Why do I miss putts? I know!

[ManinBlack]

After my woes of yesterday I got the putting mat out, haven't used it for a while. From the word go I'm holing 5½ foot putts, one after the other into the dead centre of the hole. Don't remember holing one of these yesterday. Conclusion? I'm crap at reading greens. Whilst it's nice to know that aim & stroke are OK its a bit disturbing to discover that they all miss due to misread. On the three footers, if I aim with a little borrow & hit it firmly it often misses high side, if I give it dead weight I often miss low. The answer is obvious but not so easy to do.

Do you know why you miss putts?

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Usually alignment. My son pointed out I was closed off and got me to pull my right shoulder back. The last couple of times since then I have sunk more putts or left them closer. Not perfect but definitely better.

It is good to know your default problem.

 

[Hosel Fade]

After my woes of yesterday I got the putting mat out, haven't used it for a while. From the word go I'm holing 5½ foot putts, one after the other into the dead centre of the hole. Don't remember holing one of these yesterday. Conclusion? I'm crap at reading greens. Whilst it's nice to know that aim & stroke are OK its a bit disturbing to discover that they all miss due to misread. On the three footers, if I aim with a little borrow & hit it firmly it often misses high side, if I give it dead weight I often miss low. The answer is obvious but not so easy to do.

Do you know why you miss putts?

How does holing putts with the mat tell your alignment is ok?

 

[ManinBlack]

How does holing putts with the mat tell your alignment is ok?

Although the line of the mat helps a bit I actually line up so that the alignment line of the putter appears to line up with the target. Then I pull the trigger & it goes in. So I either aim left or right & pull or push the putt or aim straight & swing square. Whatever, more go in this way than on the course.

 

[Imurg]

Do you know why you miss putts?

Pace.
Pure and simple
I can usually pick the line but you need the right pace to go with it.
I've said it before.. how many times do you miss 5feet right or left? Probably not that often unless it's a real slope..
How often do you miss 5 feet long or short.....many more times.
Get the pace right.

 

[ScienceBoy]

Poor stroke coming from bad setup.

Get the setup right and I middle them

 

[ManinBlack]

Pace.
Pure and simple
I can usually pick the line but you need the right pace to go with it.
I've said it before.. how many times do you miss 5feet right or left? Probably not that often unless it's a real slope..
How often do you miss 5 feet long or short.....many more times.
Get the pace right.

Sure you're right. On a putt of up to 5 feet there are a number of correct lines, depending on the pace. I just seem to pick the wrong one most times.

 

[Jensen]

You can look too much into things and over think. See breaks that aren't there. Trust your instinct

 

[Lord Tyrion]

You can look too much into things and over think. See breaks that aren't there. Trust your instinct

I acted as a starter at a recent league day at our club, lots of different h/c. For those who asked about tips for the round I told them not to look too deeply into putts on our greens. 90% are dead straight yet time and time again I hear people say "it didn't turn" as another one rolled past. I think your advice applies to a lot more courses than just mine.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Probably alignment. I use a mirror regularly to check eyes are over the ball and shoulders are square

 

[ManinBlack]

Probably alignment. I use a mirror regularly to check eyes are over the ball and shoulders are square

But "I'm holing 5½ foot putts, one after the other into the dead centre of the hole"

 

[ManinBlack]

You can look too much into things and over think. See breaks that aren't there. Trust your instinct

I see the break, it takes the break & finishes left or right without any consistency.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

But "I'm holing 5½ foot putts, one after the other into the dead centre of the hole"

But I find it's with shorter ones where there isn't much break that I get lazy on and can get open with my shoulders.

 

[Face breaker]

I find that I bottle it quite a lot in an attempt not to 'whack it 10ft past the hole' which then leaves me about 3ft short most of the time...

And as for the sub 3 footers...