Hovering your putter...

[RobNY22]

For the past few rounds and practice on the greens I have been hovering my putter just off the ground before taking the club back. I feel like hovering the putter gives me a good sense of my grip pressure... if my grip pressure is too tense while hovering the putter, the putter head tends to sway. When I lighten the pressure the putter head is more still. I also feel like I have been taking the putter back MUCH smoother.

 

My routine is that I read the line of the putt, take two practice strokes while staring at the hole, set my putter on the ground of where I want to start the ball, pick up the putter head ever so slightly, and start my backswing. Since doing it I have had more confidence on short putts. I also feel more comfortable with my lag putting. Putting is ALWAYS a work in progress, but right now this feels right.

 

Has anyone else tried this? Is this a temporary fix or something that can have actual lasting success long term? Thoughts?

[TheLetterSee]

I hover with my putter and I get the same feeling as you, Tight grip pressure and it sways. It's more of a check/part of my routine than actually helping with my stroke. I feel like the putter head isn't really off the ground but just barely touching the tips of the grass because if I try to REALLY hover it, I feel like I'm going to thin my putts and I won't have any consistency.

 

Edit: Ever since I started doing this, I haven't had more than 30 putts per round and I average 1.56 putts per hole and 1.7 putts per GIR. On Arccos Golf, my putting handicap is +6.5.

[RobNY22]

I hover with my putter and I get the same feeling as you, Tight grip pressure and it sways. It's more of a check/part of my routine than actually helping with my stroke. I feel like the putter head isn't really off the ground but just barely touching the tips of the grass because if I try to REALLY hover it, I feel like I'm going to thin my putts and I won't have any consistency.

 

Edit: Ever since I started doing this, I haven't had more than 30 putts per round and I average 1.56 putts per hole and 1.7 putts per GIR. On Arccos Golf, my putting handicap is +6.5.

 

I have yet to feel like I am thinning putts, but if that becomes an issue I will definitely use it as my swing thought.

[TheLetterSee]

I hover with my putter and I get the same feeling as you, Tight grip pressure and it sways. It's more of a check/part of my routine than actually helping with my stroke. I feel like the putter head isn't really off the ground but just barely touching the tips of the grass because if I try to REALLY hover it, I feel like I'm going to thin my putts and I won't have any consistency.

 

Edit: Ever since I started doing this, I haven't had more than 30 putts per round and I average 1.56 putts per hole and 1.7 putts per GIR. On Arccos Golf, my putting handicap is +6.5.

 

I have yet to feel like I am thinning putts, but if that becomes an issue I will definitely use it as my swing thought.

It's not that I feel like I'm thinning them in the sense of a wedge going 100 yards further than a normal wedge shot but the feel off the face of the putter from one that is out of the middle and one that is slightly lower is different. That's what I mean by thinning. Just the feel is different and thus, harder to judge distances when the feel is constantly changing.

 

Hovering slightly (probably not actually even leaving the ground) still gives me that middle contact (top to bottom, I still hit some off the toe or heel) 100% of the time while at the same time, not worrying about my putter catching the grass on the way back.

 

It's hard to explain what I mean but I know what I'm trying say. If this doesn't make sense, I'm sorry. It's hard for me to put into words what I'm feeling when I putt.

[RobNY22]

I gotcha

[swizbeatz]

I do the same, picked it up from watching close ups of Fowler on tv I

[Forged4ever]

I've hovered all of my clubs since I was 15yo-

 

I have never had any thoughts or fears of "thinning" the ball because I visualize a solid square impact position and that is what I usually got.

 

I controled my thoughts, not vice versa-

 

I would begin my swing/stroke off of my last waggle-

 

The Best to ya?

RP

[Mitchell]

Besides the benefit of increasing awareness of clubhead feel, hovering on all clubs eliminates a major possibility of incurring penalty from ball moving at address.

[596]

I don't hover anything, driver, putter, irons. I tried it and don't like it. Took too much effort/thought to hold it steady. I lightly ground everything, except in hazards and traps. I've never noticed a problem in the take away with hitting anything.

[RobNY22]

I don't hover anything, driver, putter, irons. I tried it and don't like it. Took too much effort/thought to hold it steady. I lightly ground everything, except in hazards and traps. I've never noticed a problem in the take away with hitting anything.

 

Never felt the need to try it with irons, but gave hovering the driver a whirl at the range and did not like it at all. But I do see tons of people doing it. Right now, just the putter for me

[hoselrocketman]

For the past few rounds and practice on the greens I have been hovering my putter just off the ground before taking the club back. I feel like hovering the putter gives me a good sense of my grip pressure... if my grip pressure is too tense while hovering the putter, the putter head tends to sway. When I lighten the pressure the putter head is more still. I also feel like I have been taking the putter back MUCH smoother.

 

My routine is that I read the line of the putt, take two practice strokes while staring at the hole, set my putter on the ground of where I want to start the ball, pick up the putter head ever so slightly, and start my backswing. Since doing it I have had more confidence on short putts. I also feel more comfortable with my lag putting. Putting is ALWAYS a work in progress, but right now this feels right.

 

Has anyone else tried this? Is this a temporary fix or something that can have actual lasting success long term? Thoughts?

Yes. I have been doing this for several weeks now and it has allowed me to control the length of my putting takeaway much better than the old "start dragging it away" while the putter head is grounded behind the ball. I have always been amazed at the very short length of putter backswing the touring pros take, particularly on putts under 10 feet. Looks like they only take it back a few inches. I have always taken it back at least a foot or foot and a half! Hover helps!

[BillyZ2]

At address, I initially ground my putter then before I start my backstroke I hover the putter momentarily to correct any sideways tendency, reground the putter and then start the stroke. As the op alluded to, consistent grip pressure is very important, imo.

[harolease]

I like to do the total opposite I tap the putter on the ground with my left hand before I putt especially if it's a straight uphill putt and I don't want to go give the hole away