In this episode, Brian Bailie introduces a new acronym, CAT: Concepts, Assess, Train, and Track. This forms the foundation for understanding and improving short putting performance. Key Concepts: Read, Speed, and Start Line: These are the three essential elements to making short putts. However, most golfers don't dig deep into identifying the root cause of their missed putts, instead treating symptoms such as "pulling" or "missing left." Often, players are under-reading putts and forcing the ball onto the line, which leads to errors. Assessment: Understanding what happens during a missed putt is crucial. Players should assess whether the issue lies in read, speed, or start line. Many tend to focus on start line when it might be more of a read or speed problem. Training: Once the root cause is identified, players can train effectively. For example, practicing speed control by ensuring the ball passes through the hole by no more than a foot or using feet to predict break severity. Brian emphasizes the importance of consistently training speed control on short putts, especially through the hole. Tracking: Tracking performance over time allows golfers to understand their progress. Methods like journaling, spreadsheets, or using a stat program (e.g., Arccos) help players identify trends and ensure long-term improvement. Tracking helps avoid the trap of overreacting to one bad day by focusing on overall trends. Key Takeaways: Root causes are often overlooked in favor of symptom treatment. Players should assess whether their putt misses are due to read, speed, or start line. Training drills should focus on consistent speed delivery, break prediction using feet, and assessing start line control. Tracking variance is key. Golfers should focus on long-term trends, aiming for consistent improvement rather than perfection every day. Brian concludes by highlighting the importance of focusing on read and speed in short putts, while encouraging players to continue honing their skills using the principles discussed in the series. Stay tuned for next week's episode on short game!