# Lag putting drills - due acceleration issues



## Oddsocks (Jan 26, 2015)

Recently I seem to have been suffering with major issues when lag putting, all of my playing partners have said it was a case of simple de acceleration on longer putts.

Anyone have a drill that can hopefully be used indoors on a carpet to combat this.

Yesterday my putting stats were scary, 20 putts out not including fringe putts or the one hole I picked up on.  The back was a little better with more GIR's 20 putts no pick ups but 40plus putts is a joke.  The main issue seemed to be anything over 10ft.

Thanks


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## bobmac (Jan 26, 2015)

It sounds as if your backswing may be too long.
To help this, stand close to a wall, say about 8-10in and putt away from it. That will restrict your backswing and you will naturally start to accelerate through the ball


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## Oddsocks (Jan 26, 2015)

Cheers bob, on the back 9 I did similar trying to picture something behind the ball as a stop which did help.


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## bobmac (Jan 26, 2015)

On the course, try narrowing your stance and dont let the putter go passed your right foot.
You'll need to widen it as the putt gets longer though


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## davemc1 (Jan 26, 2015)

What you need to do is... Sell me them irons you've seduced me with!

then all being well with the world, the golfing karma gods with look favourably on your actions and hey presto, you're now a sub 30 putting legend :lol:


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## garyinderry (Jan 26, 2015)

Never like the concept of same length back and through stroke with the putter.  You should be accelerating through the ball.  This is less likely to happen when you go a touch too far witty the back stroke. You quit, hit the breaks and mess up the stroke in an effort to save it.


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## Oddsocks (Jan 26, 2015)

davemc1 said:



			What you need to do is... Sell me them irons you've seduced me with!

then all being well with the world, the golfing karma gods with look favourably on your actions and hey presto, you're now a sub 30 putting legend :lol:
		
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Hmmmmmmm


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## chrisd (Jan 26, 2015)

Oddsocks said:



			Cheers bob, on the back 9 I did similar trying to picture something behind the ball as a stop which did help.
		
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You'd be better off with something behind the cup mate!!


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## JustOne (Jan 26, 2015)

Oddsocks said:



			The main issue seemed to be anything over 10ft.
		
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You shouldn't be lagging a putt over 10ft  just bang them in the hole up to 20ft'ers... anything up to 20ft is a solid par/birdie chance.


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## CMAC (Jan 26, 2015)

Oddsocks said:



			Recently I seem to have been suffering with major issues when lag putting, all of my playing partners have said it was a case of simple de acceleration on longer putts.

Anyone have a drill that can hopefully be used indoors on a carpet to combat this.

Yesterday my putting stats were scary, 20 putts out not including fringe putts or the one hole I picked up on.  The back was a little better with more GIR's 20 putts no pick ups but 40plus putts is a joke.  The main issue seemed to be anything over 10ft.

Thanks
		
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[video=youtube_share;p5kuUcWYxwo]http://youtu.be/p5kuUcWYxwo[/video]


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## CMAC (Jan 26, 2015)

Oddsocks said:



			Recently I seem to have been suffering with major issues when lag putting, all of my playing partners have said it was a case of simple de acceleration on longer putts.

Anyone have a drill that can hopefully be used indoors on a carpet to combat this.

Yesterday my putting stats were scary, 20 putts out not including fringe putts or the one hole I picked up on.  The back was a little better with more GIR's 20 putts no pick ups but 40plus putts is a joke.  The main issue seemed to be anything over 10ft.

Thanks
		
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[video=youtube_share;Bwk2rsEuyZg]http://youtu.be/Bwk2rsEuyZg[/video]


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## Piece (Jan 27, 2015)

CMAC said:



			[video=youtube_share;Bwk2rsEuyZg]http://youtu.be/Bwk2rsEuyZg[/video]
		
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There's no way I'm 'swinging' the putter by breaking my wrists! To me, Snedeker's stroke is atypical. Trying to copy this is a recipe for jabbing and decelerating the putter, IMHO.


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## Darren24 (Jan 27, 2015)

My pro told me to not brake the risks  just use arms like pendulums and follow through with the putter  completely opposite to Snedeker but I guess each to there own. Would like to hear other people's views on that.


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## bobmac (Jan 27, 2015)

Just take a look at the best guys on tour.... not many of them break their wrists...and that's not a coincidence.
Listen to your pro


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## Darren24 (Jan 27, 2015)

Thanks bob


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## hopeful (Jan 27, 2015)

I find that if I don't talk myself through every shot I make all sorts of bog-ups. When putting I make a slow back swing according to the distance the ball is to travel, a slight pause, then on the forward stroke I say (to myself) " and...push". It encourages me accelerate through the ball. Works for me...usually.


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## CMAC (Jan 27, 2015)

Darren24 said:



			My pro told me to not brake the risks  just use arms like pendulums and follow through with the putter  completely opposite to Snedeker but I guess each to there own. Would like to hear other people's views on that.
		
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looks like a very small break of the wrists, I also believe on very long putts most of the pro's will have some wrist break- hard not to as thats not natural. Go with whats comfortable and feels natural as opposed to rigid and mechanical.


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## SocketRocket (Jan 27, 2015)

Your problem may be that you are trying to putt the ball to the hole!!

Now before you start laughing let me explain what I mean.   If you are trying to putt at the hole then the chance is you will more often than not end up short as only a perfect weight will have a chance of getting the ball in.   Try putting to a point around a foot past the hole, this will give you more chances of holing out and encourage a more positive stroke through the ball, another advantage is the ball will tend to break less.

As a practice drill place a tee in the ground a foot behind the hole and from varying distances putt to hit the tee.   I guarantee you will start making more putts :thup:


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## Marc Cools (Jan 28, 2015)

I also have issues with lag puts. For me it helps to stand beside the ball, looking to the hole and make practice strokes feeling till it fits the length. Also important is to look from the side to feel how much it is upside, downside. Your brain knows.

*I guess* your issue is not the lagging but the stroke itself. I would see the pro about it because I think it is severe. Show him/her how you put and ask for a specific drill you can do every day at home. You will drop easely 5 in handicap with a normal putting stroke.


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## Darren24 (Jan 28, 2015)

Thanks rocket that sounds like a really good idea. Will have to give that a go when I can get out on a practice session. Thanks again pal.


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## Oddsocks (Jan 28, 2015)

Piece said:



			There's no way I'm 'swinging' the putter by breaking my wrists! To me, Snedeker's stroke is atypical. Trying to copy this is a recipe for jabbing and decelerating the putter, IMHO.
		
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Likewise , a long back swing and short follow through seems exactly what's  causing the issues&#128545;


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## garyinderry (Jan 28, 2015)

How do you decelerate a jabby stroke?


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## Oddsocks (Jan 28, 2015)

garyinderry said:



			How do you decelerate a jabby stroke?
		
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To me it has no tempo, the longer the putt the stabbier the stroke and that's not including the wristy action....


...... Dragons den style .... " I'm out "


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## garyinderry (Jan 28, 2015)

I am saying you can't decelerate on a stabby pop stroke.  To do it you have to accelerate into the ball.


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## Oddsocks (Jan 29, 2015)

I would have assumed ending the stroke so quick after impact could promote deaccellerion?


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## Piece (Jan 29, 2015)

garyinderry said:



			I am saying you can't decelerate on a stabby pop stroke.  To do it you have to accelerate into the ball.
		
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To clarify, my original point about copying Snedeker's stroke can either, imho, go two ways: you develop a jabby stroke as he encourages you to wrist break; or you decelerate because you don't implement the pop-stroke correctly (long backswing, very short follow through).


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## garyinderry (Jan 29, 2015)

Because the swing is so short you are forced to accelerate into the ball to make it go the correct distance.


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## Piece (Jan 29, 2015)

garyinderry said:



			Because the swing is so short you are forced to accelerate into the ball to make it go the correct distance.
		
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Not following. The correct distance comes from the correct length backswing with a gentle acceleration through the ball to get it rolling. Short backswing on long putts invites trouble.


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## garyinderry (Jan 29, 2015)

Just watched brandts stroke. Sorry I forgot how mad it is.  Wouldn't dream of putting like that.   Yep recipe for disaster. 

Watched many a folk put with well with a short but aggressive thru stroke.  Not what he describes at all.  

My mistake.


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## SocketRocket (Jan 29, 2015)

I'm not promoting this but just thought it may explain why some find a shorter and quicker stroke helps:

[video=youtube;4p1MsHHBI3M]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4p1MsHHBI3M[/video]


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## John_Findlay (Jan 29, 2015)

I think I have often misunderstand the "accelerate through the putt" idea altogether. So far as I can see the only reason for it might be to keep the club stable (in a Dave Pelz kinda sense, if you know what I mean).

At the end of the day, if you take the human out of the equation altogether, and for example, anchor the butt end of the putter on a nail or hinge etc and simply let it drop or swing from any given height like a pendulum then that is going to accelerate the putter head to it's low point surely? 

After experimenting with many forms of stroke for my lag putting over 35 years I prefer not to use a shorter backswing/long follow through style as I find it very inconsistent. 

Instead, I prefer to have a very light grip and let the putter head alone do all the work by trying to take the hit out of the shot. I find this always leads to better feel on the longer putts. It also (for me) means a certain amount of wrist hinge which I don't find to be a problem on longer putts. Desirable, in fact. 

On shorter putts (under 10 feet) line is more important for me so I'll grip tighter and take the wrist hinge out to avoid any face alignment issues at impact.


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## Darren24 (Jan 29, 2015)

SocketRocket said:



			I'm not promoting this but just thought it may explain why some find a shorter and quicker stroke helps:

[video=youtube;4p1MsHHBI3M]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4p1MsHHBI3M[/video]
		
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quick and simple explanation just what was needed. Thanks


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## Oddsocks (Jan 29, 2015)

John_Findlay said:



			I think I have often misunderstand the "accelerate through the putt" idea altogether. So far as I can see the only reason for it might be to keep the club stable (in a Dave Pelz kinda sense, if you know what I mean).

At the end of the day, if you take the human out of the equation altogether, and for example, anchor the butt end of the putter on a nail or hinge etc and simply let it drop or swing from any given height like a pendulum then that is going to accelerate the putter head to it's low point surely? 

After experimenting with many forms of stroke for my lag putting over 35 years I prefer not to use a shorter backswing/long follow through style as I find it very inconsistent. 

Instead, I prefer to have a very light grip and let the putter head alone do all the work by trying to take the hit out of the shot. I find this always leads to better feel on the longer putts. It also (for me) means a certain amount of wrist hinge which I don't find to be a problem on longer putts. Desirable, in fact. 

On shorter putts (under 10 feet) line is more important for me so I'll grip tighter and take the wrist hinge out to avoid any face alignment issues at impact.
		
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There could be something in this, when I putt with light hands my stroke is pretty solid, maybe without noticing as my putting got worse my grip got tighter.... And the circle begins


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