The Importance of Eliminating the Chance of a Third Putt (and How It Affects Your Score)
Golf is a game of precision, strategy, and mental toughness. Whether you're a seasoned pro or a weekend warrior, one thing remains constant: reducing your strokes and minimizing costly mistakes. Among the most frustrating — and potentially score-ruining — blunders is the dreaded third putt. It’s the moment when you miss a short putt, then follow it up with another miss, turning a simple hole into a scorecard nightmare.
In this post, we’ll discuss why eliminating the chance of a third putt should be a key focus for golfers of all levels and how doing so can positively impact your game.
Understanding the Third Putt Problem
A third putt typically occurs when a golfer has a good opportunity to two-putt, but misses the first attempt, then misses the second. These three-putts are often the result of poor distance control, lack of focus, or poor green reading. While a third putt might seem like an isolated mistake, its impact on your scorecard is significant, especially when accumulated over the course of 18 holes.
How the Third Putt Affects Your Score
The most immediate impact of a third putt is the loss of a stroke. The golfer who three-putts is essentially wasting an opportunity to save par or bogey, and that single missed opportunity can turn what should have been a relatively stress-free hole into a frustrating setback.
But the effect extends beyond just the lost stroke:
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Loss of Momentum: Golf is a game of momentum. A three-putt can completely shift your mental focus. If you're cruising through the front nine, sinking putts and making good decisions, the sting of a third putt can throw you off your rhythm and impact your performance on the next holes.
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Increased Stroke Average: If you find yourself consistently three-putting, your average score will inevitably rise. A few rounds with multiple three-putts can turn a player who is capable of breaking 90 into someone stuck shooting in the high 90s, or worse.
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Frustration and Mental Fatigue: Golf is as much a mental game as it is physical. Multiple three-putts in a round can create unnecessary frustration, leading to poor decision-making and increasing the chance of making further mistakes. This mental fatigue can result in further poor putting and suboptimal course management.
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Higher Handicap: If you’re working to lower your handicap, three-putts are a major roadblock. Golfers with a high percentage of three-putts often find their handicap doesn’t improve as quickly as they’d like, because the strokes they’re losing on the green are harder to make up with solid play elsewhere on the course.
How to Eliminate the Third Putt
The goal should be to avoid the situation where you're in danger of three-putting. Here are some practical tips to help minimize or eliminate the chance of a third putt from your game:
1. Improve Your Distance Control
A third putt often arises when the first putt is either too short or too long. Practicing distance control is key to avoiding the dreaded three-putt. Spend time on the practice green focusing on lag putting — the art of leaving your first putt close enough to the hole that a second putt becomes a formality. Work on varying your pace, adjusting for different green speeds, and understanding how much break you need to account for.
2. Focus on the “Second Putt”
Don’t think of your first putt as the end of the process. If you miss a putt, your second attempt must be a confident, committed stroke. Focus on the hole and stay calm. If you're left with a short putt for par, don't let the pressure overwhelm you. Practicing these shorter, pressure-filled putts will ensure you're better equipped when those moments arise in a round.
3. Read the Greens Better
Bad reads on the green can lead to missed putts — whether they're short or long. Take your time to analyze the line of your putt, and pay attention to the subtle breaks that might affect your ball's path. A good read reduces the chance of missing the target, which in turn helps you avoid both short and long putts that can lead to three-putts.
To improve your green reading skills, consider using tools like the BRK70 app. This app is designed to help golfers better understand green contours and reading breaks by offering a visual guide of the green’s slopes. BRK70 uses advanced technology to map out the green's characteristics, helping you predict the ball's behavior with more accuracy. By practicing with the app and applying its insights to your game, you’ll be able to make more informed decisions on the greens, giving you a better chance at avoiding a third putt.
4. Work on Your Short Game
A solid short game overall (including chipping, pitching, and bunker play) reduces the number of long putts you’ll have to make. The closer you are to the hole, the easier it becomes to two-putt and avoid a third. Invest time in improving your approach shots and positioning around the greens to give yourself more straightforward putts.
5. Stay Calm and Stay Focused
Part of eliminating third putts is mental discipline. When faced with a second putt, especially on a par-saving opportunity, remain calm and composed. Rushing or overthinking will increase the likelihood of mistakes. Confidence in your ability to make short putts is crucial — so believe in your stroke!
Conclusion
While eliminating the third putt from your game may not always be entirely possible, reducing the chance of it happening is one of the most effective ways to lower your score. By improving distance control, reading greens more accurately, practicing your short game, and staying mentally sharp, you'll find yourself sinking more putts in fewer strokes and reducing the number of times you let a third putt ruin your round.
Golf isn’t just about hitting fairways and greens in regulation; it's about capitalizing on every opportunity — especially on the greens. By taking steps to avoid the third putt, you'll give yourself the best chance to lower your scores and play your best golf.
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