What are YOU doing to improve your putting?

[Tarkata]

keeping my head down until well after the ball has left the clubface. aligning about 2 feet in front of ball. look a foot past hole. take a few practice putts added to routine. try to have more consistent flow/pace, adding some right hand wrist break. lastly, on 10 fotters I am using the elbows anchored concept and moving the triangle. I am sure all this is just old school silliness but it seems to have helped.

[dlam]

Dan
Been trying to tap, squish, ground , bounce (whatever you call it) the putter as part of my setup and it seems to help my consistency.
I find I been tapping the sole more along the toe to feel the top flange of the putter and "swinging the heel" rather than bouncing the heel and "throwing the toe" if you know what I mean,
Any more specific thoughts about where exactly to bounce the club?

[PuttingDoctor]

Don't forget that when you tap you lighten contact with the surface and this will eliminate for some the outside takeaway. Too much pressure will result in only one direction for takeaway.

I've been working on "Focused Practice" for some time. Boredom will set in if you don't have a clear plan of action when you practice.

It's all about routine, routine, routine to access "experiencial memory" of the non-conscious.

And don't forget...."Never Leave A Putt Short!"

[craz-e]

Whilst I am a two week holiday from work I am heading up to the course everyday and practicing for about an hour so on putting. Also I am taking my four year old son who is even madder on playing than me. Earlier today he hit a putt from one end of the putting green to the furthest hole (approx 90') and hit the pin, didn't drop though but he sunk the follow up. Were both having a lot of fun!

[dlam]

Distance control seems to be the hallmark for my short game both chipping and putting
Even short putts inside 10 feet putts before I pick a line I have to consider speed and distance control of the ball
This seems to be inverse relationship to the long game where I commonly think direction before distance

[joekelli]

Buying another putter!

[blindwillie]

Imagery scripts. Trying to visualize my stroke and putts dropping. Sensing what it feels, sounds, and even smells like. Great way to get results without even heading to the course

[tangojay]

[b][i][size=5][color=#222222]Consume large quantities of Alcoholic beverages,,,,,,,,,, [/color][/size][/i][/b][color=#222222][size=3][/size][/color]

[shanked71]

i recently picked up a scotty cameron putting path tool. and needless to say i have been spending alot of time with it on the practice green. I have been picking 6-8 footers, setting up the tool, and sticking with that put til i can make it 30 times in a row. it may seem like over kill, but i have to admit its one of the best things i have done for my short game since college. I have found that since i started this routine about a month ago that i am much more confident over the short puts. I am spending less time worrying about speed, just picking a line and confidently stroking the putt into the center of the cup. . .

[myspinonit]

[quote name='danattherock' timestamp='1326590563' post='4085769']
[quote name='danattherock' timestamp='1326521747' post='4082137']
[size=3]Myself as of late, working on preshot routine, aiming the putter more precisely,[b] and ensuring I am using a flat left wrist at impact. [/b]

Bobby Clampett's book "The Impact Zone" drove home the importance of this and it has helped my putting game tremendously. The wristy action of the past made precise distance control impossible. Can't tell you how much a flat left wrist helped my putting stroke. [/size]


[/quote]



The two pistoleros grip was incorporated (by me) to assist in the utilization of a flat left wrist. With this grip, you can feel even the slightest hint of wrist breakdown during the putting stroke, especially at the crucial moment of impact. I had been doing something similar to it, both index fingers going down the grip. I searched online and sure as heck, find Geoff Mangum's name popping up again. This is a grip he named and gave some sort of notoriety to. Certainly no the first to use it I suspect, but the only person I can find online using it. This grip along with the putting section of Bobby Clampett's book was huge for me. I became better literally overnight.




-Dan
[/quote]

Dan,
I spent an hour at home then another hour on t he practice green trying the two pistoleros (with my new Ping Scottsdale Centre-shafted Wolverine. New, one full round only, some practice). After a bit of trial, I loved the grip.

For a couple of years I was putting lights out with Mark O'Meara's version of the claw (he calls it the "saw"). A number of folks in my men's golf have adopted it, after seeing my success.

But progressively I've been tentative, pulling putts, missing alignments and missing even nearly gimmies. For example, I probably missed out on winning my flight's three round eclectic yesterday by one stroke- after copious three putts throughout the three days. So needless to say, I was desperate, and found your thread today.

Of course there is hopefully a honeymoon with a new putter (or any club) probably that extra being-in-tune to it's nuances in the learning curve, and to justify the expense (at least to the wife, lol )

I found the two pistoleros allowed me a lighter grip, as well as fuller shoulder mobility. So I also had a free-er shoulder pendulum-like stroke, especially for longer putts. And less pressure on my thumbs (arthritis).

Here's the other big improvement- alignment- as my reach feels longer with the pistoleros. I had the ball a little more forward from my body- i.e. farther away from me- than I had been doing, and probably farther than most would recommend. Eyes were not right over the ball. But, I was able to see that the club was pointed to the target for the first time in a while maybe. (I do like the alignment aids in the Wolverine too, and I'm used to 2-ball putters.)

And- again maybe not textbook, but I just naturally let my head come up as my hands followed through with the stroke- confidently to the hole.

I look forward to taking it to the course on Sunday if the weather holds.

[pmcuk]

I'm a big believer in the Inner Game. So I deliberately DO NOT use any routines, read books on putting or anything that will create mental interference - the Self 1 of Inner Game. I don't want any words in my head when I putt. What I do want is a completely empty mind - no ego, no interference. Just complete immersion and awareness - the Zen state called Self 2 in the Inner Game.

I also need complete belief in myself. I carpet putt a lot and can get very accurate on my carpet. So my mental attitude going into any round is "If there's one thing I know for certain about myself it's that I can putt". It doesn't matter what I score or how many putts I miss, the attitude stays the same. I can putt. Period. It's like what they say in Rugby - "you can't beat Wales at Rugby - you can only score more points than them". And, of course, I'm Welsh!

I collect putters. I go through periods where I use a different putter for every round and my putting suffers. Then I find a putter that plays better than all the others and my putting gets better again. Gradually I'm getting towards the right synergy.

I try different types of strokes and movements and different placing of the ball. It's all experimental. But it's MY experiments so it's natural to me. No outside voices in my head I have to consider or obey. Currently I'm finding that putting through the ball towards the hole is giving greater accuracy. I've tried several other movements. Next month I could favour something else. This is done between the carpet and the putting green. What I store in my memory is movements, never words.

My biggest inconsistency is reading sloping putts - of course. Carpets don't slope unless your home is pretty weird. But I'm very careful not to beat myself up for missing the putt. It's all a learning experience - I try and read it better next time. Nothing affects my self belief. That's my rock. And more importantly, self belief is what enables me to be utterly still and relaxed when I putt. It's just me and the ball. Nothing else.

I love putting. It's fun. It's relaxing. Perfectionists are always worrying about the outcome. High achievers just love doing it. I'm not a "high achiever" as such - I'm just an amateur who plays once a week. But it's so much better to have the mental attitude of a high achiever! Mental attitude is free - it costs nothing, and it does SO much for your game.

andy

[PuttingDoctor]

[quote name='pmcuk' timestamp='1341048022' post='5193724']
I'm a big believer in the Inner Game. So I deliberately DO NOT use any routines, read books on putting or anything that will create mental interference - the Self 1 of Inner Game. I don't want any words in my head when I putt. What I do want is a completely empty mind - no ego, no interference. Just complete immersion and awareness - the Zen state called Self 2 in the Inner Game.

I also need complete belief in myself. I carpet putt a lot and can get very accurate on my carpet. So my mental attitude going into any round is "If there's one thing I know for certain about myself it's that I can putt". It doesn't matter what I score or how many putts I miss, the attitude stays the same. I can putt. Period. It's like what they say in Rugby - "you can't beat Wales at Rugby - you can only score more points than them". And, of course, I'm Welsh!

I collect putters. I go through periods where I use a different putter for every round and my putting suffers. Then I find a putter that plays better than all the others and my putting gets better again. Gradually I'm getting towards the right synergy.

I try different types of strokes and movements and different placing of the ball. It's all experimental. But it's MY experiments so it's natural to me. No outside voices in my head I have to consider or obey. Currently I'm finding that putting through the ball towards the hole is giving greater accuracy. I've tried several other movements. Next month I could favour something else. This is done between the carpet and the putting green. What I store in my memory is movements, never words.

My biggest inconsistency is reading sloping putts - of course. Carpets don't slope unless your home is pretty weird. But I'm very careful not to beat myself up for missing the putt. It's all a learning experience - I try and read it better next time. Nothing affects my self belief. That's my rock. And more importantly, self belief is what enables me to be utterly still and relaxed when I putt. It's just me and the ball. Nothing else.

I love putting. It's fun. It's relaxing. Perfectionists are always worrying about the outcome. High achievers just love doing it. I'm not a "high achiever" as such - I'm just an amateur who plays once a week. But it's so much better to have the mental attitude of a high achiever! Mental attitude is free - it costs nothing, and it does SO much for your game.

andy
[/quote]

Wow! Andy that is so spot on yet contradictive in certain ways. I'm going to go out on a limb here and offer that you had to learn, either by reading or by exercise how to get into the Zen states. Trying different strokes / putters might also be viewed as exercises as well....perhaps in futility

But for certain the absence of conscious thought is the goal of the elite player. I use a wireless EEG to quantify the brain state as it relates to focus and the shift to non-conscious and 'quiet eye.'

I love that you don't beat yourself up over outcome and accept your fate as a learning experience. Far too many golfers are blinded by unrealistic expectations vs. making the best of an opportunity to get the job done in as few strokes as possible.

Green reading is actually more simple than you might think... it's all about slope, friction and pace. It also relates to reacting to what your see vs. trying to make something happen. You can practice at home if you build a suitable platform such as what I have. Search this forum for "platform" and you'll see it.

Keep up the good work and don't let anything stand in the way of your success. If you want to learn to read greens better you're going to have to suck it up and read / attend a clinic for Vector Putting or AimPoint, or you could re-invent the wheel and develop your own system independently.

[Fasth]

I am just trying to free everything up a little, make putting as simple as i can and roll the ball better.

To accomplish those things I do this;

Read the putt and decide what I think it will do

Stand tall as I walk in perpendicular to the path of the putt and while staying tall I align the face and then settle in my feet the correct distance from the putter head. To know that distance I drill having the putter head 2 1/2 face lengths away from my toes (distance to the ball) and 1 face length behind the nearest point to the putter on the left foot (where it sits on the putting path)

As I settle down to my putting setup I engage the muscles in my legs and feel like I slightly press outward with my feet inside my shoes. This locks down the lower body.

As I am setting up like that I also get my right hand on the grip so that the palm would push the putter head along the path

I then use more right hand grip pressure to lock down the putter head (no wiggling or face manipulation) during the backstroke. I make no effort to prevent the putter head from arcing but I make absolutely sure as the head comes back through that it is traveling straight through to the hole or path, whatever s being aimed toward.

If I have done those things once the ball rolls away my odds are good. If it doesn't go in I go do it all over again.

[pmcuk]

[color=#282828]<< I'm going to go out on a limb here and offer that you had to learn, either by reading or by exercise how to get into the Zen states. Trying different strokes / putters might also be viewed as exercises as well....perhaps in futility [/color]

Well, you're absolutely right! I'm a performance psychologist for musicians, actors, dancers etc. I lecture and write books on this stuff. I've never applied it to sport as such, but the principles are the same. I think immersion is the key. You don't need too much fancy Zen theory, though it's interesting reading and I've read quite a bit. You just need a completely empty and open mind. Once you get it, it all gets easy. There's a nice book for musicians by Kenny Werner called "Effortless Mastery", and together with the Inner Game books it really gets you into the Zone. Once you've experienced how relaxed performing or sport can be, you never want to go back to all those nerves and effort.

Putters as an exercise in futility? Well, they say ocean racing is like standing fully dressed in a cold shower tearing up hundred dollar bills.... Buying putters is like sitting fully dressed in front of ebay tearing up hundred dollar bills. I guess the cold water is optional...!!

My vision of bliss is a pro shop that stocks all known putters and a big green with all kinds of terraces and slopes you can spend a day on. And a relaxation area where you can eat ice cream and watch classic golf tournaments, as dusky Hawaiian girls in grass skirts bring you free champagne cocktails.

Andy

[vokeyloyalist]

Lately I've been working on getting my head right over the ball and keeping my putter (Scotty Cameron California Monterey) low to the ground throughout the entire stroke which has really helped me with my alignment and getting a truer role than ever!

[RogerinNewZealand]

Dan, i started reading this thread just after xmas......mid winter here now.....

Just attended a One Hour Putting Clinic, 4 of us paid the $$....grip...real soft...alignment.....dominant eye... (i'm Right)
then the Real Test.. Coach videos our 8 metre putt to the hole on his ipad.

Fortunately, being a great listener.....my video'd putt went in the hole !
Did i learn a LOT? Hell yes.
I have the straight back and through stroke so use Face Ballanced. Now looking for a Centre Shafted Odyssey/SeyMore etc.
The learning continues.......Thanks Dan!

[Timanator]

This week, it's a more over lapped grip where my right hand is further up the shaft and almost even with the left. This takes out my tendency to turn over the face with my right hand on putts. Now back to tons of 5 footers.

[Nick-A]

I like to use a drill with 5 tees to do some effective practice.

Best way to do this is together with another person.
Each person set's up a hole with 5 tees at aprox 1m increments from the hole (this can be straight, curved however you decide). From each tee you have to hole the put.
The par is set at 2 for eacht tee and you try to get as low a score as possible.

After playing your hole you go play your partner's setup so that there's an effective and honest way to compete

Purpose ofcourse is to get the lowest score to win.

Like this eacht player sets up 5 holes resulting in a total of 10 holes played.

It's both fun pressure which makes it easier to bring the real course situations to the practice green aswell as being an easy method to track ones progress.

I was told that this exercise is also used alto by the pro's and they're usually scoring something about -30 on 50 puts.
Needless to say I'm far from this nr .

This ofcourse also works by yourself trying to beat a personal best or set score.

[Hogan's Cardy]

This is such a good thread and it's been a great help to me over the last few months.

I started off by trying the 2 pistoleros grip and was impressed with how it worked and have just about forced myself to stop tinkering and stick with it. Like many people fiddling about with no real purpose is a big fault of mine so it's not easy at times.

With my putting I've been practising a good deal with the aim of achieving a good balance between developing good mechanics and posture without too many thoughts impeding the natural flow of the stroke. Having watched and read a fair bit of Geoff's thoughts I have focussed on a takeaway initiated by the left shoulder and then I just allow the putter to swing through at the same speed on the way through while staying as relaxed and gentle as I can. My accuracy has improved and at least scare the hole more often than I used to.

One thing I do that hasn't been mentioned in this thread is with putts that break left or right I track the ball from the hole and back to the putter face rather than the more usual putter to hole method. I've found this stops me under-borrowing and leaves me shorter tap ins than before when I miss. Obviously I use the part of the hole where I see the ball falling in and not just the immediate front for this. Anyone else do this or am I ploughing a lone furrow?

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread, the information, advice and feedback makes it all a very valuable read.

[PuttingDoctor]

[quote name='Hogan's Cardy' timestamp='1342005964' post='5254590']

One thing I do that hasn't been mentioned in this thread is with putts that break left or right I track the ball from the hole and back to the putter face rather than the more usual putter to hole method. I've found this stops me under-borrowing and leaves me shorter tap ins than before when I miss. Obviously I use the part of the hole where I see the ball falling in and not just the immediate front for this. Anyone else do this or am I ploughing a lone furrow?

[/quote]

HC, you're not alone at all sir. I've taught a kinesthetic move of the head slowly up the line and back to the ball prior to executing the stroke for over 20 years. What this motion does is to work in concert with the visual to access the experiential memory of practice. The distance of the straight line to target is the shortest and the breaking putt distance the longest. To look directly at the target may have the effect of leaving the ball short more times than enough.

For those who see only straight lines the visual / kinesthetic path is out to the aim point above the hole then to the entry point back to aim point then the ball. This again is the longer route and will help the non-conscious to access the appropriate length of stroke for this distance.

For those who see the curve allowing the eyes to track out and back will help with proper distance contol.

The one thing to add to the routine is a slight delay with eyes on the ball while thinking about the entry point.... "Quiet Eye" about 1.5 seconds delay prior to pulling the trigger.

[rhh7]

This thread has done me more good than any other I have yet read at Golfwrx.com!

Thanks a million to all of you!

[dlam]

[quote name='PuttingDoctor' timestamp='1342008088' post='5254718']
[quote name='Hogan's Cardy' timestamp='1342005964' post='5254590']
One thing I do that hasn't been mentioned in this thread is with putts that break left or right I track the ball from the hole and back to the putter face rather than the more usual putter to hole method. I've found this stops me under-borrowing and leaves me shorter tap ins than before when I miss. Obviously I use the part of the hole where I see the ball falling in and not just the immediate front for this. Anyone else do this or am I ploughing a lone furrow?

[/quote]

HC, you're not alone at all sir. I've taught a kinesthetic move of the head slowly up the line and back to the ball prior to executing the stroke for over 20 years. What this motion does is to work in concert with the visual to access the experiential memory of practice. The distance of the straight line to target is the shortest and the breaking putt distance the longest. To look directly at the target may have the effect of leaving the ball short more times than enough.

For those who see only straight lines the visual / kinesthetic path is out to the aim point above the hole then to the entry point back to aim point then the ball. This again is the longer route and will help the non-conscious to access the appropriate length of stroke for this distance.

For those who see the curve allowing the eyes to track out and back will help with proper distance contol.

The one thing to add to the routine is a slight delay with eyes on the ball while thinking about the entry point.... "Quiet Eye" about 1.5 seconds delay prior to pulling the trigger.
[/quote]
During my preputt routine, I try to imagine the line from the hole/target to the ball/marker
This works better for me as I have better feel than when I imagine line from ball/marker to hole/target
My main problem is reading right to left breakers so I look at 3 views. (behind ball, behind hole and side)
I normally just need two views for all other putts.
Sometime I feel the need to line up from ball to hole but once I pick the my target spot my eyes go back to a spot in front of the ball and this triggers my putt immediately.
If I follow this preputt routine my eyes quiet down without having myself trying consciously to quiet them.

[JaxBeachNole]

I know this is old but Seeitgolf on the iPhone is the best thing I have ever done for my putting. Hand to God the first round I played after buying it I had 24 putts, 10 on the front nine and sunk more long putts than ever.

[Scotty1140]

Adjusting the focus of my entry point based on the break. Visualizing the ball dropping into the cup at 4 o'clock, or 7 o'clock, etc. for example rather than just the "front" end of the cup.

[sgniwder99]

Some great drills and routines on here. Right now I can't do much to effectively help my putting, because they punched the greens on my regular courses recently, and they just don't roll consistently enough for direction OR speed to gain much out of putting practice.

Earlier in the summer, though, I started a putting routine that really helped me. It was so simple that I couldn't figure out why I'd never done it before. I just pick 2 holes, put 4 balls down, and putt back and forth between the holes. I started because my course's putting green had 2 holes about 10-12 feet apart, and I wanted to get to where I felt like I could make those putts with some regularly, so I just started doing it between those 2 holes. For a while I did that, and I would just go back and forth between those holes for 15-20 minutes at a time. But when I decided to start doing it from holes that were farther apart, I actually found that it ended up being great practice for learning distance control. So I'd start with the closer holes, and just start working farther and farther apart. Probably go back and forth between each hole about 4 times. I'd focus really intently on what the proper speed was the first "round," then try to ingrain it and increasingly focus on line and trying to hole the putt. One added bonus of it was that, as I started seeing them go in with some regularity, I really started to feel like I could make long putts, and it wasn't just luck if they dropped. Overall it improved my putting and my confidence on the greens quite a bit.

Later in the summer I adapted the routine, so that after each round I'd drop the 4 balls in a 4-6ft radius circle around the hole and have to hole all 4 (start over if I missed one) before I could go back to the other hole. I did this because I found that I was working so much on longer putts that I was getting sloppy with the speed of short ones, and ramming them 3-4 feet by when I missed them (which I was sometimes doing BECAUSE I was hitting them so hard).

[dlam]

Bob Rotella CD and books "putting out of your mind " inprove my putting 1000%
Gives me back my long lost putting confidence and eliminates poor putting especially under pressure

[dbdors]

I just bought the "The Money Back Guarantee Putter Experience" from the Putting Doctor. Haven't started with it yet, just beginning to read the book.

[danattherock]

[quote name='rhh7' timestamp='1342044190' post='5258534']
This thread has done me more good than any other I have yet read at Golfwrx.com!

Thanks a million to all of you!
[/quote]



Agreed. There are some great ideas on this thread. Learned a lot myself. Thanks for all the great suggestions.




-Dan

[Buzzkill]

[b][u]Right elbow[/u]![/b]

[danattherock]

Right elbow?