Welcome

Welcome to issue number 26 of The 3 Minute Golfer. This FREE, weekly publication is here to help every golfer improve their mental game and their personal wellbeing.

Welcome to Part 2 of our three-part series on the Psychology of Putting. In this issue, we explore the putting styles and mindsets of four professionals who are known to be currently putting well on their respective tours.

In this issue:

• The Psychology of Putting Part 2…Building the Putt …

• Wellness Tip – Advice From AI

• Mental Demons Q+A

• In Person Events - Book The 3 Minute Golfer

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The Psychology of Putting Part 2…Building the Putting Confidence of a Pro

Short of being a mind reader, it is impossible to know what anyone else is thinking in any given situation…but we can observe how people behave and make some educated guesses about their thought processes. 

Many pro golfers have been known to go through a crisis of confidence when it comes to their putting. This is particularly true when they start missing a few short putts that end up costing them thousands of dollars in prize money. Most amateur or social golfers go through the same loss of putting confidence at different times…but the stakes for them are much, much lower. 

Such loss of confidence will often send the veritable victims scrambling to experiment with new putting equipment, gripping techniques, swing planes, green reading processes and mental strategies. Their desperation has a scent that the alert putting coach can smell from miles away. The low confidence golfer puts out a wounded animal vibe that is hard to miss. So, specialist putting coaches are always ready to offer their personal and varied solutions. Hence the number of wild and wonderful putting techniques you see spread across all the professional tours and local courses alike.

The concentrated focus on putting woes are somewhat puzzling given putting is the easiest of all the golfing skills. It can be performed equally well by a nine-year-old and a 90 year old…and everyone else in between, professional or amateur. It’s just more personal for the pros who are trying to make a living from the game…but PGA statistics show that most strokes are typically lost on approach shots…from 80 to 150 out…and from tee shots, not putting. Nevertheless, putting is the skill that mentally consumes professional golfers the most, with solutions to their putting woes coming in quite diverse ways.

Pro Diversity

With putting often being the defining component of a pro golfer’s game, it is interesting to observe the massive diversity and variation in the way so many pros approach their putting. Scottie Scheffler, Minjee Lee, Bryson DeChambeau and Denny McCarthy are four very good putters who demonstrate a unique variety of set ups, grips, putter preferences and mental strategies to achieve similar statistical outcomes. 

Scottie Scheffler…first transitioned from a blade-style putter to a mallet model, in a change that helped elevate his putting game. Then in December 2024, he began using a claw grip, while retaining a conventional grip for longer lag putting. Scheffler’s putting metrics have improved markedly. He ranked 162nd in strokes gained putting in 2023, climbed to 77th in 2024, and into the top 25 in 2025…and he has also cut his three-putt percentage in half, dropping from 2.8% to 1.4%, according to the PGA Tour (PGA Tour Stats, 2025). 

Mental Observation…it is said that Scheffler’s switch to a "claw" grip provided more stability and better clubface control, leading to more confidence on shorter putts. His putting coach has also encouraged him to use a freer, instinct-driven, less mechanical style that is more feel-based, with the emphasis on process over results, not forcing putts and staying mentally composed through the shot (The Wall Street Journal).

Minjee Lee…dramatically improved her putting by switching to a broomstick ahead of the 2025 LPGA season, which had an immediate positive effect that saw her lead the field in strokes gained putting at the Tournament of Champions. She has gone from ranking 135th in average putts per round last year to 35th this year. Lee is now ranked 4th on the LPGA Tour in Strokes Gained putting and recently had her third major win in the Women’s PGA Championship (pga.com).

Mental Observation…the move to a broomstick putter has evidently boosted Minjee’s confidence significantly and her putting consistency suggests she has gone through a psychological “reset” that is paying handsome immediate dividends and probably extending her career.

Bryson DeChambeau…few players across the PGA and LIV tours have garnered as much attention for their unique putting style as Bryson DeChambeau. His analytical approach to the game is reflected in his putting setup, utilising an arm-lock method, with a SIK Pro C-Series Armlock putter. Bryson’s putting average has hovered near 1.70, and his unorthodox technique has inspired many amateurs to test the waters of the arm-lock wonderland. 

Mental Observation…DeChambeau has an engineering-centric mind and a very methodical style. His approach to putting appears to be by the numbers, with an observed need for control over as many variables as possible. His mental style is less about feel and more about systematic, repeatable mechanics.

Denny McCarthy…is among the best putters on the PGA Tour and he often ranks first in strokes gained putting. He averages under 28 putts per round and has built his reputation on an uncanny ability to drain putts from anywhere on the green. He favours a conventional grip and a pendulum-like stroke, with the focus on keeping his putting stroke smooth and repeatable. 

Mental Observation…it is widely documented that Mcarthy emphasises green reading and instinct over placing too much focus on putting mechanics. His mental approach apparently is to not overthink the consequences and just focus on the putting process. He encourages creative, spot-focused practice rather than over-mechanised drills (Golf Digest).

Comfort and Confidence

So, what mental lessons can we learn from the experiences, choices and performances of Scheffler, Lee, DeChambeau and McCarthy? The psychological observation is quite simple. To putt well, a golfer needs to experiment and search to find the club, grip and stroke style they are most comfortable using…regardless of what other golfers are doing. A one size fits all putting style does not exist. The answer is in your mind…just find the equipment and process that brings you the most success and you will develop your confidence. It’s a positive feedback loop, feel comfortable with your style, have success, build confidence, feel more comfortable and confident…and have even more success.

See the References Here.