3-Putt Avoidance

[Obee]

I'm curious as to how often people 3-putt. Are many of you able to go five or six (or more rounds) without a 3-putt?

[Petethreeput]

As per Arccos, I three putt 5.1% of the time. One putt 24.3%. Two putt 70.6%.

 

I am a 4.

 

So less than once per round, but not much. This will be skewed by green sizes, don't you think?

[Obee]

As per Arccos, I three putt 5.1% of the time. One putt 24.3%. Two putt 70.6%.

 

I am a 4.

 

So less than once per round, but not much. This will be skewed by green sizes, don't you think?

 

Somewhat, yes. That's quite a bit of 3-putting, I'm thinking. You are basically three-putting once a round. Is this on your home course only? How many putts per round do you average? Putts per GIR?

[AndrewKaleta]

According to my GameGolf this year,

26% 1-putt

65% 2-putt

9% 3-putt

 

As a 2 handicap, my 3-putt percentage this year is absolutely terrible. I don't know what it is, but I just haven't found any rhythm on the greens this year.

[Obee]

According to my GameGolf this year,

26% 1-putt

65% 2-putt

9% 3-putt

 

As a 2 handicap, my 3-putt percentage this year is absolutely terrible. I don't know what it is, but I just haven't found any rhythm on the greens this year.

 

Yeah, that's almost two 3-wiggles a round (1.62 per round, to be exact). That's just ... not good. ;-)

 

Do you mostly play your home course? Or do you travel all over?

[ChaosTheory]

11 handicap having my worst putting year ever. I 3-putt probably 5 times per round. On my home course or any course.

[Petethreeput]

As per Arccos, I three putt 5.1% of the time. One putt 24.3%. Two putt 70.6%.

 

I am a 4.

 

So less than once per round, but not much. This will be skewed by green sizes, don't you think?

 

Somewhat, yes. That's quite a bit of 3-putting, I'm thinking. You are basically three-putting once a round. Is this on your home course only? How many putts per round do you average? Putts per GIR?

 

I average 1.79/ hole again via Arccos. That's 32/ round. Now that I have done the math, that is substantially more than I putted before Arccos.

 

Per GIR is 1.92.

 

Primarily the home course, but some Pinehurst courses in there. I can assure you they didn't help my stats.

 

My HDCP is up from a 3 at the end of last year as well.

[Obee]

11 handicap having my worst putting year ever. I 3-putt probably 5 times per round. On my home course or any course.

 

Good lord, people! LOL

[Matt J]

I'd say I vary a lot with 3 putts. I'm a 7 and can be worse on my home course than travelling, but my home course has huge tricky greens.

 

I've tried to wrap my brain around it and I've boiled it down to proximity and speed control. Days I miss a lot of greens I'm less likely to 3 putt but may score worse than a day with a lot of GIR's and a few 3 putts.

 

I had 6 in a round last week, but didn't 3 putt today.

 

I don't know how the pros keep their numbers so low when it comes to 3 putts. I think it's because they'd prefer to miss a green, say a front pin, than leave themselves a 40 footer coming back down. As amateurs I think we pull a lot of clubs thinking center of the green where they're always breaking the green into 3 zones and not missing distance by more than 5 paces.

[AndrewKaleta]

According to my GameGolf this year,

26% 1-putt

65% 2-putt

9% 3-putt

 

As a 2 handicap, my 3-putt percentage this year is absolutely terrible. I don't know what it is, but I just haven't found any rhythm on the greens this year.

 

Yeah, that's almost two 3-wiggles a round (1.62 per round, to be exact). That's just ... not good. ;-)

 

Do you mostly play your home course? Or do you travel all over?

 

Mostly home course. They have roller coaster greens but it's no excuse. GameGolf says I lose 2.86 strokes a round compared to a scratch golfer with putting. This year has just been weird with the putter. I can be great through 6-7 holes, then blow one by and then the rest of the day is a guessing game. I think it's more of a mental/focus thing rather than a technique thing.

[Obee]

According to my GameGolf this year,

26% 1-putt

65% 2-putt

9% 3-putt

 

As a 2 handicap, my 3-putt percentage this year is absolutely terrible. I don't know what it is, but I just haven't found any rhythm on the greens this year.

 

Yeah, that's almost two 3-wiggles a round (1.62 per round, to be exact). That's just ... not good. ;-)

 

Do you mostly play your home course? Or do you travel all over?

 

Mostly home course. They have roller coaster greens but it's no excuse. GameGolf says I lose 2.86 strokes a round compared to a scratch golfer with putting. This year has just been weird with the putter. I can be great through 6-7 holes, then blow one by and then the rest of the day is a guessing game. I think it's more of a mental/focus thing rather than a technique thing.

 

How are we going to fix this? :-)

[AndrewKaleta]

By using my favorite putting tip. "Hit it closer" :D

[Itsjustagame]

I probably 3 putt twice per round. I do play lots of different courses and rarely practice though.

[YMark]

I play to about a 12 (up from a 9 earlier this year) and I probably 3 putt two and sometimes 3 time a round. I practice too. I don't know WTF is wrong with me. I read greens like a Chinese newspaper, and my distance control is none too good either.

[DavePelz4]

Today was the first 3 putt in the last 8 rounds. The worst part was putting a drive on the fringe and walking away with 4.

[jut111]

So you still didn't 3 putt :)

[WooPig]

I did it twice today, that's pretty average for me. My home course is actually 8 courses and I'm a new member (less than a year) and haven't learned the greens. Most of the time when I do it, it's because I've grossly missed a shot but it still hits the leaving me either a 50-60 footer.

[2bGood]

I may go 6-7 rounds+ with out a 3-jack. When I do 3 jack it is usually at an away course, as no my home course way too well to get in too much trouble on the greens.

 

My pace is great and my stroke is very consistent. My alignment is a bit questionable, if I could fix that I would make way more 1 putts.

[shortstop20]

Should I tell you about the time I had four 3 putts and shot 75 or the time I had three 3 putts and shot 76?

 

Both times as a 8 or 9 handicap. :black eye:

 

Granted, both of these were a few years ago when I had a putter I couldn't make anything with. At that time I was averaging about 81 with two or three 3 putts a round.

 

After getting fit for a putter I putt better but don't have the same game tee to green.

[pearsonified]

So far in 2016, I have played 81 rounds at 20 different courses, but most of my rounds have come at just two tracks. My up to the minute handicap is 4.4.

 

At this point in the season, I'm averaging 1.91 3-putts per round and 33.08 putts per round. Put differently, I am 3-putting on roughly 10.6% of the holes I play. (And believe it or not, those numbers are better than 2015!)

 

I've had fewer than 30 putts 8 times this year, and I've made it through an entire round without 3-putting 13 times. Most of my 3-putts occur from at least 38' away, but I occasionally 3-jack from much shorter distances when I leave the ball above the hole.

 

Bottom line? Lag putting is SUPER important. It's also pretty damn difficult when you bounce around to different courses with different green speeds and/or different types of grass.

[baloo]

I pretty much 3 putt every nine holes once or so. It's bad. I'm a 4. Average 30.4 ppr

[Matt J]

I pretty much 3 putt every nine holes once or so. It's bad. I'm a 4. Average 30.4 ppr

 

I'd be stoked with that putt per round average.

[LittleLeftToRight]

Some of these stories are painful!

 

I am basically scratch. I don't 3 whack very often but I don't keep track of it. On average I would guess I have a three whack every two or three rounds. Interestingly last year I switched to a heavier putter for a while because I liked the shape and I putted terribly with it. I've since gone back to a normal weight putter and everything righted itself in my universe. That opened my eyes a little. I think modern putters are just too heavy for good touch. But that is a personal opinion.

 

I have written before on here about how important distance is on and around the greens. If you hit your putts the right distance, you will almost never three putt. Your second putts will be tap ins. I see tons of golfers, even better golfers, think they have to be "aggressive" when they putt. Terrible! There is no such thing as aggressive. Aggressive putters are always putting themselves in a bad situation, usually three or five feet past the hole. I want the ball to finish 6 inches past. If I hit it that speed and the ball hits the hole, it will drop.

[JL529]

I am ashamed to say. I came on here to feel better about myself, but ended up feeling worse. :)

Honestly though, I know a 3 putt is a 3 putt, but there's got to be some leeway when you aren't playing your home course, no?

 

Btw, y'all have some funny names for 3 putts: 3 whack, 3 jack, and wtf...3 wiggles?! lol.

[Golfbeat]

Usually once a round. It would be interesting to know how often and what the no three jackers are practicing. I virtually do not practice putting which, I know, is a mistake.

[doublehans]

3 putts arent all caused by the same thing. can be player specific or round specifc even for a player. if i lose my speed, can be lag putting that causes it. or if i lose alignment/confidence can be the short putts. or just misses to bad spots (plenty of greens out there where you leave it wrong place, you've got to expect some 3 putts). how often i 3 putt really comes down to a deficit on a given day in one of those 3 areas.

[m111]

I shoot in the low-mid 80s but blow up if I cannot get off the teebox -- I three putt all the time, several times per round. I practice maybe 75% short game and only 5% or less with putting, so no real surprise that my putting is terrible.

 

I just feel like I appear more competent being able to hit my wedges and scoring irons well and not really mishitting those too much and I'm just at the point in the last year or two where I can hit those shots with confidence and not really think about technique but rather just pick a club and hit the kind of shot I want.

 

If I'm putzing around on the green, it sucks and I lose some easy strokes there but it's not as demoralizing/embarrassing as missing the green from 50 yards or chunking a short pitch over a bunker.

 

I guess putting is my next frontier. If I could get off the tee box even like 240-250 without penalty and not jerk around on the greens too much -- just be able to putt from 30 feet as well as I can chip from 30 feet -- then I think I can break 80 somewhat regularly which is essentially my goal.

[HackerD]

I'm curious as to how often people 3-putt. Are many of you able to go five or six (or more rounds) without a 3-putt?

 

How often do you 3-putt?

[Kuuuch]

On my home course, not much maybe once every 3-5 rounds. Away courses, I will probably 3 putt once.

[SixtySomePing]

When I switched to Aimpoint Express last year it made a tremendous difference for me in nearly eliminating 3 putts. Still you must work on speed as well. Also it's a good idea for anyone to get fit with the proper putter for them. Many people just go buy a putter, but you can be fit for a putter, and that can make a huge difference in your putting game.