Putting is holding me back.....grrrrr

[Smiffy]

I'm suffering with my putting at the moment, usually been fairly consistent with the old flat stick but I am plagued by 3 putts and it's really getting me down.
Played last night after work, had 3x3 putts within the first 4 holes. Steadied the ship a little on the next 6 holes and came off the 9th with 18 points. Birdied the 10th and really wanted to knuckle down, didn't play the back 9 too badly, despite not hittinng my irons as well as I know I can. Driving really well at the moment, it's the strength of my game to be honest. Hardly missed a fairway all night. Got to the 17th (par 5) in regulation, putting from 8 feet for a birdie and 4 points, walked off with 2! Another bloody 3 putt. I was livid with myself, but managed to stay calm enough to par the last. Added up my score at the end and still managed 38 points!! How can I be scoring so well, yet be putting like a drain? I had no "flukey" chip ins to save my score so it's not like it was flattered at all. My putting is holding my handicap back...
I've got a YES Tracy putter sitting in the cupboard under the stairs that I haven't even used yet. I'm tempted to take it out with me on Thursday to see if I can get some confidence back on the greens. It's a bloody mental thing now and it's really getting to me.

 

[Macster]

Smiffy: Obviously I have no idea about 'how' you putt, but here's my 2p's worth.
I average about 33putts/round this year, with my lowest being 28, albeit I chipped very very well that day.

Create a stable platform - feet nicely spread, weight equal on both.
Make sure you stand with your eye directly over the ball, and I make sure I stand tall enough so that when I grip the putter, it 'hangs' comfortably just a smidge off the grass, or touching it, and essentially becomes a 'pendulum' as an extension of my arms/hands.
Then its just a matter of stroking the ball with absolutely no other movement other than the gentle pendulum swing of your arms /putter.
Take it back, release it thru.....all about 'feel'.

*Simples* Hope it helps.

 

[Handycap]

Are your putts generally short or long, or are you unable to read the green but ok for length?
Is there, in general, a common theme to your three putting at the moment?

I got a great tip from the pro while watching my daughter having a lesson on holiday last year at St Enodoc GC, Cornwall. I won't say anything yet because it may be the wrong advice depending on the above.

 

[Smiffy]

I've always been a fairly consistent putter Chris, not brilliant but could hold my own and if I was playing well always fancied my chances on the green. But at the moment I am really struggling. I stand over the ball and just feel I want to get it all over with as quickly as possible and get out of the "scene of the crime" before I've even had one stroke at it. I'm either leaving everything 3 feet short, or tanking the bloody thing 3 feet past, and it's the little 3 footers that I am missing. I used to gobble those up. At the moment, I'd rather be faced with a 25 footer than a 3 footer.....

 

[Smiffy]

Are your putts generally short or long, or are you unable to read the green but ok for length?
Is there, in general, a common theme to your three putting at the moment?

I don't have a problem reading the greens, I am pretty good at that (although I say so myself)...
It's the length. I'm not leaving myself the little "tap ins" I used to. As I say above, I will leave one 3 feet short, but on the next green, in my efforts not to repeat it will tank it 3 feet past. And it's the 3 footers I'm missing with alarming regularity.
Rob

 

[Handycap]

I've always been a fairly consistent putter Chris, not brilliant but could hold my own and if I was playing well always fancied my chances on the green. But at the moment I am really struggling. I stand over the ball and just feel I want to get it all over with as quickly as possible and get out of the "scene of the crime" before I've even had one stroke at it. I'm either leaving everything 3 feet short, or tanking the bloody thing 3 feet past, and it's the little 3 footers that I am missing. I used to gobble those up. At the moment, I'd rather be faced with a 25 footer than a 3 footer.....

One last question; when you set up to putt do you take a practice putt and if so, what <u>exactly</u> do you do?

 

[feary]

Really think about the putt. Don't rush it. If you are struggling with 3 footers go to the practise ground and don't leave until you make 10 in a row.

 

[Smiffy]

One last question; when you set up to putt do you take a practice putt and if so, what <u>exactly</u> do you do?

I will take a couple of practice putts looking at the hole to try to get a feel for pace and try to make sure that I move the putter back and forth on a nice, straight line towards the hole. Just like I've always done!

 

[Handycap]

One last question; when you set up to putt do you take a practice putt and if so, what <u>exactly</u> do you do?

I will take a couple of practice putts looking at the hole to try to get a feel for pace and try to make sure that I move the putter back and forth on a nice, straight line towards the hole. Just like I've always done!

Perhaps the tip I was given is a well known one but I hadn't seen it before. At the end of my daughters greenside lesson, I mentioned to the pro that I was having trouble on the fast greens at St Enodoc and couldn't adjust to the pace.
He invited me to set up for a putt and go through my routine.

I would look at the hole, then look down at my ball and take a practice putt. I might repeat that once or twice then take my putt. This is where he said I was going wrong. Is this exactly what you do?

I lied about one last question, but this is definitely the last one!

 

[Smiffy]

I would look at the hole, then look down at my ball and take a practice putt. I might repeat that once or twice then take my putt. This is where he said I was going wrong. Is this exactly what you do?

Yep

 

[Handycap]

Don't look at your ball when you take your practice putts!

This really works for me particularly on longer putts, but I use this technique on all of my putts now. When you set up to take a practice putt, position yourself over the ball as if you were taking the putt then move a couple of inches away from the ball. The ball will be in the correct position relative to the width of your stance, but you won't hit it when taking a practice stroke. Now look at the hole and take a practice putt. It's very tempting to look down at the ball, but don't do it!. Do it again, look at the hole while you take your practice putt, don't look at the ball. Now move into position and take your shot trying to emulate the previous practice strokes. As you're looking at the ball and making your swing, think of the stroke you made when you were looking at the hole.

I find this technique gives a great feel for the strength of stroke needed to get the ball to the hole. Because you are looking at the hole while you swing, you don't have to "remember" how far away the hole is; you are still looking at it! Once you are happy, the memory of the practice putts you made should allow you to strike the ball with the correct amount of effort needed.

Trust your judgement! Occasionally, I have stood over a long putt, practiced the shot as per above and then talked myself out of hitting it properly when addressing the ball because I can no longer see the hole. As soon as I've hit it I will know if it felt like the practice putt, and if it didn't I know I'll be short/long because I didn't trust what I had been looking at, but could no longer see. If this happens a few times, I will play the actual ball as per my practice routine; looking at the hole when I strike the ball. That takes a great deal of will power to do, and I've never done it in official competition, but I've got my game back together and taken the money in a few friendlies on the strength of it.

Try it on the practice putting green and see what I mean. Trust in your judgement when making the actual stroke. Just for fun, try hitting the ball while looking at the hole. After six or seven putts I bet you'll be getting closer to the hole than you are at the moment.

Try some long putts at home on the carpet now if you can't get to a putting green today!

If you are already doing this, I'm sorry to have wasted the last 30 minutes of your life!

 

[CrapHacker]

Really think about the putt.

Or maybe try the opposite

Trying to remember the 17th ( I had problems of my own, remember, so I was slighty distracted ), but I get the distinct feeling that you walked up to the green with a 3 putt on your mind. Had you just 3 putted the 16th ?

Now we all know the effect of positive thinking, and you were pretty positive you were going to struggle. So that's the first thing. Saying out loud that you're going to hit a nice putt. A couple of deep breaths whilst walking up to the green wont hurt - any of that yoga/relaxing/positive image sort of stuff.

Try doing your green reading etc before standing up to the ball. Then once you know what you're trying to do stand up to the ball and concentrate on making a positive stroke. The longer you stand over the ball, the more time you have to get negative vibes, man.

All that sort of rubbish, which I'm sure you know more than I do. Your long putting is just a mental thing, I'm sure.

But the shorter putt you missed was down to technique, if I remember rightly. I think you looked up too quickly, and moved your body round a fraction, leading to a slightly pulled putt. The old 'trying to see the putt into the hole', problem.

This is the moment you take your time. Concentrate on keeping your head down, looking at where the ball was, not where it's going.

I'm pretty sure that, whereas my poor putting was down to inconsistant technique, yours was down to getting yourself into a dodgy place, mentally.

Remember your birdie putt on the 5th that was nigh on purfect ? On that one you were walking up to the green saying what a tough green it was, and you still lipped it out. So it's definately there, just get rid of the jerky you, and let the smoooooth kid take over for a change

But then again, I may well be talking absolute rubbish

 

[Prubs]

Smiffy, when I am having trouble putting I do the following drill....go to the practise green, place a tee peg in the ground, then move say 2 yards away(distance dosen't matter for the mo.) take up your normal stance take aim and then close your eye's , now try and see the distance you have to put in your mindseye and take a put... do this 5 times without looking at the tee peg inbetween shots...then try it again(same thing) but this time looking between shots.....hope this helps

 

[Macster]

I think Bob Rotella's "Golf is not a Game of Perfect' book would be a good read too, full of 'power of positive thought' mental strategy, I found it a great read.
I cant say its responsible for my own handicap drops this year, but something's working.

He basically encourages anyone to 'mentally expect' to possibly hole every shot, ie positive, and not simply 'aim to get it close', which is negative.

He also encourages everyone to visualise every shot as perfectly as possible, then step up and play it.
Sure, they dont always come off, but if you expect them to, they will more often.
I know I have hit some of my best iron shots ever this year, with exactly this approach, and it should be the same with Putting.

Stop worrying, start 'feeling' the putts.

Or get down to the putting green and dont leave till you've sorted it !!!

 

[Smiffy]

Thanks for all your responses lads, and they have certainly given me food for thought.
You are right Clive, it is a mental thing with me at the moment. I'm talking myself into three putting. All I want to seem to do at the moment is get the putting side of things over and escape the "scene of the crime" if you like. Yes I did walk onto the 17th having just three putted the previous hole, which sort of makes the terrific drive and approach shot that went before a bit of a waste of time. I might as well have nobbled my drive 50 yards off the tee and hit a 5 iron to where my drive had finished up. Two putts and the end result would have been the same.
I'm not making excuses but the greens at my club are not condusive to good putting at the moment, they are very, very bobbly and a good putt can be thrown off line. But my putting wasn't brilliant at Chartham Park, and they were some of the nicest greens I have putted on this season.
A bit of practice is in order I think.
Rob

 

[bobmac]

Smiffy. You.......practice putting????
I need to lie down

 

[Smiffy]

Smiffy. You.......practice putting????
I need to lie down

It's got to be done Bob.
I'll be down the driving range next

 

[bobmac]

I believe putting is 40% feel, 40% confidence and for those who cant count, 30% technique

 

[CrapHacker]

All I want to seem to do at the moment is get the putting side of things over and escape the "scene of the crime"

Rob

Hence the problem with the 3 footers.



Get Kelly's Heroes out and become Donald Sutherland for the duration

 

[Smiffy]

I believe putting is 40% feel, 40% confidence and for those who haven't got either.............a V easy

Here we go again!!