Philip Dye, a PGA Professional and PGA lecturer who specialises in custom fitting, equipment technology and performance coaching, offers this expert analysis on putting from distance
Golf Performance Analysis is a website designed for coaches and fitters who can learn by integrating data insights and performance metrics to elevate decision making.
Taken from Golf Performance Analysis, this article is about helping coaches and players recalibrate what success looks like on the greens, setting realistic expectations for lag putting and managing performance pressure.
Before diving into the data, it’s worth acknowledging why this topic matters. Lag putting often receives less attention than full swing mechanics or short putt drills, yet it plays a critical role in scoring and player development. Understanding and having realistic expectations for long putt performance can transform both player confidence and scoring.
The 30 % Rule: What It Says (and Why It Matters)
Lou Stagner’s ‘30 % Rule’ draws on extensive PGA Tour data to show that 90% of lag putts at the elite level will finish within ±30% of the original distance. Importantly, this 30% figure represents the range that 90% of all putts finish within, it does not mean the average leave is that large. The typical finishing distance is obviously much closer, but this window captures the full spread of elite level dispersion.
For example:
- 15 ft putt → 30% window: ±4.5 ft (Average leave +16.5”)
- 25 ft putt → 30% window: ±7.5 ft Average leave +11.2”)
- 35 ft putt → 30% window: ±10.5 ft (Average leave +5.9”)
- 45 ft putt → 30% window: ±13.5 ft (Average leave +2.7”)
Many players, and even experienced coaches will be surprised by how large these finishing distances really are. Yet Lou emphasises that even this broader window is challenging for amateur golfers to achieve consistently.
These distances however reflect the true dispersion patterns of elite putters and understanding and sharing these wider tolerances can ease pressure and anxiety for players who believe every lag must finish tap-in close, reinforcing the central theme of managing expectations.
For extra context, consider Mark Broadie’s PGA Tour putting benchmarks. From 30ft the average tour player takes 2 putts and makes just 7% of first putts, while the three putt probability is about 5%. These numbers underscore that even worldclass players rarely hole long putts and are focused on leaving a stress-free second putt.
Three‑Putt Avoidance: The Overlooked Scoring Key
Broadie’s research consistently shows that avoiding three putts is one of the quickest ways to lower scoring average. For most amateurs, the strokes gained from eliminating even a single three putt per round can outweigh gains made from driving or approach improvements. PGA Tour data reveals that from 40–50ft, three putt rates jump to 10-20%, and for many club golfers they are considerably higher.
From an expectation management perspective, this means success isn’t about holing long putts, it’s about consistently avoiding the costly three putt and embracing realistic goals for your second putt distance. Training players to control speed inside that 30% window is therefore not just a ‘nice to have’, it is a primary defence against unnecessary bogeys and a key mindset shift for coaches and players alike.
In a recent webinar for PGA Members, coach and statistician Alex Huang offered some useful ‘rules of thumb’ when considering putting strategy.
Outside 25 feet a worldclass goal is to finish within 10% of the starting distance at least 75% of the time. Using 30ft as an example, that means finishing inside 3 feet eight times out of ten is an elite standard. At 50 feet, the same 10% rule translates to a 5 feet target, which again feels surprisingly generous yet remains demanding to achieve.
Alex highlights that at 30 feet, the very best players leave roughly half of their putts short, a reminder that perfect pace control is exceptionally difficult. He also notes that the optimal finishing position relative to the hole changes with distance: inside 15 feet, you should aim to leave the majority of putts past the hole, at 20 feet that target drops to roughly 75% past, and by 30ft and beyond, the ideal distribution is closer to a 50/50 split of past versus short.
These insights provide valuable guidance for setting realistic targets during practice and for helping players understand how their dispersion pattern should evolve as the length of the putt increases.
Alex also provides target finishing distances past the hole for different starting lengths: up to about 12ft you should be aiming to leave your putts about 18” past the hole. At 15 feet, this would drop to about 15”, 12 inches at 20 feet, and for 30 feet and longer the goal is effectively “dead weight,” or stopping at the hole.
These progressive targets help coaches teach students how to modulate speed expectations by distance, reinforcing that pace strategy changes as putts lengthen. His analysis of the 2025 US Open at Oakmont shows the top 10 strokes gained putters left 77% of first putts inside 10% of the starting distance, with a make percentage of just 6% and a three-putt rate of 10%, compared with a field average of 17%.
By adopting Stagner’s 30% benchmark alongside Huang’s 10% world‑class goal, coaches can give students a realistic but aspirational framework: a wide window that reflects true dispersion, and a tighter “elite” goal for those seeking tour‑level performance.
Emphasising three-putt avoidance within this context reinforces the message that distance control is not only about holing more putts, but also about protecting score by guaranteeing a simple second putt. Together these insights help PGA assistants and professionals teach distance control with evidence-based expectations rather than guesswork.
9‑Hole Lag Putting Game: Scoring for Expectation Management
To put these ideas into practice, try this simple 9‑hole game that blends competition with data.
- Set-up: Mark nine different locations between 15 feet and 40 feet from the hole (e.g., 15, 20, 22, 25, 28, 30, 33, 36, 40 ft). Each location is one “hole.”
- Scoring:
- 3 points – Ball finishes within 10% of the starting distance (short or long)
- 1 point – Ball finishes within 30% of the starting distance
- 0 points – Anything outside 30%
- Goal: Track your total over nine holes and repeat weekly to monitor improvement
Additional Resources & References
For readers who want to explore the underlying research and practical demonstrations further, here are some recommended materials:
- Lou Stagner – The Thirty Percent Rule for Lag Putting
https://newsletter.loustagnergolf.com/p/the-thirty-percent-rule-for-lag-putting - Paul Hurrion – Putting Tuition and Research
https://www.paulhurrion.com/#tuition - Peter Dewhurst – The Science of the Perfect Swing
The Science of the Perfect Swing By Peter Dewhurst | World of Books GB - PGA Learn Webinar for Members – Lag Putting & Distance Control
https://pgalearn.pga.info/#/catalogue/landingpage/item/b7ca1891-89c8-484b-885b-f2a5b08c8d72/ - Decade Golf
Decade Golf: Course management system to shoot lower scores.
