Leaving it short

[richy]

Hi,

Has anyone got any good advice for me. Ive started to leave every putt short and now its playing on my mind its getting worse .

I know its easy to say lengthen your backswing or hit it harder but whenever I do I knock it even further past the opposite way. Any drills or tips on distance control would be a start I think.

Please help if you can as its messing up my scores and getting me down

 

[sev112]

(try) and think/look as if the hole is 12 inches further away than it is and putt to reach that hole

 

[tonecapone]

I suffered from this a while ago so onto the practice green no round of golf just an hour or so putting.Didnt put to the hole all the time but tried to putt to the edge of the putting green from a different distance,placed 3 or 4 tees in the green then without a hole to putt to i just putted to the fringe it worked for me might be worth a try also invest in one of Dr BobMacs (bobmac) V Easys it does what it says on the Tin or is it the box

 

[RGDave]

"Use the force, Richy"

I gave up deciding whether to hit putts harder/softer/longer stroke/more/less and all rest ages ago.

If you were rolling the ball with your hand, you'd get a feel for it and go for it. I left 75% of mine short the other day. The greens were slow and my radar was well out. Was it me or the greens?....a bit of both really, I could've hit them harder after the first few "tester" holes, but then what when they are fast again? I just do it on feel....and try (and sometimes fail) to get it into my brain without relying on changing what essentially works for me week in week out.

 

[RGDave]

Oh, and if all else fails, go out and play with a mate and agree to pay each other 50p every time the ball fails to reach the hole.
It's a great challenge, I can't remember taking more putts overall by doing this, I've just had to make some huge ones coming back!! Better to be positive and a little aggressive.

 

[DingleBerry]

When u putt u should backswing and forward swing that equals each other not take it back more and then have no follow thru!! My advice is swing the same distance back and thru and always go for back of hole

 

[Lindyhop67]

Hi Richy.

I'll let you know what I get my clients to do on the practice green.

Give yourself, say, 20 balls and play this game. You're going to hit the balls at your chosen hole. If it goes in you get 2 points, if it goes past by a foot or less you get 1 point, if it goes past by more...zero. But, if you're short, then minus one point. Before you play this game, set yourself a target of points and see if you can beat it.
On the course, I suggest that you imagine that it is not the hole you are aiming at but a point one foot further on the line of your putt. Think to yourself that the hole is just getting in the way of your line.

And lastly, and this may sound bonkers but, practice putting with your eyes closed. Address the ball first and then close your eyes just before you swing and keep them closed until after you imagine the ball has stopped. Before you look up, guess whether you think the ball was short, long, just right, left or right. This exercise really helps you 'feel' the putt.

Try these tips and you'll be a confident putter in a jiffy.

Good luck.

 

[viscount17]

you do have the current GM don't you? of course you do.
there are some putting tips in there from the pro at my gaff, must be something in there for you.

 

[JustOne]

Has anyone got any good advice for me. Ive started to leave every putt short and now its playing on my mind its getting worse .

Take more club!... or spend some time on the practice putting green to get a feel for the pace.

 

[birdieman]

Try a Fisher putter, they are heavier than normal, might be just what you need to roll the ball further with the same swing.

 

[RGDave]

Try a Fisher putter, they are heavier than normal, might be just what you need to roll the ball further with the same swing.

Fascinating. I bought a Fisher putter to use when the greens get fast. Sadly, this hasn't happened yet so it's still mallet time for RG. I don't find it heavy, it actually feels even lighter than my old Odyssey and Ping putters.

 

[richy]

Thanks for all the advice, I'll give it a try over the bank holiday. Looking forward to it now

 

[pheel88]

I was at my chiropractors last week and was reading GM from about 2008 and they had a drill in there where you put a pencil 6" short of the hole and apparently it teaches you to hit them more confidently/harder. The theory is you have to get it over the pencil to get it in the hole, I've never attempted it but if lindyhop's drills don't do the trick it might be worth a punt.

Good Luck