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- SG: Putting measures putting skill by accounting for the distance of each putt, unlike total putts per round which is heavily influenced by approach play
- Lag putting (20+ feet) is where most amateur strokes are lost, not short putts
- The difference between great and poor putting on the PGA Tour is only about 1 stroke per round -- for amateurs, the gap is wider but still smaller than approach play
- Three-putt elimination through better speed control is the single highest-ROI putting improvement for most golfers
Why "30 Putts" Doesn't Mean What You Think
You finish a round and count 30 putts. Good day, right? It depends entirely on where those putts started. If you hit 14 greens and your average first-putt distance was 25 feet, 30 putts is outstanding. If you hit 6 greens, chipped close on the rest, and averaged 8-foot first putts, 30 putts is mediocre at best.
Total putts per round is one of the most misleading numbers in golf because it's contaminated by your approach play and short game. Hit more greens and your putt count goes up, even if you're putting better. Chip close every time and your putt count drops, even if your putting is average.
SG: Putting strips all of that away. It measures each putt against a baseline for that specific distance, giving you a clean read on your actual putting skill.
How SG: Putting Works
For every putt, the baseline tells you how many strokes the average golfer takes to hole out from that distance. The calculation is straightforward:
SG = Expected strokes from starting distance - Actual strokes taken
Example: You have a 25-foot putt. The baseline says the average golfer takes 2.00 strokes from here. You two-putt (lag to 2 feet, make it). Your SG: Putting for this putt:
SG = 2.00 - 2 = 0.00 (exactly average)
Now say you drain the 25-footer in one. SG = 2.00 - 1 = +1.00. You gained a full stroke. And if you three-putt from 25 feet? SG = 2.00 - 3 = -1.00. A full stroke lost.
Sum up all your putt SG values across 18 holes and you get your SG: Putting for the round.
expected putts from 25 feet
Distance Zones: Where You Really Gain and Lose
SG: Putting data reveals that different distance zones tell very different stories about your putting.
Inside 3 feet (tap-ins): Almost no variance here. Everyone makes these at 95%+ rates. SG impact is minimal unless you have the yips.
3-6 feet (short putts): This is where pressure putts live. Tour pros make about 70% from 5 feet; amateurs are closer to 50-55%. The SG impact per putt is moderate, but you face these putts often.
6-15 feet (mid-range): The "birdie putt" zone. Make percentages drop fast -- from 50% at 6 feet to about 20% at 15 feet for amateurs. One-putting from this range gains meaningful strokes, but the expectation is already a two-putt.
15-30 feet (lag putts): This is the danger zone for three-putts. The goal is not to make these. The goal is to leave yourself inside 3 feet. Amateurs who consistently lag to 3-4 feet from 25 feet rarely three-putt and accumulate steady SG gains.
30+ feet (long lags): Three-putt avoidance is everything. Getting the ball within 5-6 feet from 40 feet is a genuine skill that separates handicap levels.
NG Spending practice time trying to hole 15-footers because 'making putts' feels productive
OK Spending practice time on lag putting from 25-40 feet to eliminate three-putts, where the real strokes are lost
The Three-Putt Problem
Three-putts are the single biggest source of negative SG: Putting for amateur golfers. A three-putt from 30 feet costs you about -1.0 strokes. That's the same as hitting your approach shot into a greenside bunker instead of on the green.
The average 15-handicapper three-putts roughly 3-4 times per round. A scratch golfer three-putts about once every 2-3 rounds. That difference alone accounts for 2-3 strokes per round.
The fix is almost always speed control, not read accuracy. Most three-putts happen because the first putt finishes 6-8 feet past or short, not because the golfer misread the break by a cup. You can misread every putt by 6 inches and still two-putt consistently if your speed is right.
How to Improve Your SG: Putting
Practice lag putting with a distance target, not a hole target
Place a towel or circle at 30 feet. Your goal: every putt finishes within 3 feet of the towel. Don't aim at a hole -- aim at a zone. This trains the speed control that prevents three-putts.
Build a 3-6 foot routine you trust
These are the putts that save pars and make birdies. Develop a consistent pre-putt routine for this distance and practice it until the stroke is automatic. Confidence matters more than technique here.
Track first-putt distance, not just putt count
Recording the distance of your first putt on each green gives you the data to calculate meaningful SG: Putting. Over 10 rounds, you'll see exactly which distance zones are costing you.
Practice the comebacks
After lag putting practice, don't pick up the ball. Make the 3-4 footer that's left. This simulates the real pressure sequence: lag, then convert. It's the sequence that matters, not isolated drills.
Putting in Context: How Much Does It Really Matter?
Here's the uncomfortable truth for golfers who think putting is everything: on the PGA Tour, the difference between the best putter and the worst putter is only about 0.7-1.0 strokes per round. Among amateurs, the range is wider, but SG: Putting is still typically the third or fourth largest scoring category behind approach and around-the-green play.
That doesn't mean putting doesn't matter. It means the return on practice time is lower for putting than for approach play in most cases. If your SG data shows putting as your worst category, absolutely prioritize it. But don't assume it's your worst category just because three-putts are frustrating and memorable.
NG Blaming putting for high scores because three-putts feel devastating
OK Checking your SG data to see if putting is actually your worst category before overhauling your practice plan
The Bottom Line
SG: Putting tells you what total putts per round never can: how well you're actually putting relative to the difficulty of the putts you face. For most amateurs, the priority is three-putt elimination through better lag putting, not holing more 15-footers. Speed control is the skill. Distance zones are the data. And the scorecard will reflect it.
References & Data Notes
- SG: Putting baseline expected strokes by distance are from Mark Broadie's published tables in Every Shot Counts (2014), derived from PGA Tour ShotLink data.
- Make percentages by distance (e.g., 50% at 6 feet for amateurs) are from Shot Scope's aggregated amateur putting data (2023) covering millions of putts.
- PGA Tour putting variance (0.7-1.0 strokes between best and worst) is from Broadie's analysis of ShotLink data.
- Three-putt frequency by handicap is drawn from Shot Scope's published performance benchmarks and Arccos's amateur data.