Putting help required!

[Canary_Yellow]

I had a nightmare with my putter on Sunday: 39 putts!

The problem is that I've lost all confidence in my ability to hole even the closest of putts. I played quite well in the 36 hole Autumn Meeting a couple of weeks ago with a nett +4 overall, but I didn't hole anything longer than my putter in either round.

Essentially, my nervousness about being left with anything more than a couple of feet has resulted in my lag putting getting worse - often leaving the ball short.

I think if I could build my confidence when it comes to holing out from 3 or 4 feet then my lag putting will also improve as I can go at it more confiedently.

Could anyone offer me any suggestions about putting technique to get the ball rolling where I'm aiming? I can't seem to find anything definitive on the web, is that because putting is a very personal thing?

Would it be worth having a putting lesson?

Also, if it is just a matter of practice, anyone know of any drills I can do at home in the evening in my living room? This time of year isn't great for putting practice as it's not too far off being dark when I get in from work so not easy to practice on a green other than before I go out to play at the weekend.

Thanks in advance.

 

[garyinderry]

buy yourself a putting mat. should be around 15quid in American golf. putt away till your hearts content! well worth it.

 

[guest100718]

Keep your head still. very still. very very still.

 

[Region3]

Keep your head still. very still. very very still.

A good way to do this is to leave a small gap between putter and ball, and concentrate on the grass inbetween.

My theory is that when you focus on the ball, your brain knows it is going to move and anticipates by following where it will go. When your head moves, your shoulders and hips have a tendency to follow.

Stare at the grass until you hear the ball go in.

 

[One Planer]

How often do you practice your putting in relation to the rest of your game?

 

[Foxholer]

A good way to do this is to leave a small gap between putter and ball, and concentrate on the grass inbetween.

My theory is that when you focus on the ball, your brain knows it is going to move and anticipates by following where it will go. When your head moves, your shoulders and hips have a tendency to follow.

Stare at the grass until you hear the ball go in.

My version of this is to ensure that I am looking at the grass immediately below where the ball was after the putt. During the putt I am concentrating on a particular dimple. And keeping head and hips still.

As for drills at home...the only one I think is really useful is with 4 tees placed upside down - ensuring the putter head travels on the correct path (straight for me, but arc for many/most) and between the 2 pairs of 'gates'. Start off without a ball and plenty of gap, then reduce gap and introduce ball.

Putting mats just don't reflect 'proper' greens - for me.

Of course, the proper way to develop confidence in the particular length (3-5 feet), is to practice that length - a lot! Note that there's definitely an argument for making sure that pre-round putting practice ends with a 'good feeling' so 18" ones that hit the bottom of the cup rather than tricky 5 footers that slip past. I don't actually focus on sinking putts during warm-up, but judging the pace and getting the ball rolling properly.

 

[Canary_Yellow]

Thanks everyone.

In answer to the "how much do I practice" question from Gareth, historically, not enough! What I've been doing lately though is putting in my living room, just trying to roll the ball over a 20p piece from a putter length away. I know that's not great practice for judging the speed of a green - but it does help to work out whether I am able to roll it where I want to or not.

I think my problem though, is that I don't know what I'm doing wrong or what the correct technique is, so when I practice in the living room I end up tweaking this and that but somewhat aimlessly really, so the long-term benefit is perhaps a bit limited. I did dust off my V-Easy yesterday though, maybe I'll stick with that - I find it a bit cumbersome to use as it falls out of position a bit too easily - but I do find I'm able to roll the ball more accurately when using it.

I'm not the kind of person that is scared of putting some practice time in, but if I don't know what I should be practicing, then I'm not sure how much value it adds.

 

[bobmac]

I see lots of people who are poor putters and the main reason is too much body/hip movement. The hips turn, the arms swing all over the place and the wrists give it a hit.
All of which causes massive inconsistency in line, length and contact.
Try this drill below...
Keep the pressure on both 'cheeks' against the chair/wall/sofa the same throughout the stroke, especially on the follow through. That will stop the hips moving and improve direction.

[video=youtube;vsTLHVK9DqY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsTLHVK9DqY&index=15&list=PL7Uf2W3sfvqYBJ3OUldKvQT7ZWYEmPOyW[/video]

 

[bobmac]

For distance control, try and keep the stroke the same speed for all putts, just vary the length of swing for different distances.

[video=youtube;GpSoNakV1to]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpSoNakV1to&index=14&list=PL7Uf2W3sfvqYBJ3OUldKvQT7ZWYEmPOyW[/video]

And if you are flicking your wrists I know a gadget which will easily fix that

 

[Canary_Yellow]

For distance control, try and keep the stroke the same speed for all putts, just vary the length of swing for different distances.

[video=youtube;GpSoNakV1to]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpSoNakV1to&index=14&list=PL7Uf2W3sfvqYBJ3OUldKvQT7ZWYEmPOyW[/video]

And if you are flicking your wrists I know a gadget which will easily fix that

Haha! Thanks Bob - I've got a V-Easy already and I find it helpful, but I don't feel like my issue is that I'm flicking my wrists. More just pushing or pulling the ball in the wrong direction due to some other incorrect motion!

Do you have any suggestions for something that would explain a fundamentally sound putting set-up position?

Also, does a V-Easy promote a square faced putting style? Or an arc? I have both a heel and toe putter and a face balanced putter, but I'm not sure which one suits my putting style best and switching between the two definitely doesn't help.

 

[bobmac]

The V-Easy promotes more of a sligjht arc as the upper arms and elbows are held into the body.
You might have an issue with your grip if you are pushing and pulling, assuming your aim is consistent

 

[the_coach]

would say that as we all have to stand to the side of the ball & given the way our arms are joined to the body the natural stroke will have to be an arc.

depends how far your stance puts you away from the ball has to the curvature of the arc, further away you are the more curve back & through the arc will have.

putting on a 'straight' back straight through means you have to manipulate that straight line, easier to do when the putt is a shorter one, but to do that on a long putt means the putter head has to go upwards a good distance on a back stroke then drop down on the ball - easy to pop the ball up this way so you don't get a good roll out.

shoulder alignment key to good accuracy, direction, shoulders just simply move the arm triangle while the hands just hold the putter & do nothing else.
key to feel the feet, knees, hips absolutely rock still imagine your lower half encased in concrete, head still, just the shoulders move the arm triangle so move the handle back & through.
think you have a coin under the ball & look to side which side of the imagined coin is looking at you after the putt.

hold the putter head in the finish position through the ball, helps promote a positive stroke through the ball - recoiling the putter head straight back after impact often leads to deceleration into impact as the person preempts the pull back.

 

[the_coach]

[video=youtube_share;s4C9gZ_Or3Y]http://youtu.be/s4C9gZ_Or3Y[/video]

 

[the_coach]

[video=youtube_share;1EHshPWZ_KU]http://youtu.be/1EHshPWZ_KU[/video]

 

[Canary_Yellow]

Thanks Bob and Coach.

That's all really helpful.

I now feel like I know what I need to practice. I think I will go with the heel and toe putter and practice with the V-Easy, while imagining the lower half of my body is encased in concrete!

Final question - Bob, you mention that it could be how I'm gripping the club. Could you (or anyone else) recommend a particular way of holding the putter? I see an awful lot of different methods knocking around.

 

[the_coach]

the key to a good 'hold' on the handle is both where the handle sits & the pressure. you want a hold that's secure enough so the head weight of the putter doesn't make the wrists flex but 'soft' enough to still feel the weight of the putter head & still keep your forearms soft not tense.
as you don't want any moving wrist hinge better in my opinion if the handle lies more vertical in the palms so more in line with the lifelines of both palms.

 

[the_coach]

[video=youtube_share;wBTT5PjOha8]http://youtu.be/wBTT5PjOha8[/video]

 

[the_coach]

[video=youtube_share;3kYNjoUqohc]http://youtu.be/3kYNjoUqohc[/video]

 

[the_coach]

couple of other things worth thinking over. the low point of the putting swing arc will be opposite the sternum, so it's a good place for the square putter blade to be at address the ball will be obviously then just in front of that position. putter head then will bottom out square at the sternum so impact will be nicely slightly on the up to get optimum roll.

the other thing folks don't oft times think over is the putter lie in relation to how the putter head sits on, or preferably hovered just above the ground. (less likely to snag it on first move)

if the toe of the putter is 'up' off the ground at address & through the stroke that blade will be coming through facing a degree or so left, so closed to the line of the putt. yes there have been lots of good putters who putt with the toe up but they've done so by having some compensation in either aim or stroke or both to be good that ways, if someone can already do that naturally well then all good, but if anyone having trouble thinking they always pull putts, look to ball position is it ahead of sternum, is the toe 'up' at address & through the stroke.

so if you're having a problem with aim & missing a good number of short putts, check the putter is lying as it was built to, without the toe up. also the opposite is true if the putter hangs when held heel 'up' the face will be a degree or so to the right of the aim line so open through the stroke.

 

[bobmac]

Final question - Bob, you mention that it could be how I'm gripping the club. Could you (or anyone else) recommend a particular way of holding the putter? I see an awful lot of different methods knocking around.

I was just going to say make sure your hands dont fight each other (one strong, one weak) as that can lead to pulls and pushes.
Keep them neutral and with light pressure