My putting is S*$%

[golf_bug]

Just come in from a round, shot 94 off 17 handicap. To be fair the wind was at times hurracaine-esque and the greens are not in the best condition. However, that is no excuse for me taking 39 putts. This is not uncommon - last week I hit 38 and 41 putts.
I have recently started keeping stats for my rounds and using a software package to analyse my game. It is quite clear that my putting is holding me back as all other aspects of my game would suggest that I should be playing off single figures. I am very very very frustrated.
Anyone got any pearls of wisdom to help me through this?

 

[Imurg]

Is there a general problem with the putting or is everything rubbish?
Pace or line or both?

 

[golf_bug]

Imurg
Everything could be better, but putting is a shambles.
My stats on Scoresaver 2 are:

Fairways Hit = 67% (equivelant to 4 hcp)
GIR = 34% (8 hcp)
Putts per round = 41 (28+ hcp!!!!)

You get the picture....

 

[Imurg]

So where do you miss your putts? Long, short, left or right or any/all of these?

 

[golf_bug]

At teh start of the round I will generally leave them short as I haven't got the run of the greens by that point. I don't tend to miss to a particular side of the hole, unless I have misread the green.
I feel that I shouldn't miss anything within 4 ft but there will be 3 or 4 occasions per round when I do. Maybe thats the problem....putting too much pressure on myself.

 

[Imurg]

Apparently, even the Tour Pro only sinks 50% from 6 feet - sure I read that somewhere. So for us, from 4 feet you're going to miss a few.
If the rest of your game is fairly sound then it seems you need practice, practice and more practice - and maybe evn some lessons thrown in there too.

I had a few years break from the game and when I came back my chipping and putting were awful. I took a dozen balls up to one of the greens and spent 2 hours chipping and putting - moving aside when groups came through - just to try and groove a stroke. It worked as I won the Medal 3 weeks later.

 

[bobmac]

I dont think you would survive very long on tour if you only sunk 50% of 6 footers.
Last week for example Retief Goosen sunk 62 out of 64 putts from within 10 feet and all 55 from inside 5 feet.
I would say you're right, your putting is holding you back.
Practice is the way forward, but what to practice?

 

[golf_bug]

yes Bob, what to practise?!
I guess mireading greens is my biggest foe, maybe because I feel rushed into taking the putt and don't feel I can pace up and down the green trying to work out how much break there is. I would be happy to lag puts up within 3 ft and then give myself a chance.
Maybe I need a lesson from Mr Goosen!

 

[Leftie]

Imurg


Fairways Hit = 67% (equivelant to 4 hcp)
GIR = 34% (8 hcp)
Putts per round = 41 (28+ hcp!!!!)

You have to be careful when looking at the stats. GIR is fine if you get close to the pin. As an example, the more GIR I have, the more putts I have. It could be that when you hit a GIR you are maybe in 3 putt (or more) territory whereas if you miss the green a chip can often be close enough for a single putt.

Good stats though apart from the putting.

 

[golf_bug]

[/QUOTE]

You have to be careful when looking at the stats. GIR is fine if you get close to the pin. As an example, the more GIR I have, the more putts I have. It could be that when you hit a GIR you are maybe in 3 putt (or more) territory whereas if you miss the green a chip can often be close enough for a single putt.

Good stats though apart from the putting.

[/QUOTE]

I hear what you are saying but most of my GIR hit are usually in 2 putt territory, i.e. within 10 to 15 feet. There is no excuse for it - I am a bad putter! Not sure whether a new one might give me more confidence? Probably not, but it might make me feel better

 

[Canfordhacker]

I had one half hour lesson on putting and what a difference. The pro threw three balls down at 8 feet and asked me to hit them. I hit two and he stopped me and said "Right, we can fix that no problem" and he did. It made a huge difference. IMO, you don't need a new putter.

Good luck!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I think if you are struggling with the pace of the greens early on the best thing you can do is get to the club a bit earlier and get on the practice green. Hopefully it should bear some resemblance to the greens on the course and so it will help you get a feel for the speed at that time (dewy in the mornings etc).

I use this http://www.eyelinegolf.com/Putting_Plane_Alignment_System_p/ppas-b.htm which has helped me enormously in grooving my stroke especially on the short ones and makes sure I am close to the ball, eyes over it correctly and with my shoulders quare. The rails really help you take it back properly.

 

[SS2]

g_b,

You'll need to get a few more rounds recorded before you can an accurate picture of your golf but certainly your FIR and GIR stats are pretty good and your putts are pretty bad. Imurg has made a good point re checking how close to the pin your GIRs were on average and it does look like your putting needs some work.

Professional help is the way to go. My putting is usually pretty solid but when it goes off my golden things to remember are:

1. Get the ball rolling, do not decelerate through the ball

2. Keep looking at where the ball was after you have hit the putt.

gl

Andy.

 

[RGDave]

golf-bug....how long have you been playing?

How much time do you spend on putting practice?

I ask these things because when I was coming down fast from my start at 24 h'cap, my putting was the slowest thing to improve.

I also felt that it wasn't until I had a reliable stroke (that I'd stopped tinkering with) that I could practice in a meaningful way.

I still pop down the club JUST to putt for an hour or two and my opinion is that unless you have natural talent, it's one of the areas of golf you really have to put in the hours to see improvement.

Good putters can play with any old stick, I have a selection of putters to match the speed of greens and time of year.....swapping from a forgiving mallet (winter, slow) to a classic blade (summer, fast) seems to stop the 3 putts (more or less) and once I'm confident of making 2 putts, I think more about holing from distance.

 

[golf_bug]

RGDave
I don't practise my putting as much as I should, and that Is something I intend to change this summer.
Been playing about 1 year.

 

[golf_bug]

Here is a video of a putt from today. Pretty happy with this effort, and I also drained a 20 footer. But I 4-putted on 2 occasions and 3-putted several times. Grrrr

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NfMRlwjAvk

 

[HomerJSimpson]

One thing that seems obvious to me is that your eyes aren't directly over the ball and that you seem to take the putter way inside on the backswing.

If you stand with your eyes directly over the ball it will help align your shoulders more squarely at address and will help you to rock as you swing which will get the putter face going back and through the line better.

 

[golf_bug]

One thing that seems obvious to me is that your eyes aren't directly over the ball and that you seem to take the putter way inside on the backswing.

If you stand with your eyes directly over the ball it will help align your shoulders more squarely at address and will help you to rock as you swing which will get the putter face going back and through the line better.

You're right! looking at it again my eyes are well behind the ball. But when I set up I feel that they are over it. Thanks for pointing this out Homer, something to work on.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Have a look at the training device in my original post. I know AG do them and I'm sure you can find it (probably cheaper) on the web. It really has made a difference to my putting. Its funny how when I go back to use it and think I'm addressing it well on the course how my eyeline has moved away or my shoulders have opened. I use it regularly and use the rails to groove my short putting at home although I tend to take them off on the green at my club and use tees as guides.

 

[nomadpaul]

The only thing i noticed there G_B was that your head came up very fast to see where the ball is going. Try making the decision on your putt - i.e direction , pace and when making the stroke , just keep looking down at the spot where the ball was. You're never going to lose a ball on the green so once you've struck the ball , there's no need to really follow it straight away with your eyes.

On the practice green , i often make loads of putts from 4 - 6 ft just listening for the ball to drop without lifting my head at all.