Lag Your Putts

photo credit: Steve & Jemma Copley   According to the USGA regulations, the golf cup should be 4.25 inches in diameter.  Now, lets add approximately 1 more inch in diameter to make it a total of 5.25 inches.  Where did the extra 1 inch arise from?  If your ball is approaching the hole and half of the ball catches the hole, it will drop.  That means you have an extra 1/2 inch, basically, around the edge of the entire hole to use.

The whole idea is to control the speed of your putts.  If the ball is moving too fast, there is no way it can “catch” the cup.  By lagging your putts so that they die in or near the hole,  you will take full advantage of the extra 1 inch of leeway you have.