What an incredible action was put up at the Showdown, right? The best moment? When Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler found themselves 40 feet away from the green, with a chance to secure an early victory. If Bryson DeChambeau had sunk his eagle putt, the LIV team would pull back to 1 down and gain momentum. But McIlroy had other plans. With a perfectly struck putt, he hammered the ball through the fringe, up the hill, and into the hole, punctuating the moment with a fist pump. This moment, fittingly called a Mongolian Reversal—a term popularized at the 2024 Presidents Cup—became official when DeChambeau’s eagle attempt missed the left of the hole.

With this, the PGA Tour duo claimed a 3 and 2 win in the opening session, taking control early in the Showdown. All thanks to the exceptional putt. But how can you nail a long putt? Here are some tips that the official YouTube page of the Scratch Golf Academy shared featuring Adam Bazalgette giving out three really important tips. 

1. The two-fold tip

The first tip that Adam Bazalgette begins with is the two-fold tip. All you have to do is stand taller and keep your wrist grip soft. Bazalgette says, “Now, certainly, I am not advocating being risky with this stroke. The putter is heavy, though. And if you want to have some energy coming off the club, soften your wrists enough that you can feel the weight of the club playing a little bit with no active wrist movement.” He then adds that if you stand a bit taller, you will have more freedom of motion. 

2. Solid contact

When it comes to hitting long putts, players often end up hitting the ball from a long distance, which ends up falling short and failing to reach the hole. But is it because they did not hit the ball hard enough? According to Bazalgette, it is because they hit it ‘unsolidly’ and the ball ended up bouncing off the club.

To improve this, it is important to hit a long putt solidly. It’s better to just go to the green and hit some long putts without having any targets. Listen to the sound of the putt while hitting it and remember that for reference. So basically, the important part here is to have solid control over your shot and understand it better.

3. Do not think about how hard you should hit

The final and most important tip that Adam Bazalgette gives is, “Never think of how hard I should hit this putt. This is a very poor way to go about it, and I doubt you’ll get any consistency there unless you have a lot of talent and practice.” Even though landing a ball into the hole with your putter is all about how hard you hit the ball, when the feeling grows over your head, that is when the putting derails, and all the focus only shifts towards the distance, instead of how you hit the ball.

Remember, a true pendulum does not have acceleration, but the acceleration is back here. The moment it reaches the top speed, the speed gradually decreases. And that is what is needed. If you hit the putt at the highest speed and have great stability, you’ll easily achieve that. “You do not want to be gaining pace and accelerating through the putt,” he concluded.

Where do people go wrong? According to him, the players are more focused on the outcomes instead of building the perfect system that will end up giving just the successful outcome. Nailing long putts is a skill that requires patience, consistent practice, and a reliable technique.

By focusing on proper alignment, a steady rhythm, and maintaining the same routine for every putt, golfers can improve their chances of sinking long putts under pressure. With time and dedication, mastering the art of long putting can significantly enhance a player’s overall performance on the course, turning potential three-putts into valuable birdie opportunities.