Carpet Putting

[hackingsince08]

maybe this is the wrong forum to ask this in.. moderators please handle as needed. thank you.

 

I can only get out to play every other weekend :( So I often do alot of short game practice in my apt. Chipping onto my bed and rolling putts. Just trying to get a base idea of stroke and pace of the ball on carpet versus greens. So that brings me to my question:

 

What does the typical midwest public course green measure at? (stimp? stump? lol i'm not sure what the correct term is)

And what would a guesstimation be for the typical apartment carpet?

How about the in store putting surfaces (like at DSG or GolfSmith)?

 

I tend to believe the roll is slower on the carpet versus the green but maybe I'm mistaken. I wonder if putting on the carpet at home is more of a detriment than helpful.

[hayzooos]

Practicing on the carpet will be great for grooving your stroke, but not for developing speed sense, if you want to call it that. Most nicer courses in the midwest will have bent grass greens, and they usually roll on the quicker side. What is average? I have no idea, but I would say 9-10 is probably about right.

Your $20 muni might be around a 7 and your $150 semi-private club might be more towards 10.5-11. The turf at golf shops will probably be around the 11-12 range, but I really have no idea on those, don't use them much.

You ever notice a lot of people draw a line on their ball and line it up when they putt? I would suggest doing something like this at your place. Hit some putts and make sure that line is going end-over-end and not wobbling at all. This will help you create a good putting stroke, and starting the ball out online. If you can do that, speed you can learn pretty quickly going to a practice green at a golf course, but same thing with a good stroke...

[choeppner]

[quote name='hayzooos' date='16 July 2010 - 04:43 PM' timestamp='1279316584' post='2580658']
You ever notice a lot of people draw a line on their ball and line it up when they putt? I would suggest doing something like this at your place. Hit some putts and make sure that line is going end-over-end and not wobbling at all. This will help you create a good putting stroke, and starting the ball out online. If you can do that, speed you can learn pretty quickly going to a practice green at a golf course, but same thing with a good stroke...
[/quote]

This is exactly what I do. I use the line to ensure I am getting a true stroke and not wobbling at all. Then when I get to the course, I can adjust my speed to their greens.

-Chris

[mac94]

My carpet is faster than the greens I tend to play.

[GaijinGolfer]

Putting on your living room carpet will be good practice, it will just be much slower than any green.

[hackingsince08]

oh good thought! I hadn't ever put a line on them. A lot of the time it's just two balls and I try to putt one out to a target (in my mind or a wayward sock on the floor.. lol) and then the second one.. I try and hit the 1st. I will definitely add a line to them as well and take a look at the roll.

[PuttingDoctor]

Hack, what's missing here is the magic question... What kind of carpet are you putting on???

Chris, while I agree with the stripe I would want to check that the nap of the carpet is not going to influence the roll. I have a very true stroke and yet my living room carpet will make the ball weave and wobble.

Hack, if you work with a static stance and stroke and don't use a back stroke that exceeds say your rear foot you'll have a constant. I would not try to vary targets as you'll be grooving your stroke for the speed of the carpet which likely is slower than what you'll play on. Rather I would work with only one length of stroke and let the speed of the carpet dictate how far out you'll place your target.

[lucksack]

carpet drives me nuts. always hit clean chips especially. I practice and aim at my stairs and try and land on different steps. works great but then stink it up at the course.

[ttaylor0024]

[quote name='mac94' date='16 July 2010 - 03:55 PM' timestamp='1279317318' post='2580680']
My carpet is faster than the greens I tend to play.
[/quote]

Same. My carpet I putt on is easily 2x as fast as the grass greens I play...

[RookieBlue7]

I'd tend to say putting on a harder surface (like your kitchen floor unless it's carpet) that's flat would help you at home more than putting on carpet. You likely don't have a surface in your home that will match up to anything on the course, speed wise. But, putting on a harder, flat surface will do more to help you groove your stroke on carpet, depending on your carpet variety. Office carpet (the thin stuff that's real short nap and has a rubber backing) is good to groove a stroke on, but berber or the thicker, longer nap carpets, IMO, aren't really that good because they have inconsistencies that could influence the roll of the ball and make it look like you're not rolling the ball end over end. In the kitchen, unless you have tile, you can putt and as long as the floor is level, you'll see an end over end roll better and it won't be influenced by the carpet's texture at all. Just my opinion though. Speed is of no consequence putting inside your home because you're not trying to get your speed right, just the technique. I'm led to believe that you have a longer nap carpet because of chipping off of it, etc.

[buckhorn70]

What is the best Carpet to practice on?

[supernads]

Berber probably is best for approximating a green.... unless you play like I do, then you will need shag and a 56* wedge with extra bounce.

[buckhorn70]

Wouldn't Berber be to bumpy for putting?

[RookieBlue7]

Industrial thin carpet with the rubber backing. It's short firm napped and smooth.

[supernads]

Wouldn't Berber be to bumpy for putting?

 

Nah, it's just like a fresh aerated green.

[mesomike]

It might mess with your speed, but you can definitely improve your stroke.

[hayzooos]

Yeah, I hear you guys about the type of carpet. I was going on the assumption that he has pretty short carpet and not some shag stuff from the 70's. It'd kinda be like putting from the rough!

To the guy about using one stroke and adjusting your target to that distance...great call, I like that idea.

[highergr0und]

If you have a reliable baseline stroke (core putt), speed isn't an issue. Practice line a ton and gauge distance on the green before the round.

[crtssxc]

What I realized is that I was practicing on the carpet barefoot, and when I put shoes on it threw my stroke off a bit because of my stance/posture. Just something to think about.

[Snowgod]

[quote name='crtssxc' date='19 July 2010 - 12:29 PM' timestamp='1279556985' post='2585791']
What I realized is that I was practicing on the carpet barefoot, and when I put shoes on it threw my stroke off a bit because of my stance/posture. Just something to think about.
[/quote]

I use a shorter putter when I practice barefoot. I also use a marine carpet I got at home depot as it rolls very much like the local greens. Comes in many colors but only black in stock at my local store. West marine had many more colors.

[dogfather526]

Worrying more about aim and stroke, I practice on my hardwod floor at home. Putting parallel to the boards, I try to keep the ball on the same board across the 10 feet of my dining room. I don't worry about speed at all, just taking the club back and through the same distance with the same tempo every time. I play at enough different courses that it doesnt do me any good to groove my stroke to one certain speed.

[alittleoverpar]

Wouldn't Berber be to bumpy for putting?

 

Nah, it's just like a fresh aerated green.

 

Minus the sand.

[courserecordmaker23]

put a cup or or one of the holes u can buy at a golf store to give you something to putt too

[GetmeouttaJersey]

I agree with the fact that putting on a firm surface such as wood or laminite flooring will best show the flaws in your stroke. Then again, if the course you regularly play has extremely slow greens, you may be leaving a fair number of your putts short. I play in alot of amateur tournaments/qualifiers/ect. and I adjust my practice routine at the house according to where I'll be playing. If I'm playing lightening greens, I'll practice putting on our hardwood floor to a putting cup I have. If I'm going to be playin some slower greens, I'll stroke my putts on our carpet that runs about 8 on the stimp(yes I checked, nerd alert!)

Back when Tiger was still @ Stanford, he actually prepared for the Augusta greens by putting on the basketball court. If Tiger is doing it, I'll sure as hell follow, unless its a blonde or brunette!!!(maybe)

I'm also a fan of putting with a fine line on the ball. I typically will aim the line where I want the putt to start, then all I have to worry about is my speed. Really simplifies my putting and limits the 3 putts....

[hackingsince08]

man lots of good comments, thank you all. never thought of the hard floor practice. although i expect i'll never play such fast greens. i somewhat regret buying an insert putter. to me.. they seem harder to judge speed off of. sometimes that thing just launches the ball it seems. my old putter from the 30 dollar old set i bought when i started golfing in 2008.. it seemed easier to judge speed. i feel like i put a good putting stroke with either club but distance has been a real mystery this season (my 1st with the white hot xg #1)