Speed Control Is Everything (Even If You Don’t Want It To Be)
So lately I’ve been watching a lot of putting videos and PGA Tour rounds.
I keep reminding myself of the old saying:
“Drive for show, putt for dough.”
And honestly… the more I play, the more I realize how true that probably is.
I’ve also heard a lot of golfers say you should spend 80%+ of your practice time inside 120 yards.
The scoring zone.
The part of golf where rounds quietly fall apart… or come together.
One thing I keep going back and forth on is putting speed.
Part of me thinks:
Hit the putt firmer so it gets to the hole confidently and isn’t affected as much by the grass, grain, or slope of the green.
But then the downside is obvious:
If you miss… now the ball is rolling way past the hole and suddenly your “easy par putt” turns into a stress test.
Then there’s the opposite approach:
Hit the putt softer so it dies near the hole if you miss.
That helps with distance control…
but softer putts are affected more by the green, which means your line has to be even better.
Basically:
Golf once again finds a way to make both answers feel correct and incorrect at the exact same time.
What I think I’m starting to learn is this:
Great putting isn’t about blasting the ball at the hole or barely touching it.
It’s about matching speed to the putt.
Reading the green carefully.
And giving the ball enough pace to reach the hole naturally.
And of course… now I want to understand the “why” behind all of it.
Settle in. Let’s Talk Golf.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth:
You can read greens like a tour pro.
You can start the ball perfectly on your line.
You can look like you know what you’re doing.
And still…
miss. A lot.
Why?
Because speed control is the glue that holds all of it together.
Miss your speed, and your perfect read doesn’t matter.
Miss your speed, and your great stroke looks… less great.
Miss your speed, and suddenly you’re three-putting like it’s your part-time job.
The Problem: You’re Obsessed With Line
Let’s call it out.
Most golfers spend way too much time thinking about line.
• “Is it a cup outside?”
• “Maybe two?”
• “Feels like it could break late…”
Meanwhile, speed is just sitting there like:
“Hey… you gonna include me in this plan or nah?”
Getting the read right matters. Starting it on line matters.
But if you don’t control speed, you’re basically guessing with extra steps.
Speed Isn’t Mechanical (Sorry)
Here’s where it gets frustrating – and honestly, a little annoying.
Speed control isn’t something you can fully “mechanics your way into.”
Sure, you’ll hear things like:
• “Control your tempo”
• “Match your backswing length”
• “Hit center face”
All helpful. All true.
Also… not the whole story.
Because two golfers can do all of that – and hit completely different speeds.
Why?
Because speed is feel.
And feel doesn’t come from reading about it.
It comes from doing it.
It’s More Athletic Than You Think
Think about it this way:
You don’t measure how hard to throw a football with math.
You don’t calculate how far to toss a tennis ball.
You just… do it.
Your brain processes:
• Distance
• Surface
• Slope
• Pace
And then your body responds.
Putting speed works the same way.
You’re constantly:
• Reading how far the hole is
• Sensing how fast the greens are
• Adjusting for uphill/downhill
• Matching all of that to your stroke
And your brain processes all of it in a couple seconds.
It’s not robotic.
It’s instinctual.
The Trap: Trying to “Perfect” It
Here’s where golfers get in trouble.
They try to perfect speed control like it’s a swing position.
It’s not.
You don’t build great speed control by:
• Overanalyzing your stroke
• Counting backswing inches
• Turning putting into a science experiment
You build it by:
• Rolling putts
• Missing putts
• Adjusting
• Doing it again
Over and over.
It’s reps. Not theories.
The Shift That Actually Helps
If you take one thing from this:
Start prioritizing speed over line.
Not ignoring line.
Just flipping the order.
Instead of:
“What’s the perfect line?”
Start with:
“How hard do I need to hit this?”
Because when your speed is right:
• Putts finish closer
• Misses are easier
• Three-putts drop
• Confidence goes way up
And suddenly… putting feels a whole lot simpler.
The Next Shot
Your next putt doesn’t need a perfect read.
It needs a better feel.
Stop trying to engineer speed.
Start learning it.
Loosen up.
Trust your instincts.
Then roll it.
Real Talk. Play Better.
Effort builds results.
