I can't putt. How do you.....

Went up to the club to practise - got rained off!

Came home & got out the putting mat on my tiled, 100% level floor. 5' 6" putt, couldn't miss, every one was going into the middle of the hole. It seems that, as far as reading greens is concerned, I'm dyslexic. Tougher problem than correcting a faulty technique methinks.

Did anybody mention Aimpoint?
 
It could be that, or

1. It could be that on a carpet where you probably have paralell lines (at the very least the walls), you can aim better than when in open green. Perhaps ask someone to check your aim? This could doubley help if they read the green the opposite way to you!

2. You release the putter fine to a non-critical target but when its a hole and the putts for a par, your technique isn't as good. I know when I get tense over a putt I try to steer it in, nowhere near as easily stroking it home when out practising.

It is good news your technique is decent, better than starting from a place where it isn't, for sure.
 
It could be that, or

1. It could be that on a carpet where you probably have paralell lines (at the very least the walls), you can aim better than when in open green. Perhaps ask someone to check your aim? This could doubley help if they read the green the opposite way to you!

2. You release the putter fine to a non-critical target but when its a hole and the putts for a par, your technique isn't as good. I know when I get tense over a putt I try to steer it in, nowhere near as easily stroking it home when out practising.

It is good news your technique is decent, better than starting from a place where it isn't, for sure.


That is something that is well worth looking at. My golf partner was having problems with holing out from the 5 - 10 foot range. So I got him to show me how he is lining up. I told him to show me where in relation to the hole he was aiming and put my ball down there. Then I got my aim sticks out to show how his body was lined up and where his putter was aiming. He was shocked to see his body aiming left of what he thought he was aiming at and his putter aiming right. He didn't believe me, so we did it again and it was the same.

Putting is all about small margins and if that putter is aiming just 1/2" away from where you think you are then your gonna miss everytime, unless you have misread the putt, then it might go in.
 
Practice. I like to use string on two tent pegs to check my stroke and a mirror to check the basics. Other than that I simply work regularly on holing 3-5 foot putts with different breaks. I tend to do 20 per distance and keep track and ensure I try and keep progressing or at least matching my last total
 
I sorted my '5ft and in' putting by taking it seriously.

My long putts were good - but I missed far too many of 5ft and under. So I developed a pre-shot routine that I use of every putt - identically - down to maybe just over a foot - I certainly use it for 18"ers. I now miss few under 3ft these days - and I'm much better on the 5ft and under. It's because for these putts I am less casual, and take less of a laissez-faire and a much more methodical approach - I just do my putting routine and stroke.
 
Specsavers for you Bill, Marty Feldman had the same problem. :rofl: check out YouTube Marty Feldman the long distance golfer.:fore: Be sure to watch the end bit :rofl:
 
Last edited:
My latest way of putting is to just tap at the ball as you would hammer a nail. No follow through, so no wobbly wrists that send the ball off line. Straight 2 foot putts now drop into the hole. Works for me!:thup:
 
My latest way of putting is to just tap at the ball as you would hammer a nail. No follow through, so no wobbly wrists that send the ball off line. Straight 2 foot putts now drop into the hole. Works for me!:thup:
Sounds similar to Snedeker's technique. It also seems totally at odds with how 99% of people say you should putt, but whatever works I guess.
 
I was missing a lot of putts within 5ft so I had a lesson my problem was alignment my shoulders were not in alignment to my putter face so I worked on making sure everything is square at the set up and keep my leading eye focusing on the spot after the ball has gone this promotes keeping your head down and as I result I’ve pretty much eliminated 3 putts and have a far better stroke as a result .
 
I definitely feel that you have to treat putting as an art rather than a science.

A few looks at the hole and pull the trigger. Practice is obviously massively important, especially in being able to judge distance.

Noteable that some of the pro players who don't hole their fair share of putts tend to be mechanical looking in their action. Justin Rose springs to mind.

Snedeker is the one I look at, with his brisk natural looking stroke. He is really being positive with the hit.
 
Find a straight put then use a chalk line to make a mark at the desired distance then just stroke the ball and see if it rolls down the line, ball should end up in the hole
 
we all have off days with the flat stick, but if this is a reg thing seek Prof advice would be my suggestion.

A mate of mine went down to some putter guru in Lancs somewhere. he spent 4 hours looking at his stroke, with every variable recorded. Came back very happy, found a huge improvement. showed me pages and pages of data etc, which on the whole was lost on me, but he thought it was well worth it.

I can find out who this was if you like
 
Had a lesson this morning & pro gave me some things to work on. My aim was off & he's told me what to do to correct it.

That's good that you may well have found the solution - one other thing I'd like to add that made a huge difference to my putting game is using the puttout mat and training aid. I'm using it pretty much every day and it's made me a lot more confident with my alignment, speed and strike. Taking this into practice with a 3 foot, 4 foot, 5 foot and 6 foot circle drills has made those shorter putts a lot less daunting. Keep up the great work and I'm sure you'll see the results in no time!
 
I was missing a lot of putts within 5ft so I had a lesson my problem was alignment my shoulders were not in alignment to my putter face so I worked on making sure everything is square at the set up and keep my leading eye focusing on the spot after the ball has gone this promotes keeping your head down and as I result I’ve pretty much eliminated 3 putts and have a far better stroke as a result .

Get a putting mirror. I use mine regularly to make sure everything is aligned well
 
Top