Putting Help Needed for 6 Hcp.

[Jameson]

Missed 8 birdie putts yesterday, two from 3 feet!

Well my putting has finally driven me over the edge.

In spite of a very nice ballstriking round yesterday, these birdie opportunities haunt me. I mean I can understand a few missed, but not all of them. Especially the three footers, I hit such nice approach shots and stuck them tight but cant convert!

I hit one nice putt from about 45 feet and drained it from just off the fringe.

My lag putting is actually pretty good, I can lag it to 2-3 feet a good portion of the time. But from 0-6 feet I kinda think i have the yips. Aroun 10-20 feet I am decent, but close in I just cant focus. I normally will push the putts, just slightly.

Does anyone have any good drills? I do practice putting on a golf course right around the corner, about two-3 times a week for an hour each. Indoors I practice on my carpet every day for at least 15 mins.

Drills?

Please help.

JC

[PurePursuit]

A friend of mine who played in college said they would make a game out of it. They'd have to make 10, 3 footers in a row, then seven 6 footers, then four 10 foot puts. If you mess up you have to start over. You might find yourself out there for a while trying to accomplish this, but you'll definitely get better.

[Asleep]

...10, 3 footers in a row...

Then 20, then 30, then 40.....

[Jameson]

Is there something I should do to cure the BOREDOM.

 

I find practicing my putting so boring, and like I am forcing myself. After about 1/2 hour I am so bored just going through the motions etc.

 

Great advice thanks.

 

JC

[skatx2001]

Is there something I should do to cure the BOREDOM.

 

I find practicing my putting so boring, and like I am forcing myself. After about 1/2 hour I am so bored just going through the motions etc.

 

Great advice thanks.

 

JC

do the drill while betting on it with your buddies. if $$'s on the line you'll be focused the whole time hopefully without boredom. probably not the most orthodox but i think it would help me actually.

[Jameson]

Hey Skatx,

 

I dont really have any friends that play golf that live within an hour of me.

 

#2 - I have asked guys on the putting green to do ten cent matches, because I DO play/putt well with something on the line. Especially betting golf balls (titleists). People never seem to want to gamble with me.

 

For example, I played with two strangers yesterday and we did closest to the pin, the first three par 3's I won, and they didn't want to do it anymore. I did miss the birdie putts - and that is the reason for the post.

 

Anyone ever get a putting lesson? How would I qualify the pro/teacher?

 

JC

[Rockfish]

Once I've read the putt, picked out the line and thought about the speed I "program" in a 2 item "checklist" right before I take it back.

 

XX feet (for distance).

Accelerate through to the target.

 

Then I pull the trigger.

[Furrankee]

Well my putting has finally driven me over the edge.

 

In spite of a very nice ballstriking round yesterday, these birdie opportunities haunt me. I mean I can understand a few missed, but not all of them. Especially the three footers, I hit such nice approach shots and stuck them tight but cant convert!

 

I hit one nice putt from about 45 feet and drained it from just off the fringe.

 

My lag putting is actually pretty good, I can lag it to 2-3 feet a good portion of the time. But from 0-6 feet I kinda think i have the yips. Aroun 10-20 feet I am decent, but close in I just cant focus. I normally will push the putts, just slightly.

 

Does anyone have any good drills? I do practice putting on a golf course right around the corner, about two-3 times a week for an hour each. Indoors I practice on my carpet every day for at least 15 mins.

 

Drills?

 

Please help.

 

JC

 

Straight plane line.

 

Square putter face.

 

Forward leaning shaft at impact.

 

Also, your mind is probably on your putterhead, and not in your hands.

 

Is there something I should do to cure the BOREDOM.

 

I find practicing my putting so boring, and like I am forcing myself. After about 1/2 hour I am so bored just going through the motions etc.

 

Great advice thanks.

 

JC

 

If putting is boring, that's already an indicator of how you perceive the putting game.

 

Try reading some of Rotella's books - "Putting out of your mind", "Golf is a game of confidence".

[skatx2001]

i suppose we all golf to shoot better rounds than we did before. i.e besides the fun of the game, the most immense part of what keeps me golfing all the time is to break my lowest round. maybe keep a record of how many putts you can sink in a row during that drill mentioned earlier, and keep trying to break that personal best.

[pingeye]

I have the same problem every once in a while on the short ones. I fix by shortening my backswing with the putter and focus on my hands. Then make sure the putter is following the ball on the forward swing and not stopping after impact. This works for me pretty well.

[Jameson]

Yes I do concenrate on the putterhead.

 

Should I concentrate on where my hands are? Can you explain better?

 

Great advice, much appreciated.

 

JC

[Sean2]

I average 30 putts a round (my long game is what needs surgery!) and my only swing thought is shoulders back, shoulders through. I keep my hands and arms out of it.

[Furrankee]

Yes I do concenrate on the putterhead.

 

Should I concentrate on where my hands are? Can you explain better?

 

Great advice, much appreciated.

 

JC

 

JC,

 

Depending on what type of putter head, loft, offset, and shaft angle you have with your putter, it all affects the visual aspect of putting. WHen you look down at your putter and your ball, what are you looking at? Are you looking at the back of the ball? Are you looking in a general area? Or are you looking at your putter head with all its lines, offsets and headshapes. Visually, it can be overwhelming. You feel like the putter face is always somewhat open or somewhat closed at impact.

 

Your eye line and head position, relative to ball position, can also affect reading the break and striking the putt.

 

The reason why I said "straight plane line", "square putter face" and "forward leaning shaft at impact" is because it simplifies a lot of the visual uneasiness one gets when putting short putts. If you keep your mind (your thoughts, your focus) on the putter head, you'll almost always react to the way the putter head moves. With all its lines and quirky shapes, it's really hard to concentrate on keeping a straight plane line and a square face.

 

Work on a good putting grip and work on a straight plane line with a squared up putter face.

 

Green reading and such, that's a different topic all together.

[ezra76]

I just go say "straight back, straight through" and show my putterface to the line. If that line is a shorter, straight putt, then I show the face to the back of the hole. Inside 3-4 I put it off the back of the hole unless its a ton of break. Moderate break, I'm throating it. My boss told me that earlier in the year when I had trouble on short ones, it helped a lot.

 

I also try to putt agressively. Uphill putts never go in if they are short and downhillers... if they go by, they go by, I'd rather have the second one be uphill and know the break. The mistake was already made when I failed to leave the ball below the hole on the approach IMO.

[troysbama1]

I used to have this problem as well. I noticed after a while that I was not focused on the ball when making my putt and I would watch the putter come back out of the corner of my eye. This would force me to try guiding the face. Now, I stand over the ball until I've picked out a couple of dimples and really focus on that particular spot of the ball. It drives my partners nuts but when I make my stroke it's much smoother since I'm not concerned with manipulating it. Also, make sure you're letting the putter follow the ball and not stopping after you make contact. It may not work for you but it really helped me with the short ones

[Jameson]

GReAT advice,

 

Starting holing a few 10-12 in a row 3-4 footers last night. Got on a bit of a roll.

 

I dont stop the putter, for all intesive purposes my stroke LOOKS good when people see it. But results are not good. I am convinced that I am not focused enough on course with the putting. The full swing I just get up and hit it, because I swing better that way. But with putting maybe I need to take my time more?

 

JC

[Furrankee]

GReAT advice,

 

Starting holing a few 10-12 in a row 3-4 footers last night. Got on a bit of a roll.

 

I dont stop the putter, for all intesive purposes my stroke LOOKS good when people see it. But results are not good. I am convinced that I am not focused enough on course with the putting. The full swing I just get up and hit it, because I swing better that way. But with putting maybe I need to take my time more?

 

JC

 

Have you ever noticed that with putting, or any other part of the game, it doesn't matter how you look on video or in pictures. It doesn't matter when you look at Tiger Woods' putting stroke from face on or down the line.

 

All that matters is what you see and feel from your viewpoint. So what is your viewpoint?

 

It's what your mind sees when you're standing over a putt.

 

Try this drill:

 

Get your putter. Get a ball. Aim at something. Another ball for instance. Get into your setup. I don't care if you employ a narrow or wide stance. I don't care if you're standing erect or bent over. Get your grip, whatever it is.

 

Now try to look at your ball, target line and hole by having your neck and back of head perpendicular to the ground. Try to look down from this position.

 

l_ <---- face on view for a right handed golfer.

 

Impossible right? Your eyes are hurting because you're looking through the bottom of your eye sockets.

 

Next angle your neck and back of head 45 degrees from ground.

 

/_

 

Sight gets betters. But you're still slightly looking through the bottom of your eye sockets.

 

Now angle your neck and back of head so that they're parallel to the ground.

 

=

 

It should be easier to see the line.

 

Now from this position

 

=

 

Get your putter and place it on your eyeline. Try to rotate your head as if you're saying "no" to the ground. Say "no" to the right. Notice what happens to the shaft. Say "no" to the left. Notice what happens to the shaft. It rotates on a straight plane line.

 

Try this shaft drill with your neck and back of head at a 45 degree angle. Rotate your head "no" left and right. It feels like your sightline moves around more in an arc. When that happens your eyes has to adjust to see that straight plane line or target line.

 

For example, a golfer sets up to putt with their neck, back of head line and eye line at the 45 degrees angle. They look at their ball, then they look at their target (in this case the hole). What happens is, as their eyeballs and head rotate left to look at the hole, the hole now appears to be more right than it is because their head and eyes have now rotated left. To adjust, their eyes shift sorta upward to look at the hole. When that happens, the hole looks right in your mind's eye. So instead of trusting your original line and instinct, you consciously open the putter face and/or alter the plane line to be further right than the original.

 

The hole almost always looks farther right when you putt with everything 45 degrees angled at setup.

[lee.eldridge]

If you are a 6 handicap and miss 10-12 greens a round (8 birdie putts leads me to believe you were only on the green in regulation 8 times), then you are actually better than average at putting, with a slight case of the chokes from 3'-4'.

 

My advice is to hit more greens in regulation and calm down on the greens. =)

[alexthegrrr8]

I hear you my friend. I'm not in a real reading mood today so I apologize if there are some duplicated thoughts. Here is some of my insight...or at least what cured some of my putting blues.

 

1. Remember putting is all about grip pressure, grip pressure and did I mention grip pressure. Don't grip that handle too tight. I'm a right handed golfer (but I write with my left hand) and I was guilty for some time of gripping to tight with the left hand. I finally gripped tight and then let right off with the left hand and voila... a much better stroke.

 

2. Maybe on those two to three footers you're over analyzing the putt. Perhaps from different angles. Look at it and feel it. The more brainless on those putts the better.

 

3. A tip I got from a publication. Place a ball down 9 inches behind two tees about three feet from the hole. You'll see that your 9 inch putt will roll the 3 feet. Then guess what ??? Your 3 footers are now simply tap-ins. Yep it's true and it works.

 

4. How are you mentally when it comes to putting? Are you thinking "if I could"? If so de-rail that train of thought. Think that you're going to make every putt.

 

5. I mentioned it in point 2. Don't think.

 

Again I am no instructor but I practiced what I preached and my putting went from about 32 putts a round to about 28. It's 4 strokes but it is 4 strokes. My lowest putts per round this season was a 25. I'm a 3 (round figures) and my issue is simply more g.i.r. are needed.

 

Good luck, and it'll come around....no worries.

 

Alex

[mikpga]

Your number one problem is stated by yourself, BOREDOM.

 

You need to change your view of practicing putting. Do you like the fact that you can't convert any of these birdie opportunities?

 

Spend 10 minutes practicing only two foot putts. Hit some chip shots. Spend another 10 minutes practicing only two foot putts. Hit some lag putts. Spend another 10 minutes practicing three foot putts. Etc...

 

1. Learn to mix it up.

2. Always leave the putting green making a lot of putts.

[larrybud]

Well my putting has finally driven me over the edge.

 

In spite of a very nice ballstriking round yesterday, these birdie opportunities haunt me. I mean I can understand a few missed, but not all of them. Especially the three footers, I hit such nice approach shots and stuck them tight but cant convert!

 

I hit one nice putt from about 45 feet and drained it from just off the fringe.

 

My lag putting is actually pretty good, I can lag it to 2-3 feet a good portion of the time. But from 0-6 feet I kinda think i have the yips. Aroun 10-20 feet I am decent, but close in I just cant focus. I normally will push the putts, just slightly.

 

Does anyone have any good drills? I do practice putting on a golf course right around the corner, about two-3 times a week for an hour each. Indoors I practice on my carpet every day for at least 15 mins.

 

Drills?

 

Please help.

 

JC

 

Very simple yet effective drill... Place a coin or a ball marker with a picture/symbol under the ball when practicing. Make your stroke, and keep looking down until your eyes refocus on the image on the coil or marker. It takes a second for your eyes to refocus, and by then the ball is long gone.

 

The purpose of this drill is to keep you down on the ball until it's gone. If you're missing a lot of 2-3 footers, you're posture is probably changing during the stroke, lifting your head, moving your head toward the target, etc.

 

I have learned to refocus on the GRASS below the ball when playing.

 

Another drill is on putts 6' or less, NEVER see the ball go into the hole, but listen for it. Again, this promotes your head and body staying still over the putt.

[larrybud]

A friend of mine who played in college said they would make a game out of it. They'd have to make 10, 3 footers in a row, then seven 6 footers, then four 10 foot puts. If you mess up you have to start over. You might find yourself out there for a while trying to accomplish this, but you'll definitely get better.

 

I don't see how you'll get better if you're trying to engrain a bad stroke. You have to figure out why you're missing the putts (poor path, poor face angle, poor speed? all three?) then do drills to fix the issue.

[Britboy]

Interesting thread as I had my best ever ball striking round ever at the weekend...and my worst putting round for some time...To some extent more greens hit means longer first putts but also I think good ball striking puts additional pressure on putting which is why I wish I'd read my Rotella book the night before !! "Putting out of your mind" is the answer !!

[Shaitan]

I agree with a lot of these posters that you cannot focus on the clubhead when putting. I focus on the ball or just behind it when making my stroke so it removes watching anything that is moving (which takes your mind off the task). A good drill is a gate drill with 3 balls, one in the middle and the two outside acting as a tight gate for your putter. Focus your eyes on the middle ball or just behind it and hit putts until you don't hit the outer two balls.