Make the first putt great

Brad Faxon is a great putter, and he says the way he judges good speed control is by watching a golfer’s first putt of the day on the practice green. Anybody can drop three balls and get the third one close to the hole. It’s how well you do on that first one that shows if you’ve got the touch you’ll need when you play. There aren’t any do-overs on the course. When you practice, start with a 40-footer with a decent amount of break. Judge yourself based on how well you weighed the speed. For the rest of your time on the practice putting green, concentrate on your first-putt distance control more than anything else.