Putting question

[Huwey12]

Lòoking at a worms eye view of the pros on tv they hit the ball at the equator or just above

Are they lifting up or playing the ball forward in their stance? Sometimes my long putts are woefully short but in my mind I've given the ball a good hit so I reckon back spin is the culprit

How do you better players get the ball to roll quickly? Ta

 

[User 99]

Does you putter have a high MOI ? If not, on long putts you are likely missing the centre of the putter head, hence why your putts are coming up short.

p.s. Better players hit the middle of the face more often than lesser players.

 

[bobmac]

You should never 'hit' a putt, the ball should get in the way of the pendulum.
For a longer putt, just make the pendulum longer.
So the longer the putt, the longer the backswing

 

[Maninblack4612]

The best putter I have ever seen at our club used to hit the ball on the up. When I see those close ups on the TV it reminds me of him every time. Long deceased now but he was the best amateur putter I have seen.

 

[Huwey12]

Ha ha I knew I shouldn't have used the word 'hit' with you about Bob. It is a pendulum action with a rock of the shoulders, I think I might be catching the ball too low causing a skid for the first 6 inches or so.

On tele they seem to ground the club behind the ball but 'hit' it half way up

 

[jim8flog]

One of the great putting gurus (Harold Swash) recommended hitting the ball with the club rising through impact.

He was the person behind Yes putters which were designed to grip the ball as well to help it roll much quicker rather than slide.

 

[srixon 1]

All balls will skid a little when stroked with a putter. Hitting up on it slightly is supposed to get top spin on quicker so that it ´rolls' quicker. If you hit down on the ball when putting it will cause the ball to bounce for the first couple of feet which will lead to inconsistent results.

 

[chrisd]

When I did a GM fix day the pro said that I should NOT hit up on the ball as there would be less forward spin and he encouraged me to get the handle forward enough not to see the putter face at set up

 

[Maninblack4612]

When I did a GM fix day the pro said that I should NOT hit up on the ball as there would be less forward spin and he encouraged me to get the handle forward enough not to see the putter face at set up

I don't understand that.

 

[garyinderry]

Apprently its up on the ball with less loft so a slight delofting.

 

[Blue in Munich]

I would say hit neither up nor down on it but try to swing level through it, so the loft on the putter does its job, but someone who knows what they are talking about will probably be along to correct me shortly.

 

[chrisd]

Apprently its up on the ball with less loft so a slight delofting.

This was the explanation, so we rolled a few trying both techniques and definitely hitting up gave less forward spin.

 

[duncan mackie]

I would say hit neither up nor down on it but try to swing level through it, so the loft on the putter does its job, but someone who knows what they are talking about will probably be along to correct me shortly.

Close....there's also the weighting of the putter face/head that comes into play.

As the slow mo video evidence clearly illustrates, what we think we see isn't always the case. The ball will naturally roll when struck properly because the drag on the bottom of the ball as it makes contact with the ground will exceed the drag on the top of the ball from the air; unless you put 'backspin' on it. That said even a little backspin will quickly get reversed by the above situation.

Neither topspin nor backspin are good technique because they both influence the length a putt will roll out. Much simpler to make a consistent strike, applying the force applicable to the distance you wish the putt to roll, than having to factor in any top, or back, spin contribution. Whilst it's true to say that a rolling ball will stay on line better when meeting imperfections, a properly struck putt will be rolling almost immediately it contacts the putting surface...