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What do you consider a Lag putt?

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Bullfrog

Bullfrog

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With all the putting practice that I have been doing, it had me thinking. At what distance do most of you expect to make a putt? And at what distance would it be considered a lag putt? I know a lag putt is one you don't expect to make but expect to get it close enough to make the next putt. I have been working on my putting for the MC. I need to figure out how far out, I need to be "Automatic". I know it's different for everyone. So I thought I would see what the consensous was.

I searched thru the threads and didn't see anything. If I missed it, I'm sorry. Please merge this with the appropiate thread if needed.


Thanks for your input guys.
 
If I'm inside 20 feet or so, I'm trying to make it, unless its a putt I really have to be careful with (crazy fast downhill or something). Outside of that, my goal is to get it close, just because my putting isn't that amazing right now.
 
With the work I have been putting in with my SeeMore, I fully expect to make anything within 10 feet, and feel that within 15 feet I should make it or get it extremely close. The goal is to make every putt, but outside of 15 feet my goal is to keep my miss small if I dont make it (within a foot).
 
I expect/hope to make everything inside 15 ft. Outside of that I still try to make them, but don't expect to have a good chance at making them so it isn't a big deal if I miss.
 
Never thought about it before now...I'd say anything over 40 ft would be a lag. I'm still picking my line but it's more about having a tap in for a second putt. If it goes in....well that's a plus
 
I honestly try to see the line that will take the ball into the hole on every putt, then I really concentrate on hitting the ball the right speed to get to the hole, so in essence I am trying to make every putt, but every putt is a lag putt too. I say try to truly make everything from 12' in, and give yourself a chance on everything else.
 
From About.com:

Definition: A "lag putt" is a long putt which, because of its length, the golfer does not expect to make but hopes to get close to the cup. If it goes in the hole, great! But if it doesn't, you want to make sure you are left with a short, manageable second putt that you won't miss. A good lag putt positions the golfer to have a simple and easily make able follow-up putt, thereby avoiding a 3-putt. "Lag" can be applied to any length putt (whereas "lag putt" usually implies a lengthy first putt) and is often used as a verb, or after the fact to describe the second, shorter putt that results after not making the first putt.

I personally think of any putt with a lot of break as something I would try to "lag" because I dont want to be too aggressive that I end up with a huge putt left if I miss.
 
c0ncept said:
I personally think of any putt with a lot of break as something I would try to "lag" because I dont want to be too aggressive that I end up with a huge putt left if I miss.
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Bingo, I don't care how long a putt is, if its on a flat green I'm trying to put it on the line with just enough mmph to get it there. However if I'm more than 10 ft out, and its a situatino where I miss in a certain direction can go real bad, I will lag putt it at that point. For instance if I know that if I miss it low and long it will run off the back, I might intentionally miss high, knowing the 2nd will be a tap in for par. Or in anther situation I might try to put it below the hole for an uphill 2nd.
 
Usually if I'm 10 ft and in, I am expecting to make the putt, but if I'm 30+ feet from the hole I read it and try to get it close. Also, if the green is crazy fast and is breaking lots, I try to cozy it up there.
 
I agree with most posts here. I consider myself a pretty good judge of speed when putting so all I'm trying to do is avoid 3 jacking it. 10-15 feet isn't out of the question as far as making it. Depending on break or speed of the green I am pretty aggressive on those distances. Anything outside of that I'm really trying to leave a putt that is either conceded or takes no thought to make
 
Thainer said:
Any initial putt with the thought of solely trying to two putt.
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This. Even if I have a decent birdie putt last year I would just try to out it within two feet. This year I want to make the putts
 
For me, a lag putt is anything that is 20 feet or longer. Its a putt where I dont expect to make the putt and just want to get it close enough to leave myself a managable 2nd putt (5 feet of less).
 
Jman215 said:
100% this for me as well.
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Anything over 15 ft or so for me. I'm just trying not to 3 putt these days and if I can get to tap in range on every putt and make 1 out of every 10 of those, i'm a very happy person.
 
Maybe it's my skewed frame of mind, but I try to make every putt. Even "lag putts" are makeable, so why not have that attitude? If you say "Oh, just get this close" I think it lowers your confidence, where as if you are thinking "This one is going down" you are more likely to make a better putt and possibly go in.
 
Slope dependent I expect to make anything inside 4 ft, but I am aggressive with any putt under 10 ft and hope to make it. Under 20 ft I would say I'm still trying to hole it though not expecting to, and I worry very little about a 3 putt unless very fast and slopey. Over 20 ft my goal is more to ensure a 2 putt, so anything over 20 ft I would call a lag, especially if very slopey. Oddly, I'm much better at lag putting when I don't do my full routine but just step up and hit it. I have many fewer 3 putts when I do that, and I even find myself holing more when I think less about it.
 
BulldogsGolf said:
Maybe it's my skewed frame of mind, but I try to make every putt. Even "lag putts" are makeable, so why not have that attitude? If you say "Oh, just get this close" I think it lowers your confidence, where as if you are thinking "This one is going down" you are more likely to make a better putt and possibly go in.
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I love the idea of aiming for the hole and not just some vague '3 ft circle', but I personally find if I am trying to make a putt, I am much more aggressive than if I am just thinking getting it to tap in range. Being aggressive is great most of the time, but for me, when I'm aggressive the margin for error is much smaller so a slight mistake leads to a much longer 2nd putt (and hence more 3-putts). That's why I don't have the 'drain it' attitude for lag putts. Even the best putters in the world rarely make long ones, so I am realistic and try to avoid give away strokes. Of course, if I were to practice and become a good putter, my lag circle might go from 20 to 30 to 40 ft, and then I would try to hole out from inside there. All about how good you are I guess.
 
Good answers so far guys. Just trying to see what the norm is. I'm really working on it this winter.
 
My course has slow greens, but boy can they be tricky. Some of them are on a 15* slope! One of the par 3s I hit my 5 wood about a 3/4 swing downhill, the ball hits the green at the angle and bounces straight up... I'm trying to make any put inside 15 feet, outside that I obviously want to make it but I'm just trying to 2-putt. My new Cleveland putter has drastically improved putting.
 
Bought the 9'x4' birdie ball green with the intent of being able to have a legit shot at all 10' and unders. At 10-20 I want the ball 2' past the hole and >20' I start thinking about going for the same 2' or anything in a 3' radius.
 
I always look at anything in the 25' or more range as a lag. Just have to look at the percentages of one putting those types of putts. For a while last spring I felt like anything outside of 12" was (yes...inches)

Alex
 
Anything outside 10', I'm looking to leave myself a "no brainer."

Being a 13 handicap, I can't afford to give up strokes inside 3'. Nothing hurts worse, imo.

I know percentages say at my skill level you are going to make less that 20% of 10' but I fell good at the attempt. Anything else needs to be close.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9930 using Tapatalk
 
I always try to hole it unless I am either really far away or have a really funky break. I don't know, it works for me

Tappin!
 
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