Will a new putter help

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louise_a

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Serious question.

I have been hitting the ball really well recently but constantly messing up by missing putts. My long putting is pretty good but when faced with a shortish one, I wave my putter around, I cant seem to make a nice smooth backswing.
I often miss ones under 3 feet and rarely hole anything from 3-10 feet.

This is clearly nowhere near good enough when compared with the rest of my game, I have tried allsorts to improve but nothing helps.
I m not one to blame the clubs but I really do wonder whether a putter with a heavier head would help or do I just resign myself to being a rubbish putter?
 
I've seen you putt often enough to know you are peeking at the hole on short putts. keep that head still.


Remember the last time I told you this it improved your putting no end. we all slip into old habits.
 
Sometimes a change of putter/club has to be done because the current tool gets inside your head, and the only way to break the vicious circle is a new toy.

I'd also recommend a putting mirror. A decent one can be had for about £20. Its a good way to check alignment/head over the ball. YouTube "putting mirror"
 
How about a change of grip ? I had the same issue until I moved to a SS grip
 
garyinderry said:
I've seen you putt often enough to know you are peeking at the hole on short putts. keep that head still.


Remember the last time I told you this it improved your putting no end. we all slip into old habits.
Click to expand...

I believe I have fixed that Gary, I stare pointedly at the ground when I putt.
 
Don't forget it's still winter and greens aren't exactly smooth yet. I would simply get down to the putting green and work on it. I find one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/PUTT-PUTTING-TRAINING-AID-REDUCER/dp/B000FFYITO works a treat although I tend not use the smaller ring too often. A little while of holing 2-3 footers with it in and then take it out and the hole looks massive. Great for confidence. I'm sure you can work through it
 
louise_a said:
SS grip?
Click to expand...

Sorry Superstroke Grip

Just felt more comfortable and kept my hands quieter especially during the short putts.


And also as Gary says ensuring not taking a peek at the hole whilst putting
 
louise_a said:
Serious question.

I have been hitting the ball really well recently but constantly messing up by missing putts. My long putting is pretty good but when faced with a shortish one, I wave my putter around, I cant seem to make a nice smooth backswing.
I often miss ones under 3 feet and rarely hole anything from 3-10 feet.

This is clearly nowhere near good enough when compared with the rest of my game, I have tried allsorts to improve but nothing helps.
I m not one to blame the clubs but I really do wonder whether a putter with a heavier head would help or do I just resign myself to being a rubbish putter?
Click to expand...
Sometimes a new putter helps but it must be a good fit for you.
I had this exact problem and went to a SAM putting lab in Hopwood Manchester .
problem solved with face balanced Scoty Kombi with 20g counter weight in grip.
Go get fit you have no excuses then but no reason to have doughts either.
good tip for peeking is put ball on five pence piece keep looking at coin until you hear ball drop in hole.

ps I do like the look of the Evnroll #2 I am tempted .
 
Last edited:
Liverpoolphil said:
Sorry Superstroke Grip

Just felt more comfortable and kept my hands quieter especially during the short putts.


And also as Gary says ensuring not taking a peek at the hole whilst putting
Click to expand...

A SS grip has helped me too. It's made me a lot less wristy. I'm making a lot more putts now and I'm a lot less wafty!!
 
I have 3 very different putters. It makes no difference which one i use. Either you can putt, or you cant. Exhibit 1, justin rose, exhibit 2, sergio. They have tried all the putters, all the grips, all the left hand low, claw, etc. None of it makes a jot if you cant putt.
 
It's possible the putter doesn't suit you.

As mad as it sounds, I can't keep a moderate toe hang putter (i.e. Anser type) from wobbling when I take it back, but am fine with either face balanced or toe down.

Pop into your pro shop or similar and wave a few around. You don't even need to hit balls to start with, you'll know when you make a stroke with one.
 
For me, there are a couple of parts. Are the putts you are missing rolling along the line you believe, or are they not starting anywhere near your intended line?
If the former, then it is just your green reading. If they are starting nowhere near where you want them, then a new putter may be the answer....or at least a look from a specialist.

I haven't looked back since I got fitted for me Edel almost a year ago
 
Thanks for all the comments, my main problem on short putts and I don't have the problem with long ones is that I cannot take the club back smoothly, I have a very wobbly back swing on the short ones.
 
would never try to dissuade any folks from buying a new flat stick or trying a new grip as either/both could help to get out of a putting funk - (& always real useful to get fitted for the putter - good deal of folks using putters that are too long)

but truth is it's always is in some ways some kinda technique issue if the putter head is moving a tad erratically in the take back

so with or without new grip/new putter couple things maybes worth some consideration

things in my experience have found often times play into the issue described in the results of both missing short & also having difficulties in controlling the take back are just where the handle is lying in the hands
problems with this tend to be - regardless which is the top hand on the handle (left or right) - with the handle lying more in the same way as the hold used with the clubs in the rest of the bag so more diagonally - this encourages more active hands/wrists and a motion that is more hands/n arms controlled - this all not much if at all connected to the shoulders

with this the putter head moves a fair distance (relatively speaking) with the hands/arms without the shoulders moving any very difficult with this independent motion to much real 'control' either of path or how far the back stroke is - so too often the back stroke wavers around some and travels to far back so there's also a bit of a quit on the motion through the ball

assuming weather over there allows would set up with say 6 balls at 3' around the clock face and mark those balls with a red dot say the size of one dimple (the 'dot' atop the ball) - focus eyes on that red spot (often times with folks issues around the putter head being unstable as tit moves away it's a ways too easy, sometimes without realizing, that even with an intent to keep the head still the eyes follow the putter head - so focus on a dot atop the ball good ways to stop this

even with the focus previously of keeping the head still - still easy to have the hips move or/& the whole upper body moving fractional towards the hole on the forward stroke - seen this many times with folks absolutely convinced they kept the head still
so is any putting practice recorded on the cell so it can be reviewed during practice to see exactly what's going down?

so lastly speaking to how the handle best lies in the hands - given that a putting stroke is best controlled with the shoulders and given also you don't need club head speed so no real wrist/hand independent motion - the putter handle really needs to be aligned more with/along the length of the hands as opposed to being diagonally across them

so if the lead arm hanging with an open hand fingers point directly at the ground the handle would run more along that vertical length of the hand, the thumb pad directly against the handle thumb placed atop the flat of the handle then the fingers close around - yep that will feel first off mighty strange if the handle normally hasn't been in that kinda orientation, the trail hand just brought open fingers pointing to ground to the rear of the handle thumb placed atop then the fingers closed - the putter shaft would now be more inline with the arms

focus on movement would be that the lead shoulder initiates the motion the so shoulders/arms/hands/handle and putter head all move as one - with the structure shape of the arm triangle not changing
with the shoulders control it's then a ways easier for with a 3' putt the length of the back stroke actual amount the putter head moves to be some say around 3" and then smoothly through at the same speed if went back again around 3" through the stroke

can practice the stroke motion indoors without a putter - just get into posture arms hanging with the hands open palms together and just feel how the shoulder motion controls the motion of the arms with the hands in this 'fingers to ground prayer position' so the hands do not move at the wrist joints at all - also easier to feel how the shoulders can easily control the smaller amount of movement that a short putt distance warrants
 
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