Putting woes

[bobmac]

I have read alot of threads in here now and I have seen a pattern emerging.
I'm really pleased to see lots of people having lessons and enjoying their golf more as a result.
It's great to go down to the range and hit 100 balls every day, but if you dont know what to practice, are you going to get better?
There are a few who still think the nice new shiny bats are going to cure the slice, hook, duff or give an extra 20 yds, or the new putter is going to hole everything, however lots have a different attitude.
KenA spoke of having a putting lesson and lost 8-10 shots per round.
Who else wants to knock 8-10 shots off their score?
Harrymonk confessed to being unable to putt with anything.
Is it the putters fault or the puttee?
I'd like to ask the forumers if you practice youre putting and if so, what do you practice?
What are the basic fundamentals of putting?
Hopefully one or all of the below
Distance
direction
quiet wrists
still lower half
good tempo
tick tock
gentle acceleration
shoulders tilting, not turning
soft grip
no peeking
relaxed arms
pre-shot routine
head still
Enough yet?
For those of you who think you cant improve your putting, good luck.
For the humans out there, please take putting seriously, after all, it is half of the score

 

[brendy]

I have a slightly odd habbit, My old scotty newport 2 platinum pro never really caught fire and after trying a friends 2 ball, I fell in love with it. For the first time I was able to see putts before I hit them as the 2ball helped me keep the path straighter and put a better roll on the ball as I wasnt slicing across the ball. To keep myself fresh with that putter, I practice almost daily with my scotty in my office carpet (around 20-25 feet long) into a practice hole. Id say this putter has saved me a genuine 2-4 shots per round, I now very rarely miss anything inside 6 feet now where they were my Da Da Daaaah distance.

 

[John_Findlay]

My putting was woeful until summer this year. I was averaging over 36 per round. I would often take 42 putts.

At first I thought it was technical but with the help of all my various putting aids I realised it wasn't. But I still wasn't holing any. I just couldn't "see" the line. I read an article about which eye is your dominant one and started putting the ball back into the middle of my stance like I did when I was younger. That, combined with a lesson (stop thinking about it!) transformed my putting altogether.

Now I just look at the hole, forget all technical thoughts, and try to putt like a kid. I think I probably save 3-6 shots per round now by rarely three putting and sinking those vital 6 footers. You're right, Bob. It's vital. And fun again.

 

[Imurg]

I don't really practice putting with the exception of pace. If I get held up on the course (quite often play solo), I'll throw a couple of balls down and putt from one side of the green to another and then to a different point on the green just focussing on pace. I think pace is the most important part of putting.

I've never had a problem "seeing the line". Obviously I don't get it right every time but even if I just walk up to a putt and hit it I won't be far off line. Its always been a pace thing for me. I need to be able to feel the ball off the face and insert putters just don't give me that. I've had dozens of putters down the years and the 2 I've putted best with are my first Ping - a Derby - and the current Piper - basically the same club, slightly different head but the face is straight steel.

 

[dangermouse]

I played 9 holes last week and had 28 putts! Its no wonder my scores are crap!

I played yesterday and concentrated on holding the putter as light as I can, and simply trying to get the pace right, and it made a world of difference. I had bought a new putter (my old one was nealy as old as me, literally) but all thta has done is make the roll more consistent.

Wasn't marking my own card as I was playing for my handicap (yay!) but I only had one 3-putt in 13 holes - the light-gri approach really seems to be working for me (as tipped in GM on the website!)

 

[bobmac]

At first I thought it was technical but with the help of all my various putting aids I realised it wasn't.

John-Findlay, which putting aids do you have?

 

[andiritchie]

Holing putts as always been my weakness and still is.I was on average 36 putts a round but that includes a few 1 putts getting up and down.

My general game is better than the scores a producing iam quite solid in most areas for my abilty,and after hours of practise and the odd lesson on the greens my putting stroke is good i can get it close but it dont go in.I leave loads of putts next to the hole but it does not bother me anymore

I have only been back to the game a couple of years and my green reading skills is whats lacking with me,hopefully one day it will come together

 

[wackygolfer]

My routine for putting is before I go out - I have one ball and start right next to the hole and putt and continue going back until I miss then back to the hole again. The people who practice missing the hole before they go out straight away have negative thoughts.
On the course - Long putts I just imagine a 3ft circle around the hole and aim to be inside it. For shorter putts I imagine a dotted line from the ball to the hole.

I like centre shafted putters and thought about having a change but there are not that many around so I shall stick to the one I have.

 

[RGuk]

I practice my putting, if I'm honest I mainly work on two things;
1) Pace and roll (for long putts). By "roll" I mean a consistent style of strike, just on the "up" and underneath the equator not catching the grass.
2) Short distance holing out....2-6 foot, endlessly. I have a straight back and straight through short-ish motion and concentrate hard on keeping the face at the hole.

In one of David Leadbetter's books, he talks about stopping the negative "inner-chatter" in your head, accept the challenge. Once ready, I look at the hole, then the ball and stroke the putt, all in one consistent speed/routine.

If I could take off even 4 putts, I'd be over the moon.

I probably average 2 x 3 putts and 3-4 x 1 putts. Some days, the pins are deliberately on the edges of the greens. On days like this, I'm not too hard on myself. I'd rather be off the green than facing a 20 yard monster.

 

[John_Findlay]

John-Findlay, which putting aids do you have?

Erm...all of these, Bob.

http://forums.golf-monthly.co.uk//showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/87070/an/0/page/0#87070

Selling them cos' I'm skint at the moment....and my new house has wooden floors, not carpet.

They're genuinely helpful. Have you tried any?

 

[AliB]

I agree pace is crucial. Unless yuo are completely cock-eyed. the right pace will get you near enough on most occasions.
The whole putting thing is fascinating. I suspect it mirrors the rest of the game, i.e. you need technique for consistency, but over the ball you have to go with the gut feel and putt, like John says, for fun. This is quite hard to do on pressure putts!
I have had some serious putting woes including the 'y' word and no doubt will have more. My fallback is the 'one back two forward' rule, which at least keeps the club moving when your brain freezes.
I'm sure practising is important to groove the movement. But I have to hold my hand up and confess I can always think of other more interesting things to do of an evening.

AliB

 

[TonyN]

Once I have settled into my new club, I plan on using the pro for a putting lesson.

I find I am not too bad I have copied my putting style completely from a friend of mine who is a pro.

Lately I have been holing out alot more 6 footers, but I am sure with a lesson, I could definitly drop a few more shots.

 

[bobmac]

[quote: They're genuinely helpful. Have you tried any?

[/QUOTE]
I have tried a few John, but dont need them any more.
I could tell you why but Leftie would have a go at me again for advertising

 

[Canfordhacker]

I had a putting lesson two months ago. Half an hour and what a difference. He pointed out two things I was doing wrong, and gave me some drills. As I have had time on my hands I have practised a fair bit, and the three putts have fallen away and my second putts are much easier too. I can't wait for the greens to get better and really see a difference.

The drill I have been using - I take six balls, and from one place I putt all six to different holes on the putting green. Then I go round and have to hole every one for 6 two putts. I vary the distance between 10 and 45 feet. I don't leave until I've completed it at least once, sometimes twice. As I hole them I putt them back to 1 hole and start agin from there.

I choose quiet times as I use a lot of space, but it's great to feel the pressure of putts number 5 and 6. The beauty is I'm practicing seeing putts of varying length and pace, reacting and hitting them, and as Rotella says, I'm putting to hole them.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I have this
http://www.118golf.co.uk/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=201

which I find really useful for getting my eyes and shoulders aligned correctly and by putting 2 tees at the front end for making sure my blade is square through impact.

I'm off to Wexham Park in Slough tomorrow to use their short game area and while I'm there I'll have my first proper putting practice of 2009. I expect to be pretty rusty but we'll see how it goes.

 

[Herbie]

Re

I went through numerous putting styles and followed many putting tips in my early days, but my putting only became consistant and accurate when I found the right putter and stopped taking it so seriously even though it is half of your score as has been pointed out.

When I get on a green its an oasis where I can relax after doing the work to get there GIR, all I have to do is knock it close to the hole then tap it in to make par, sometimes Im lucky enough and it drops in one putt.This doesnt mean I dont recognise how important putting is, it just means that I know how cock ups are made on greens when you try too hard having hopes and dreams of sinking it in one.

I can often feel the tension in some golfers when they get on the greens, I tend to believe more than half the problem with many is what goes on in their heads when putting, along with mis reading or 'over' reading the greens.

Myself, I take what I see first, nearly always from a standing position when I walk on the green.

When I see golfers on putting greens before a game, most of them can knock that first ball within a couple of feet from most distances, walk up and tap them in without thinking, get the same person on the greens in a comp or friendly, you will see all sorts of prelims and set ups followed by a different putt that sometimes misses dramatically.If they took the frame of mind from the putting greens onto the course they would probably do much better.
What Im saying is, if you can putt well casually on the practice green, you can putt just as well on the course, you jsut have to take the same person and frame of mind on the course with you, the relaxed and comfortable one, not the tense worrier.