What Is Your Process for Sinking Makeable Birdie Putts?

[JohnnyCashForever]

Say you have a 15-footer for birdie or eagle.  It's not a putt anyone expects to make 100% of the time, but you know a good putt has a very good chance of going in.  What is your process to make that putt?  And is that process any different from any other putt?

[MelloYello]

I think I'd rather sink the 15-footer to avoid a bogey or double, LOL. 

 

Seriously though, your process should be the same. Anytime you make a putt, it's a good thing. Being excited about the possibly of holing a putt is the basis of developing a good mindset. 

 

Read it and roll it. Don't dwell on what it's for. 

 

FWIW, if you're a good putter and the putt itself is more/less straight-forward--let's say it's directly uphill--you really will be expecting to make it (assuming you put a good stroke on it). If you trust your read and your stroke, there's nothing to think about.

 

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Edited August 15, 2023 by MelloYello

[Soloman1]

Being exceedingly simple-minded, I read it quickly with my method, since I’ve already registered a general take on the green while walking to it.

 

If someone is putting before me, I note if the break around the hole as the putt slows to a stop matches my read of what I thought theirs would do.

 

If I’m undecided about a break, I don’t try to create one in my mind. Sometimes putts are straight.

 

My only thought over the putt is distance, making sure it gets there, regardless of a 3, 15 or 30 footer.

 

 

[iacas]

Same for any other putt. Hit a good putt. At 15', that's one that gets to the hole (unless it's what I call a "yellow light putt"). At 30 or 35 feet and longer, it's pretty much going the distance of the hole.

 

Just now, Soloman1 said:

making sure it gets there, regardless of a 3, 15 or 30 footer.

 

Statistically as you know, not the best thing to do there.

 

Edited August 15, 2023 by iacas

[Scottbox]

DON’T change your process if it’s working for you. Committing to what works will help you to stay more relaxed. Don’t make the putt any different from any other 15-footer.

 

Also, spend time walking around the hole and especially the low side halfway between the ball and the hole. I know this seems like you’ll slow play up, but you won’t. You’ll learn to do it quickly in short order. Information is your friend.

Edited August 15, 2023 by Scottbox

[st1800e]

30 minutes ago, iacas said:

Same for any other putt

✅

[Soloman1]

I compensate from a tendency to die putts at the hole when I was younger playing on fast greens for too much money, leaving too many short or pushing it. We all have a story and not all outliers to stats are complete hacks. 😉

 

I was once the worst putter I knew. If I had a putt hanging on the lip, I could have had a 5-footer coming back. I had the yips so bad that people would turn their backs and look the other way when I putted. I was so bad, I tried left handed, cross handed with my eyes closed.

 

A lot of hard work and study led me to less mind clutter on the course and a consistent way for me to be a good, really good putter. I don’t evangelize a method or technique, but rather a journey for others to understand their biases and other factors to find a method for them. Some are physical, some are mental, but without a good read, it’s all a waste.

 

Sorry for the book…

[bladehunter]

9 minutes ago, Soloman1 said:

I compensate from a tendency to die putts at the hole when I was younger playing on fast greens for too much money, leaving too many short or pushing it. We all have a story and not all outliers to stats are complete hacks. 😉

 

I was once the worst putter I knew. If I had a putt hanging on the lip, I could have had a 5-footer coming back. I had the yips so bad that people would turn their backs and look the other way when I putted. I was so bad, I tried left handed, cross handed with my eyes closed.

 

A lot of hard work and study led me to less mind clutter on the course and a consistent way for me to be a good, really good putter. I don’t evangelize a method or technique, but rather a journey for others to understand their biases and other factors to find a method for them. Some are physical, some are mental, but without a good read, it’s all a waste.

 

Sorry for the book…

Bravo.   And without typing another book on it . I echo this.  A couple here know this.  And I appreciate the ones who encouraged me. The dividend spigot has been flowing for 2-3 months now.  Faster every round.
 

 Clearing your mind.  Is the absolute key if you’re like me with this constant stream of thought.  You have to get to where your alone with the putt. And you must commit to the decision, whatever it is.  

[pseudoswede]

Pray.

[Trippels]

Avoid the bogeys and the birdies will come to you.

Chase the birdies and the bogeys will come to you.

 

The goal with a putt is to hit a good putt, doesn't matter if it's for an albatross or a snowman.

[Macroach]

Whether it is the first tee or a birdie putt, how do you clear your mind?  My mind is always racing and my psyche is incredibly fragile.  I wish I could just tune it all out!

 

[Righty to Lefty]

I think that the perception that a putt is "makeable" is often pretty skewed because the percentage of making a putt drops off dramatically from 3 to 5 feet, let alone 15.  And if a 3 foot putt has break in it the percentage of make even at this point lowers much more than most realize.  I do the Mickelson 3 foot drill on the nastiest slope that I can find on a given putting green and I make 90 out of 100 right now ( I used to make 97% so I'm working on that).  Once I get to 95% make at 3 feet I will then go to 4 feet and I will do that until I make 90 out of 100. I will likely never make it to doing the drill at 5 feet in my lifetime. That is how hard it is to make putts, no matter how good of a putter a person thinks they are, the percentages will state otherwise. 

 

I only work on putts at 3 feet, and then I used the station that I had set up while doing the drill and then throw balls at random across the putting green and then try to lag all 10 inside the 3 foot circle because I know that if I can do that I have at least a 90% chance to make the next putt so long as it is inside the 3 foot circle. This is also more realistic than hitting multiple putts from the same location because you only get one chance on the course.  This has done wonders for me as it also takes the stress off of my putting because I see the hole as being 3 feet wide instead of 4 inches and my pace control greatly improved.  What amazed me was the thought that ANY putt outside of 3 feet was essentially a lag putt actually, freed me up and it actually increased my make percentage.  I used to be an "aim small miss small" person but that lead me to guiding many of my putts so this may be an option for others looking for a different type of plan that may help their putting.  Bottom line is every putt can be missed, and most are missed more than they are made.  

[RoyalTroon]

1 hour ago, Soloman1 said:

We all have a story and not all outliers to stats are complete hacks. 😉

 

Stats are for those needing a crutch.

[RoyalTroon]

1 hour ago, bladehunter said:

You have to get to where your alone with the putt.

 

...the stay inside the cocoon, is the best place to be.

[JayMas]

Nearly 100% focus on speed. Not that I didn't read the green, but speed control is more important for every putt by a long shot.

Hit a 15-footer with good speed, and unless your read is wildly off, you're probably giving it a solid chance to make the hole sweat a little bit.

[Tengu]

You might also experiment with some ulnar deviation in your wrist for the shorter putts. This will help to limit excess wrist motion and hence less variability in the stroke. As a consequence, the heel will lift a little bit. See below:

 

Edited August 15, 2023 by Tengu
Link didn't work

[JohnnyCashForever]

1 hour ago, bladehunter said:

Bravo.   And without typing another book on it . I echo this.  A couple here know this.  And I appreciate the ones who encouraged me. The dividend spigot has been flowing for 2-3 months now.  Faster every round.
 

 Clearing your mind.  Is the absolute key if you’re like me with this constant stream of thought.  You have to get to where your alone with the putt. And you must commit to the decision, whatever it is.  

Don't know why, but this resonates with me.  I don't have my mind filled with thoughts, but I do let outside factors distract me.  Whether it's noise from another hole, my opponent moving at the "wrong" time, or someone fidgeting directly in my line.  Being "alone" with the putt sounds like a good mental goal that fixes a lot of things.

[Pastit]

4 hours ago, JohnnyCashForever said:

Say you have a 15-footer for birdie or eagle.  It's not a putt anyone expects to make 100% of the time, but you know a good putt has a very good chance of going in.  What is your process to make that putt?  And is that process any different from any other putt?

Assuming this question is worthy of being taken seriously, I’d use a scene from one of John Cleese’s TV programmes, to ball:

 

” If you don’t get in that hole then I’ll give you a good thrashing down the next . “

Edited August 15, 2023 by Pastit

[jj9000]

I subscribe to the theory of grinding over the putt for about (2) or so minutes...looking at the line and break from all (4) sides.

 

Then, I take practice swings from about (4) feet and in.

 

Then I hold up a few fingers pretending I know how to even spell AimPoint.

 

...and then I miss the putt.

[MelloYello]

26 minutes ago, JohnnyCashForever said:

Don't know why, but this resonates with me.  I don't have my mind filled with thoughts, but I do let outside factors distract me.  Whether it's noise from another hole, my opponent moving at the "wrong" time, or someone fidgeting directly in my line.  Being "alone" with the putt sounds like a good mental goal that fixes a lot of things.

 

When I decided to "fix my putting" as so many here have, I just started spending a lot of time on it trying to pick up any improvement I could: physical, mental, strategic, etc.

 

I think sometimes the fix is found by just investing the time. If you spend all week with the putter in your hands, you start to develop a relationship with it and you begin to see all those 30-some odd putts you take as exciting moments on the course, instead of dreadful ones. And then you start cracking 30 putts in your better rounds which is even better. 

 

The more I study putting, the more I learn. The more I learn, the better I get with my practice. The more I embrace all that, the more I see it as a "fun" part of the game.

 

You really should view your driver and putter as the 2 most important clubs in your bag. When you get to that point where you really trust both clubs golf is truly fun and the fear subsides a bit, allowing you to really concentrate in the critical moments you're talking about. 

 

Up to that point it's just hit-and-hope and a lot of the try-hard stuff we do is just adding more pressure. 

 

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Edited August 15, 2023 by MelloYello

[PracticeSwinger]

Love this place, you open a thread to read about putts, and you leave with thoughts about : be like water, stay in the cocoon, from the inside to the outside and in between, make fusion with your putter shaft ... we're all nuts haha

[SNIPERBBB]

Other than tap-ins(inside a foot) I go through the same process for every putt I hit.

 

Actually the putts that are unmakeable are the ones you need to pay more attention to. Reason I say this is those putts  are generally severely sloping and fast and missing the putt brings three putting well into possibility.

[bladehunter]

1 hour ago, JohnnyCashForever said:

Don't know why, but this resonates with me.  I don't have my mind filled with thoughts, but I do let outside factors distract me.  Whether it's noise from another hole, my opponent moving at the "wrong" time, or someone fidgeting directly in my line.  Being "alone" with the putt sounds like a good mental goal that fixes a lot of things.

Yep. I don’t have “ rabbit ears “ really.  But I do have this constant stream Of consciousness…. I’m never thinking about nothing.  

the truck is not to try to be in a coma. It’s tp consciously decide to think about the putt. The read , the speed , what it’s for and how aggressive the situation calls for. You need this conscious thought to push the subconscious fears ( fight or flight ) crap out of the way.  Out of mind.  It’s basically - you choose the thoughts. Or the bad thoughts will choose you.  You need a routine that covers enough thought to get the putt off.  

[GungHoGolf]

3 hours ago, Trippels said:

Avoid the bogeys and the birdies will come to you.

Chase the birdies and the bogeys will come to you.

 

The goal with a putt is to hit a good putt, doesn't matter if it's for an albatross or a snowman.

Great post. But I’m pretty sure nobody reading this (perhaps nobody in the history of golf?) has ever had a putt for an albatross. 

[MountainKing]

It's the same process I use to miss that makeable birdie putt

[me05501]

I've tried all kinds of methods over the years. The one that works best for me is what I've picked up from reading Bob Rotella. 

 

My interpretation of the Rotella concepts is pretty simple:

• Get a feel for the most natural path for the ball to travel and end up in the hole. Imagine the ball rolling along that line at a specific speed. Buy into that mental image and don't allow doubt to creep in. Own your read, for better or worse. 
• Choose an aiming spot that reflects both the line and the speed you sensed during your read. Believe that if your ball travels on a line and at a speed to end up on that spot it will be a successful putt. 
• Your aiming spot should be very specific. For a short straight putt it might be a little scratch inside the cup. For a slow putt the spot will be beyond the cup. If it's fast the spot can be short. The smaller and more specific the target the better. 
• Once over the ball your spot should be your only thought. Anything that distracts you from focusing on your spot has to be ignored. Your score, your partner, your marriage, whatever...don't think about anything but the spot. 
• When you feel like you're 100% focused on your spot, let it go.  

 

When I'm struggling I have to remind myself that this is what works for me. It's easy to get tempted by other ideas. Line on the ball or not, etc. I've been down those roads frequently but they just don't fit my brain under pressure. 

[Golf_Goof]

Because eagle putts are so rare (for me anyway), I can't help but put extra focus on them, especially, getting it there. Perhaps to my detriment. Obviously, all putts don't require the same process. 

[phizzy30]

Putting is the best part of my game by far.  With that being said, I adopted Aimpoint Express last year which not only helped me read greens but also added a level of confidence that I was lacking.  With longer putts, I focus mainly on distance control because I know my read won't be too far off due to Aimpoint.  With putts that are 10 feet in, I try to make them by being aggressive and rolling it 1-2 feet past the hole.  The only exception is if putt is extremely quick/down hill where I lag it to the cup and will take the par if it doesn't drop and move on. 

[MelloYello]

22 hours ago, me05501 said:

I've tried all kinds of methods over the years. The one that works best for me is what I've picked up from reading Bob Rotella. 

 

My interpretation of the Rotella concepts is pretty simple:

• Get a feel for the most natural path for the ball to travel and end up in the hole. Imagine the ball rolling along that line at a specific speed. Buy into that mental image and don't allow doubt to creep in. Own your read, for better or worse. 
• Choose an aiming spot that reflects both the line and the speed you sensed during your read. Believe that if your ball travels on a line and at a speed to end up on that spot it will be a successful putt. 
• Your aiming spot should be very specific. For a short straight putt it might be a little scratch inside the cup. For a slow putt the spot will be beyond the cup. If it's fast the spot can be short. The smaller and more specific the target the better. 
• Once over the ball your spot should be your only thought. Anything that distracts you from focusing on your spot has to be ignored. Your score, your partner, your marriage, whatever...don't think about anything but the spot. 
• When you feel like you're 100% focused on your spot, let it go.  

 

When I'm struggling I have to remind myself that this is what works for me. It's easy to get tempted by other ideas. Line on the ball or not, etc. I've been down those roads frequently but they just don't fit my brain under pressure. 

 

To me, some of that is the distracting stuff, haha. IDK, there's just something about the Rotella perspective that feels almost disingenuous to me? I'm not sure how to say it.   

 

Like, for instance, I don't think our beliefs are things we choose. When you make a read, you can't "believe" in it. You accept that there's some uncertainty and you have to live with that. Being comfortable with accepting the read is what produces confidence. But "belief" seems the wrong word for that.

 

If you're rolling it well and you're seeing success, you can build momentum and trust the next one that much more. But that's too often mistaken for "belief" which it's not. You can't internally manufacture real belief. It has to be earned through experience(s). 

 

If you missed the last 10 putts, no amount of trying in the world will make you believe the next one's going in. You just have to execute to the best of your ability. There's no mental secret there. You just keep trying, making small adjustments. 

 

I also think that telling people they should achieve 100% focus can lead to serious over-analysis and self-doubt. People will stand over a putt forever waiting for the feeling of serenity to come to them. And of course, the longer one stands over the ball, the harder it actually is to focus. I think the reality is that tons of putts must be struck from a nervous/uncertain mindset. It's having the mental fortitude and technical proficiency to accept that which is really key, not so much doing away with the inevitable stress (which I would say is impossible).

 

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Edited August 17, 2023 by MelloYello

[me05501]

2 hours ago, MelloYello said:

 

To me, some of that is the distracting stuff, haha. IDK, there's just something about the Rotella perspective that feels almost disingenuous to me? I'm not sure how to say it.   

 

Like, for instance, I don't think our beliefs are things we choose. When you make a read, you can't "believe" in it. You accept that there's some uncertainty and you have to live with that. Being comfortable with accepting the read is what produces confidence. But "belief" seems the wrong word for that.

 

If you're rolling it well and you're seeing success, you can build momentum and trust the next one that much more. But that's too often mistaken for "belief" which it's not. You can't internally manufacture real belief. It has to be earned through experience(s). 

 

If you missed the last 10 putts, no amount of trying in the world will make you believe the next one's going in. You just have to execute to the best of your ability. There's no mental secret there. You just keep trying, making small adjustments. 

 

I also think that telling people they should achieve 100% focus can lead to serious over-analysis and self-doubt. People will stand over a putt forever waiting for the feeling of serenity to come to them. And of course, the longer one stands over the ball, the harder it actually is to focus. I think the reality is that tons of putts must be struck from a nervous/uncertain mindset. It's having the mental fortitude to accept that which is really key, not so much doing away with it (which I would say is impossible).

 

.

 

 

I get all that and it makes theoretical sense. In practice, for me at least, doing it my way speeds up my process AND helps me make more putts. 

 

Belief is certainly a strange and loaded word. For me it equates to "absence of doubt" and doubt is my biggest enemy on the greens.

 

Buying into the wrong line results in a better stroke than not feeling quite sure about the perfect line. 

Edited August 17, 2023 by me05501