Putting can often be the lowest-risk shot choice, even from off the green — especially when the grass is cut short enough.
There’s also something enjoyable about taking a long walk to the green with a putter in hand, even if it means facing a lengthy first putt. Developing the ability to get that first putt close enough for an easy two-putt is a crucial skill, but it requires solid technique and consistent practice.
Here are five keys to keep in mind if you want to become a great lag putter.
Making proper contact with the putter face is always important, but it becomes even more critical on longer putts. Clean contact ensures you transfer the correct amount of energy to the ball.
As with most areas of golf, this starts with good technique, but training aids can be extremely helpful in reinforcing proper contact. This path trainer can help you develop a more consistent strike. For longer putts, you can allow slightly more space between the guides.
Short Game Gains Path Perfectors
As we (should) all know by now, one of the main keys to being a great putter is having an efficient, repeatable stroke. If you don’t have a good stroke path, you’re going to struggle to square the putter face at impact and start the ball on your intended line.
The Path Perfectors are designed to help you develop a consistent reliable stroke path and also center contact on the club face. This means a better stroke, better distance control, and in turn, more putts made.
What makes our Path Perfectors different? Glad you asked. Instead of the usual aluminum or steel that most putting gates are made of, ours are built out of a custom silicone blend. Steel and aluminum not only damage your putter, they’re also loud and a little bit irritating. No one else needs to know that your putting stroke sucks, and reminding them with loud clanking against some gates and chipped paint on your putter is probably not the best way to get an invite to the next scramble tournament.
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2. The backstroke is the engine
Longer putts require longer backstrokes. This is non-negotiable if you want to become a strong distance putter. Golfers who struggle with lag putting often hesitate to lengthen their stroke enough.
If you don’t put enough “gas in the tank,” it’s very difficult to reach the hole. When the backstroke is too short, other parts of the body tend to compensate, leading to unnecessary movement and inconsistency. This makes solid contact much harder to achieve.
3. Stay steady
Maintaining stability is one of the biggest challenges on longer putts. To produce consistent, repeatable contact, the stroke should have minimal moving parts.
Your head and lower body should remain relatively still throughout the stroke. You can practice this by watching your shadow or filming your stroke to check for unwanted movement.
4. A longer lever may help
Proper putter length plays a key role in both solid contact and good posture.
For longer putts, it can help to grip slightly higher on the handle, effectively creating a longer lever to generate more power. This may require a small posture adjustment, but it can help you roll the ball farther with less effort, especially when combined with a longer backstroke.
5. Practice, practice, practice
Effective lag putting is a learned skill that requires repetition. While adjusting your backstroke length is important, it also takes time to trust that a longer stroke (rather than added acceleration) is what controls distance.
If your stroke is long enough, you can simply let the putter swing through the ball and allow it to roll out naturally.
If this concept is new, give yourself time to build confidence. A great drill is putting back and forth across the green, focusing on distance control and rhythm. This helps you trust the process and develop a reliable feel for longer putts.
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