You're Correct!

One of the most difficult putts you will have to face in a round is a putt that has to negotiate more than one level. Not only do you need to read the break in the green but then to have to allow for a change in level can have the words dont three putt running around your head.

The key to improving how you putt on tiered greens is not in your aggression or caution over the putt but in the way you look at the necessary adjustment you must make in your speed control.

If we look at an uphill putt of around 40 feet first, then your normal stroke to hit your putt 40 feet would leave you short of the hole. You need to pace out the step in the green. This will give you an idea of the extra speed required to get your ball to the hole. If the step in the green is three paces then if you made your 50 foot stroke, you will be more likely to get your ball within a putters length of the hole, increasing the number of two putts you will have from this type of putt.

Take a downhill putt of around 40 feet. Your normal 40 foot stroke would probably see the ball go zooming off at least 15 feet by the hole. So you need to pace out the distance from your ball to the edge of the tier. If this distance is 25 feet then you must make your 25 foot stroke. The idea now is for your putt to almost stop as it reaches the edge of the tier, then as it rolls down towards the hole it will gather speed off the slope taking it on towards the hole.

Just one thing to bear in mind on the downhill putt - you would be better off hitting the putt a fraction too hard. This is because a slightly uphill five to six footer is a lot easier than seeing your ball stop a couple of inches short of the tier, leaving you a treacherous 15 foot downhill putt that the odds on you making are very slim.

Being more aggressive may be ok if your putt is up the tier, but having a downhill putt would be a disaster to be aggressive. You really need to assess each situation individually, and factor in the position you would prefer to take your next putt from before deciding how much speed you need to apply to the putt.

Although this tactic is fantastic for double breaking putts, it doesnt quite have the same effect when you have a tier to negotiate. These are putts that need to be look at as one putt. You need to take into account the size of the tier, the direction of the putt and the speed of the green.

Caution is one of the last things you want to have when putting, especially if you want to be good at it. If you are cautious then you will be thinking of mostly negative outcomes. Try to be more positive. In your mind see the ball rolling on the line you have pick into the middle of the cup. This outlook will help you improve your putting no matter what.