3 jabber
Well-known member
If you are good enough to leave it just short then you are also good enough to leave it just past the hole. Good putters generally don’t leave it short unless it’s from long distance.
10 Golf Myths
- Thread starter Robster59
- Start date
irip
Head Pro
Yeah I can understand that.
I’m not objecting to being long. I would also rather be 2 foot long than 3 foot short.
I just want my next shot to be the easiest possible as that helps me get the lowest score I can.
irip
Head Pro
I understand that a short putt has never gone in.
If a putt has gone long it also hasn’t gone in.
Just out of interest how far passed would you have to be to prefer to leave yourself 1 foot short?
Orikoru
Tour Winner
Holing a few and never three-putting sounds like a good day on the greens to me.
You can't hole them all. He expected you to be happier if a couple you left short went long instead? The end result is exactly the same.
D-S
Well-known member
As always with these things, it depends on the green and the putt. 2 feet long vs 1 foot short after a steep uphill putt certainly not, dead flat maybe/probably.
From 40 feet who cares? From 5 feet definitely.
Klimski
Well-known member
It's such nonsense to imagine you have enough control to knock it past the hole to a consistent distance. If you are that good you could just make those putts. The hole is the target, in is best, tap in distance (short or long) is second best. It's that simple really.
sunshine
Well-known member
Any miss never had a chance of going in, because it missed.
WorldHandicapSystem
Well-known member
The two things can be true. Not getting a putt past the hole does not mean he putted badly.
This is not true. The ball will be moving at a different speed to the one you are about to hit.
nickjdavis
Head Pro
If you put enough work into your putting on the practise greens, learning to control pace then you can become very proficient at leaving consistent length 2nd putts when putting from 20ft and closer. However, once you get beyond 25ft, most of the greens that the likes of us regularly play on, will have enough inconsistencies in them to add a little bit of "unknown" to the required pace of the putt...that's when it gets a bit trickier.
Most people don't want to invest time (or have the time) in the practice required to learn proper pace/distance control. Many are not blessed with a practice green that is representative of the greens out on the course. But for those who are, there is no excuse for not having good pace/distance control.
3 jabber
Well-known member
No problem, I guess everyone else must be wrong then if you're right
WorldHandicapSystem
Well-known member
Yep. You might get an idea of the general direction of break, but you won’t get an exact read. And will it be much different from the break just short of the hole?No problem, I guess everyone else must be wrong then if you're right
Lots of things that used to be true aren’t anymore. Putting being more important than driving, path v face for shaping the ball, being in the fairway is more important than being closer to the hole (with caveats), having the correct angle into a green is better for scoring.
3 jabber
Well-known member
I'm not going to argue with you because you are always right
Klimski
Well-known member
Agreed: consistent distance to the hole: now imagine that's a circle target area, and your accuracy is the same (variance is equal). Now choose the circle: one that's 3ft short to 3ft long, ie 6 ft total.. Or a circle that starts at the hole and runs to 6ft past (remember, your variance doesn't change, that's simply a given for your skill level). Which circle gives you more 3ft tap in putts, and which circle gives you more putts that are 4ft or more?
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JonnyGutteridge
Newbie
Adding it into the debate, missing high vs missing low. The myth is that missing high typically is a better putt than missing low.
I’ll let you argue about which option leaves an easier 2nd putt!
I’ll let you argue about which option leaves an easier 2nd putt!
Orikoru
Tour Winner
My course's greens mostly have massive slopes on - I usually aim a bit higher than I think it is, because a) I've likely under-read it, but b) if you miss at least it's moving towards the hole and will end up nearer, as opposed to missing low which can take off down the slope and leave you something much longer.
This can backfire sometimes when the greens are not breaking for whatever reason (like now when they're a bit slow), and I end up leaving a sneaky 2 foot downhiller.
sunshine
Well-known member
Fundamental flaw with this analysis. Dispersion is not a circle.
sunshine
Well-known member
I didn't want to continue this, as I feel we are on repeat now, but I'm going to follow Klimski's lead with an illustration to explain my putting strategy.
Firstly, dispersion is not a circle in real life. Generally, misses left and right are pretty small. Weight is more variable, so a rectangle is a more accurate picture.
The orange box represents dispersion. The green shaded area represents holed putts. Which strategy leads to more holed putts?
Firstly, dispersion is not a circle in real life. Generally, misses left and right are pretty small. Weight is more variable, so a rectangle is a more accurate picture.
The orange box represents dispersion. The green shaded area represents holed putts. Which strategy leads to more holed putts?
nickjdavis
Head Pro
As I said....it all depends on the first putt distance.... I'll take the top one every time from 30ft or more away....though I'd prefer if the shape was more of an oval with a left/right miss of 60% of the long/short distance.
From 20ft though, neither distribution is acceptable and both demonstrate a total lack of pace control / judgement.
Outside 30ft I defy anyone to achieve the lower distribution.
3 jabber
Well-known member
Funny how people can't be bothered to practice their putting yet put lots of energy into arguing.
WorldHandicapSystem
Well-known member
That’s the first thing with a hint of truth you’ve said on this threadyou are always right
