Falling in love again... until I get to the green

[Curls]

Not a unique post I'm sure, but here it is...

Winter lay-off hasn't dented my long game at all, in fact I've been working on releasing the club over the break and can honestly say I'm hitting it better than ever. Tee to green I'm way ahead of where I ended last season, but I can't buy a putt. First round of the year on Saturday, 15 over, 41 putts. I was so happy with my driving and iron play, some nice pitches/chips too (as well as a few melt downs/lapses of concentration), and I could really feel like I was getting the bug again, only a matter of time before I'm obsessed again and every waking moment will be consumed by golf - but a good score was all left on the greens, 3 putting from 10 feet, I should be shot.

Played a new course Tuesday, a good test, finished 20 over, 40 putts. I even had a couple of magnificent 4 putts. It's so frustrating, I'm landing myself in birdie territory and walking off with a bogey. My aim is to slash my h/c this year but unless something changes dramatically on the greens I haven't a hope. So here's my problem..

I'm a terrible putter. There. I said it. I have a V-Easy, I think I know what I should be doing and in practice I don't think my technique is awful, I can read a green okay, but when I stand over the ball I almost never feel I can make it (and the technique falls apart). There are a few times I do, I really visualise the ball rolling into the cup and I step up and drain it, but that's maybe twice or 3 times a round. The rest of the time when I don't feel like I've got it I block the shot or push it or blast it past or quit and leave it short. All that good stuff. Even from 3 feet. Yikes! (or should I say yips)

Any tips to instil confidence in something I've never really been overly confident about? I need to take that fairly okay practice stroke and hit the ball with it and I'm a mile off.

 

[harvey4banger]

Get rid of your Odyssey putter. Had the exact same problems and put it down to the hot face on the odyssey putter, couldnt get a concistant strike from it. Bought a TM Suzuka Rossa, which looks exactly the same as the #5, but doesnt have that stupid hot face and now I'm putting like genius

 

[Curls]

Get rid of your Odyssey putter. Had the exact same problems and put it down to the hot face on the odyssey putter, couldnt get a concistant strike from it. Bought a TM Suzuka Rossa, which looks exactly the same as the #5, but doesnt have that stupid hot face and now I'm putting like genius

Could it be that it was all so simple then?

I have to stop posting in song-form.

The last thing I was going to do is change my putter, figured it was a decent enough stick and the problem is me! Thanks for the advice, will certainly try a different putter out at least...

 

[bobmac]

Tempo.
Tempo, tempo, tempo.

If you are 3 putting from that close, you must be misjudging the weight.
Develop a good consistent stroke which is the same speed for all putts, then just vary the length of the backswing and through swing KEEPING THE SAME TEMPO. I'm down at the range later so I'll do a video for you.

Did I mention tempo?

 

[Curls]

Tempo.
Tempo, tempo, tempo.

If you are 3 putting from that close, you must be misjudging the weight.
Develop a good consistent stroke which is the same speed for all putts, then just vary the length of the backswing and through swing KEEPING THE SAME TEMPO. I'm down at the range later so I'll do a video for you.

Did I mention tempo?

Indeed, I think you might have let it slip.

You could be onto something Bob, a video would be great if it's not too much trouble, just need to start sinking a few, I'm so confident in my tee to green play at the moment, if I can bring a piece of that to the green I'll be elected.

Thanks chap star performance as usual.

 

[kevinmarkham]

Agree with Bob,
Go after the tempo and establish a rhythm to your putting. Judging distance is far more important than judging line, so make weight your primary objective.

Are you lifting your head too soon? That would be my other concern.

 

[Curls]

Agree with Bob,
Go after the tempo and establish a rhythm to your putting. Judging distance is far more important than judging line, so make weight your primary objective.

Are you lifting your head too soon? That would be my other concern.

Probably, I'm usually keen to see where my next putt will be from.

 

[AmandaJR]

I'm no expert and a bit of a streaky putter but if I can shut my head up then I always putt well. I read the line and where I want the putt to start and then get myself lined up (no practice swings), take a long final look at the hole and then back to the back of the ball and wait for....nothingness to descend and then I hit it. Sometimes the nothingness is the last tune I heard but what I'm not thinking is "how far back" or "how far through" or anything at all in fact.

My poor putting days are when I can't quite shut my flipping noisy head up

 

[Curls]

I'm no expert and a bit of a streaky putter but if I can shut my head up then I always putt well. I read the line and where I want the putt to start and then get myself lined up (no practice swings), take a long final look at the hole and then back to the back of the ball and wait for....nothingness to descend and then I hit it. Sometimes the nothingness is the last tune I heard but what I'm not thinking is "how far back" or "how far through" or anything at all in fact.

My poor putting days are when I can't quite shut my flipping noisy head up

Thanks Amanda you're not wrong, I am most definitely getting in my own way, just looking for something to switch it off, might be a drill or maybe a new stick, should hopefully have it sorted before season starts in April at our course.

 

[daveyc2k2]

Have you ever thought of having a putting lesson??

I had one about a year ago and it has transformed my putting completely. Now whenever I stand on the green I am confident that my putt will drop and if not it will be close enough for a simple tap in.

It's all about confidence and for me a lesson really helped with that.

 

[Curls]

Have you ever thought of having a putting lesson??

I had one about a year ago and it has transformed my putting completely. Now whenever I stand on the green I am confident that my putt will drop and if not it will be close enough for a simple tap in.

It's all about confidence and for me a lesson really helped with that.

Yep, I'm thinking about one at my new club because I got one at the last track and to be honest I think it did more harm than good. I didn't feel comfortable with the set up, I felt very hunched, I guess its all about how good the pro is at teaching you, not to say he was a bad teacher (far from it, he brought on my full swing a lot) but it just didnt click with me. In the list of things to do it would be ahead of a new stick, behind doing a bit of focussed practice! If and when I do have one I could hope for no better result than the one you got! Cheers

 

[Heidi]

oh my. I can feel the tension in your shoulders from here!

a good way of practicing putting on the putting green is to shut your eyes after you have lined up and then just pop the ball into the hole - stops you from looking and pulling the ball off line

i have a terrible habit of having to see the ball go in the hole, so look and pull it left...very annoying. My putting improves when i read the logo on the ball and keep reading it after i've taken my stroke. Listen to the ball dropping, if you dont hear it drop, then you can look and assess the damage!

best of luck - you can fix it!

 

[pendodave]

why not post up a vid of your putting ?

For some reason, there are lots of vids put up here of peoples' driver and full iron swings, but very few of chipping and putting. And we all know where the shots are shed....

 

[Curls]

read the logo on the ball and keep reading it after i've taken my stroke.

I haven't heard that one before - will give it a go!

 

[Curls]

why not post up a vid of your putting ?

For some reason, there are lots of vids put up here of peoples' driver and full iron swings, but very few of chipping and putting. And we all know where the shots are shed....

Well thats exactly where mine are going! I've filmed it before, practiced in front of a mirror, but like I say it looks fine, maybe not pro standard but I can send the ball off straightish with a little end over end (hit on the upstroke as its slightly ahead of my sternum at address), the problem is on the course when it matters, Im fully sure that is nothing like my practice/knocking it about at home stroke, its like someone else doing it! Short of going around with a film crew I dont think itll sort it. Its all in my head Im sure, Im very eager to score better this year and maybe Im getting in my own way cos my long game is looking good, just have to break through that barrier and go low. Thanks for the support chaps and ladies!

 

[Airlie_Andy]

I'm certainly no expert but a couple of things I do is use the line on the ball to indicate the line I want to set the ball off on. I then set my feet and shoulders parallel to that line. Then I try and make sure my weights is slightly on the balls of my feet so I'm "over" the ball and my shoulders can rock back and forth. Then for my putting stroke weight I take the putter back to just inside my right foot for short putts, just outside my right foot for medium putts and then for long putts another 6 inches or so. The important part is for the follow through to go the same distance as your takeaway and keep the tempo the same. Just focus on the line of the ball and resist the urge to look up until you ensured your follow through has stopped at the right place.

Didn't realise I made it so complicated actually.

 

[CMAC]

Curls, I feel your pain, been there done that, got so technical on a golf holiday once and putting so badly I just thought sod it! read the line walk up to it and putt it, NO practice putt or thoughts of ball position, grip, shoulder rock, eye alignment, swing path etc etc just a natural stroke to hit something from A to B and let my brain do the calculations.

try it on the practice green or out on the course by yourself and feel the release of tension when nature takes over.
It should wipe away all the 'stuff' you're currently 'jumbled up with' then you can add the elements that are essential like tempo that Bob mentioned etc etc etc

keep us appraised, good luck

 

[Matty]

So, when you get over the ball you more often than not 'know' you are going to miss. When you are exploding with confidence you drain it.

So, simple question with a hard answer - why the polarised difference? What happens those occasional times when you drain it with confidence?

Maybe while you are reading the green and lining your ball and yourself up you should be thinking more positively - I'm going to sink this one, it's going to go in etc etc. Instead you are trying to empty your mind and it autofills with negative vibes instead - stop them before they start by creating a positive set of thoughts.

My golfing partner and I couldn't be more different on the green - I average mid 1.9s (putt per hole) while my buddy is certainly above 2. He can putt - he just thinks he can't and the prophecy self fulfils!

To be a good putter I think you have to first think and believe that you are a good putter.

 

[mahseve]

Have you ever thought of having a putting lesson??

I had one about a year ago and it has transformed my putting completely. Now whenever I stand on the green I am confident that my putt will drop and if not it will be close enough for a simple tap in.

It's all about confidence and for me a lesson really helped with that.

Gotta agree with davey. We have iron lessons, driving lessons and short game lessons. Driving range twice a week (ish). Most used club in the bag? How often do we have lessons, JACK! The most delicate stroke on the course.
If you like your putter you are half way there, don't change. If you are confident with a potato on a cane, you will put well. Just get a pro to tidy it up.

 

[Curls]

Thanks Andy, Darth and Matty, sounds like everyone singing from the same hymn sheet, I can't explain why the picture is so clear sometimes and completely absent others, but you are absolutely right, if I don't think Im going to make it I have very little chance of making it. If I could 1.9 putt I'd be in single figures, which is where I want to be. Andy to my shame Ive never really thought about how far I take back or follow through, I guess Im relying too much on how hard I feel I need to hit it, which only now as I type this Im realising is a part of the problem, I have no tempo at all do I?! Not when it comes to hitting the ball anyway, lovely smooth tempo when theres nothing in the way and no consequence at the end of it. Its gas, a problem shared and all that, glad I posted this now I definitely feel like I'm learning something useful.

The one thing I'm glad about is with the help of the fine folk on here I have time to improve this part of my game before the season starts, I should be able to try out all these different ways of doing the same, simple thing and hopefully one of them will click. Right now I'm loving Darths suggestion as it requires me to do very little work at all! But I get why, it should be easy, I'm making it more difficult than it is, so maybe getting completely out of my way is the way forward.

Will def keep you appraised, thanks to all for your input, I've usually shied away from asking for advice on here and for the life of me I have no idea why.

Nice one.