Missing short putts- what helped you?

[Ghostwedge]

This will sound crazy but.... 3 feet and in I go thru my routine ( line it up, step up) and look at the hole then stroke it in. I can't keep my eyes quiet and tend to peak so this is the cure. I think Speith does this once in awhile. It works.

[minhjn]

41 minutes ago, Ghostwedge said:

This will sound crazy but.... 3 feet and in I go thru my routine ( line it up, step up) and look at the hole then stroke it in. I can't keep my eyes quiet and tend to peak so this is the cure. I think Speith does this once in awhile. It works.

 

It's not crazy,  i do this on the short ones too. It really does work

[Righty to Lefty]

11 hours ago, Phireside said:

@crazygolfnut I'm not going to watch the whole video but from the first few minutes it seems like malarkey. I'd like to know which tour players have their eyes 9 inches inside the line of the ball.

 

If your eyes are over the ball or very close to it, and it looks like your line is left, then your shoulders are pointed left. Simple as that.

 

I think a simple test is if you use the line to line up  your ball when you are standing behind it and get that line pointed to your target, but then when you get over the ball the line looks like it's pointing in the wrong direction, your eyes are likely not over the ball. 

I will attest that this video is valid and that you should stand where you see a straight line.  Me being a former baseball player I used to try to get my eyes right over the top of the ball because I was told that where they should be and I was a crap putter.  Me being a former baseball player I am used to tracking the ball with my  eyes inside of the path of where the ball is traveling and so I flattened the lie angle of my putter and allowed my  eyes to be positioned where I saw a straight line and it was an ah ha  moment for me.  Rory even said in an interview that he adjusted his eyes to where he saw a straight line and it was huge for him.  We all have a certain amount of error that occurs when we stand to the side of our line and we have to be aware of it and account for it. That or be stubborn and play for your "miss."  Do what you must to find consistency as the only thing that matters is the ability to reliably and repeatedly get to impact and there is no set way to get there. 

[ShakeyT]

It sounds overly simple, but changing my mind set to, " I'm going to make this putt" instead of "I hope I don't miss this putt"

[Abh159]

@PingPoncho before you do anything you should probably figure out why you are missing the short ones. Is it because you aren't lining up properly? Are you lined up okay, but consistently push or pull the putt? 

 

For me, I used to get a little to "handsy" with my stroke on short putts and therefore couldn't get the ball started on the right line. I'd either push or pull it and that led to a lot of misses. 

 

What I found really helpful was to start making the stroke with my shoulders if that makes sense. Basically just felling the putter move back and forward with a rocking motion using my shoulders instead of hands/arms. It took the hands/wrists out of the stroke for me and has helped a ton.

[Mostly]

Get someone who knows what they are doing to look over your set up and putting action.  I got our pro to do that last year and got told my eyes were well inside the line - which meant I wasn’t aiming where I thought I was AND the loft of the putter was aiming left because the toe was in the air.  And finally, I wasn’t bring the putter through the ball on the target line. One bit was an attempt to compensate for one of the other bits - don’t know which was the original problem and which the compensation though!

 

So, I’m now standing a little closer to the ball, got my hands higher at address and I concentrate on taking the club through on the target line.  I hole a lot more putts than I have ever done before.

[PixlPutterman]

I really need this thread in my life. Im a 3 cap who's bad rounds consist of 40 putts lol

 

Now to find the "crappy pitches from 20-30 yards" thread...........

[Obiwan21]

Is picking it up an option?😃

[PhilsFanDrew]

Go to practice green and peg up a tee.  Practice trying to hit the tee with your short putts.  If you can hit the tee or narrowly miss you will hole the putt on a standard hole.  

[Fairway14]

1) Deep breaths

2) Relax the entire body, especially the shoulders

3) Very light grip pressure, almost as though the putter grip is about to fall out of the hands

4) At address be aware of your head position relative to the ball and keep it there through impact. In other words, when you address the ball if your head-eyes appear to be a couple of inches behind the ball keep your head-eyes at that same position throughout the stroke.

Or, your head-eyes appear to be above the ball keep that position-relationship the same throughout the stroke.

Whatever your head-eyes position at address it does not matter. What does matter is that you maintain that same head position throughout the stroke, and being aware of the relationship at address helps achieve the steady head throughout the stroke.

[lefthack]

I have been doing heads up inside of about 6 feet and it works way better than I anticipated.

[Pepperturbo]

When I went to a heavier 360 head-weight and D5 swing weight putter - I started making a lot more 8-20' putts and lag putting was no longer an issue.  The other influence was realizing my dominate eye has a role in reading putts.

[golfskisleep]

This worked for me …

 

[Jc0]

Yard stick drill. Makes sure you are online for at least 3 ft. It's not an easy drill.

 

 

[2Down]

I’ve been there and may visit again but since I’ve stopped watching the ball I’ve putted much better.  
I imagine my line and set up with my putter maybe a half inch behind the ball.  I then pick a speck on the ground that’s on my line between the face and the ball and stroke the putter down that line while looking at the speck on the ground.

 

I get to hear a good sound far more often since I did this.  

[Doaner84]

what helped me was practicing with a blast golf sensor.  I got it in combo with a putter but after using it.  I was shocked at how quick i was with the shorter putts compared to longer ones and helped my putting overall because it showed me how to feel the right tempo with instant feedback.

[RobotDoctor]

On 5/16/2021 at 4:02 AM, PingPoncho said:

1. Using large mallet?

2. Using very heavy putter weight?

3. Using larger grip?

4. Calming your nerves somehow ?

 

Details would help.

 

thanks

 

Without seeing your alignment and stroke on short putts how can you expect to get help?  There are so many reasons that a person misses short putts.  It could be aim, it could be deceleration of the putter, it could be the "Yips", lack of confidence, or a combination of several things.  Everyone has their own reasons.

 

For me it was a confidence issue combined with an over active right hand (causing it to flip through my stroke, especially on short, delicate putts.  I changed to a 1.15" non tapered grip (Salty MidPlus cork grip) and a putter that suits my eye and stroke and my confidence increased.  My putter is also fitted to me and this is a huge benefit.  I am diligent in how I align my ball to my intended line and I make sure I stroke through the ball, not at the ball.  Now my putting is pretty decent and I no longer fear a short putt.

 

What ever is plaguing you and your short putts it would help to know what tendency you have, where you're missing the putts.  Are you missing on the low side of the hole, all over the place, coming up short, blowing putts past the hole?  While some of the tips might apply to you there are some that will not.  Be careful not to incorporate all advise to your stroke or you might end up going down the Rabbit hole.  Best of luck on your journey and take all the advise with a grain of salt.

 

 

Edited May 23, 2021 by RobotDoctor

[RobotDoctor]

10 hours ago, golfskisleep said:

This worked for me …

 

 

While I am not a huge Dave Pelz fan (his technical side of putting) I am a fan of some of his teaching aids.  I particularly like this one.  I use mine from time to time to make sure my stroke is accurate and repeatable.  Speaking of using it, today seems like a good day to work on putting.  🙂

 

[Mikey PHP]

Practice. This is what I usually do before a round. I go to the practice green and find a cup/hole with minimal to no break/slope. Go 3 feet away and putt 5 balls to the cup. After 5 successive made putts, move another 3 feet and make 5 in a row. If you miss a putt start all over. Realized I missed short putts because of being tentative. By charging to the hole I minimize the effect of any slope/break a lot of times. Hope this helps.

[Pete O'Tube]

Practice those nasty 3 footers by looking at the hole while putting. That will correct your tempo.

[Bucken77]

On 5/16/2021 at 6:34 AM, DennyJones said:

I changed my grip to left hand low.  It helps keep my shoulders level when I putt.   It's not for everyone but works for me.

I just changed to this. I putted indoors quite a lot to get it done but once I took it to the course my putting has been night and day better

[URStillAway]

Lots of good advice in this thread.   
 

one thing I notice about people who miss a lot of short putts is excess body movement.   Hips moving.  Head moving.  Etc.  
 

And once a few shorties are missed I often see a recoil in their stroke.  
 

Poor aim and excessive right wrist movement is usually my problem.  

[whowhispers]

Practise your routine and stick to it. Putting mat > practise green >

course. Don't deviate from the routine, that way you can spot the

glitches more easily if they occur.

[B.W.]

On 5/17/2021 at 8:29 AM, ShakeyT said:

It sounds overly simple, but changing my mind set to, " I'm going to make this putt" instead of "I hope I don't miss this putt"

Agree with this completely. Mindset matters so much, and I’m working on that more than ever. Also switched to a mid mallet this year (vs a blade). Gives me more confidence inside 10ft for sure. 

[Hougz79]

Getting a putter the proper length.

[tatertot]

CBD gum?

[A.Princey]

Rest putter the ground behind the ball,  find a comfy grip on it, hover it a couple times and make sure the face isn’t twisting when you lift it, then make an accelerated/meaningful stroke “at the hole”. 
 

I’m pretty certain weird hand and wrist movements are what screw up face angle on short putts, ie misses. By finding the most natural hand position while the putter rests “in line”, and by making sure it remains when hovering, helps guarantee it won’t awkwardly twist at takeaway. Ymmv

[RJMiller88]

Heavier putter head weight has helped me. I went from 340 to 360 and I notice my stroke is more straight back and through and also my start line is much more consistent 

[Warrick]

One of the biggest mistakes I see on the course, putting and chipping, the decel.

 

shorter back, accelerate through.

[rufus mangler]

On 5/16/2021 at 6:02 AM, PingPoncho said:

1. Using large mallet?

2. Using very heavy putter weight?

3. Using larger grip?

4. Calming your nerves somehow ?

 

Details would help.

 

thanks

The one thing that helped me (equipment wise) was finding a putter that stays still when I set it down on my line. Most don't. The rest is focus.