You’ve heard the traditional {golfing} knowledge 1,000,000 occasions.
“By no means up, by no means in.”
It’s not a lot usually agreed as demanded that your first putt ought to at all times end previous the opening.
However based on Scott Fawcett, the brains behind the DECADE course administration system, the hoary outdated logic is well past its sell-by-date.
Fawcett was a superb school golfer within the US but not more than a journeyman on the second and third tiers of the professional sport.
However he turned his ache on its aspect and created DECADE.
It takes an astute have a look at shot distribution patterns and PGA Tour information to create revolutionary concepts about the way in which the sport is performed.
And he believes that elite lag placing has lots to show the typical golfer.
“It is likely one of the most under-practised and misunderstood areas of golf,” he writes.
“A typical false impression is that each one putts ought to go previous the opening.
“That is flat-out flawed.”
That sounds at full odds with every little thing everybody else tells us.
Quick is nice!
However DECADE information argues: “As we get farther and farther from the opening, our placing distance dispersion wants to start out centring across the gap.
Which means that leaving a bit of our putts SHORT of the opening is CORRECT.
“The rationale for it’s because, as we emphasize at DECADE, velocity is king with placing.
“Our solely goal for almost all of putts is to keep away from three-putts.
“One of the best ways to do that is to enhance the proximity of our first-putt makes an attempt.”
DECADE checked out Aaron Baddeley, the Aussie who was ranked first for 3-Putt Avoidance in 2025. In 414 holes, he three-putted simply thrice (0.72%).
He had 61 putts of 30+ toes and left 55% of them in need of the opening.
However, writes Fawcett: “His deft velocity management produces numerous tap-ins and a few unintended makes by maximizing the opening’s seize price.
“Crafting the sort of velocity management is an space that I imagine almost all gamers don’t observe sufficient.
“It’s a assured method to make your rounds much less hectic and your scores decrease.
“I problem you to start out monitoring your First Putt Efficiency. You’re most likely a lot worse at lag placing than you might have realized!”
You possibly can be taught extra about DECADE right here.
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