Long Putts

[TheClaw]

My long putting has been horrible lately. My swing is in a good place at the moment and I'm hitting a lot more greens but I've also been 3 putting more.

I'm quite good at putts where I can see the hole whilst I'm putting (inside 6 foot or so) but as soon as I'm any distance away I'm really poor.

Just wondering if anybody else finds it hard to aim at a target that you're not looking at and how/if you've tackled it.

 

[bobmac]

The longer the putt, the longer the backswing

 

[Imurg]

I'm quite good at putts where I can see the hole whilst I'm putting (inside 6 foot or so) but as soon as I'm any distance away I'm really poor.

Just wondering if anybody else finds it hard to aim at a target that you're not looking at and how/if you've tackled it.

Pick a blemish on the line you want to hit the ball on - if it's a long putt, don't pick a spot too far away.
Line up with that rather than the hole.

 

[Deleted member 15717]

Whatever you do, don't just "aim for a bin lid around the hole" always try and hole the putt, no matter how far away you are.

 

[LIG]

If your pace control is good then you could,

1. Select a line to start the putt and use the line on the ball to point in the direction you've chosen. After that, ignore the hole except for pace and putt along the line on the ball OR
2. See Imurg's explanation. Only thing I do is pick a blemish between 1 and 3 feet in front of the ball. OR
3. pick a "pin point" on the back of the ball that will start the ball on your selected line and make sure your putter comes through square and strikes that point.

I'm a rubbish putter so don't listen to me!



Edit: And wabinez is spot on - aim small, miss small.

 

[TheClaw]

Thanks for the replies. It's more the pace that I'm not getting right. I'm generally rolling the ball in the right direction.

It's annoying because I would say that I have good feel in most sports, but then I'm looking at the target...need to find a way to keep a feeling of the distance.

Cheers.

 

[CMAC]

Thanks for the replies. It's more the pace that I'm not getting right. I'm generally rolling the ball in the right direction.

It's annoying because I would say that I have good feel in most sports, but then I'm looking at the target...need to find a way to keep a feeling of the distance.

Cheers.

if you were rolling the ball from your hand ala bowling you would probably be close everytime- because your hitting it with a club it feels different but it shouldnt be any different a feel. Try a few hand rolls on the practice putting green to get your 'feel' back.

 

[Foxholer]

My long putting has been horrible lately. My swing is in a good place at the moment and I'm hitting a lot more greens but I've also been 3 putting more.

I'm quite good at putts where I can see the hole whilst I'm putting (inside 6 foot or so) but as soon as I'm any distance away I'm really poor.

Just wondering if anybody else finds it hard to aim at a target that you're not looking at and how/if you've tackled it.

I was taught not to look at the hole once I'd taken up my position to actually putt. Took a bit of getting used to on the long ones, but long putts are now a relative strength for me.

And I practice long putts too!

 

[ScienceBoy]

The biggest issue I had with longer putts was missing the middle of the face. Work on hitting the sweetspot when you take a longer stroke. Dont hit it harder is one tip like bob said!

Once you can find the middle of the face and get consistent roll you will find your putts end up pretty close most of the time.

 

[Slab]

if you were rolling the ball from your hand ala bowling you would probably be close everytime- because your hitting it with a club it feels different but it shouldnt be any different a feel. Try a few hand rolls on the practice putting green to get your 'feel' back.

Fully agree with this, if you hand rolled you'd be sinking loads of them and if adding a putter into your hand doesn't give you the same depth of feel, then that's what I'd work on...be one with the stick

Seriously though, it should almost be a part of you, when was the last time you both just sat on the couch and watched TV together? Spend some time together away from the greens...It'll never feel special to you if it just sits there with a dozen other sticks!









(sorry I'm on painkillers for some toothache so some of my posts might seem a bit strange today )

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Whatever you do, don't just "aim for a bin lid around the hole" always try and hole the putt, no matter how far away you are.

:thup:

Also, try not to think about how hard to hit it. Once you've picked the line and looked at the putt your brain has enough information so don't try to 2nd guess it. It sounds daft but you'll be surprised how good your pace is if you stop thinking about it

 

[TheClaw]

Thanks again. I'll get to the practice green later today.

 

[One Planer]

Pick a blemish on the line you want to hit the ball on - if it's a long putt, don't pick a spot too far away.
Line up with that rather than the hole.

I do this. Works a treat.

I would also add that the speed and power of the stroke should remain the same.

As Bob says, the swing gets longer, but that doesn't mean "hit" the ball harder.

 

[Foxholer]

Received this video today. http://www.revolutiongolf.com/home/video/2439233098001

Worth a try?

One of Rotella's drills too - though his was for specific, shorter, distances.

 

[deanobillquay]

Over the last 2 weeks i've started doing this method and my putting stats have come right down.

Its purely for longer putts:

When looking at the distance from the hole, I picture a grid in my head (say 1 to 5) which I tie in with the corresponding length back stroke of my putter (hard to explain I know). Each grid length is around 1 metre so you can go to quite long distances using this system.

So if I step up to a putt that is 4 metres away, I take my putter back to my imaginary 4 metre backstroke length and 9 times out of 10, I'm there or thereabouts.

Its similar to the grid you see if you play golf on the playstation, xbox etc. The key is dialing in your backstroke length to correspond with the grid you've pictured from the hole.

And after reading Rotella, try to care less about whether your putts go in, it really works!

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Over the last 2 weeks i've started doing this method and my putting stats have come right down.

Its purely for longer putts:

When looking at the distance from the hole, I picture a grid in my head (say 1 to 5) which I tie in with the corresponding length back stroke of my putter (hard to explain I know). Each grid length is around 1 metre so you can go to quite long distances using this system.

So if I step up to a putt that is 4 metres away, I take my putter back to my imaginary 4 metre backstroke length and 9 times out of 10, I'm there or thereabouts.

Its similar to the grid you see if you play golf on the playstation, xbox etc. The key is dialing in your backstroke length to correspond with the grid you've pictured from the hole.

And after reading Rotella, try to care less about whether your putts go in, it really works!

This is what I do, it works great :thup:

 

[TheJezster]

I was taught not to look at the hole once I'd taken up my position to actually putt. Took a bit of getting used to on the long ones, but long putts are now a relative strength for me.

And I practice long putts too!

Thats quite interesting, you were actually taught that? I've not had any putting lessons, but I tend to do this as a matter of course because it works for me too. Line it up, and I just look down at the ball, hit it, but leave my head there looking down. After a while I'll look up, obviously, but not until its well away.

 

[mcbroon]

I had a putting lesson last year because my long putting was awful. The pro taught me 3 critical things:

1 - practise putting without bothering with the hole. He got me putting across the green from one side to the other, trying to get the ball to rest in the fringe on the far side. This is great for getting a feel for the pace of the greens.

2 - practise putting while looking at the target. Using the same method as in 1 (i.e. just putting from side to side - no hole), hit the putts while looking at the fringe on the other side of the green.

3 - get a routine. When you're actually playing, stand behind the ball and make 3 practise swings while looking at the hole. Then address the ball, make sure you've got your line (and the tip about picking a point on the line to look at is a good one), take one look at the hole to get a picture of the distance in your mind's eye, and then play the shot with the same swing as your practise swings.

As others have said, it's not about 'hitting' the putt, it's about gauging how long a swing you have to make and then making that swing with the ball in the way.

My putting average has dropped by about 2.5 this year compared to last year and it's a result of implementing the above, and my h/c has come down in line with that. I'm also holing more long putts than I ever have (not loads, but any is an improvement on none).

 

[Region3]

I had a putting lesson last year because my long putting was awful. The pro taught me 3 critical things:

1 - practise putting without bothering with the hole. He got me putting across the green from one side to the other, trying to get the ball to rest in the fringe on the far side. This is great for getting a feel for the pace of the greens.

2 - practise putting while looking at the target. Using the same method as in 1 (i.e. just putting from side to side - no hole), hit the putts while looking at the fringe on the other side of the green.

3 - get a routine. When you're actually playing, stand behind the ball and make 3 practise swings while looking at the hole. Then address the ball, make sure you've got your line (and the tip about picking a point on the line to look at is a good one), take one look at the hole to get a picture of the distance in your mind's eye, and then play the shot with the same swing as your practise swings.

As others have said, it's not about 'hitting' the putt, it's about gauging how long a swing you have to make and then making that swing with the ball in the way.

My putting average has dropped by about 2.5 this year compared to last year and it's a result of implementing the above, and my h/c has come down in line with that. I'm also holing more long putts than I ever have (not loads, but any is an improvement on none).

All good stuff there.

As an addition to number 1, after you've hit the ball but before you look up, try to guess if you've hit it too soft, just right or too hard. It helps get a feel for distance very quickly.

 

[hovis]

This sounds crazy but trust me! Next time you on a course and faced with a long put try lining up your putt, take your stance and take your putt whilst looking at the hole. You will be amazed how close you get. I use this method in comps too. Give it a go