Dear titaniummd,
Touch or distance control is the main thing to learn to avoid three-putts. As simply as I can say it:
1. Get ONE timing back and thru and use it for all putts past about 8-10 feet;
2. Note that the backstroke is always twice as long as whatever down-and-thru-to-impact timing you have;
3. Never use "flash speed" in the down-and-thru stroke;
4. Experiment until you verify and accept the fact that the instincts are pre-set to never give you too large of a backstroke and will never allow you to send the ball too far;
5. Based upon this, the never-long half of distance control is sorted (never long, never short)by simply adhering to the rule: never use flash speed in the down-and-thru stroke;
6. Fixing the remaining half of never being short consists in realizing and then accepting that the only possible way to generate more distance is to allow the backstroke to grow larger, as it will under the influence solely of instinctive backstroke timing.
This process will change you timing and the size of your backstroke for the better and render accurate distance control instinctive and always available on command simply by targeting and then relying upon the usual timing in the stroke to generate the correct size of backstroke.
Then you have to add in how to adjust for uphill and downhill and tiers, plus never letting the ball roll to the low side of a direct line from ball to hole and always aiming to putt as if a straight putt would reach and stop on or just past the fall-line on the high side of the cup.
Your initial goal should be to average no more than one three-putt per round, and then not too much later, no more than one three-putt every four rounds. Then you're at a pro standard and further improvement is possible.
Yes, I already have the first book out and it is available on the home page of the PuttingZone website.
Cheers!
Geoff Mangum
Putting Coach and Theorist
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