Putting - Starting from Scratch

[Birchy]

You can read advice until your blue in the face but until you find out what's wrong with your putting there's no point in even practicing imo.

Save yourself loads of time and get a pro to point you in the right direction then practice and you will soon be much better :thup:

 

[Face breaker]

4-6 3 putts a round is a lot. So, I would personally go for a lesson(s) with your Pro and tell him your concerns, as there will be numerous reasons that can attribute to you 3 putting. You'll get quicker results with your pro then trying to figure it out yourself.

Whadda yuh mean 4-6 3 putts is a lot, I 3 putt every hole !...😂

 

[the smiling assassin]

Only two things you need to do.

1. Learn to hot the ball straight on your putting matt. Hole putt and after putt on you 6-10foot matt.

Now that you can constantly start the ball straight ...

2. Learn distance control on your actual practice putting green at you club.


You are now the best putter at your club (depending on how much you put into 1&2)

How about practicing reading putts...essential no.3!

 

[garyinderry]

How about practicing reading putts...essential no.3!

That comes with the territory. It isn't something that happens over night. Books won't help you (unless you are an aim pointer) the break isn't always the same due to conditions so you pick this up through practice and experience.

 

[Guvnor2013]

I had a lesson from the pro and one point he mentioned (not previously mentioned on this thread) is to make sure you have a comfortable stance. I was crouching a little, this made any prolonged period of practice actually quite painful in my back - so I didn't practice. I'd hit a few, say "that'll do" and go an do something else. Back-ache is not conducive to continued practice.

The other tip (I think I read in GM) was about pace of put on short ones. It involved setting up a pencil between 4 tees and hitting the ball hard enough to bounce over the pencil but no so hard that it clears the hole. Ones that bounce off the pencil are too soft. This gave me a great feeling for how to confidently knock them in from short range.

Good luck with it all.

 

[Bratty]

Something that helped me was Bob Rotella's book, Putting Out of Your Mind. Not everyone's cup of tea, buy out did dramatically improve my putting, and I didn't practice particularly harder if at all.

Do you play competitions, team events, etc.? If you're just knocking around with mates, there's no real pressure/focus, which is why I was a terrible putter in my early years. Only when I started competition golf did it improve, as I was more focused.

 

[AMcC]

My tuppence worth and what I have been doing over the winter.

We have an 8 foot long rug in the living room that has squares on it. Ideal for lining up etc. I also have a couple of plastic discs, one at hole size and one a bit smaller. These were given away free in Golf Monthly some time ago. I set the disc up and square myself up on the squares and roll some putts from different distances. One drill I use quite a lot and similar to one mentioned above is, setting up three balls at 3 feet, 4 feet and 5 feet from the hole. I then start at 3 feet hole one putt then move to four, hit one and move on. If I miss I start again. This is good because you have to set yourself up each time, rather than just pulling another ball in. I too have a mirror which I use intermittently to check eye position, shoulder alignment etc.

I was thinking of getting a laser to check putter face alignment, has anyone got one or any ideas on best one to get ?

 

[Norrin Radd]

i practice at home on the carpet ,using one of those return your ball putting machines .saves a lot of toing and froing collecting balls from all over the lounge.

 

[dufferman]

I found putting was the downfall of my game later last year. I would 3 putt a number of greens a round, but felt I had a consistant stroke. Turned out the issue for me was mis-reading (or in most cases simply not reading) greens because I couldn't / didn't see the break.

I learnt aimpoint express and I've shaved a good 4 strokes off my round. It gets a bad rep sometimes because people assume it's slow, but once you get used to it (2/3 rounds) it's very quick. My pp's don't even notice I'm using it.

For £50 for the online video tutorial, or £100 for a session or two with a qualified pro, it might be worth looking at if you stroke improves but your scores don't.

 

[3565]

My tuppence worth and what I have been doing over the winter.

We have an 8 foot long rug in the living room that has squares on it. Ideal for lining up etc. I also have a couple of plastic discs, one at hole size and one a bit smaller. These were given away free in Golf Monthly some time ago. I set the disc up and square myself up on the squares and roll some putts from different distances. One drill I use quite a lot and similar to one mentioned above is, setting up three balls at 3 feet, 4 feet and 5 feet from the hole. I then start at 3 feet hole one putt then move to four, hit one and move on. If I miss I start again. This is good because you have to set yourself up each time, rather than just pulling another ball in. I too have a mirror which I use intermittently to check eye position, shoulder alignment etc.

I was thinking of getting a laser to check putter face alignment, has anyone got one or any ideas on best one to get ?

Ive just ordered a new putter after been fitted using the Quintic system and how edel do their putting fitting with lasers. Strange how differing configurations of alignment lines on your putter and where they are on your putter make you aim differently.

 

[louise_a]

Before the start of last season I knew I needed to improve my putting as I was often 3 putting 3 or 4 times a round, so I went to see my pro. I now rarely 3 putt unless the first putt is very long.

As regarding short putts, don't look for it dropping, keep your head down and listen.

 

[NWJocko]

Ive just ordered a new putter after been fitted using the Quintic system and how edel do their putting fitting with lasers. Strange how differing configurations of alignment lines on your putter and where they are on your putter make you aim differently.

Did you get an Edel putter?

Their fitting looks really interesting and they're doing it at Tour X in Warrington now. Sorely tempted to treat myself despite the cost so be interesting to know what you made if it?

 

[Deleted member 15717]

Why learn to putt better? Learn to hit it to 3ft every time...

 

[HomerJSimpson]

How about practicing reading putts...essential no.3!

Aimpoint

 

[3565]

Did you get an Edel putter?

Their fitting looks really interesting and they're doing it at Tour X in Warrington now. Sorely tempted to treat myself despite the cost so be interesting to know what you made if it?[/QUOT

The Quintic system is an eye opener. I thought I was a decent putter but far from it. The system tracks the ball and shows what it does at 320fps. You can see the backspin, launch, bounce, skid then foreword roll. That's just the ball data then you have what the putter does with angle, aim, rotation, acceleration and more. He used the Edel way of fitting using the lasers to see if you aim properly and then drew alignment lines one by one until you were aiming properly at the hole. Mine is 3 lines on top edge with a line on the back flange in line with the top centre line.
I went with a British company milled in Britain called Raa. There was a better choice of heads to pick from where he only had 3 choices with Edel. The face has full face grooves and it's a 400g head, 1* loft, 33.5" long, with just black infill on the lines although there is a choice of colours. So a custom putter that will be unique to you as there isn't a standard that you just pick up and buy. Price? A lot. But from the data I saw on the ball from using a Raa I know the ball will start rolling a lot sooner then any Scotty Cameron I have.

 

[NWJocko]

Did you get an Edel putter?

Their fitting looks really interesting and they're doing it at Tour X in Warrington now. Sorely tempted to treat myself despite the cost so be interesting to know what you made if it?

The Quintic system is an eye opener. I thought I was a decent putter but far from it. The system tracks the ball and shows what it does at 320fps. You can see the backspin, launch, bounce, skid then foreword roll. That's just the ball data then you have what the putter does with angle, aim, rotation, acceleration and more. He used the Edel way of fitting using the lasers to see if you aim properly and then drew alignment lines one by one until you were aiming properly at the hole. Mine is 3 lines on top edge with a line on the back flange in line with the top centre line.
I went with a British company milled in Britain called Raa. There was a better choice of heads to pick from where he only had 3 choices with Edel. The face has full face grooves and it's a 400g head, 1* loft, 33.5" long, with just black infill on the lines although there is a choice of colours. So a custom putter that will be unique to you as there isn't a standard that you just pick up and buy. Price? A lot. But from the data I saw on the ball from using a Raa I know the ball will start rolling a lot sooner then any Scotty Cameron I have.

Cheers, never heard of those Raa putters before, which model did you go for?

Like the look of the Edel ones, if my bonus is kind might treat myself to a trip to Tour X, they aren't cheap though you're right. Worth it if it makes a difference, my putting has improved but still not great.

 

[3565]

Cheers, never heard of those Raa putters before, which model did you go for?

Like the look of the Edel ones, if my bonus is kind might treat myself to a trip to Tour X, they aren't cheap though you're right. Worth it if it makes a difference, my putting has improved but still not great.

I went for the steel classic. It's normally 3-4 weeks to get it, but just heard it might be as early as next week. No I never heard of them till recently but I'm an odd ball as I like the smaller companies like Wishon, Orca, Icy golf, Gianinni, and Raa now. It's the most expensive single club I've ever bought that's for sure, but I think this will be in the bag for a looooonnnng time now.

 

[Deleted member 15717]

I went for the steel classic. It's normally 3-4 weeks to get it, but just heard it might be as early as next week. No I never heard of them till recently but I'm an odd ball as I like the smaller companies like Wishon, Orca, Icy golf, Gianinni, and Raa now. It's the most expensive single club I've ever bought that's for sure, but I think this will be in the bag for a looooonnnng time now.

I like the look of the Raa putters. Find the Edel ones a little ugly. Just a long way to go to be fitted for Raa, whereas Edel can be done locally to me. At some point, I may get a full putter fitting done, and by a custom putter

 

[3565]

I like the look of the Raa putters. Find the Edel ones a little ugly. Just a long way to go to be fitted for Raa, whereas Edel can be done locally to me. At some point, I may get a full putter fitting done, and by a custom putter

Email them and see if a dealer or fitter is near you.

 

[bobmac]

£369 for a Rea putter.