Putting Hell

[Spoff]

Morning all,

I played a short nine hole course on Monday, a par 35. I play off 28 shot 51.

If I could putt it would have been low 40s.

Tee to green was the best I have ever played but once I got to the green it was three and four putts.

I've never had a putting lesson which I am sure is the start of the answer here.

In my mind I'm not sure how a putting lesson would help, what is covered during such a lesson. Once your grip is good surely it is just practice?

 

[JustOne]

for the sake of £20 it might just be worthwhile.

Then your pro can give you some drills to practice if you seriously want to improve.

 

[muttleee]

What's the problem? Missing left, missing right? Leaving them short or blasting them past the hole?

There are various other things to think about than just your grip. Swing path is one I always concentrate on. If you're not concentrating, it's easy to wave your putter at the ball and see it take off in the wrong direction. Putts like that never even have a chance of going in.

 

[Spoff]

Usually the ball is too short, then after three or four holes of doing this I get that frustrated and and send one a mile past and then end up being even shorter after that!!!

I'm using a spider putter, which is superb for alignment and the weighting of the club means it is very hard to go off swing path.

90% off the time the ball goes in the direction I am aiming, just not far enough.

I'm also useless at reading greens, so although the ball goes the direction I aim, it is not always at the hole!!!

 

[bobmac]

I'm also useless at reading greens, so although the ball goes the direction I aim, it is not always at the hole!!!

Specsavers?
Seriously, there is alot more to putting than how to hold it and lots of practice.
The length of swing,
The width of stance
Length of putter
Lower body movement (nil)
Wrist movement (nil)
Shoulders turn or tilt?
Ball position
Alignment
Length of putter
Loft and lie of putter
Mallet, belly, broom handle or blade?
Left hand low, claw, reverse overlap, lifeline?
Speed and grain of greens


and practice
Have a lesson and see

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I had a lesson at the start of the season including a video of my original putting style. What a XXX horror in terms on alignment, excessive body and wrist movement. An hour later I was rolling them in with ease from all over and the new grip in particular was feeling very natural and much more neutral. I had room to swing through the line and my head was much better positioned.

I think if you want to get better, you need to focus more on the short stick and less bashing the big dog. Short game work has done the trick for me this year and I'm spending 65% of my time on putting, pitching from <100yards and chipping and the remainder on bashing balls.

 

[EaseNgrace]

I have to agree, I do a lot of "bashing the big dog", it never does much to help my golf Except maybe strengthening my grip.

 

[Herbie]

Usually the ball is too short, then after three or four holes of doing this I get that frustrated and and send one a mile past and then end up being even shorter after that!!!

I'm using a spider putter, which is superb for alignment and the weighting of the club means it is very hard to go off swing path.

90% off the time the ball goes in the direction I am aiming, just not far enough.

I'm also useless at reading greens, so although the ball goes the direction I aim, it is not always at the hole!!!

First point....getting frustrated with it wont help at all, not a bit, nada!
Second point....How do you know your putter is superb for you when you often 3 or 4 putt?(you could achieve that rate with a piece of 4x2
Third point....Not far enough is not brilliant but is not always a bad thing fi you leave little else to do with your next, its only a big issue if its a big distance and/or miles off line.
Fourth point...Reading??? If you are not absolutely certain of the read/break/pace, always aim directly at the hole and concentrate on pace.

Now go see a pro, spend a few quid and get on with it, most of my putting woes have almost always been my own fault on mental side or a swing fault, after all it is simple in my view. The right putter for you needs to be the right length,angel of head and weight for your best results perhaps, but everything else is in the swing and mental side, you should be able to avoid regular 3 or 4 putts with any old putter (not saying they wont happen, but not regular) see a pro.

 

[thecraw]

Just do what I used to do (as a junior!), launch the putter 50 feet away. For maximum distance and trajectory I recommend the helicopter throw!

It doesnt help but, boy does it get rid of your frustration.

Hope this helps!

 

[Herbie]

angel of head???????????lol...doh! ANGLE

 

[Parmo]

I thought putting was personal and couldnt be taught as we each have our own style?

 

[bobmac]

Each person may have their own style, but you watch the best putters in the world, they all have a similar stroke.
For instance, take a look at the picture below of Harrington. Notice how the forearm and putter shaft are in a straight line. Is yours?

 

[justhitthething]

Most important thing about putting is confidence. You believe you cant put, therefore you cant. You consistantly leave the ball short because you are scared of going too far past and missing the put back.
IMO the most important put is the 2nd put 4 footer. If you believe you will can most of those, your first put will be more positive and you will hole more.
Good technique is one lesson away, good putting is hours of practicing from inside 6 foot.

 

[Doh]

You must before going out get on the practice green and spend as least 10 mins putting. first thing i practice is getting the distance right with both long and short putts.

If you can get your distance right your never going to be far out.

 

[Spoff]

Second point....How do you know your putter is superb for you when you often 3 or 4 putt?(you could achieve that rate with a piece of 4x2

It is the alignment that is brilliant.

The majority of the time the ball heads off in the direction I was aiming, which usually isn't in the right direction if I've read the gree wrong

 

[viscount17]

You must before going out get on the practice green and spend as least 10 mins putting. first thing i practice is getting the distance right with both long and short putts.

If you can get your distance right your never going to be far out.

I'm brilliant on the practice green before going out! 10, 15, 20 ft one putts - I'm your man.

Get out on the course - get somebody else. I'll be short, long, short, long until about the 8th!

 

[Spoff]

You must before going out get on the practice green and spend as least 10 mins putting. first thing i practice is getting the distance right with both long and short putts.

If you can get your distance right your never going to be far out.

I'm brilliant on the practice green before going out! 10, 15, 20 ft one putts - I'm your man.

Get out on the course - get somebody else. I'll be short, long, short, long until about the 8th!

When possible I get on the practice green too, and was really happy.

Onto the first a decent tee shot, approach over the back, chip and run to a few foot and knocked in for par.

2nd I had a par putt from 30', then a bogie putt from 15' then the third from 5' and a fourth finally dropped from inches

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I know there is talk of getting inside the dustbin lid from longer range, which if you are struggling may at least give you a mental to picture although to be fair it doesn't tell your brain to get the thing in the hole.

My advice is to get a lesson and then work on it from there. Go out now while the practice greens are still relatively quick so you get use to putting on normal greens (winter greens having more grass and wetter are slower and usually easier to putt on). Try where you can to aim at a point about 6 inches past the hole to encourage you to get the ball up there

 

[SandyBalls]

I have not read every string of this post but I had one putting lesson and can honestly say I now only three putt on average of once in every three rounds. What I was taught was invaluable.

Predominantly its all about keeping everything as still as possible. Especially that head. Its so easy to want to follow the ball to the hole. Don't! Ever! Take a look at Tiger. If he is holing out from inside 6 feet he won't see the ball drop. He is still looking at the ground!

Another piece of valuable advice that I was taught. TRUST THE LINE YOU PICK. If you know the ball is going to break one way or another then send it on that line and don't try and steer it to the hole. Let that break do the work. And if anything send it high rather than low. If its missing low what chance has it got of dropping? None.

Good luck

 

[Region3]

Predominantly its all about keeping everything as still as possible. Especially that head. Its so easy to want to follow the ball to the hole. Don't! Ever!

I used to do this but I read a tip somewhere which cured me.

Instead of adressing right behind the ball and focussing on the ball (so when it moves you want to follow it) I now leave a 10mm or so gap and focus on the grass between ball and putter.
When the ball's gone I'm still focussing on the grass