I'll say it one more time. When it comes to putting, speed is King. A putt hit at the perfect speed has the greatest chance of going in.
But what is the perfect speed? Should you hit it 12 inches past the hole? Six inches?
I remember reading Dave Pelzs' Putt Like The Pros. In that book he told how he had discovered the perfect putting speed. I believe it was 17" past the hole.
He said he had called a friend of his on tour and told him about it. The guy went out the next day and tried to hit the ball 17" past the hole every putt.
Needless to say, he had a miserable day.
Pelz has since corrected his error. It is far more correct to say there is no one distance you can hit the ball past the hole to maximize your chance of
making it.
The only thing for certain is that a putt that doesn't get to the hole will not go in. As for the how far past the hole to hit it debate, there are simply too many variables for the answer at my course to matter for you at yours.
It matters whether the greens are fast or slow. If the putt is uphill or downhill. Smooth or bumpy. How the holes are cut.
As you can see, trying to find the perfect, one size fits all distance is futile.
To me, the perfect speed is the one that reaches the hole and leaves a tap-in if it doesn't go in. Even from longer range, I would rather leave it a foot
short than four feet past the hole.
I always like to keep putting simple. While speed is definitely king, perfection is not attainable or necessary.
