Heads up putting

[lefthack]

1 minute ago, sekrah said:

Yea, like I said I'll practice stroke looking at the hole and trying to sink that feeling in as I go hit the putt.. Sometimes works really well, but if I don't strike it solidly it doesn't work.  Just something I need to practice more.

 

I have not been doing a practice stroke. But I also look at the hole and not the line. I set up on the line, but I am looking at the hole.

 

I am interested in what the books take on it is. I've just been winging it so far, but damn if it doesn't work for me.

[sekrah]

34 minutes ago, lefthack said:

 

I have not been doing a practice stroke. But I also look at the hole and not the line. I set up on the line, but I am looking at the hole.

 

I am interested in what the books take on it is. I've just been winging it so far, but damn if it doesn't work for me.

 

 

Oh it definitely works.  You can win money betting your buddies on some pre-round closest to the hole games on the practice green.  A 50 foot putt after getting right out the car, I would bet it all on the guy looking at the hole when he strokes it.

 

Edited July 14, 2021 by sekrah

[lefthack]

It was this article that got me trying it. Also read the study.

 

https://golf.com/instruction/putting/tony-finau-putting-2021-masters-technique/

 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320295205_Evaluation_of_Near_Versus_Far_Target_Visual_Focus_Strategies_With_Breaking_Putts

Edited July 14, 2021 by lefthack

[MaineMariner]

1 hour ago, sekrah said:

I just posted about this on another thread, but do you look at the baseball in your hand as you're throwing it? 

 

When I'm on the practice green I am looking at the hole all the time.. I take my practice strokes looking at the hole and If you can perfect your stroke - and trust it - you can definitely do it in a live round.

 

I think distinction with the baseball analogy is that the baseball is already in your hand when you are throwing it. I've tried head's up putting a few times and have had some really good success, but there's one thing that always holds me back: the occasional really bad contact with the ball. That doesn't happen with my standard putting approach.

 

Imagine an infielder charging a ground ball to bare hand it. He's not looking at the ball when he throws it, but before he throws to first, he's probably watching the ball into his hand. 

 

I'm not a bad lag putter anyways, so this might not be an approach that I find beneficial. 

[MaineMariner]

1 hour ago, sekrah said:

I just posted about this on another thread, but do you look at the baseball in your hand as you're throwing it? 

 

When I'm on the practice green I am looking at the hole all the time.. I take my practice strokes looking at the hole and If you can perfect your stroke - and trust it - you can definitely do it in a live round.

 

I think distinction with the baseball analogy is that the baseball is already in your hand when you are throwing it. I've tried head's up putting a few times and have had some really good success, but there's one thing that always holds me back: the occasional really bad contact with the ball. That doesn't happen with my standard putting approach.

 

Imagine an infielder charging a ground ball to bare hand it. He's not looking at the ball when he throws it, but before he throws to first, he's probably watching the ball into his hand. 

 

I'm not a bad lag putter anyways, so this might not be an approach that I find beneficial. 

[MaineMariner]

1 hour ago, sekrah said:

I just posted about this on another thread, but do you look at the baseball in your hand as you're throwing it? 

 

When I'm on the practice green I am looking at the hole all the time.. I take my practice strokes looking at the hole and If you can perfect your stroke - and trust it - you can definitely do it in a live round.

 

I think distinction with the baseball analogy is that the baseball is already in your hand when you are throwing it. I've tried head's up putting a few times and have had some really good success, but there's one thing that always holds me back: the occasional really bad contact with the ball. That doesn't happen with my standard putting approach.

 

Imagine an infielder charging a ground ball to bare hand it. He's not looking at the ball when he throws it, but before he throws to first, he's probably watching the ball into his hand. 

 

I'm not a bad lag putter anyways, so this might not be an approach that I find beneficial. 

[Forged4ever]

23 hours ago, lefthack said:

My reads are a work in progress, but my speed and distance is close. I'm hitting 30'+ putts to within 2' and often either made or on the lip if my read was good.

 

The less I think about it, the better it is. 

That's fantastic regarding your 30'+ lags coming within a couple of feet!!!

 

Your comment of "THE LESS I THINK ABOUT IT, THE BETTER IT IS," is priceless and this should be on a card that every amateur keeps in their pocket, pulling it out and reading it to themselves when they are tempted to think of their last hole, their last shot, a swing or stroke thought, etc. 

 

One's mind should be TOTALLY devoid of ANY thoughts except for a visualization of their next swing/stroke, shot and desired outcome!!

 

Great Comment & Post Brotha👊
 

Cheers🍻

RP

[davidy1948]

Yep and add in sidesaddle putting, during which you're actually already facing the hole anyway, and you can't miss !

[MrHateCoffee]

On 7/14/2021 at 9:55 AM, lefthack said:

 

The basketball free throw was what got me thinking. I have a "routine" but I am thinking about the target, not the ball.

 

 

I agree but the main difference in golf is that you have a club in your hand.  So the mind to body connection isn't as strong as if you were just holding a ball.  The good news is that you can practice is so the club becomes an extension of your hand while putting.

 

A TRUE test of this method would be swinging a golf club while focusing on the target the entire time.  but I don't think the world is ready for that yet 😁

[lefthack]

33 minutes ago, MrHateCoffee said:

 

I agree but the main difference in golf is that you have a club in your hand.  So the mind to body connection isn't as strong as if you were just holding a ball.  The good news is that you can practice is so the club becomes an extension of your hand while putting.

 

A TRUE test of this method would be swinging a golf club while focusing on the target the entire time.  but I don't think the world is ready for that yet 😁

 

I think part of why it works for me is because of the fixed swing mechanics. My putt swing is fairly square with very little movement other than the shoulder pivot. Like a free throw, there is a lot of routine.

[vandyfan]

I have been heads up putting for the last few months with good results until the last week. Lately, I find I am (potentially due to looking at the hole) setting up a bit open and cutting across the ball. In truth, it is only two bad rounds of putting but it kind of has me shook up a little bit. I was automatic for a for a while and still think heads up putting is good for me but just a word of caution to everyone who may get lazy with their setup. I think I just need to get the chalk line back out and make sure putts are starting on line. 

[zacgolf]

 

[lefthack]

I got paired with a couple guys last week and one of them committed after I made a pretty long putt. He said "did you look at the ball at all?" I told him I lined up to it, but not during my stroke.

 

They both tried it and laughed. They couldn't get over how wired it felt because they have practiced looking at the ball forever. 

[Joe40]

I have been putting like this for a while now, and much prefer it.  The issue I sometimes have is on putts with a fair bit of break, when I find myself dithering trying to decide whether to look at the hole, or a point in line with my starting line at the same length as the hole.

[lefthack]

16 minutes ago, Joe40 said:

I have been putting like this for a while now, and much prefer it.  The issue I sometimes have is on putts with a fair bit of break, when I find myself dithering trying to decide whether to look at the hole, or a point in line with my starting line at the same length as the hole.

 

I have gotten to where I look at where the hole would be if it was on my start line. Otherwise I end up hitting it more towards the hole than I intended and miss due to the break.

[thejazzmarauder]

I went from looking at the ball to looking at the hole to looking at the ball again. But now, I take a few practice strokes looking at the hole and then internalize length and rhythm of stroke, then just repeat that immediately. This leads to more consistent contact, at least for me; best of both worlds. If I hit a bad putt, it's due to a poor practice stroke, nothing more. 

Edited March 15, 2022 by thejazzmarauder

[MelloYello]

I am intrigued by the EOH / Instinct method but...how have you all gotten past seeing motion in your peripheral? I find that infinitely distracting.

 

This seems all good from a static, address perspective but then as soon as the stroke begins, you're distracted by the motion in your peripheral vision. 

[lefthack]

3 minutes ago, MelloYello said:

I am intrigued by the EOH / Instinct method but...how have you all gotten past seeing motion in your peripheral? I find that infinitely distracting.

 

This seems all good from a static, address perspective but then as soon as the stroke begins, you're distracted by the motion in your peripheral vision. 

 

I use my peripheral vision to make sure my stroke is square, but not always. I do get off my start line at times, or hit it off the toe a little if I'm not paying attention.

 

My putting is by far the least amount of work I put into my game yet it is one of the most consistent parts. I feel like it's because I don't stress over it that it happens. 

[MelloYello]

11 minutes ago, lefthack said:

 

I use my peripheral vision to make sure my stroke is square, but not always. I do get off my start line at times, or hit it off the toe a little if I'm not paying attention.

 

My putting is by far the least amount of work I put into my game yet it is one of the most consistent parts. I feel like it's because I don't stress over it that it happens. 

 

Maybe you're talking about short putts?

 

I'm hearing you say you see the stroke clearly enough in your peripheral to judge the face position, but no offense, that would be impossible for me. Granted, I'm talking about 20- and 30-footers. 

 

If the hole is only 6-ft away one would obviously have a good view of their stroke, too, I suppose. I'm just saying that at 30-ft I see motion in my peripheral which "disrupts" my concentration (which is on the hole).

 

Do you like it at particular distances? Do you dislike it at certain distances? What's the difference there in your opinion? 

Edited March 16, 2022 by MelloYello

[TurnDog69]

18 hours ago, Joe40 said:

I have been putting like this for a while now, and much prefer it.  The issue I sometimes have is on putts with a fair bit of break, when I find myself dithering trying to decide whether to look at the hole, or a point in line with my starting line at the same length as the hole.

 

 

There was a pro (I think it was Finau? I don't remember) who talked about stepping up to the ball and finding where his vision felt comfortable. Sometimes it was the hole, sometimes it was a break point, sometimes it was the ball. But I think that might be more important than the same thing every time. I putt heads up but there are some short putts where I feel more comfortable looking straight down and making a smooth stroke

[lefthack]

51 minutes ago, MelloYello said:

 

Maybe you're talking about short putts?

 

I'm hearing you say you see the stroke clearly enough in your peripheral to judge the face position, but no offense, that would be impossible for me. Granted, I'm talking about 20- and 30-footers. 

 

If the hole is only 6-ft away one would obviously have a good view of their stroke, too, I suppose. I'm just saying that at 30-ft I see motion in my peripheral which "disrupts" my concentration (which is on the hole).

 

Do you like it at particular distances? Do you dislike it at certain distances? What's the difference there in your opinion? 

 

I don't use my peripheral vision all the time, but I do tend to glance at it. Just seeing if the path is square to my feet really. I can feel where I hit it on the face, but it's the path I'm concerned with if I'm looking.

 

I am either looking at the hole or looking at the start line on putts with a lot of break. I set up to the ball, but don't look at the ball a whole lot after that. 

 

Right now my biggest issue is I suck at reading. My distance control is awesome, so I'm still 2 putting, but I will miss a lot by very little. I almost want to do a photo series of all my amazing putts I almost make. 🤣

[NoCalHack]

I’ve played around with it and I’m going to commit to it for a while. In practice is works pretty well. I think it should get better with use. 
 

Anyone do this with a blade or Newport style? Im going to use a mallet for now but I wonder if it would be harder with one of my NP2s. 

[mcputter]

I don't look at the hole when putting, but for the last couple of years I've been looking at a spot 2" in front of the ball on the start line. I think I had read that Dave Stockton did it and recommends it. I had previously found that I was either getting too ball-bound or occasionally caught myself watching the putter going back. Looking at the hole while putting is a little extreme for me, but the 2" in front seems to work for me.

 

Is Jordan Spieth still looking at the hole on short putts sometimes, or has he gone back to looking at the ball exclusively?

[lefthack]

1 hour ago, NoCalHack said:

I’ve played around with it and I’m going to commit to it for a while. In practice is works pretty well. I think it should get better with use. 
 

Anyone do this with a blade or Newport style? Im going to use a mallet for now but I wonder if it would be harder with one of my NP2s. 

 

My Nike is a smaller mallet but most my others are blades. I really want a Wilson Infinite Grant Park, but haven't justified it yet. Similar head shape to my Nike. 

[rondo01]

On 7/14/2021 at 10:53 AM, lefthack said:

It was this article that got me trying it. Also read the study.

 

https://golf.com/instruction/putting/tony-finau-putting-2021-masters-technique/

 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320295205_Evaluation_of_Near_Versus_Far_Target_Visual_Focus_Strategies_With_Breaking_Putts

Sasho was recently on The Sweet Spot and talked a good but about this. Reinspired me to commit to this for a bit. 
 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sweet-spot-golf-podcast/id1552917994?i=1000554681758

[NoCalHack]

11 hours ago, mcputter said:

I don't look at the hole when putting, but for the last couple of years I've been looking at a spot 2" in front of the ball on the start line. I think I had read that Dave Stockton did it and recommends it. I had previously found that I was either getting too ball-bound or occasionally caught myself watching the putter going back. Looking at the hole while putting is a little extreme for me, but the 2" in front seems to work for me.

 

Is Jordan Spieth still looking at the hole on short putts sometimes, or has he gone back to looking at the ball exclusively?

 

 

 

But there are 2 issues with this:

 

1) It doesn't help with the speed control that much, mainly line.

 

2) I can never find a target 2 inches in front of the ball reliably, and you still have almost no margin for error in hitting it.  For instance, on a 10 foot putt, if you are aiming at the hole itself, you can miss it by a couple inches and you can make the putt.  If you are aiming 2 inches in front, you miss that target by even a fraction of a millimeter, you are going to miss the putt.  

 

 

 

 

There are a few things that sold me on the method to commit to it:

 

1)  Sasho is compelling.  He provides hard data from a study he did.  He never claimed to invent the method and doesn't really teach anything about it.  He provides evidence that players putt better with it and provides rationale.  Can't argue with data.  

 

2) There is this aid that looks like a yardstick that you try the roll the ball on top of.  It's impossible for me to do it when I'm staring at the ball.  I can do it every time if I'm looking down the yardstick.  Concept proven.

 

3) I know people will point out that almost no tour players do it, which is a fair point.  But I'm not a tour player and I don't practice putting for many hours a day like they do. I was hearing a pro on a podcast talking about putting.  It was interesting that he said that he sees the line differently day to day.  Other players say they go back and forth using the line on the ball based on how they see the line.  That's why these guys spend hours on the practice green making sure their eyes and stance are dialed in, because if they are off, they will be in trouble.  To me, heads up eliminates a lot of the necessity for fine tuning.  You can be a little off on your stance, or alignment, and it doesn't matter as much because you are focused on the end target/hole rather than how you are aligned and seeing the ball.  It gets less technical. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[vandyfan]

So, I used to do heads up putting and what it taught me that I carry with me today (and I feel like really helps me with speed) is I spend 90% of the time over a putt looking at the hole. I line my ball up on start line setup to the ball with my putter lined up and then spend about 10-15 seconds looking up and down the line from right in front of my ball to the hole and back. I move my feet slightly during this to keep from "freezing" over the ball. Basically I am getting comfortable with the distance in my mind over and over and then almost as soon as I look down at the ball it is "go". I think for every moment I am looking at the ball I am rapidly losing my feel for distance so I try to spend as much time as possible looking at the hole and as little time as possible looking at the ball. 

[lefthack]

I don't practice putting really ever. I sometimes roll a few on the practice green before a round, but only if I'm waiting. This method keeps me from 3 putting almost every time because my distance control is way better. My line or my read is usually the failure point. But if I can two putt, my odds of par or better are great. 

[RCGA]

I finished my first round doing heads up putting. 

 

Are you all lifting your head "up" or rotating it to look at the hole? 

[lefthack]

1 minute ago, RCGA said:

I finished my first round doing heads up putting. 

 

Are you all lifting your head "up" or rotating it to look at the hole? 

 

I read the green, visualize the shot, set up to the ball, then turn my head to look at the hole. Not really lifting it as that might throw off my body position.

 

I played Saturday and Sunday at Sunset Grove and the greens there are very domed. I kept cracking up because I either made it or was within a foot while others rolled past the hole and down the back side. But I have to trust my instincts and that can be a challenge. 🤣