Putting...

[HomerJSimpson]

Seems like I'm not alone in struggling on the greens at the moment. I have always had to work hard to get anything out of golf (something I think a lot of us can relate to) and so its back to the putting green next week to work on holing out and my mirror to go back to basics. I'll be keeping some stats and then seeing how many putts per round I have in the next few weeks and see if there is any correlation to the practice relating to less putts per round

 

[Slime]

I'm assuming you're a right handed golfer, try left hand below right.
For me it's radically improved my takeaway because the left wrist becomes far more inactive.
I rarely three putt now.

 

[Wolf]

Just a thought to all those saying how they've struggled last few months. Anyone thought how it's been winter and greens tend to run slower, have more imperfections from the foot traffic therefore don't run as true, and takes a little of the feel out and makes it more hit than stroke.

I'd say practice more indoor putting in winter than outdoor, don't beat yourself up on what's been missed, stick to the process and see what happens after a few weeks putting on better spring/summer greens

 

[6535]

A question to those who are struggling with pace? Before you go out to play do you go on the practise green and how many balls do you take to the green? I see time and time again players before they play who nonchalantly hit putts at the hole thinking they are achieving something. Your not.. why do you take 2 or more balls onto the green, you only play with one on the course, so take one. Instead of just going for holes tryputting to the fringe of the green instead, 20/30/40ft putts to the fringe, this will aid you in the pace of the green but also knowing you have only just the 1 ball it will make you actually concentrate at the task in hand.

This is what I do everytime I go out to play, after 5 mins maybe less I have an idea of the speed, then give yourself a 30/40ft putt to a hole and see how you fair. I finish off holing 3ft putts anti clockwise around the hole to see the ball enter and hearing it drop. The only time I take more then 1 ball onto the practise green is when Im working on my stroke from a fixed position getting it ingrained which has been known to be up to 4 hrs on and off in that session. I'm not saying that's what you should do, but if you're not practising then just use 1 ball. it's the old saying quality over quantity. You only have one go on the green so why take more then one ball?

 

[bobmac]

When I played competitively, I took 3 balls and putted them to 3 different holes, short, medium and long. Id then go to the short ball and putt it to the long hole then do the same with the medium ball then hole them out.
Then repeat with different holes but go medium short long, then long short medium etc

 

[duncan mackie]

Managed to set myself a new putting record yesterday, in the comp.
Total of 14ft of putts for the whole round!
To suggest I didn't sink anything would be an understatement.
Unfortunately my approach shots didn't average 8" from the hole so my score wasn't going to win anything...
Whilst there was one 3 putt I took some comfort that the first putt touched the hole, and the second did a full 360° - it can be a game of fine margins.

 

[Orikoru]

I'm assuming you're a right handed golfer, try left hand below right.
For me it's radically improved my takeaway because the left wrist becomes far more inactive.
I rarely three putt now.

I'm really considering trying this for short-ish ones that I'm actively trying to hole. Because I had an issue recently where I pulled a couple to the left, and thought this might help. But I've not had any time to get on a practise green and give it a go. Might just be bold and try it on the course this weekend, since I'm not playing a comp or anything.

 

[Slime]

I'm really considering trying this for short-ish ones that I'm actively trying to hole. Because I had an issue recently where I pulled a couple to the left, and thought this might help. But I've not had any time to get on a practise green and give it a go. Might just be bold and try it on the course this weekend, since I'm not playing a comp or anything.

Do that and let us know how you got on.
The grip will feel a bit strange for quite a while but, for me anyway, the takeaway was so much more stable and straight rather than the zig-zag back stroke I had before!

 

[Orikoru]

Do that and let us know how you got on.
The grip will feel a bit strange for quite a while but, for me anyway, the takeaway was so much more stable and straight rather than the zig-zag back stroke I had before!

When I've toyed with it before, how how or low on the grip you are seems to be key, if the left hand is low enough that it keeps your left arm dead straight, then as you say, it comes back a little straighter. I will give it a little go tomorrow and see how it goes.

For lag putts I'm going to continue with the normal grip though, as my judgement is usually fairly decent on those so I'm happy with the normal grip there, I think I would have less feel using left hand low for long ones.

 

[Orikoru]

Do that and let us know how you got on.
The grip will feel a bit strange for quite a while but, for me anyway, the takeaway was so much more stable and straight rather than the zig-zag back stroke I had before!

Forgot to bump this. I did briefly give it a try at the start of my round last Saturday but I could tell straight away it wasn't going to work. The idea is that it keeps it straight on the backswing, but for me it was the opposite and made it worse. I've thought about it, and I think that I'm just extremely right hand dominant. My left hand/arm is weak as anything, so any grip like this one, or the claw/pencil etc, they're quite left-hand led so they just don't work for me, the club is going all over the place on the backswing. The straightest I can get it is a pretty conventional grip, with a straight right arm and firm right hand on the putter, and the left hand just sitting nicely above it.

Maybe I should try putting left handed with right hand low??

 

[Bxm Foxy]

I'm a left handed golfer that putts right handed, left hand at the bottom. Hole much more from 8 to 10 feet this way. My alignment seems better, and the stroke is also much better.

 

[MendieGK]

I wouldn’t be putting 2 handicap if you are

Keep a strokes gained stat there’s free online calculators. I typically pace out anything above 6-8 feet anyway so roughly accurate.

Very easy to track and better to measure your putting average this way in my opinion.

For instance I had a round where I had 25 putts, not through brilliant putting but scrambling and solid wedge play.

I had a round a few months later with 27 putts but my strokes gained against 2 handicappers was 4.2 (ish) due to the length of some of the putts I made.

I knocked in numerous Long putts, missed nothing within 6 foot. My average was just knocked down by two putting from inside of 8-10 feet. This gave me an area to focus my practice on and my putting percentage actually improved in this area the following weeks.

I find it much more engaging to. I’ll putt on a putting green this way, giving myself a range of putts from 4 footers to 40 footers and mimic 18 holes of play to determine my strokes gained.

I keep a log of every practice session and my goal is to beat it.

a 2 handicap. It’s all based on the US handicap system. I’d enter scratch and go from there

 

[jusme]

I think putting more than any other part of golf is 'mental' not physical or technique issue. I struggle more with putting than any other part of the game. I would consider myself a poor putter on average. At times I will miss almost every 4 footer and at other times I will hole just about anything I face.

It can't be a technique issue as I do go on hot putting rounds. Last week I played 9 holes and had 8 single putts and a 2 putt. The single putts where anywhere from 3-15 feet. Other times I couldn't hole a putt if they doubled the size of the hole.

To me....its all in the head

 

[Bxm Foxy]

I think putting more than any other part of golf is 'mental' not physical or technique issue. I struggle more with putting than any other part of the game. I would consider myself a poor putter on average. At times I will miss almost every 4 footer and at other times I will hole just about anything I face.

It can't be a technique issue as I do go on hot putting rounds. Last week I played 9 holes and had 8 single putts and a 2 putt. The single putts where anywhere from 3-15 feet. Other times I couldn't hole a putt if they doubled the size of the hole.

To me....its all in the head

It is a combination of both I'm certain of that. Your stroke must have flaws that are exasperated when you are mentally "gone". Putts that are missed are often due to the putt not being middled (using a cricketing term).

 

[Deleted member 21258]

I was surprised when I read an article that said something like on a straight putt you only have to be out by 1 degree to miss the 8 foot putt (assuming you lined upto the middle). 4 foot is only about 2 degrees out to miss.

1 to 2 degree is nothing I thought and that got me working on a straight back and though path with as little face rotation as possible for just over one year, to help with accuracy, and it is, sinking more 3-6 foot putts on average.

Just had another search for the article and found this, an interesting read :-

https://www.quinticballroll.com/GFI111_Inst.Putt.pdf

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Been doing some work at last on the putting green with the Visio putting mat and gates. Changed back to the Anser and stroke really feeling much better and on a great path. Putted better today. The putting gates really have highlighted that I struggle to set the ball off on line a lot of the time and tend to pull everything left. More work to be done but it reveals how my margin of error is, even in the first 19-20 inches. See the Harold Swash margins below

https://visioputting.com/the-new-putting-gate-pack/

 

[Oldham92]

Also the puttout pressure putt training aid helped me a lot.

And getting a new putter with a different head shape made a big difference

 

[ScienceBoy]

Putting and chipping are my strength.

How did it get that way?

Well lots of practice first off, at the expense of my long game at times.

I would chip and putt when all others were on the driving range, I think only lessons used the chipping and pitching areas more than me!

Also having coaches who were short game experts helped.

I always went with the approach of spending twice the time chipping, putting and pitching than I do on the rest of the game.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Putting and chipping are my strength.

How did it get that way?

Well lots of practice first off, at the expense of my long game at times.

I would chip and putt when all others were on the driving range, I think only lessons used the chipping and pitching areas more than me!

Also having coaches who were short game experts helped.

I always went with the approach of spending twice the time chipping, putting and pitching than I do on the rest of the game.

Now the clocks have changed this is the extent of my practice this year. I want to really get out on the course as often as I can but I want to dedicate one night per week to work on the putting and especially holing out from 2-7 feet. I also want to go back to on course practice and scramble tests (

). I find testing the technique in real life situations is far more useful than block practice around a putting green

 

[bobmac]

Now the clocks have changed this is the extent of my practice this year. I want to really get out on the course as often as I can but I want to dedicate one night per week to work on the putting and especially holing out from 2-7 feet. I also want to go back to on course practice and scramble tests (

). I find testing the technique in real life situations is far more useful than block practice around a putting green

Well, having watched your video, I would suggest
1. Fix your aim, no wonder you miss everything right
2. Take more club
3. Bin the linear method
4. Have an on course lesson, soon