Even PGA Tour Players Three-Putt...

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Who remembers when Shane Lowry had a putt to win the Truist Championship… and three-putted it away? One shot behind Sepp Straka, he stood over a 21-foot birdie chance with everything at stake. Make it, and the playoff was alive. Two putts, and he secured second. Instead, the game delivered a gut-wrenching twist. 

His first roll leaked downhill with too much pace. Lowry’s hand shot up in desperation, pleading for it to stop, but the ball cruelly raced six feet past. The crowd gasped. Now facing a nerve-shaking par save, he rushed it… and pushed it wide. Bogey. 

In a blink, triumph turned into heartbreak. Straka tapped in for victory, while Lowry walked off devastated, haunted by a $400,000 swing that slipped through his fingers.

The truth is, three-putts aren’t just a pro’s nightmare. They show up in your weekend round, too. The good news? They’re not bad luck. They’re repeatable mistakes you can fix. Here are the 7 biggest three-putt mistakes —and step-by-step ways to avoid them.

1. When Extra Loft Sneaks In

Many golfers unknowingly flip their wrists at impact, adding loft to a putter that already has 2–4°. The ball hops, launches, or rolls inconsistently, and distance control goes out the window.

How To Fix It:

1. Keep the handle slightly ahead of the face at impact.

2. Practice with the shaft pressed gently against your lead forearm — this stabilizes loft.

3. Watch for an end-over-end roll instead of a small “hop” off the face.

2. Skipping Short-Putt Reps

Three-footers decide rounds. Yet most golfers never actually practice them. Worse, they don’t read them properly on the course, creating confusion and shaky strokes.

How To Fix It:

1. Place 8 balls evenly in a circle three feet around the hole.

2. For each, read the break, aim the logo or line, and commit.

3. Only after holing all 8, expand to a four-foot circle.

4. Do this 15 minutes a week — comfort builds quickly.

3. The “Ram It In” Mentality

We’ve all heard “never up, never in.” Problem is, many golfers fear leaving a putt short, so they ram it. Misses race past, leaving four- or five-foot comebackers that spiral into three-putts. Strategy expert Scott Fawcett says speed errors are six times more common than line errors.

How To Fix It:

1. Treat putting like bocce ball — goal is to finish near the target, not slam it in.

2. Accept that some good putts will stop a little short — that’s okay.

3. Stay committed to speed even when buddies chirp “hit it harder.”

4. Losing Tempo on Long Putts

Most amateurs accelerate too hard into 30-footers. A short backswing plus a jabby follow-through equals putts that race long. Tempo studies show the best strokes keep a 2-to-1 rhythm — backstroke twice as long as forward.

How To Fix It:

1. Place two tees equidistant from your ball (backstroke and follow-through checkpoints).

2. Swing back to the first tee, through to the second tee.

3. Count a two-syllable name on the backswing (“Tiger”) and one syllable on the downswing (“Woods”).

4. Repeat until stroke length feels smooth and symmetrical.

5. Lag Putting Without a Landing Zone

Shot Scope found that 83% of three-putts start outside 30 feet. Golfers often think “just get it close,” but vague targets lead to second putts twice as long as they should be. Six feet instead of three feet is the difference between a stress-free tap-in and another miss.

How To Fix It:

1. Pick a specific three-foot circle where you want the ball to stop.

2. Use the ladder drill: hit putts to 30, 40, and 50 feet, aiming for that zone.

3. Track how often you finish inside three feet and adjust practice.

6. Expecting Miracles From 30+ Feet

Pros three-putt too. In fact, once you’re 33 feet out, you’re more likely to three-putt than one-putt. Many amateurs get frustrated when they don’t sink long putts, but the data says your real goal should be a two-putt.

Three-Putt Odds By Distance

How To Fix It:

1. Reset expectations: from outside 25 feet, focus on lagging inside a three-foot circle.

2. Use practice rounds to record average leave distance from 30+ feet.

3. Judge success by stress-free tap-ins, not drained bombs.

7. Overlooking Routine and Grip Consistency

Steve Stricker, one of the best putters alive, swears by small details — a steady left-hand grip, a light right hand, and even a subtle “waggle” to stay loose. Without consistency, tension creeps in, and putts get pulled or pushed offline.

How To Fix It:

1. Grip the putter firmer with your lead hand (≈7/10 pressure), lighter with trail hand.

2. Let the putter rest more in the palm of your lead hand for stability.

3. Add a mini waggle before strokes to stay loose and fluid.

4. Keep ball position consistent — about 1–2 inches off your lead foot.

FAQs You Asked, Answered

What’s the main cause of three-putts?
Poor speed control. Speed mistakes are six times more common than line mistakes.

How should I practice putting?
Split focus between 3-footers (confidence) and 30-footers (distance control). That’s where the biggest gains come from.

Should I be upset about leaving putts short?
Not at all — smart speed that leaves tap-ins will lower your total strokes.

Final Thoughts: Your Short Game Just Got Sharper

Three-putts aren’t unlucky. They come from clear patterns — mental mistakes, skipped practice, poor tempo, or bad habits.

Clean up even one of these seven and your score will drop quickly. Next practice session, set up the ladder drill for lag putts and the short-putt circle for pressure.

That’s how three-putts vanish.