Putting Clinic. Bob, Anyone?

[Spoff]

My inability to putt has been well documented on these pages and I have finally got round to arranging a putting lesson, but there is a knock after work today that will consist of my usual under hit putt, under hit putt, under hit putt, waaaaaay over hit putt, and an even more under hit putt.

What quick tips have worked for you and I will try and take them on board for tonight and feed back after the round.

 

[freddielong]

Relax dont strangle the putter and trust yourself to hit it the right distance.

 

[Region3]

As Bob Rotella says....

Look at the hole, look at the ball, hit the putt.

As freddie says, don't think about it for too long and trust yourself to hit the right distance.

I was amazed how well it worked when I tried it for the first time.

 

[JustOne]

For anything over 6 feet... pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, pace, ... line.

 

[Spoff]

I *think* the problem is that now I do think too much about putting.

I'm pretty sure I was a lot better on the greens when I started three years ago. Back then I was worried if I would even hit the ball and reach the green so putting was a relief.

Now I'm getting the the green in a reasonable number of shots I'm now putting pressure on myself to get down in two or three.

 

[USER1999]

Have you tried putting just looking at the hole? This is a good exercise for getting a bit of feel. Don't look at the ball, look at the hole.

 

[Spoff]

Have you tried putting just looking at the hole? This is a good exercise for getting a bit of feel. Don't look at the ball, look at the hole.

I have, but not for ages. Had forgotten this one.

 

[Happy_Gilmore]

maybe not something for your lesson but I recently got a 2 thumb grip fitted to my putter as I've struggled over the last few years with pace on the green. Now, I've only had it out for 2 rounds so far but the results have been more than acceptable.

Worth the 15 quid to try it....

 

[Spoff]

I do wonder if my putter isn't heavy enough, at the lesson I'll be open to any suggestions, and will ask the pro his opinion on two thumb grips.

 

[FourPutt]

It might be the case if you're consistently underhitting, then swinging the putter at the ball rather than stroking, resulting in a massive bobbly overhit mess.

I struggled with my first putter as it was too light and had a 35" shaft. Changed to 34" and a Rossie style putter with a heavy head and my putt pace improved dramatically.

 

[slugger]

i had a putting lesson last year and it worked wonders. putting is still pretty good - shame my driving has gone off!

if you're getting lesson, i'd say just ignore anything you read here as it may just confuse you when you go for a game after your lesson.

having said that, for what it's worth, mine was a simple fix. keep looking at where the ball "was" after you've hit the putt. This stops you lifting your left shoulder after hitting the shot and pulling the ball left.

 

[19th]

Having said that, for what it's worth, mine was a simple fix. keep looking at where the ball "was" after you've hit the putt.

This stops you lifting your left shoulder after hitting the shot and pulling the ball left.

I agree 100% with the top point but I have a problem accepting the lower one.

If you are using your body/torso and not your hands, to putt, you must drop your left shoulder on the way back and lift it on the way through to allow your right shoulder to follow the ball path.

Is my understanding incorrect?

 

[CannyFifer]

for what my experience is worth always swing back the same as the follow through and dont "hit" the ball, nice and even. also dont look at the hole untill the ball is away.

 

[bobmac]

I guess I'm too late as you've probably gone.
If you're underhitting, I would say your backswing is too short. You try and stroke it but it doesnt reach and eventually, you give it a hit with your right hand and away it goes.
If your short putts are ok, that would be because your short backswing suits the short putts.
I suggest you experiment with different length backswings but keep the same tempo through the stroke, no jerky movements

OR......

You have a long backswing and you are decelerating into the ball

 

[NickSwan]

One good thing I got taught in a lesson was to think of putts in shirt sizes.

Before playing get onto the practice green with 3 balls.
Hit the first ball taking a small putting stroke, watch how far it rolls out.
Hit the second ball taking a medium putting stroke, again watching how far it rolls out.
Hit the third ball taking a large putting stroke, again seeing how far it goes.

You don't need to aim at a hole to do this. Quite often you will find that the distance between the balls of the small -> medium stroke, and the medium -> large stroke are actually the same. Do the drill a few times before heading out on the course.

Once you have your sizes calibrated for the day (and green speed), you can look at a putt and say to yourself "That's a medium putting stroke", and go and hit it as so. Obviously you need to adjust for uphill/downhill - but I have found it works really well for me. For longer putts you may need to go up to XXXL putting strokes!

Hope this helps!
Nick

 

[viscount17]

go on the practice green before you start. ignore the holes.
do some timing putts, making sure backswing = 'foreswing', and the time to make the backswing = the time for your foreswing (since that is double the length of the backswing you cannot decellerate)
do this for a couple of different length swings so you can see how far the ball will run for each.
then go play

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Check the basics like head position etc and make sure you aren't using any lower body at all. Some will say don't break the wrists as it is inconsistant and putt down the line. However there have been a lot of successful wristy putters and plenty that have gone in, square and in. It might be you are trying to putt in a way that doesn't suit.

If all else fails and you want to keep it simple (and at the risk of brown nosing) the V-Easy really does work and keeps everything compact and working together and I often go back to it when I feel the right hand getting to dominant and the left wrist collapsing.

See what the pro says and work on any tips he gives you. A lot of it comes down to boring old repetition and developing a feel for the pace of your greens and learning to read the putts and sadly these can't really be shortcut

 

[HawkeyeMS]

The Bob Rotella method works for me, don't think about the pace. Assess the putt, uphill, downhill etc. Take a couple of looks at the hole and as you look back at the ball a 2nd time, let it go but without trying to hit it the right distance. Your body will know what to do.

Whatever you do remember that there are a lot of reasons out of your control that will stop a putt going in. If you miss you miss, as long as you've made a good swing and putted with a clear mind there's nothing else you can do. On the days the drop you'll probably score well, on the days you don't you probably won't. But on the days you don't make the putts, forget about it, don't try harder next time, just accept it. Putting is one of golf's frustrations and you won't get any better by trying harder and you can't make the ball drop.

Rotella isn't for everyone but I'd recommend reading 'putting out of your mind' and see if it works for you.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Oh, and keep your arms connected to your chest to make sure your arms aren't taking over, there's been a lot of talk about Rose doing this and it's something I've been doing for a while. You'll never be a conistent putter if you only use your arms, the big muscles will take over and you can't control these when your tense or nervous.

 

[AliB]

Still recovering from my own putting nightmare but agre with most of those points. Have improved short putts (and got rid of y**s)by thinking about keeping arms close to body and rocking shoulders to start the stroke. On these not looking at hole is key.
Longer putts less of a problem but try to have stroke (two back three forward) rather than a hit. Agree pace should be judged by instinct, but occasionally pace out a long one just to have a feel for how much ground has to be covered.

Hope you tell us how the lesson went
AliB