One of the biggest reasons golfers miss putts is simple: they blame the stroke when the real problem was the read.

You hit the putt, you look up, the ball is tracking more left or right than you expected, and your brain instantly says, “I pulled it.” Or “I pushed it.”

But often, that’s not what happened at all, you just under-read or over-read the putt. That’s why this simple two-question framework is so useful. It gives you a clearer picture of the putt before you hit it — and helps you commit to the right intention.

Watch the video breakdown here!

Reduce eyebags, dark spots and wrinkles with the first of its kind anti-aging solution for men.

Based on advanced dermatological research, Particle Face Cream helps keep your skin healthy and youthful, ensuring you look and feel your best every day.

Get 20% off and free shipping now with the exclusive promo code BH20!

Get 20% Off Today

This is the first question. And ideally, the answer is always yes. That doesn’t mean every putt is easy. It means you’re starting with belief and possibility, not doubt.

This is something I’ve learned from Dr. Karl Morris, one of the best mental performance coaches in golf. His work has helped a lot of players think better on the greens, and this question is a great place to start.

Before you worry about mechanics, aim point, or pace, ask yourself:

Can this putt go in?

If the answer is yes, now your brain is solving the right problem.

This is where good green reading and clear intention meet. Once you’ve identified the read, whether through feel, experience, or a tool like the Tour Read app, the next step is to create the picture.

Where do I need to aim it? How much break is there? What speed does the ball need to enter the hole?

For example, if you know the putt is going to break 15 inches right of the hole, now you can stop guessing. You can actually picture the putt. You can see the start line. You can see the curve. You can match the speed to the line. That’s a completely different mindset than just standing over the ball hoping your stroke is good enough.

Good putters don’t just make better strokes. They have clearer intentions.

When you combine a solid read with a clear picture of what the putt needs to do, you stop reacting emotionally to misses and start learning from them. Instead of thinking, “I pulled it,” you start asking, “Did I read that enough?”

That shift is huge.

Before your next putt, ask yourself these two questions:

1. Is it possible for me to make this putt?
2. What is it going to look like for this ball to go in?

Those two questions can help you read better, commit better, and ultimately make more putts.

And when you do miss, you’ll have a much better understanding of why.

The ideas in this video are heavily influenced by the work of Dr. Karl Morris, one of the world’s leading mental performance coaches in golf. Karl has worked with six major championship winners and over 100 tour professionals, helping players improve how they think, prepare, and perform on the course. 

Through his platform The Mind Factor, Karl teaches practical mental game tools that help golfers develop skills and, more importantly, access those skills when it matters most on the golf course. 

We use many of these concepts in our coaching and have found them incredibly valuable for players of all levels. If you’re interested in improving the mental side of your game, we highly recommend exploring Karl’s work.

👉 Learn more about the Mind Factor here

👉 Watch the full video here

Thanks for reading!

—Ralph Bauer

Ralph Bauer has coached on the PGA Tour since 2009. He’s worked at all four majors, the Olympics, and has helped two of his players win major championships. His students have earned over $400 million in PGA Tour earnings. He’s coached on five continents and at every level of the game—and he co-created the Tour Read system to make green reading easier for every golfer.

Let me know if you have any questions—I’d love to hear how it’s working for you.