PUTTING · DRILL GUIDE
Lag Zone
A long putt from a new distance every time, 25 to 50 feet to start: putt one ball and tap where it stopped: under 3 feet, 3 to 6 feet, or 6 feet or more.
Free in your browser. Also on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.
WHY IT WORKS
The problem, and the fix
Most three-putts start with a long first putt left too far away. Mats and short putts never train it, so on the course every long putt is a guess.
The goal: Stop every long putt under 3 feet, close enough to knock in, and never three-putt.
You leave yourself 6 or 8 feet coming back, miss it, and give away a shot without hitting a bad putt.
How it works
Four steps from opening the drill to your first logged result.
- 1Each putt is a new distance at random from your range (25 to 50 feet to start, in steps of 5; set your own in Settings). Pace it off from the hole: a long stride is about 3 feet.
- 2Putt one ball, then tap where it stopped: Under 3 ft (holed counts too; a putter’s length is about 3 feet), 3–6 ft or 6+ ft.
- 3Under 3 feet counts as a good lag. 6 feet or more is where three-putts come from: the graphs show how often that happens at each distance.
- 4Hands-free: say “under three”, “three to six” or “six plus”. Also “repeat”, “skip”, “undo”, “finish” or “hands-free off”.
SEE IT IN ACTION
On iPad, iPhone and the web
Lag Zone looks the same everywhere: in your browser on a phone, a tablet or a computer, and in the iPhone and iPad app.
Coaching tips
No fixed length — 15 to 30 putts is a good session. Finish whenever you like: a session saves itself from the first reps.
Putt 100 long putts in Lag Zone. Every badge is a coin on the drill’s Progress page.
No phone? Print the practice sheet. Count the Under 3 rows: those are good lags. The 6+ rows are your three-putt risk.
Questions
What do I need?
Putter + ball, a putting green with a hole.
How long is a session?
No fixed length — 15 to 30 putts is a good session.
How do I score it on the practice sheet?
Count the Under 3 rows: those are good lags. The 6+ rows are your three-putt risk.
Which badges can I earn?
5: First session, 100 lag putts, 500 lag putts, 5 tap-ins in a row and No three-putts. Each one lights up on the drill’s Progress page.
Can I use it hands-free?
Yes. Turn on Hands-free in the drill and say each result out loud, and “undo” or “finish”. It works in browsers with speech recognition, such as Chrome and Safari, and in the iPhone and iPad app. You can always tap instead.
Do I need an account?
No. Practice as a guest and your sessions stay on that device. Sign in with Apple, Google or email to keep them in your account, on the web and in the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch app.
Ready for Lag Zone?
Open it in your browser and log your first rep. Practice as a guest, or sign in to sync with the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch app.
By David Golfs · Questions? david@davidgolfs.com