How To Judge Putting Speed Using Mental Counting

PGA Golf Coach Erika Larkin shares a simple but effective technique for judging putting speed — using mental counting as part of your pre-putt routine. Rather than guessing how hard to hit it, she shows you how to estimate the seconds a putt will take to reach the hole, then match that feel in practice strokes. It’s a practical method that builds confidence on the greens.

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Erika Larkin – Putting

In this short video, Erika Larkin walks through her approach to reading and feeling putt speed before she ever takes the club back. By visualising the ball’s path and counting the seconds it should take to reach the hole, she creates a mental blueprint that feeds directly into her practice strokes. It’s a routine-focused method that suits golfers who struggle with distance control on longer putts.

Key Takeaways
Count the seconds in your mind

Before you putt, estimate how many seconds the ball will take to reach the hole — this gives your body a feel target rather than a guess.

Match your practice strokes to that rhythm

Erika takes three practice strokes with the counted pace in mind, making the rehearsal as close to the real stroke as possible.

Visualise the full line, not just the start

Reading the break is only part of it — picturing the entire ball path from start to hole helps you commit to both line and speed with confidence.

Try counting your putts on the practice green before your next round — it takes only seconds to build into a routine and can sharpen your distance control straight away. This video is ideal for golfers at any level who want a more structured, repeatable approach to speed on the greens.