Facing long putt shots are challenges in golf that be quite rewarding.

There is one thing that all golfers who are great putters have in common, they have a natural sense of feel for the speed and distance needed when making a long putt shot.

This feel is not something that you can learn from a golf “how to” booklet.  It must be learned by instinct and then practiced over and over again.

Proper Speed Is Essential For Putts Longer Than 8 Feet Or More

As a beginner, you may be tempted to make your ball into the hole when facing a long putt shot of 8 feet or longer. However, this should not be your goal. Great golfers realize that it's best to lag the ball so that it gets as close to the hole as possible, thereby leaving themselves a very easy shot with only 2 - 3 feet of distance.

Of course knocking the ball into the hole from a long putt shot is definitely a good thing.  But the truth of the matter is that the last thing you want to do is mess up your shot to the point where you have to make the ball in the hole with the dreaded 3-Putt shot.

So many beginner players and amateur golfers go through such an experience. They have a ball sitting 15 to 20 feet away from the hole and they put too much speed and distance on it.  The next thing they realize, they have taken 5-6 shots in order to finish a par-3 hole.

How To Master The Art Of Long Putting

Your job is to become a master the art of getting a perfect lag on a ball when shooting a long-distance putt. This is so you can create a situation where the ball will always land safely near the hole, regardless of whether it breaks too early or too soon. You will know that wherever the ball lands, it should be a simple hit to finish the hole on the next swing.

A Simple Practice Exercise

As with any maneuver, practice makes perfect when learning to determine the feel for speed and distance on the green. A simple exercise that you can practice in order to become a better long-putt shooter is to place four to five balls approximately 10 feet apart from each other, evenly distributed to the hole.

Basically, you will have a line of balls, evenly spaced between each other, all leading to the hole, starting at about 40 to 50 feet out. Now start the exercise by making your swing with the ball closest to the hole. Simply work your way back to the farthest ball. In order for this exercise to work, you must mentally place yourself in a real playing scenario.

The funny thing about such practice techniques is that because you know it's not a real game, you are more loosened up and are not really stressed about making the lag shot work. 

Can you guess what happens? You play well! That is the ironic part about the game of golf.  When you are in the middle of a good game, worry and doubt tend to tense your muscles up, thereby causing poor shots to be made. The real key is to take your practice mindset with you when playing a real golf game.