Putting today.....

Herbie

Herbie

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I had a round of 79 today (off the medals) it was windy, I made 12 greens in regulation, hit a further two in reg but rolled through the back, only had one complete cock up shot and one weak shot all day and a few wayward drives that were easily corrected.

I took 35 putts and no three's.

Now looking at that many would be more than happy with it, but putting today was poor, very poor on some holes.

I found myself with quite a lot of longish putts today 25' down to 15' and knowing the greens well there was little reading issue, but the most disappointing thing was I never gave a single first putt the chance to go down. I was either 2 or 3 feet short, 2 or 3 feet right or left of the hole. I sank the 2nd in each case, and recorded a decent stat of putts, but for me it was very poor putting. (I blame Bobmac.. :D)

When putting, do you just accept the stats as your measure, or do you look at each putts validity as a measure...or both?
Do you forget poor putts if you have a few memorable ones?
 
I think there is a balancing act here. If a lot of putts are that distance then statistically there isn't a great chance of making many. Also, if a number had any big breaks or up/down tiers then that obviously adds tot he degree of taririf in trying to make them. That said the numbers show you only made one putt (36 = 2 putts per hole). The question I guess is whether its actually your irons into the greens that issue for being so far away (maybe mis clubbing) or is it a putting issue.

You say you were ither a few feet short or a few feet wide. To me the wide ones would be the bigger issue as it does indicate some reading problems either in terms of break or more likely the speed especially when the strighter ones were short too.

I guess there are a number of options. Put it down to a bad day (in your own mind anyway) and see what happens next time. You could spend some time practicing and see if it helps or you could get a putting lesson and seeing if the mechanics need refining. Personally from what you've posted score wise I think your game sounds pretty solid and so I'd just put it down to an off day and move on
 
I understand what you say Homer and to some degree you are perhaps right, but even though I do miss long ones(and expect to) its the ammount I missed by today. Now had I been on a strange course it would not have been so noticeable, but at home it is. There were a good few of 15 feet or so that I should have got much closer, its not so much a disappointment at not sinking long ones, more because of the ammount missed by.
 
It is obviously a feel thing then. Now whether that was caused by an off day of a mechanical flaw is hard to say. If you've been putting well I'd still be inclined to put it down to an off day but perhaps look at where you were hitting approaches from and seeing if perhaps you were mis-clubbing, hitting out of rough or maybe just not hitting the approaches solidly. As I've been told by many on here (so it must be true) there are loads of ways at looking at the stats but its only you that'll know if the putts were well hit and the irons true.
 
Are you turning your shoulders again?
Click to expand...

Ha ha, hello Bob.

I dont know??? I only know that it went off today, I am planning some more veasy work because of it. I dont expect to sink all the long ones but I do expect to make a better effort than today, especially since I have been getting better overall.
 
HNJ: I regularly take between 30 & 34 putts, and my lowest this year I think was 27. However, I usually manage to get up & down from off the green on at least 3/4 occasions, perhaps more, so that has a significant bearing on your stats.
In fact, in the last Medal I played, I single putted 6 greens in a row from the 6th, and only one was a birdie, the rest after chips off the fringe.

In contrast, I sometimes play with a guy off 1, who hits lots of greens, and can still take 34/36 putts, so its all relative.

Its the Total that matters.
 
Seems to me that putting is either full-on sinking everything or its really not going well at all and anything can happen.
I don't often hear of those who have sunk 4 or 5 20 footers but 3 putted 4 times from 10 feet in the same round.
Damn silly game....
 
I am reading Rotella's book on putting at the moment, and what he has to say is simple, but pretty true.

Were you trying (truly) to hole them, or just get them close? If you are trying to get them close, you will make a much bigger error, and hence leave the ball 2ft away, as this is what your brain thinks you are trying to do. If you are really trying to hole them, with no thought of the next putt (or the previous), you will hole more, and when you miss, you will be closer.
 
I am reading Rotella's book on putting at the moment, and what he has to say is simple, but pretty true.

Were you trying (truly) to hole them, or just get them close? If you are trying to get them close, you will make a much bigger error, and hence leave the ball 2ft away, as this is what your brain thinks you are trying to do. If you are really trying to hole them, with no thought of the next putt (or the previous), you will hole more, and when you miss, you will be closer.
Click to expand...

Rotella also says in the 15th club that if it was a putting competition between an amateur from 4 feet and a pro from 10 feet he would back the amateur.
At least you are making the second putt back which gives you the confidence to hole the first putt. It is when people are afraid of the second putt they begin three putting.
 
I am reading Rotella's book on putting at the moment, and what he has to say is simple, but pretty true.

Were you trying (truly) to hole them, or just get them close? If you are trying to get them close, you will make a much bigger error, and hence leave the ball 2ft away, as this is what your brain thinks you are trying to do. If you are really trying to hole them, with no thought of the next putt (or the previous), you will hole more, and when you miss, you will be closer.
Click to expand...

I dont know murph, but the longer the putt the more I visualise a bigger hole I must admit, but up to now it has worked well for me, judging by how many long ones I do sink and how little I miss by when I dont. But I will make a concious effort to think a little differently next time I play. But I think the performance i speak of in the OP is probably more a swing fault than a mental one, as I was surprised with a few with the line the ball set off on.(ie . not what I selected)
 
I am reading Rotella's book on putting at the moment, and what he has to say is simple, but pretty true.

Were you trying (truly) to hole them, or just get them close? If you are trying to get them close, you will make a much bigger error, and hence leave the ball 2ft away, as this is what your brain thinks you are trying to do. If you are really trying to hole them, with no thought of the next putt (or the previous), you will hole more, and when you miss, you will be closer.
Click to expand...

Rotella also says in the 15th club that if it was a putting competition between an amateur from 4 feet and a pro from 10 feet he would back the amateur.
At least you are making the second putt back which gives you the confidence to hole the first putt. It is when people are afraid of the second putt they begin three putting.
Click to expand...

Now that is very interesting.
 
I think the secret to good putting is the ability to hole out from 2-4 feet. Count the number of putts you leave from this range next time you play and then see how many you actually make. If you can have the confidence to hit these firmly and make them it makes chipping and lag putting much easier as you always feel you have a chance to make the putt.

I have a device (can't for the life of me remember where I got it - online for sure - which basically is fits onto the top of a hole and reduces the hole by 40% and it also has a smaller ring which fits inside that reduces the hole by 60%. If the putt isn't hit into the centre it won't drop. Its great for 3-4 footers especially on a breaking putt where line and speed are paramount.

Be warned it is frustrating when you hit a putt you think would sneak in on a real hole and it misses and for the untrained eyes watching it makes you look like a bad putter. If you stick with it though it makes the hole look huge on the course. I have to be honest and say I can't do the smaller ring as it really is only just bigger than a ball.
 
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