball at a time, complete the first putt, and then putt out.

Record two things: whether the first putt finished within three feet and whether you completed the hole in two strokes or fewer. A first putt that finishes close followed by a miss tells a different story from a roll that stops far away.

Keep your total out of nine and repeat the game during a later session. Expect variation, especially when slopes or green conditions differ. The point is to identify trends, not to demand perfection immediately.

Add variety after establishing a baseline

Once the exercise feels familiar, include uphill and downhill attempts. Change the starting distance after each ball so you must judge the pace again rather than repeat the previous motion automatically.

Before a round at an unfamiliar Texas course, roll several longer putts in different directions on the practice green. Use that as an initial calibration and stay responsive to the actual greens during play.

Do not spend the entire warm-up trying to hole short putts if you have not yet learned how far a comfortable stroke sends the ball that day.

Three-putting questions

Is leaving a putt short always worse than going past?

No. Distance, slope, and the remaining putt matter. A tap-in short can be a better leave than a long downhill return. Choose a sensible arrival pace for the situation.

What if my first putts are close but I still three-putt?

Give short-putt aim, start direction, and routine their own practice attention. The two-part score in the exercise helps reveal that distinction.

Should I practice with several balls?

Multiple balls can help you explore a distance, but include one-ball practice where you finish the hole. That is the sequence you need during a round.

For your next session, record nine complete attempts. You will leave knowing more than how many long putts happened to drop.

Connect pace to your intended line with our green-reading routine.

Golf iron distance control starts with knowing your typical carry and how much your shots vary. Measure several shots with each club, check the gaps between neighboring irons, and make approach decisions from those results.

An example distance chart cannot tell you what your 7-iron should do. Club loft, speed, strike, equipment, and conditions differ. Your own usable numbers matter more than matching a yardage printed beside someone else’s club.

Keep carry separate from total distance

Carry ends at the first landing point. Total distance includes bounce and roll. Both are useful, but they answer different questions.

If you need to fly the ball over a bunker, a total-distance number can mislead you. If you are trying to stay short of trouble on firm ground, carry alone can be incomplete. Record the airborne distance first and evaluate the expected release for the actual course situation.

For Texas golfers who see very different ground conditions from one round to another, this distinction keeps a dry-day runout from becoming a false carry expectation.

Establish a comfortable stock swing

Warm up and choose a clear target. Use a normal, balanced swing that you would be comfortable taking to the course. Do not turn the measurement session into a longest-shot contest.

Keep the setup and intended shot type consistent within a set. If you alternate high draws, low punches, and maximum-effort swings, the resulting average will not describe one useful stock shot.

Contact is part of the measurement. Note whether a short result came from the intended strike or an obvious mishit. Both matter: one helps define the stock carry, and the other helps explain the margin your on-course target needs.

Hit ten shots and record the full pattern

Begin with one iron and collect ten results. Write down carry when measurable and approximate lateral position relative to the target. Note the ball type and conditions.

Use the middle of the carry results as a practical typical number, and preserve the short-to-long range. A club that usually carries near a certain distance but occasionally misses well short demands a different target than a tightly grouped pattern.

Do not promise yourself a ten-yard window because another golfer uses one. Start by observing your actual spread. Improvement means that the pattern becomes more useful and predictable for the shots you face.

Compare neighboring clubs

Repeat with the next iron. Look for meaningful separation between the carry patterns. If two clubs overlap heavily, investigate contact, launch, and loft before assuming you need to swing harder with the longer one.

Large gaps deserve attention too. You may need a practiced partial shot, an equipment evaluation, or a different option in that part of the bag. The measurements tell you where to investigate; they do not automatically prescribe a purchase.

A controlled shorter motion with a longer club can be a legitimate shot. Measure it separately so it does not blur the stock-swing chart.

Turn the numbers into approach decisions

Before an approach, identify the required carry, the available landing depth, and trouble around the green. Select the club whose expected pattern gives the shot reasonable room.

Adjust for the lie and conditions instead of applying the chart mechanically. A fairway baseline may not describe a ball in rough. A strong headwind or tailwind also changes the result. Keep notes on those situations without replacing your baseline after one unusual shot.

When the target is too small for your pattern, choose a wider section or a safer route. The purpose of accurate numbers is better judgment, not greater confidence in an unrealistic target.

A useful follow-up practice game

Choose three target distances covered by neighboring irons. Play one ball to each, changing clubs and going through your routine. Repeat the sequence twice and record whether the chosen club fit the task.

This small game checks both distance knowledge and selection. Keep the results separate from the original ten-shot measurement sets.

Iron-distance questions

What is a good 7-iron distance?

There is no single useful target for every golfer. A dependable distance with enough height and control for your course matters more than matching a generic chart.

Should I ignore all mishits when measuring?

Label them so you can distinguish a stock strike from a contact error, but keep them visible in your planning. A usual miss is part of the game you bring to the course.

Your best iron shot shows what is possible. A measured pattern helps you decide what is sensible on the next approach.

Extend the same approach to shorter shots with our wedge carry-chart guide.

Wedge distance control becomes easier to practice when you know how far your own clubs carry with a few comfortable swing lengths. Build a small chart, test the numbers, and use it to choose a landing distance before considering rollout.

A partial wedge can feel awkward because the yardage falls between familiar full shots. Instead of inventing a new amount of effort every time, develop a few reference motions you can recognize. You can then make informed adjustments around them.

Choose the wedges and motions you can repeat

Start with the wedges you actually carry. You do not need a particular loft setup or an extra purchase to begin. If you are new to partial shots, one wedge and two comfortable motions may be enough for the first session.

As you gain confidence, use three motion labels such as short, medium, and fuller. A clock-face description can be useful for some golfers, but it should identify your movement consistently rather than suggest that a certain hand position produces the same distance for everyone.

Keep your tempo familiar. The purpose is to make changes you can repeat, not to swing slowly on one attempt and abruptly on the next. Full wedge swings can remain part of your game when they fit the shot.

Measure where the ball lands

Carry is the distance to the first landing point. Measure it using a suitable practice area or reliable launch-monitor setup. If you can only estimate it, label the result as an estimate rather than treating it as exact.

Use the ball you normally play when the facility allows. Range-ball results may differ, and wind can change the picture. Record the conditions so an unusually helpful breeze does not become part of your permanent chart.

Watch the strike as well as the number. A thin shot that travels a long way does not describe your intended wedge motion, but it still reveals a miss you need to understand.

Build a simple carry chart

Create one row for each wedge and columns for your chosen swing lengths. In each cell, write the typical carry and an approximate short-to-long range.

Start with five shots per combination as an initial sample. For a practical typical value, you can sort the five carry distances and note the middle one. Keep the full range visible and label obvious mishits separately. Do not quietly remove them from your memory of what happens on the course.

The first chart is provisional. Repeat the measurements in another session and revise the entries when a pattern is clear. A single bucket does not establish a permanent specification.

Use the chart to choose a landing area

Suppose a recovery needs to carry the front of a bunker and has room to release toward the hole. The chart helps you choose a motion whose usual landing distance clears the obstacle with margin. It does not guarantee where the ball stops.

Account for the lie, slope, surface firmness, and expected release. On a firm Texas green, even a well-controlled wedge may need to land short of its intended finish. On a soft surface, the same plan may leave more distance than expected.

If the ball sits in rough, recognize that your fairway measurements may not apply cleanly. Choose more room rather than demanding precise spin from an uncertain lie.

Test the chart with random targets

After measuring, stop hitting the same combination repeatedly. Choose a target distance, select the club and motion from your chart, then play one ball with a full routine.

Change the distance for the next shot. Record whether the carry matched your plan and whether the club choice left enough room. This connects the chart to the decision you must make during a round.

When a distance falls between entries, practice an adjustment and record the result. Avoid assuming that a tiny change in swing length always creates an exact yardage change.

Wedge-distance questions

Should I avoid hitting full wedges?

No. A full wedge is one option. Partial motions expand the distances you can cover without relying on maximum effort for every shot.

Do different wedges need identical swing lengths?

Consistent reference motions can make the chart easier to use, but comfort and repeatability matter more than forcing identical positions. Keep the labels clear enough that you know what you measured.

How often should I update the numbers?

Recheck when equipment, technique, or repeated results change. You can also verify a few combinations periodically instead of rebuilding the entire chart every session.

Bring a small, readable version to your next round. Use it as a starting point, then let the lie and landing area complete the decision.

Put your chart to work in our 60-ball practice session.

Learning how to analyze your golf round can make your next practice session more useful. Record where problems begin, look for patterns across several rounds, and choose one skill or decision to address. A final score alone rarely tells you what to work on.

You do not need to track every possible statistic. A compact set of notes can separate an expensive driving pattern from poor approach distances, or a putting problem from the long first putts created by missed targets.

Track what happened, not just the bad feeling

After a frustrating hole, it is easy to remember the final short putt and forget the penalty that started the trouble. Write down a factual note once the hole is complete and you can do so without delaying play.

Use plain descriptions: drive into penalty area, approach short, chip left off green, or first putt left eight feet. These observations are more useful than “terrible hole” because they point toward a task you can practice.

Keep the system short enough that you will maintain it. Five categories are plenty for a starting review.

Category 1: Penalties and unplayable positions

Note the club, intended target, and actual miss. Was trouble within your usual shot pattern, or did an unusual strike create the problem? Did the ball carry into it or run there after landing?

For a Texas round played on firm ground, that last distinction can matter. A landing area that looks comfortable in the air may leave little room for release. Repeated run-through misses suggest a different adjustment from repeated contact problems.

Category 2: Approach patterns

Record whether the miss was short, long, left, or right and roughly which distance range produced it. Note the lie and strong wind when relevant.

If several approaches finish short, check whether you are using total distance as carry, selecting from a best-ever shot, or struggling with contact. Do not decide the answer from the directional note alone. The note tells you what to investigate.

Category 3: First-putt distance and the leave

Count three-putts, but include approximate first-putt length and how far the first roll finished from the hole. A three-putt from a very long distance presents a different practice question from repeated three-putts after short first attempts.

Also notice the approaches that create long putts. Improving pace can help while better approach control addresses the earlier part of the hole. Avoid treating every three-putt as evidence that the putter alone caused the score.

Category 4: Extra recovery shots

Track chips, pitches, and bunker shots that fail to reach the intended surface or leave another difficult recovery. Include the type of lie.

This distinguishes a general short-game weakness from a specific problem, such as tight-lie contact or ordinary bunker exits. A targeted practice session becomes much easier to plan when you know which situation keeps returning.

Category 5: Decisions you would change

Mark shots where the chosen target or route asked for more precision than you could reasonably deliver. Also record good choices that worked as intended. Otherwise, the review can become a list of errors without reinforcing useful habits.

Separate a poor choice from a well-planned shot that simply missed. The outcome matters, but it is not the only evidence for judging the decision.

Review three rounds and choose one priority

Lay out the notes and look for recurrence. One bad bunker shot may be memorable; six approach shots short across three rounds may deserve more attention. Choose a pattern that is frequent, costly, and practical to work on.

Write the next practice task as an action: measure carry with three irons, play a one-ball lag-putting test, or rehearse a standard bunker escape. “Get better at golf” is too broad to guide an hour.

After another few rounds, check whether the pattern changed. Keep conditions and course difficulty in mind rather than expecting a straight line of improvement.

Round-analysis questions

Should I add penalties and doubles together as strokes lost?

No. Those categories can describe the same event. A penalty may have caused the double. Use them to investigate the hole without counting the same consequence twice.

Is this a strokes-gained system?

No. It is a simple diagnostic log. Strokes gained requires a defined comparison baseline and more detailed shot information. This approach helps choose practice priorities without claiming that level of measurement.

Review your next round for one repeated problem and one decision worth keeping. Then give your next practice session a specific job.

If approach distances are your priority, start with our 60-ball practice plan.

Learning how to get up and down in golf means practicing a two-stroke finish from off the green. Usually that means a chip, pitch, bunker shot, or putt onto the green followed by a made putt. The score you save depends on how you reached that position; an up-and-down does not always mean par.

The useful strategy is to plan those two strokes together. Choose a first shot that fits the lie and leaves a realistic chance to finish, instead of asking every recovery to stop beside the flag.

Read the lie before choosing the club

Look at how much grass sits behind the ball, whether the ball is nestled down or perched up, and how the ground slopes beneath your feet. Then check the route between the ball and the putting surface.

A putter may be practical from a closely mown area with a clear path. A chip can work when a little carry is needed and there is room for release. A pitch becomes more useful when you must fly the ball farther or clear an obstacle. A high shot needs the lie and skill to support it.

This keeps you from choosing a favorite wedge before understanding the task. Familiarity is valuable, but it should work with the situation rather than ignore it.

Choose the simplest reliable route

Compare the options you can actually execute. If a putt crosses rough that makes pace unpredictable, it may not be the simplest shot after all. If a bump-and-run has a smooth route, it deserves consideration before a demanding high pitch.

For a Texas golfer facing a tight lie beside a firm green, a lower shot can offer a practical option when there is enough landing room. That is a scenario to assess, not a statewide rule about grass or conditions.

The best route may also lead away from the flag. When a bunker, ridge, or severe slope creates a small target, getting safely onto a larger section of green can be a sensible result.

Pick a landing area and allow for release

Once the shot type is chosen, identify where you want the ball to land. Then picture the remaining roll. Club loft, lie, strike, slope, and firmness can all affect how far the ball travels after touching down.

Use a landing area large enough to be realistic. A tiny spot can be a helpful aiming reference, but planning as though the ball must hit a coin-sized target leaves little margin for ordinary variation.

During practice, watch the first bounce and the finish. If you only watch the hole, you may miss the information needed to understand why the ball stopped short or rolled too far.

Think about the putt you want to leave

When the situation allows, favor a leave with manageable distance and slope. Do not sacrifice a high chance of reaching the green merely to chase an ideal uphill putt. First make the recovery practical; then improve the leave within that plan.

This can change your aim. A chip played toward the safer side may finish farther from the cup than a perfect aggressive shot, but it can reduce the likelihood of another recovery from off the green.

After the ball stops, reset and read the putt. Avoid treating it as automatically makeable because the first shot felt good. Complete your normal routine.

Play a five-position short-game test

Choose five different positions around a practice green: a simple chip, a longer chip, a pitch, a tight lie, and another situation the facility allows. Use one ball and putt out from each position.

Record total strokes and how often you finish in two. Also note the reason for extra shots: missed green, poor distance control, or a missed putt. Keep the test comparable when you repeat it, while recognizing that a small sample will fluctuate.

This exercise exposes something repeated chipping to one target can hide: whether the first shot actually leads to a finished hole.

Up-and-down questions

Should I use the same wedge for every chip?

You can build confidence with one club, but learning another reliable option may make different lies and rollout needs easier to handle. Compare results in practice rather than changing clubs only when a round becomes difficult.

Is every failed up-and-down a bad decision?

No. Even a sensible shot can produce an imperfect result. Evaluate whether the choice fit the lie and your ability, then separate that decision from execution.

At your next practice session, finish the putt after the chip. It turns short-game practice into a clearer test of the two-shot sequence you need on the course.

Complete that routine with our guide to reading golf greens.

Working out how to fix a golf slice starts with understanding your own pattern. Watch where the ball starts, how it curves, and where it strikes the clubface before deciding which swing change to make.

For a right-handed golfer, a slice curves strongly right. For a left-handed golfer, it curves strongly left. A ball that travels straight to one side is a different pattern, even if both shots miss the fairway. Naming the flight accurately gives you a better starting point for practice.

Separate the start direction from the curve

Choose a visible target and identify whether the ball launches left, close to it, or right. Then observe the bend after launch. Do this across several shots rather than relying on the one that bothered you most.

A right-handed slice can start left, near the target, or right. The familiar picture of a ball starting left and peeling right is only one version. Assuming all slices begin the same way can lead you toward an adjustment that does not fit yours.

Understand the face-to-path relationship

On centered contact, the clubface’s direction relative to the swing path is a key factor in curvature. For the usual right-handed slice pattern, the face is open relative to that path. That relationship is different from saying the face must point right of the target.

Trackman’s face-to-path explanation makes this distinction. A club can be moving and pointing in directions that are both left of the target while the face remains open to the path.

You do not need to calculate angles during a round. The practical point is to avoid treating path alone as the entire diagnosis. Simply trying to swing farther from the inside may not solve the relationship producing your curve.

Check driver strike location

An off-center driver strike can influence flight. Use a clubface-safe impact-marking product in practice, following its directions, or review strike feedback from a suitable lesson or fitting session.

Titleist’s gear-effect guide explains why off-center contact deserves attention, particularly with woods. If the strike pattern is scattered, consider that information before attempting to force a new clubface position with your hands.

Photograph or write down the contact pattern after a small set. Pair it with the flight notes so you can see whether a particular strike and a particular miss appear together.

Review setup without guessing at a cure

Check that your intended aim matches your setup. A ground-level alignment reference in practice can help you see what “straight” actually looks like. Also review whether your grip and ball position remain consistent from shot to shot.

A weak grip, alignment problem, or particular release can contribute to a slice for some golfers. None should be diagnosed solely from the fact that a ball curved. Changing several pieces at once can make it difficult to know what helped.

Choose one adjustment supported by your observations or a coach’s assessment, then evaluate it with another small set. The goal is a more useful pattern, not one straight shot surrounded by unfamiliar misses.

Try a five-shot diagnosis session

• Choose a broad target in calm conditions or a suitable indoor setting.
• Hit five controlled shots with your usual setup.
• Record start direction, curve, and contact location.
• Look for a repeated pattern rather than averaging away the details.
• Take the notes to a lesson or use them to select one specific practice task.

This is a proposed observation exercise, not a promise of a five-ball fix. Continue with a coach if you cannot connect the flight to a useful adjustment.

Managing a slice on a Texas round

A strong crosswind can make the visible result harder to interpret. Establish your baseline away from those conditions, then allow for the wind when choosing a course target.

During the round, use a club and landing area that give your current pattern room. Avoid aiming so aggressively away from the miss that a straighter shot brings different trouble into play.

Slice questions

Will swinging harder fix it?

Extra effort does not identify or resolve the underlying delivery and contact pattern. Begin with a speed at which you can observe and repeat the motion.

Do I need to eliminate every fade?

No. A controlled, predictable fade can be a useful shot. Focus on the amount of curve, consistency, and whether the result stays playable.

Bring evidence to your next practice session. Start direction, curve, and strike location tell you more than a blanket instruction to roll your hands or change your path.

Use our club-selection guide to give your current shot pattern more room during a round.