Weird

[HomerJSimpson]

I've been putting some serious practice in using the pathfinder system my wife got me for Christmas. The problem I have is that I always hit the outside peg on the backswing and yet manage to make a perfect swing at impact and not collect any of the pegs either level with the ball or in the follow through.

http://www.improvemygolf.co.uk/acatalog/Pathfinder.html

I must have a very small loop at some point and yet looking at my swing as it goes back it seems and feels like I'm going back in line. Take the back pin (closest to the blue mark on the wider shot) out and I am going back and through pretty well (probably 8/10 without hitting any pin and holing 8/10 from 8 feet). If I putt from much closer (say 3-4 foot) I don't tend to hit the pins at all so there obviously isn't the same loop. If I try and emphasise it on the inside on the longer putts all I do is collect the back pin on the other side

Clearly I have an issue on the takeaway but its not causing me too much of a problem through impact and following through and I seem to bring the putter through consistantly. Is it worth pursuing a much straighter takeaway or is it something that can be lived with. Will it catch up with me back on the course

I have to say its driving me nuts hitting the same bloody pin everytime. Still anything to still have a club in my hand and the chance to at least feel like I am golfing

 

[DCB]

That's quite a lot of movement over a relatively short distance on the take away.

Without seeing your take away it's hard to say what may be the issue. Is it a big headed putter Homer ?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Its a anser style - TM Daytona. I'll try and get a video sorted out. I think I just sort of goes back at an angle and them straighten it out through impact. If I fractionally hood the blade (get the hands forward) I tend to go back a bit better and will miss the pin more often.

I've tried the v-easy and its not a wrist break issue and I'm maintaining the triangle pretty well as I'm not hitting any of the middle or end pegs.

 

[USER1999]

Bung the thing in the bin mate. Read Rotella, putting out of your mind, forget about how, and just bash it in the hole. Works every time.

 

[Pants]

Paralysis by analysis ?????? AGAIN

Just hit the thing into the hole.

Simples

 

[Sponge1980]

I agree with murph and pants, dont think about it too much and just knock them in.

 

[CrapHacker]

Clearly I have an issue on the takeaway but its not causing me too much of a problem through impact and following through and I seem to bring the putter through consistantly.

Practice doesn't make perfect, practice makes PERMANENT.

It doesn't matter what you do, as long as you do it every time, and the ball ends up in the hole.

80% success from 8 feet is a rediculous success rate.

Stick with what you've got, I say.

 

[Tiger]

Agree, agree, agree. Homer sounds like you are striving for technical perfection, but why? Surely you want a repeatable, reliable stroke (which you have) not a textbook one that may feel awkward and not produce the same results. Rotella has convinced me that if the ball goes in the hole regularly I'm leaving well enough alone.

 

[Smiffy]

Just put the bloody thing down and HIT IT!!

 

[DCB]

I've re-read Homers post a couple of times now and have also re-read some of the responses.

Have I read more into this than I should have or have some of you not really realised just how much movenet Homer appears to have on his take away.

To take the putter back outside the line and then be able to return it square and online is a fairly big "outside-the -line" movement in what should be a simple "back and through" action.

Without seeing the movement it's hard to say what is happening, but since putting is where we can make our score, if it were me, I'd be looking to iron out the extra un-necessary movement in the take-away.

I don't think Homer is anywhare near "paralysis by analysis" and all that crap, if he was, he'd be unable to get the putterhead back to the ball on a square path. He clearly can get through the ball and roll the putt to the hole.

 

[Smiffy]

I don't think Homer is anywhere near "paralysis by analysis" and all that crap

I think the term was used to highlight the fact that Homer spends more time than most either practicing or having lessons and trying to improve things when sometimes it is better to get back to basics and just hit the bloody thing..
Well that was my take on it

 

[USER1999]

Ditto. If you are worried (or even know) that you have too much movement in your stroke, you aren't concentrating enough on just getting the ball in the hole. Once you start looking too closely at technique, you will end up with a very mechanical swing, which really won't work at all.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Well there are several things to come out of this

Paralysis by analysis - what rubbish. All I was doing was looking at my stroke via the pathfinder and highlighted something I wasn't aware of. To be honest all I was doing was putting at home as there is nothing else open to do anything else

Certain people on here seem to have this pre-set mindset that I spend every minute practicing rather than playing. Again total rubbish. However I want to improve and where there are weaknesses (and in my game there are many) then it makes perfect sense to me to address them. I'm happy with my progress (20-11 in 2 1/2 years)

I did spend most of 2008 on the practice ground looking for a technically more secure swing and even I know I over practiced and worked on the wrong things. Thats not paralysis but an unstructured approach, particularly working on changes without a professional eye being cast over it. Two totally different things.

I agree that as the stroke does appear to be working (although still averaging 33.13 putts for last year). That did come down from 35.78 for the period Jan 09-Apr 09 following a lesson. I was just intrigued how I always seemed to hit the same pin but got it back square on anything over 5 foot. Take the pin out or give me a short putt and there isn't an issue. Until I look at a video of the clubhead later I won't know how much loop there is but I'm sure if it was a big figure of 8 I'd have seen it. I agree with DCB though that it is a worry on shortish distances to have an extra moving part. I have always been a feel putter and so I don't think there will be too much chance of me becoming technical. If anything I was too unorthordox for too long.

Finally to take a slight issue on Tigers point. With respect, you are still fairly new to the game and so off 28 there is a fair bit of leeway to take the odd 3 putt. However as you continue on your journey towards scratch you'll see the need to make the 10-15 footer for birdie and especially the 6 footers for par. That is when a solid putting action works more so than mind over matter a la Rotella (and I'm actually a fan of some of his stuff). If my stroke is looping then there will always be more chance of not getting back to square.

At the end of the day it was just something I noticed and thought about sharing (well there's bugger all chance of playing). As I said it was driving me nuts hitting the same pin. It wasn't suppose to be a debate on the merit of my practice regime (although I guess it comes with the territory now)

 

[Smiffy]

Sorry Homer.
Didn't mean any harm by it, but you do seem to spend an awful lot of time tweaking.
I still love ya

 

[bobmac]

Once again this thread shows how different we all are.
Some dont know how they do what they do and others have to know why they don't do what they think they are doing.

For those who, like Homer, like to examine their game more than the average bear I'd say look where your misses are. Left, right, short etc.
If you are hitting the same pin each time, check your grip. Experiment moving your right hand on the grip and see if that helps.
Also, check your hips aren't moving

 

[CrapHacker]

For those who, like Homer, like to examine their game more than the average bear I'd say look where your misses are. Left, right, short etc.

I don't care what anyone says - pros don't do any better than 80% success over 8-10 footers.

It can't matter where those 2 misses end up - correct anything to get them in the hole, and you'll end up missing the other 8 when the pressure's on.

If the stroke is repeatable under pressure and the club comes back square, it doesn't matter how many moving parts there are.

So, with all due respect, I say .......

 

[CrapHacker]

1)I'm sure if it was a big figure of 8 I'd have seen it.
2) I agree with DCB though that it is a worry on shortish distances to have an extra moving part.
3) I have always been a feel putter and so I don't think there will be too much chance of me becoming technical.

1) True
2) Nah. As long as it's consistant.
3) If you are a feel putter then too much correction might affect your feel, in a negative way.

I would have thought 33 putts is pretty good, anyway, although I can understand why you want to improve on it all the time.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Thanks for the pointers Bob. Off in a minute (once HID has finished playing with her new hoover) so I'll look at those (especially right hand and hips. I'll give the v-easy another whirl to make sure everything stays together

 

[bobmac]

For those who, like Homer, like to examine their game more than the average bear I'd say look where your misses are. Left, right, short etc.

I don't care what anyone says - pros don't do any better than 80% success over 8-10 footers.

It can't matter where those 2 misses end up - correct anything to get them in the hole, and you'll end up missing the other 8 when the pressure's on.

If the stroke is repeatable under pressure and the club comes back square, it doesn't matter how many moving parts there are.

So, with all due respect, I say .......

But if he's missing 2 out of 10, his swing isnt repeating.
I'd say its good to know why you are missing those 2 and where, and lets face it, it's not the green's fault.

 

[CrapHacker]

For those who, like Homer, like to examine their game more than the average bear I'd say look where your misses are. Left, right, short etc.

I don't care what anyone says - pros don't do any better than 80% success over 8-10 footers.

It can't matter where those 2 misses end up - correct anything to get them in the hole, and you'll end up missing the other 8 when the pressure's on.

If the stroke is repeatable under pressure and the club comes back square, it doesn't matter how many moving parts there are.

So, with all due respect, I say .......

But if he's missing 2 out of 10, his swing isnt repeating.
I'd say its good to know why you are missing those 2 and where, and lets face it, it's not the green's fault.

So apart from the fact that you know more than I, give me 6 good reasons why I should listen to you



<font color="pink"> Ok I'll admit defeat