5 Ways to Instantly Improve Your Lag Putting

Lag putting. It’s the part of your game that doesn’t get the glory — but might be costing you the most shots.

If you’re still pacing off 50-footers thinking, “Just don’t three-putt,” you’re not alone. Most amateur golfers obsess over sinking long putts when, realistically, they should be laser-focused on speed. That shift alone can change everything.

Viktor Hovland, six-time PGA Tour winner, said it best:
“On putts from this type of distance, it’s very important to have the right speed.”

Here’s how to develop that kind of feel and control — using the same techniques trusted by PGA pros and top putting coaches.

1. Forget the Hole — Pick a Spot Halfway

If you’re staring at the cup from 50 feet away and thinking about holing it, you’re already setting yourself up for failure. Hovland suggests doing the opposite: aim halfway.

Next time you’re on the green with a monster putt, pick a spot midway and focus on rolling the ball over it. This halfway-target mindset quiets your brain and tunes in your feel for distance — instead of triggering that internal monologue of “Don’t leave it short… but also don’t blow it past.”

It’s not about making the putt. It’s about setting up your next one to be tap-in territory.

Want to improve your consistency even more? Practice using the Progression Lag Putting Drill — it’s designed to ingrain the feel of safe, makeable second putts.
→ Related Article: How to Avoid Three-Putts with Smart Practice Routines

2. Get Rid of “Flash Speed”

Peter Kostis has a term for that jerky, panicked move we’ve all made with the putter: “flash speed.” It’s what happens when you decelerate and then slap at the ball last-second — usually sending it nowhere near your intended distance.

Instead, try this: visualize a point about 4 inches past the ball, and accelerate your putter toward that finish point. This forces a smoother stroke and better contact. Kostis also recommends focusing on a slow, steady follow-through — not stopping short or yanking the putter back after impact.

If you’re guilty of decelerating (or just want a feel-based fix), the Eyes Closed Time Drill can be a game-changer. It trains your distance perception and forces your brain to calibrate speed naturally.

3. Train Like a Soccer Player

Yep — golf and soccer. Kelan McDonagh, a teaching pro, compares lag putting prep to how players like Beckham or Messi approach free kicks. Spoiler: they don’t stand over the ball waggling forever. They look, decide, and go.

You don’t need 17 practice strokes. You need decisiveness.

The next time you face a long putt, stand behind it, commit to a target and a pace, and stroke it without overthinking.

No re-reading the green ten times. No freezing mid-stroke. Just a natural, athletic move — the way you’d hit a layup or throw a dart.

4. Marry Your Speed with Your Line

Here’s where it gets a little nerdy — but in the most useful way possible.

Peter Kostis teaches a method for blending speed and break that’s shockingly simple: if you keep missing short, cut your read in half. If you’re blowing it by, double it.

Why? Because your read should always match your pace. You can’t pick a big-breaking line and then leave it short — it’ll never have a chance. Likewise, jamming a putt through the break just flattens the line.

This method is built into the Advanced Ladder Drill — a slope-based practice drill that forces you to adjust both speed and line dynamically. It’s ridiculously effective.

5. Develop Wrist Stability and Tempo

We’re not going to make this a lecture about biomechanics — but if your wrists are flippy or twitchy, your distance control’s going to suffer.

Recent research shows that stable wrists are key to a consistent strike and predictable roll. Keep your lead wrist quiet (less than 5° of flex or extension) and let your shoulders do the work. Ball position? Slightly forward of center. That’ll help you catch the ball on a slight upward arc for better roll.

To keep your tempo consistent, borrow a trick from Brad Faxon: use a phrase like “Ti-ger Woods.” Let the first two syllables guide your backswing, and the last one cue the stroke. It sounds silly — until you’re draining 40-footers with buttery smooth rhythm.

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Still trying to make every long putt?

Max Greyserman, the PGA Tour’s best putter from 20–25 feet last year, admits he barely even practices start line. “Putting is actually 50% speed, 40% green-reading, and 10% starting on line,” he said.

That’s not just theory — it’s results-based strategy. And it’s something you can start working on today.

You don’t need perfect mechanics. You need better feel, more focus on speed, and smarter drills.

Next time you’re standing over a 45-footer, don’t think “make.” Think “get it close.” Think tempo. Think acceleration. Think shoulders, not wrists. And maybe — just maybe — walk off with a two-putt that feels like a birdie.