Golf isn't about hitting hero shots. It's about making the game as boring and predictable as possible. Nothing accomplishes this better than leaving yourself tap-ins all day long.
You want to be the person who drains that twenty-footer for birdie while your buddies lose their minds. We all do. But the truth that separates the 15-handicap from the 5-handicap? The better player isn't making more putts from distance. They're leaving themselves fewer opportunities to three-putt, spending most of their time inside that magical three-foot circle where even weekend warriors convert at 95%.
This requires a fundamental shift in how you think about putting.
Lag Putting: Where Tap-Ins Are Made or Lost
When you've got a long putt (anything over twenty feet), your goal should not be to make it. I know that sounds defeatist. It's not. It's realistic.
The best putters in the world make about 20% of their twenty-footers. You're probably making closer to 5-10%. If you're standing over a thirty-footer thinking you're going to make it, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. Worse, you're probably going to be too aggressive and blow it five feet past.
Your goal should be simple: leave yourself a tap-in. Get it close enough that the next putt is a formality.
Imagine a three-foot circle around the hole. That's your target on every lag putt. If you can consistently get your long putts inside that circle, you're going to make significantly more pars and save considerably more bogeys.
Speed matters more than line on long putts. This surprises people, but it's true. On a forty-footer, you can be off on your line by several inches and still have a good chance at a tap-in if your speed is perfect. But if your speed is off even slightly, you're way short or way long. Suddenly, you're facing a tester instead of a gimme.
Try this practice routine:
- Go to the practice green and drop three balls at different spots. One at twenty feet, one at thirty, one at forty.
- Now putt all three balls, but you're not trying to make any of them. You're trying to get all three balls to stop within three feet of the hole.
- If even one ball ends up outside that three-foot circle, start over.
- Do this until you can consistently get all three inside the circle.
You can do this drill at home with your PrimePutt mat using shorter intervals. The principles remain the same.
On long putts, don't read every subtle break. You need the general direction right and then focus on speed. Is it uphill or downhill? Does it break left or right? That's all you really need to know. The closer you get to the hole, the more break matters. From forty feet, speed is everything.
Develop a pre-putt routine for lag putts. Mine is straightforward: two practice strokes while looking at the hole, feeling the distance. Then I step up, take one more look at the hole, and stroke it. I'm not thinking about mechanics or technique. I'm feeling the distance and trusting my instincts.
Short Putts: Building Unshakeable Confidence
Anything inside three feet should be automatic. If it's not, you need to practice until it is.
Try the circle drill. Place tees in a circle three feet from the hole at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock. Make all four putts. If you miss one, start over. Once you can consistently make all four, move to four feet, then five. This builds confidence in short putts and reinforces that three-footers are routine, not pressure-packed.
The mental difference between a two-footer and a six-footer is enormous. The two-footer is automatic. The six-footer requires focus, a good read, and proper speed. When you consistently lag your long putts to tap-in range, you eliminate those nerve-wracking six-footers — your stress level plummets.
The Mental Side: Patience Over Heroics
Leaving yourself tap-ins requires patience. It requires accepting that you're not going to make many long putts. It requires being okay with boring golf.
That's hard for people because golf is supposed to be fun. What's fun about lagging your putt to three feet when you could take a run at it?
But shooting your best score is fun. Breaking 80 for the first time, or 90, or 100. Walking off the 18th green knowing you played smart, patient golf and didn't beat yourself.
Trust the process. Some rounds you'll hit it great and not make anything. That's golf. But if you're consistently leaving yourself tap-ins, the makes will come. The law of averages is on your side.
Celebrate the tap-ins. When you leave yourself a two-footer for par after a great lag putt, that's a win. When you roll it to six inches from thirty feet, that's a win. Those shots add up over the course of a round.
Keep stats. Start tracking how many putts you have per round, and more specifically, how many three-putts. If you're focused on leaving yourself tap-ins, your three-putt number should drop dramatically. That's the most satisfying stat in golf because it means you're doing your job. You're not trying to make everything. You're avoiding big mistakes.
On the Course: Maintaining the Mindset
Before every long putt, ask yourself one question: "Can I get this inside three feet?" If the answer is yes, that's your goal. Forget about making it. Focus on getting it close.
After every hole, evaluate. Did you give yourself a chance at a tap-in? If you three-putted, was it because of a bad lag putt or bad speed control? This self-reflection helps you identify patterns and make better decisions.
When you commit to leaving yourself tap-ins, your three-putt rate plummets. Instead of three-putting three or four times a round, you're three-putting once or not at all. That's two or three shots saved.
Your confidence grows. Every time you leave yourself a tap-in, you're reinforcing that you're a smart, strategic player. You're not relying on luck or heroics. You're executing a game plan. That confidence bleeds into every other part of your game.
And the beautiful irony? When you stop trying to make everything, you actually start making more putts. You're putting with less pressure. You're not standing over a twenty-footer thinking you have to make it. You're thinking about getting it close, and sometimes, when you take that pressure off, the ball finds the hole.
Embrace the Boring
The tap-in strategy isn't sexy. It won't make for great stories at the 19th hole. Nobody's going to talk about the time you lagged a forty-footer to two feet.
But they'll talk about your best score. They'll talk about how consistent you've become, how you never have a blowup hole, how you're always in position to make par.
The art of leaving yourself tap-ins is the art of playing smart, patient golf. It's about understanding your limitations, playing within yourself, and making the game as easy as possible.
So the next time you're standing over a long putt, ask yourself: am I trying to be a hero, or am I trying to leave myself a tap-in?
Choose the tap-in — every time.
Your scorecard will thank you.
