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Lou Stagner's Newsletter #103
Why I’m Still Looking Up: One Year Into Heads-Up Putting
Lou Stagner
May 30, 2025
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For a 10 index from 200 yards in the fairway, what percent of shots finish more than 92 feet from the hole? (92 feet is nearly 31 yards) |
Why I’m Still Looking Up: One Year Into Heads-Up Putting
About a year ago, I wrote about something new I was trying on the greens. I had started using heads-up putting… looking at the hole instead of the ball when I putt.
At the time, I called it an experiment. Now, one year later, it’s no longer that. It’s a permanent part of my game. I’m fully committed to this approach from outside 20 feet, and I wanted to write about it again for two reasons.
First, I’ve seen a real improvement in my distance control, a drop in my three-putts, and an improvement of nearly a half shot per round with my putting. And I’ve heard from dozens of other golfers who have made the same change and told me how much it’s helped them too.
Second, a recent article in the May 2025 issue of PGA Monthly by Dr. Sasho MacKenzie lays out the science behind this approach better than I ever could. Given how many players struggle with lag putting, I think this is a topic worth revisiting. Sasho is the one that first exposed me to this approach to putting.
Why Look at the Hole?
Dr. MacKenzie, a professor of sports biomechanics and co-creator of The Stack System, breaks the putting stroke into two key skills: starting the ball on line and delivering it at the correct speed. Most of us naturally assume that looking at the ball helps with both. But his research shows otherwise.
Side note: If you are not following Sasho, you need to. He is a MUST follow. He doesn’t post a ton on social media, but when he speaks, we should all listen as he is one of the brightest minds in the game. Follow him on X (twitter) here.
When you putt while looking at the hole, your speed control improves. And speed control is a CRITICAL piece of the putting puzzle!
In fact, in one of his studies, golfers had better speed control and even slightly higher make rates on breaking putts when using heads-up putting.
So why does this work? It’s about visual calibration. When you focus on the far target, your brain gets better feedback on how hard to hit the ball. The concept is no different from shooting a basketball or throwing a dart. You don’t stare at your hands, you focus on the target.
“But Won’t I Mishit It?”
This is the question I get more than any other, and it’s a fair one. We’re trained to think we need to watch the ball to make solid contact. But the data shows that this concern is usually overblown.
Dr. MacKenzie explains it clearly in the article:
“Concerns about mishits are often overstated. For a typical Anser-style putter, both distance and lateral errors are about 1% of putt length for every 0.4 inches the impact spot is off-center. For instance, consider a 144-inch (12-foot) putt hit with enough speed to finish only 6 inches past the cup. A 10-handicapper might have one miss out of 100 attempts that’s further than 0.4 inches toward the toe or heel. With a mishit this large, the ball would be safely inside the width of the cup when it reached the hole and would roll out four inches past the cup (if it were covered). These numbers demonstrate that typical impact variability does not significantly affect putting performance.”
In other words, unless you’re wildly inconsistent with your stroke, you’re unlikely to see any real downside in strike quality. And for the vast majority of amateur players, the gain in speed control more than makes up for any minor loss in precision.
What I Do
Here’s the process I follow on every putt longer than about 20 feet:
I read the putt and choose my line as usual.
I go through my regular setup routine.
I pick a far target. That’s either the hole (on straight putts) or a point on my start line near the hole for breaking putts.
Just before starting my stroke, I rotate my head and move my eyes to that target.
I make the stroke while staying focused on the target, not the ball.
That’s it. No tricks. No swing changes. Just a shift in focus.
And that shift has helped me consistently lag the ball closer and MASSIVELY reduce the stress of long-range putting.
Final Thoughts
Heads-up putting might feel strange at first. I get it. But you will adapt very quickly to this method. I can confidently say it has made a real difference for me. For me, long putts now feel less like guesswork and more like an athletic motion.
If you’re an amateur looking to improve lag putting and avoid three-putts, this is one of the simplest and most effective adjustments you can make.
Give it a try. Trust your eyes. Look at the target. Let your instincts take over.
And let me know how it goes.
Finally...
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Have a great week!
