The Pre-Round Putting Routine That Could Transform Your Scoring

There's a particular kind of quiet that settles over a practice green in the hour before your tee time. The morning dew hasn't quite burned off, the cups are freshly cut, and somewhere in that stillness lies the difference between a satisfying round and one that slips away on the greens.

I've spent countless mornings on practice greens across the country, and I've noticed something about the players who seem most at ease when they step onto the first green: they have a routine. Not a frantic scramble to hit a dozen putts before sprinting to the tee, but a deliberate, purposeful preparation that sets the tone for everything that follows.

The Three-Stage Approach Worth Stealing

Drew Stoltz, co-host of the popular Subpar podcast, recently shared his pre-round putting routine on Emergency 9, and it's the kind of simple, effective approach that deserves attention. What strikes me most is how it mirrors what I've observed from confident putters at every level—a progression from simple to complex, from mechanics to feel.

Stage One: Finding Your Truth with Short Straight Putts

Stoltz starts with dead-straight, short putts—nothing fancy, no break to complicate matters. His focus? Ball position and alignment. Speed doesn't matter here.

"If it's going in the right side of the hole, I know I may be aimed a little right," Stoltz explained. "Same with the left side as well."

This diagnostic approach is something I've grown to appreciate over years of travel golf. Every day on the greens is different. Your tendencies shift with fatigue, with tension, with the particular way you slept the night before. Starting with straight putts gives you immediate, honest feedback about where you are today—not where you were last Tuesday.

Stoltz likes to see five to ten of these drop before moving on. It's not about perfection; it's about calibration.

Stage Two: Circling the Hole from Mid-Range

Next comes the work that most recreational golfers skip entirely: mid-range putts from every angle. Stoltz positions himself about six to eight feet from the hole and works his way around in a complete circle.

"That way, I'm getting putts that are right to left, I get putts that are uphill, downhill, left to right, you get all of it," he said. "It just gives you a good idea for the pace of the greens and how hard you need to hit it on your given line."

I've played courses where the greens ran at eight one day and eleven the next. I've putted on bentgrass that rolled like glass and Bermuda that grabbed at the ball like it owed money. This circular approach gives your brain and body the comprehensive data they need to adjust.

Stage Three: Dialing In the Long Ones

The final stage focuses on lag putting—those 40-footers that determine whether you're tapping in for par or scrambling to save bogey. Stoltz hits these repeatedly, aiming sometimes for the edge of the green, sometimes for a hole, uphill and downhill.

"After that I try not to overthink it and head to the first tee," he said.

That last part might be the most important. The routine builds confidence, and then you let it go. You've done the work. Trust it.

The Right Tool for the Job

Stoltz also mentioned his current putter, the Cobra 3DP Tour Agera, noting that its alignment features have been particularly helpful for his game. The putter features multi-material 3D printed construction and dual alignment stripes on top.

"That's the thing I struggle with most, and I think that's what a ton of golfers struggle with most is just getting set up correctly," Stoltz said.

Whether or not you're in the market for new equipment, the point stands: alignment is fundamental. If your putter doesn't help you aim correctly, you're starting every putt at a disadvantage.

The Takeaway

• Start simple: Use straight, short putts to diagnose your tendencies for the day
• Go comprehensive: Circle the hole from mid-range to feel every type of break and slope
• Finish with feel: Hit lag putts to calibrate your speed on longer distances
• Then let go: Trust your preparation and don't overthink on the course

The best practice green sessions I've ever had weren't about drilling mechanics or building a perfect stroke. They were about arriving at the first tee feeling like I understood the greens, like the putter in my hands was ready to do its job. That's what a good routine provides—not perfection, but preparation. And in this game, that's often enough.