The fastest way to lower golf scores is simple. Make more putts. But golfers get lazy. They expect putting to magically fix itself on the course. This lack of a system leads to a shocking loss of distance control.

You miss short putts. You leave long putts way short. Golf coach Danny Maude struggled with this exact putting slump for a whole year. He finally fixed it using a system from an old coach.

Here is that exact putting lesson to get your distance control back today.

How to Build a Repeatable Mini Arc Setup

A natural putting stroke works on a mini arc around your body. The club must return to square every single time. Posture controls this arc.

First, check your setup from the front. Keep your head straight down your spine. Place it right behind the golf ball. Your shoulders must stay completely level. Many golfers tilt their shoulders up. This makes you hit the ball on the way up and ruins your distance control. Level shoulders fix this immediately.

Next, look at your setup from down the line. Use a primary gaze. This means looking straight down at the golf ball. Do not tilt your head up like a normal golf swing. Looking straight down rounds the top of your shoulders. It allows your arms to hang beautifully. This lets the club swing naturally. It also makes reading the green much easier.

Finally, make sure the club shaft points straight up your forearm. Have a friend film your setup from both angles to check these specific points.

The 2 Minute Solution to Fix Your Eye Line

You need to practice your setup before you play. Grab a putting mirror for your pre round warm up. It takes just two minutes but sets you up to win.

Place the mirror on the green. Get into your setup posture. Check exactly where your eyes are looking. A common trap is letting your eyes drift too far outside the golf ball. This ruins your stroke before you even pull the club back.

Use the mirror to get your eyes directly over the ball. Tuck your chin in. Look straight down over the top of the golf ball. Check the lines on the mirror to make sure your shoulders are perfectly square.

Finally, balance your weight evenly in your feet. Do not put too much weight on your toes or your heels. Now you know your body is in the perfect position before you step onto the first tee.

The 4 Step Routine for Perfect Distance Control

Great mechanics mean nothing if you miss the center of the club face. Hitting the ball off the heel or toe destroys your distance control. You must focus on a clean strike.

Once your setup is locked in, keep things very simple. Use a basic counting rhythm to hit the ball. Look at the hole. That is one. Look back to the ball. That is two. Take the club back. That is three. Follow through. That is four.

Let the club simply collide with the golf ball. Do not try to force a hit. Consistent center strikes will naturally fix your distance control problems. Adopt a mindset with zero anxiety. Commit to the four steps. Give your best effort. Accept the result. This routine stops you from overthinking the mechanics while you are over the ball.

Stop Hoping and Start Making Putts

Perfect your posture from two angles. Use a mirror to lock in your eye alignment. Rely on a simple counting rhythm to strike the ball cleanly. These three steps are the only putting lesson you need.

Stop hoping your game will improve on its own. It will not happen without a proper system. Grab your smartphone today. Film your setup from the front and down the line. Fix your shoulders and your gaze.

Then, spend a few minutes with a putting mirror before your next round. You will finally get your distance control back. You will start holing more putts and shooting much lower scores.

Here is a quick checklist to fix your putting stroke before your next game.

Putting Step	What to Do	Why It Matters
Face On Setup	Keep your head straight down your spine. Keep your shoulders level.	Stops you from hitting up on the ball and ruining distance control.
Down the Line Setup	Look straight down at the ball. Let your arms hang naturally.	Creates a perfect stroke arc and makes it easier to read the green.
Pre Round Mirror	Place a mirror on the green. Put your eyes directly over the ball.	Forces your shoulders to stay square before you step onto the course.
Four Step Routine	1: Look at hole. 2: Look at ball. 3: Take club back. 4: Strike ball.	Focuses your mind on hitting the center of the club face with zero anxiety.

How “Looking Straight Down” Helps You Read the Green

Many golfers struggle to see the right line on the green. Danny Maude explains that this often happens because of a “secondary gaze.” This is when your head is tilted up like a normal golf swing. When you look at the ball this way, your view of the green is not clear. You are not seeing the true path to the hole.

To fix this, you must use a primary gaze. This means keeping your head straight down so you are looking directly at the ball. This move does two things. First, it rounds the top of your shoulders. This lets your arms hang with total freedom.

Second, it allows you to read the entire green clearly from that one spot. If you struggle to know which way a putt will break, this change in your gaze will be a massive help.

Why a Proven System Beats “Lazy” Practice

Danny Maude admits that he got lazy with his putting for an entire year. He thought that simply going to the golf course would fix his problems. He hoped his stroke would just “sort itself out” over time. But hope is not a plan. His putting stayed “shocking” until he went back to a specific system.

You cannot expect to improve without a repeatable process. A system takes the guesswork out of your game. Instead of wondering why you are missing, you use simple checkpoints for your spine, shoulders, and eyes.

This builds a foundation that works every single time. When you have a system, you don’t feel nervous over the ball. You know your setup is perfect, so you can just let the club collide with the ball and watch it go in.

Conlcusion

Stop relying on hope to fix your game. Lazy practice leads to high scores and missed short putts. Danny Maude proved that even a year long slump can be fixed with a simple system. You must check your posture from two angles.

Use a mirror to lock in your eye line. Then follow a steady four step rhythm over every ball. Grab your phone and film your setup today. Spend two minutes with a mirror before your next round. This is the only putting lesson you need to start holing more putts and having fun again.