Springveldt
Well-known member
Thanks Bob, at this point I'm willing to try anything to fix the issue.
Improving putting
- Thread starter Chef1924
- Start date
fundy
Ryder Cup Winner
The prosecution rests
D
Deleted member 29109
Guest
I was the same. It turns out my eyes were outside the line so it looked like I had lined up wrong. I now set up better and have learned to trust my read and that I’ve lined up the ball correctly. I still miss the odd short one, but far less frequently than before.
D
Deleted member 23344
Guest
Just on this, I actually tried drawing a line on the ball for my round yesterday. I can see that it would help some people but I didn't like it at all. For some reason it just put me off if anything. I'd line it up from behind the putting line, but then when I'm stood over the ball I'm thinking it looks wrong, but I can't adjust the way I normally would. Really didn't like it.
I know what you mean … I line it up but, when I stand over the ball, it sometimes looks wrong … but that is why I said “trust the line”. If you have lined it up correctly, then go with it no matter if it looks wrong from above. Also, I don’t actually draw an offputting line on the ball … Callaway Supersoft balls have the name printed as a line for the purpose of lining up.
D
Deleted member 29109
Guest
The prosecution rests
Cos no one ever took a long time to miss a putt before aim point ?
DeanoMK
Club Champion
Pace is the most important part of putting, you can't pick a line without knowing the pace as this will dictate the start line.
For me, I'm a very visual putter - I stand behind the ball and imagine I'm rolling a ball towards the hole and follow the line it creates in my mind. If I see it missing left, I'll start again aiming further right, for example.
For me, I'm a very visual putter - I stand behind the ball and imagine I'm rolling a ball towards the hole and follow the line it creates in my mind. If I see it missing left, I'll start again aiming further right, for example.
Region3
Ryder Cup Winner
I’m not an amazing putter, but I’m ok. These are a few things that have helped me both in the past and now.
Missing short putts.
As Bob said, a lot of people have way too long a backswing for short putts, which both gives too much time to tweak the face and also means you have to keep the swing slow to avoid hitting the ball too hard.
On the practice green (or at home?) with a short putt try putting a ball down 6” behind the one you are hitting. If your backswing is too long you will feel like there’s no way you have enough room to take the putter back, but try it and you’ll be surprised how easy they are to hole out.
Eyes over the ball?
People’s eyes work in different ways and not everybody sees lines the same way.
Again, on a practice green or easy to do at home, put a ball down and choose a target about 10’ away. Kneel down behind the ball and put another small object between the ball and target about 1‘ or 2’ from the ball.
Now with a putter in hand stand over the ball as if you are going to hit it, and move your head about until the intermediate target looks to be on the right line to hole the putt. This is where you should practice addressing the ball from. You can drop another ball from the bridge of your nose between your eyes if you can’t tell where your eyes are in relation to the ball.
The last one is the one that helped me most, I think it helps with people that over think things!
From when you are over the putt ready to hit ie you’ve addressed the ball and had a couple of looks at the hole, count from 1 to 5 in your head at a pace you need to figure out for yourself through trying it.
Once you’ve started don’t think about anything other than the sequence.
1. Look at the hole
2. Look at the ball
3. Backswing (it might feel like you’re not ready but go with it)
4. Hit the ball
5. Look up (important to not look up before the 5 count)
Sorry for the long post. I hope some of it might help someone.
Missing short putts.
As Bob said, a lot of people have way too long a backswing for short putts, which both gives too much time to tweak the face and also means you have to keep the swing slow to avoid hitting the ball too hard.
On the practice green (or at home?) with a short putt try putting a ball down 6” behind the one you are hitting. If your backswing is too long you will feel like there’s no way you have enough room to take the putter back, but try it and you’ll be surprised how easy they are to hole out.
Eyes over the ball?
People’s eyes work in different ways and not everybody sees lines the same way.
Again, on a practice green or easy to do at home, put a ball down and choose a target about 10’ away. Kneel down behind the ball and put another small object between the ball and target about 1‘ or 2’ from the ball.
Now with a putter in hand stand over the ball as if you are going to hit it, and move your head about until the intermediate target looks to be on the right line to hole the putt. This is where you should practice addressing the ball from. You can drop another ball from the bridge of your nose between your eyes if you can’t tell where your eyes are in relation to the ball.
The last one is the one that helped me most, I think it helps with people that over think things!
From when you are over the putt ready to hit ie you’ve addressed the ball and had a couple of looks at the hole, count from 1 to 5 in your head at a pace you need to figure out for yourself through trying it.
Once you’ve started don’t think about anything other than the sequence.
1. Look at the hole
2. Look at the ball
3. Backswing (it might feel like you’re not ready but go with it)
4. Hit the ball
5. Look up (important to not look up before the 5 count)
Sorry for the long post. I hope some of it might help someone.
D
Deleted member 23270
Guest
There are two lines on any shortish breaking putt. Dolly it with break or firm and straighter. Either way pace and line are of equal importance.
Barking_Mad
Well-known member
Buy a putting mat. Practice. Will vastly improve your putting from 8ft and in.
phillarrow
Well-known member
Just on this, I actually tried drawing a line on the ball for my round yesterday. I can see that it would help some people but I didn't like it at all. For some reason it just put me off if anything. I'd line it up from behind the putting line, but then when I'm stood over the ball I'm thinking it looks wrong, but I can't adjust the way I normally would. Really didn't like it.
Isn't this precisely why you should use a line?
I can't remember his name but there's a guy who does short game and putting coaching to some PGA players and he has talked about using techniques like this to work out how near or far you should stand to the ball.
IIRC the theory goes that you line the ball up exactly where you want it, and then adjust your distance from the ball until it looks right. This then gives you the correct stance for you, based on your natural visual bias? Or something like that?! ?
It's also the theory behind Phil Kenyon's T bar thingy, I think? Point it at the hole then take a stance where it looks like it's pointing at the hole and you've found your correct distance from the ball.
Orikoru
Tour Winner
I don't know, but maybe I'm weird - I usually find the line I think it is when I'm standing over the ball is more often correct than the line from behind the ball. Maybe because I'm left-eye dominant, or maybe I'm just blind. ? But with the line on the ball as well, I'm still trying to convince myself the line is right instead of just committing and hitting it in the general direction of the hole. Can't explain it any better really, it just put me off.Isn't this precisely why you should use a line?
I can't remember his name but there's a guy who does short game and putting coaching to some PGA players and he has talked about using techniques like this to work out how near or far you should stand to the ball.
IIRC the theory goes that you line the ball up exactly where you want it, and then adjust your distance from the ball until it looks right. This then gives you the correct stance for you, based on your natural visual bias? Or something like that?! ?
It's also the theory behind Phil Kenyon's T bar thingy, I think? Point it at the hole then take a stance where it looks like it's pointing at the hole and you've found your correct distance from the ball.
Not really. When you consider the trigonometry of, and impracticality of, aligning a 1.68" line precisely with whatever the intended line of putt is over many feet or yards, you realise how it is a complete waste of time, other than as a mental comfort like not using blue tees because you tend to him it out of bounds off them, or tapping the ground twice behind the ball on the tee or whatever.
D
Deleted member 29109
Guest
Have you ever made a positive contribution to a discussion on here? Or do you just find fault and pick holes in everything?
You don’t see value in it, don’t do it.
Have you got any words of advice to help the OP? After all you are the preeminent expert on everything not to do!
Crow
Crow Person
It was semi tongue-in-cheek, but I do think that each time I change putter it makes me concentrate harder on where the sweet spot is and finding it when I make the stroke and also ensuring I get the face square to the line.
Two key points for good putting.
What's your new putter?
Bratty
Princess Pouty (Queen of Fish Lips)
And mental comfort isn't a good thing why?
D
Deleted member 29109
Guest
I can only presume Backsticks has the mental fortitude of Tiger Woods and the ability to match ??
I did, in a previous post. Criticising one of the less helpful and just distracting gimmicks in putting, is also helpful advice.
Region3
Ryder Cup Winner
Are you saying it doesn’t work for you, or that the dozens of tour pros and thousands of elite amateurs that use it don’t know what they’re doing?
phillarrow
Well-known member
That's just a silly post.
Given that you often choose to ignore direct questions that prove the daftness of your posts, I'll do this one question at a time.
Using a line is only really recommended for short putts - those inside a few feet. Do you feel it's impossible to stand behind a ball with a line on and use the line to see that it is pointing in the right direction to a target 4/5 feet away?
HomerJSimpson
Hall of Famer
Not exactly renowned for his pace of play at the best of times. To be honest you should be getting a read within 10-15 seconds max which is what both Mark Sweeney (founder of Aimpoint) and Jamie Donaldson (European Chief Instructor) both say and recommend. Anything after that and you are into the realms of second guessing what you are feelingThe prosecution rests
