In disc golf, putting is a source of frustration. It doesn’t matter how good you are, either. When the putter lets you down, the sting sits with you for a good bit. The sooner you can simply accept this as part of the game, the better. And the fewer nights you’ll spend tossing and turning, too.
However, there are degrees of putting-induced rage. Or rather, there are certain kinds of putts that induce said rage. For example, those putts that rocket-fuel off the top of the basket suck, as they lead to lengthy comebackers. But at the same token, metal was drawn. Multiple air-balls in the same round are rough, too. And it goes without saying that missed tap-ins shorten your life.
They’re rare, but they happen.
Still, the one that’s inarguably the worst of the lot is the dreaded three-putt.
Or, in other words:
- You’ve got a makeable putt, but miss it.
- No problem: The clean-up shouldn’t be an issue – clank.
- And though the tap-in doesn’t feel like a putt, technically, it’s your third.
That smarts.
Keep in mind that all attempted throw-ins or miracle putts don’t count. Each of those cursed bullet-points represents a putt that was at most flirting with circle’s edge – likely closer.
What drives disc golfers bonkers about the three-putt is that it’s entirely avoidable – on paper, at least. Missing a putt from 27-ish feet isn’t a crime – it happens. And for most of us, more often than we’d care to admit. You see, problems start to arise when the first putt is missed so badly that your second bid at the basket is all but a guaranteed miss – and then, that’s what happens.
Another torturous outcome is having your first putt miss, but come to rest at a reasonable-enough distance from the basket that the second putt should be a cinch – think 12 feet or so. It’s at this point your brain reminds you that what was once a doable birdie or par is one mindless, embarrassing putt from unfathomably turning into a bogey or double-bogey.
And then …
*** Airmail ***
Prophecy fulfilled.
Of all the things that have me wanting to walk straight off the course without bothering to finish an otherwise pleasant round, it’s the three-putt that nearly gets me there. To date, I’ve never done it, but it’s in the cards. And given my attitude afterwards, it might’ve been better if I actually had.
So much stupidity. So little time.
The three-putt is one of disc golf’s great evils.
Keep your head on a swivel …
She’s coming for you.
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