putting woes!!

[golfnut18]

hello gents ( and ladies of course), ive just recently come back to play golf after 2 years of not touching a club. im currently on a handicap of 20 but often play to below this. Tee to green i find im quite capable however when i reach the green thats where the problems start!. my distance control and feel is terrible and i tend to leave alot of puts frustratingly short or knock them a long way past, is there anything i can do to help this issue?
When i practice on the putting green i sink them from everywhere but on the course its a different matter.ive had the pro check out my putting stroke and set up and he thinks theres nothing wrong with it at all.

 

[freddielong]

This will be caused by your grip being to tight I would imagine, If your pro says everthing looks good while practising you must be strangleing the putter on the course.
Just try to ease the pressure and trust yourself.

 

[golfnut18]

yeah you may well be right about the grip! it try keeping it gentle and soft, but trusting myself however will require alot of work.

 

[JustOne]

my distance control and feel is terrible and i tend to leave alot of puts frustratingly short or knock them a long way past, is there anything i can do to help this issue?

If a pro has checked your putting then that's already an ace up your sleeve.

I'd recommend a putting drill for distance - forget the hole... put tees in the practice green at 5 foot intervals up to about 30 feet and simply practice your lag putting. Don't forget to practice both ways (uphill and down).

Bobmac is the resident putting guru... I'm sure he'll be along soon to sell you a little something <wink>

Added:: When you warm up before a round spend a little more time on the putting green trying to get a feel for the speed of the greens. I never waste time practicing short putting before a round in case I miss 'em, I just want to get the feel of the speed

hope this helps...

 

[golfnut18]

thats a very good idea with the ties.
the putter im using at the moment is very light so i might try and add some lead tape to the back to try and give it more weight, maybe that willhelp me accelerate through the shot more often. is this against the rules?

 

[JustOne]

thats a very good idea with the ties.
the putter im using at the moment is very light so i might try and add some lead tape to the back to try and give it more weight, maybe that willhelp me accelerate through the shot more often. is this against the rules?

I amended my original post.. I added a bit.

You can add tape to your putter but you can't adjust it or remove it during a round. Personally I wouldn't touch my putter because it is what it is. If you put tape on fractionally off-center then you're going to be paying for that with your stroke.

I'd buy a different putter if I thought my putting was that poor. Just my opinion of course.

regards...

 

[golfnut18]

yeah maybe a new putter will be beneficial however im already getting ready to fork out a couple hundred quid on a new driver, wedge and 3 wood. Plus i really like the putter so id really like to try and work with it for a while to see if i can improve with it.
However if the putter really is the problem id have no issue with purchasing a new putter instead of the other items.

 

[freddielong]

yeah maybe a new putter will be beneficial however im already getting ready to fork out a couple hundred quid on a new driver, wedge and 3 wood. Plus i like the putter so id really like to try and work with it for a while to see if i can improve with it.

Honestly no need for a new putter if you like your putter (you do) that is more than half the battle - it is just the grip pressure - The pro has checked everything else and you putt well practising. Really lighten of your grip it will stop you using your hands and just roll them dont hit them.

 

[golfnut18]

i have been wondering about getting one of those two thumb putter grips or even a thicker putter grip. the one i have now is very small, even considering i have small hands .
maybe this would take my wrists out of the equation a bit more and allow a more consistent stroke.
the way i grip my putter is the same as i grip all of my clubs, maybe this is a problem? the pro thought it was fine but i see alot of other players grip it differently. what are your thoughts on this?

 

[bobmac]

Pulls up a chair. Who's got the biccys?

 

[golfnut18]

Pulls up a chair. Who's got the biccys?

ohh ive got a couple packs you can have!! im back on my weight training so cant afford to eat anymore.

 

[freddielong]

Im sure Bobmac is the best person for this as the putting grip is very personnel. I would say as long as the palms can sit on opposite sides of the grip and its comfy it should be ok ( your pro didn't think it was a problem)

 

[bobmac]

When you watch the guys on TV, all the good putters have a similar action. That is no coincidence.
They all swing the putter without flicking their wrists, so they have a very solid Y formed by the arms and putter.
If that shape changes, your right hand has hit the ball instead of the ball getting in the way of the swing.
I suspect that when you leave one short, you decelerate into the ball and when you charge one by, your right hand has hit it.
If you want to improve your distance control, try varying the length of backswing and see how far the ball goes with a constant speed of swing. Short putt, short backswing etc.
The most important thing is dont panic.Whatever is causing your 3 putts can be fixed and you'll soon be off 10


There.....didn't mention the V-Easy once........doh

 

[JustOne]

Pulls up a chair. Who's got the biccys?

I've got Jaffa's but are they a biscuit or a cake?

 

[golfnut18]

When you watch the guys on TV, all the good putters have a similar action. That is no coincidence.
They all swing the putter without flicking their wrists, so they have a very solid Y formed by the arms and putter.
If that shape changes, your right hand has hit the ball instead of the ball getting in the way of the swing.
I suspect that when you leave one short, you decelerate into the ball and when you charge one by, your right hand has hit it.
If you want to improve your distance control, try varying the length of backswing and see how far the ball goes with a constant speed of swing. Short putt, short backswing etc.
The most important thing is dont panic.Whatever is causing your 3 putts can be fixed and you'll soon be off 10


There.....didn't mention the V-Easy once........doh

considering ive only been back playing golf for 3 weeks im not doing too badly, but id certainly love to be down to 14 by the end of the summer. And il certainly investigate futher into the grip idea

 

[golf_bug]

The best thing i did recently was buy a putting matt for the house. You can get a cheap one from Tesco. It looks naff as anything, but I use it for about 10mins every night and it has helped develop a consistent stroke. If you have a good grip and a consistent stroke, the only thing you need to vary is the length of your back/through swing and you'll be putting like a mad man in no time!

 

[Herbie]

If you are putting well on the putting green just take that frame of mind out on the course. Its what a lot of people fail to do and consequently think too hard, squeeze too hard, fail to be positive or over do it!

Ive seen no end of people putt endless putts to the hole or in the hole from all distances on the putting green, then the first hole on the course they come up 6' short 10' long or 5' wide and cannot see how different they are putting on the course. Their body language has changed, their thought process too as compared to the putting greens, then this sets the president for the round.

 

[Robobum]

......so they have a very solid Y formed by the arms and putter.

I have invented the new Y-easy, basically it's this v shaped thing I bought of a pro and then stuck a bit of bamboo on the bottom.......£15 all in, but keep it quiet!!

 

[JustOne]

I have invented the new Y-easy, basically it's this v shaped thing I bought of a pro and then stuck a bit of bamboo on the bottom.......£15 all in, but keep it quiet!!

Is it called the verY easY?

 

[RGDave]

Until you get your putter custom fitted, I have no sympathy....

If you have......stop moaning and sort it out.......