Some putting tips

[JamesS]

I am playing tomorrow and am still a bit unhappy about my putting.

I do the bin-lid technique. Instead of aiming for the hole on a long putt I aim for a bin lid area instead. My putting average was about 2.5 but my moving average has gone down to a more respectable 2.2 using this technique.

However, I would like to get it down below 2.0 if possible.

Has anyone got any good tips?

 

[JustOne]

Aim for the back half of the bin lid.

 

[Region3]

Aim for the hole.

I used to do the bin lid thing, but it got me down when I finished outside it because I thought it ought to be easy.

It <u>would</u> be easy if the hole were that size, but the tricky thing is getting the pace right.

Are you 3 putting because you're missing the bin lid by a lot, or because you miss the short putts?

 

[RGDave]

Never got into the bin-lid idea. I use a black line on my ball to line up all putts, but on a long one I concentrate 95% on pace not line once set up. On short ones, 95% line and face....

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Personally I'd work on holing as many 3-6 footers as you can. These are always the ones you seem to leave regularly (or at least I do) but I am pretty confident that if it doesn't go in it'll have given the hole a bloody big fright.

 

[JamesS]

Yes these are good ideas.

Before using the bin-lid idea I was either hitting too far, where I would try to hole out, or hit too short. That put me in the dangerous (3 foot+) range too often.

With the bin lid idea I seemed to relax a bit more and get within 2 foot a lot more often. These putts I can general hole out.

I think you are right. I need to practice that dangerous are 2-6ft a bit. Any tips for this?

Do I vary the length of the swing or to I keep that the same and vary the weight?

 

[G_Mulligan]

Yeah vary the length of the stroke rather than the speed as it is easier to control with the big muscles in the shoulder and not the small muscles of the hands.

 

[JamesS]

Thanks. I am putting all these ideas into practice. I'll give it a few rounds and let you all know how well it is working.

 

[samesh]

Here is a small article on putting. Below is the steps:
1. Hold the club with any grip which keeps each hand on its own side of the putter (1).
2. Stand 8-12 inches away from the ball.

 

[MashieNiblick]

Honing your stroke is important but don't forget the mental side.

I had a poor day with short putts in a comp last week and was looking for something to help. I found a Bob Rotella book and he said good putters see the ball going in the hole before they putt. I get very negative if I'm putting badly and tend to think I'm going to miss. So over the weekend I tried imagining the ball going in the hole before I putted and I putted much better. It was just friendlies so maybe it was lack of pressure but it did make me feel more confident over the ball.

 

[viscount17]

I need to practice that dangerous are 2-6ft a bit. Any tips for this?

there was a tip in the putter supplement which boils down to - don't just do the clock from one distance, vary it

 

[JamesS]

Thanks. Varying the distance sounds a good idea.

I am starting to warm to the idea of the kind of positive attitude you suggest. If you asked me a year ago I thought it was all hockus pokus but now I am not so sure. It does seem to work.....not just in golf either.