Left-to-Right Putts: The Common Miss That’s Killing Your Score – And How to Fix It
Golfers routinely struggle with putts that break from left to right, often leading to frustrating misses and costly three-putts. A surprisingly consistent pattern emerges among amateur players: they tend to under-read the break and overhit the putt, resulting in shots that finish low and past the hole.
this tendency to miss low and long isn’t just a matter of bad luck; it’s a basic flaw in how many golfers approach these putts. According to Kelan McDonagh, a golf instructor, this is the most frequent miss he observes in his students. The consequences are notable – missed opportunities, increased scores, and a frustrating cycle of leaving putts short or running them far by the cup. Understanding why this happens and how to adjust is key to dramatically improving performance on the greens.
The problem stems from a misunderstanding of how gravity and slope interact as a ball loses speed. When a putt misses on the low side of the cup, it continues to drift further away, compounding the error. Ideally, a putt should be getting closer to the hole as it slows down. To achieve this, golfers need to keep the ball on the high side of the cup for as long as possible.
“Generally, what we’re trying to do with the recreational golfer is get them to see more break,” McDonagh explains, ”as as the ball slows down, gravity is going to take it in the direction of the slope.” This means golfers often need to visualize a more aggressive break than they initially perceive.
To combat this common miss, McDonagh recommends two key adjustments: first, play more break than you initially think is necessary. Second, reduce the force of your stroke.By keeping the ball above the fall line for a longer duration, gravity will work with you, pulling the ball towards the hole as it loses speed. Mastering these adjustments can led to fewer three-putts and a greater likelihood of sinking putts from distance.
