Missing short putts..

[jennifermcm]

Hi guys,

I'm playing really well at the moment, thanks to regular coaching and daily practice. My putting, which can be fab on some days, tended to be inconsistent, so my most recent coaching session was on putting. That's helped a lot with long putts, and I'm getting good consistency with those shots now.

However when it comes to puting the ball in the hole, I'm missing the short ones. By short I mean 3 foot to 6 inches. How can I miss a 6 inch putt!! It baffles me

My routine for the short ones is the same as the long ones - check the break, figure if it's left or right of centre or whatever, pick a small target at the back of the hole, set up, pull the trigger. Then the ball either goes left or right of the hole.

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. I know there won't be much break over that short a distance, so my aim is usually centre, or a little off that. So I guess I'm pushing or pulling the shot, maybe because I'm moving my eyes off the ball...

Any advice is much appreciated...thanks in advance!

Jennifer

 

[bobmac]

Hi Jennifer.
If you're missing from that close, it will either be the path of your putter is off line or the putter face isn't pointing on line.
Without seeing you putt, I can only guess but my guess would be either
Your hips are turning
Or
Your backswing is too long.

Try this.
Set up to hit a 3 feet putt but place a second ball behind the first one about 6-8in. That will encourage a shorter backswing

 

[jennifermcm]

Hi Bobmac,

I'll try that this morning, teeing off at 8 but I'll be on the practice green at 7:30...I'll let you know how I get on.

It could be the putter face alright - I picked up a new putter after my last lesson - the pro showed me where there was actually a slight twist in my cheapy old putter. Now using a Ping with a lovely grip and insert, and it feels good, but I'm finding it harder to aim.

Is it possible that my body alignment could be wrong also?

Thanks,
Jennifer

 

[bobmac]

Notice how the backswing starts off short but gets longer as the length of putt gets longer?

[video=youtube;GpSoNakV1to]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpSoNakV1to[/video]

 

[bobmac]

Is it possible that my body alignment could be wrong also?

It could well be as that would affect the swing path.
Have you been shown how to aim?

 

[jennifermcm]

Yep, got it! I'll let you know how I do

 

[Smiffy]

However when it comes to puting the ball in the hole, I'm missing the short ones. By short I mean 3 foot to 6 inches. How can I miss a 6 inch putt!!

I missed a 4" putt on the 1st at Woodhall Spa last year.
And the year before I missed a 2" putt (it could have actually been closer) at Forest Pines!!!!!
:whoo::whoo:

 

[bobmac]

I missed a 4" putt on the 1st at Woodhall Spa last year.
And the year before I missed a 2" putt (it could have actually been closer) at Forest Pines!!!!!
:whoo::whoo:

Were you putting using the force?

 

[Smiffy]

Were you putting using the force?

The Forest Pines 2" was down to me Bob. Just went to tap it in and hit the bloody ground behind the ball.
The 4" at Woodhall Spa? That was down to somebody else mate. Bloody Northerners!
:angry:

 

[jennifermcm]

I've done that, a 2 inch putt for birdie on a par 5. Strong winds that day, and I got blown over by a gust of wind as I struck the ball. My tap-in turned into a long putt back for par after I jabbed the ball 5 feet past the hole. Missed the par putt in another sudden gust and just made the bogey!

 

[Piece]

Another point with short putts, deceleration becomes a factor. As you pull the club back, sometimes you can feel that you may have gone to far and then try to adjust the speed back through the ball, leading to inconsistencies.

 

[Slime]

Sorry for jumping on your thread jennifermcm, please forgive me.

It could well be as that would affect the swing path.
Have you been shown how to aim?

Enlighten me please bobmac.

I have a tendancy to miss short putts to the left of the hole, but I'm not aware of pulling my putts. This makes me suspect my alignment but I've never been shown how to check it!

Slime.

 

[SocketRocket]

I like to feel the club swinging all the way to the hole on short putts. I think jabby putts at short distance create these problems.

 

[jennifermcm]

Thanks for all the great advice guys. Have I been shown how to aim is a good question. The answer is "no!". Mostly I putt by instinct, and my instinct is usually good, I pick the line, pick a target closer to me as intermediate and align on that. But with my new putter and the new stroke I've been given, it feels like my body and feet aren't setting up parallel to the ball to target line, and the more I try to adjust, the worse it feels.

SocketRocket, great tip, you're so right! When I follow through all the way to the hole I hardly ever miss the short ones.

Piece, I agree, if I don't do what SocketRoket suggests then I tend to decelerate.

My round yesterday was terrible, playing with two guys in a three ball and two really good players behind us, so we were under time pressure on the front 9. At the 6th I suggested that we let the faster group through, but my guys wanted to play on and keep ahead of them. Felt so rushed on every shot, had no time for a practice swing, and got annoyed at this lack of etiquette on the part of my partners. Every shot felt rushed. I like to play fast, but I'm not up for a sprint over 18 holes!

Anyway, my putting was better thanks to BobMac's advice. Missed two really short ones, had one 3 putt and one 4 putt (oh for shame!!!!), but other than that it was two putts all the way around. 39 putts for 18 holes is still very high, so I've a lot of work to do on that!

Something I've started to do with my new putter and stroke is hit the ground before the ball. That caused my 4 putt. Can't imagine why, other than moving my eyes off the ball before impact.

 

[bobmac]

Something I've started to do with my new putter and stroke

What did your pro change on your last lesson?

 

[NWJocko]

Sorry for jumping on your thread jennifermcm, please forgive me.



Enlighten me please bobmac.

I have a tendancy to miss short putts to the left of the hole, but I'm not aware of pulling my putts. This makes me suspect my alignment but I've never been shown how to check it!

Slime.

Slime, apologies as I'm not bobmac firstly....

This was my issue. The pro had a quick look at Saturday after my round and my shoulders were open to the target line of the putt (and my feet), pointing left.

This meant that if I swung back and through hitting the ball square it went left.

He stood behind the line of the putt, put a stick down on my aim line for the putt then put another across my shoulders. Kept the stick from my shoulders there and got me to look at how far left I was aligned.

One of your mates or the wife (!?) could do this in 2 seconds using club shafts.

I can't overestimate the difference changing something so simple made.

 

[Slime]

Slime, apologies as I'm not bobmac firstly....

This was my issue. The pro had a quick look at Saturday after my round and my shoulders were open to the target line of the putt (and my feet), pointing left.

This meant that if I swung back and through hitting the ball square it went left.

He stood behind the line of the putt, put a stick down on my aim line for the putt then put another across my shoulders. Kept the stick from my shoulders there and got me to look at how far left I was aligned.

One of your mates or the wife (!?) could do this in 2 seconds using club shafts.

I can't overestimate the difference changing something so simple made.

Thanks NWJocko, going to give that a look for sure.
I appreciate your help,

Slime.

 

[bobmac]

Sorry Slime, missed your question. What he said ^^^