Leaving a putt hole high means your ball has traveled the correct distance to the hole, finishing directly beside it rather than short or long. This simple concept is one of the most important fundamentals in scoring, as it sits at the heart of good distance control. This guide will walk you through what hole high truly means, why it’s a game-changer for your putting and approach shots, and provides practical drills to help you achieve it consistently.
Imagine drawing a perfectly straight, horizontal line through the center of the cup, extending out to the left and right across the green. If your golf ball comes to a rest anywhere on that imaginary line, you've hit it "hole high." It's a term purely focused on distance, not direction.
Your putt could be two inches to the right of the cup or ten feet to the left - as long as it finished on that line, it can be described as hole high. Conversely, if your ball stops a foot short of the hole, it's short. If it rolls three feet past the cup, it's long.
While most commonly used on the putting green, this concept also applies to shots from the fairway, where it's often called "pin high." Hitting an iron shot pin high means your ball landed at the same depth on the green as the flagstick, just on a different line. Mastering this idea is fundamental to moving from a high-handicapper to a low-handicapper.
Focusing on distance control might not sound as exciting as trying to drain a 30-foot putt, but it’s the secret to consistent scoring. Understanding the benefits of getting the ball hole high will change how you approach every shot aimed at the green.
You’ve probably heard this phrase shouted by a playing partner after a putt dies tantalizingly short of the cup. It’s a classic for a reason: a putt left short of the hole has a zero percent chance of going in. It doesn’t matter if you read the break perfectly, if the speed is wrong, the result is the same.
By making it a goal for every putt to at least reach the hole, you give yourself a chance. Even a slight misread can sometimes catch a piece of the cup and drop if it has enough pace. Committing to getting the ball to the hole is the first mental shift required to start making more putts. Forget simply trying to hit the perfect line - start by trying to hit the perfect speed.
The number one cause of three-putts isn't a bad first putt, it's a first putt that leaves a difficult second putt. When you leave a putt five feet short of the hole, you now have a meaningful, pressure-packed five-footer to save par. When you blast a putt five feet past the hole, you're now facing a tricky downhill comebacker that can easily get away from you.
Now, picture a putt that finishes perfectly hole high but misses a foot to the right. What are you left with? A simple, one-foot tap-in. There’s no break to read and minimal pressure. Getting your long putts to "die" near the hole - finishing with just enough speed to get there - is the best lagging strategy. You turn potential three-putts into stress-free two-putts, and that consistency will dramatically lower your scores.
The logic extends directly to your approach shots. A 150-yard shot that lands pin high but 20 feet right of the hole leaves you with a relatively flat 20-foot birdie putt. A 150-yard shot with the perfect line but 20 feet short of the hole leaves you with a 40-foot uphill putt. Which one are you more likely to make?
Top-tier iron play isn't just about hitting the ball straight, it's about hitting the ball the correct distance. When you watch professionals, you'll see them repeatedly hit their irons pin high. This allows them to fire at flags aggressively because they know even a slight miss on their line will still leave them a makeable birdie putt on the same level as the cup. Nailing your yardages turns difficult birdie chances into straightforward ones.
Okay, you understand the "what" and the "why." Now let's get into the "how." Training your distance control isn't complicated, it just requires focused practice. Here are a few simple drills you can do on any putting green.
Most amateurs get bogged down staring at the ball, overly focused on the physical mechanics of the putting stroke. The best putters in the world have great feel, which comes from focusing on the target.
This drill helps connect your eyes to your hands. It trains your brain to translate what it sees (the distance to the hole) into a feeling (the size of the stroke needed). You’ll stop thinking about mechanics and start reacting intuitively to the target.
Your body has no innate understanding of what a "15-foot putt" feels like. You have to teach it. The length of your backstroke is the primary controller of distance, the ladder drill helps you calibrate it.
Regularly doing this drill hardwires those different feelings into your muscle memory, so when you face a 20-footer on the course, your body instinctively knows what to do.
Getting your approach shots to finish pin high requires similar principles but with different variables. It comes down to knowing your equipment and managing the course.
Many golfers make the mistake of thinking their 7-iron distance is based on the one perfect shot they hit on the driving range. In reality, you need to know your average carry distance - the distance the ball flies in the air before it starts to roll.
The best way to do this is on a launch monitor at a range or in a simulator. Hit ten balls with each iron and find the average carry distance. Write these numbers down. This is your baseline. A 160-yard hole isn't a 7-iron if your 7-iron only carries 155 yards on average.
The most common miss for amateurs is short of the green. This is almost always due to under-clubbing and then trying to hit the ball too hard to make up for it, which ruins tempo and mechanics. A better approach is to adopt this mantra: "When in doubt, take one more club."
If you're between a 7-iron and an 8-iron for a 150-yard shot, take the 7-iron and swing at a smooth, controlled 80%. A smooth swing with more club is always more reliable than a forced swing with less club. This single adjustment will see your balls landing pin high far more often. You'd much rather have a putt from the back of the green than a chip from the front of it.
Golf is not played in a bubble. Hitting a shot pin high requires you to become a student of course management. Before every shot, consider these factors:
Factoring these elements into your club selection is what separates good shots from great ones. It is the final piece of the puzzle to consistently hitting the ball the right distance.
Embracing the concept of "hole high" is a fundamental shift toward smarter golf. It transforms your thinking from just trying to get the ball in the hole to controlling the one variable that most impacts your score: distance. By giving your putts enough pace and selecting the right club for your approaches, you’ll trade three-putts for tap-ins and start giving yourself better looks at birdie.
Deciding which club to hit based on your average yardage and adjusting for course conditions can be a challenge. That's why we built Caddie AI. As your personal on-demand golf expert, it helps clear up that uncertainty. When you're unsure of the strategy or stuck between clubs for a critical approach shot, you can get an instant, smart recommendation. You can even snap a photo of a tricky lie in the rough to receive clear advice on the best way to play it, helping you hit the ball pin high and shoot lower scores.
Thinking about hosting a golf tournament fundraiser is the first swing, executing it successfully is what gets the ball in the hole. This guide will walk you through the entire process, step-by-step, from laying the initial groundwork months in advance to watching your happy golfers tee off. We’ll cover everything from securing sponsors and setting your budget to planning the on-course fun that makes an event unforgettable.
A golf handicap does more than just give you bragging rights (or a reason to demand strokes from your friends) - it’s the game’s great equalizer and the single best way to track your improvement. This guide breaks down what a handicap is, how the supportive math behind a handicap index a is, and exactly how you can get one for yourself. We’ll look at everything from Course Rating to Adjusted Gross Score, helping you feel confident both on the course and in the clubhouse.
The compression of a Pinnacle Rush golf ball is one of its most defining features, engineered specifically to help a huge swath of golfers get more distance and enjoyment from their game. We'll break down exactly what its low compression means, who it's for, and how you can use that knowledge to shoot lower scores.
Figuring out which spikes go into your new (or old) pair of Puma golf shoes can feel like a puzzle, but it’s much simpler than you think. The key isn't the brand of the shoe, but the type of receptacle system they use. This guide will walk you through exactly how to identify your Puma's spike system, choose the perfect replacements for your game, and change them out like a pro.
The Golf Genius app is one of the best tools for managing and participating in competitive golf events, but figuring it out for the first time can feel like reading a new set of greens. This guide cuts through the confusion and shows you exactly how to use the app as a player. We’ll cover everything from logging into your tournament and entering scores to checking the live leaderboard so you can enjoy the competition without any tech headaches.
Walking onto the first tee with sweaty palms, worried you’ll be a good partner to paly wtih...or even asked back again ...We’ve all been there - trust me! The real trick of feeling confortable... is about how you handle you’re ready to plsy. THIS guide explains the simple rules of the rode to show you hnow t play golf while staying calm relaxed and focused... an having much morse fun while you,',re aat it? You'll also play with confidence a dn make fiendsa while you're at i
Just ask a question or share a photo and Caddie gives personalized guidance for every shot - anytime, anywhere.
