My Belly experience

[sfdoddsy]

Not like most, I think.

Lordy this place is getting popular. I can't believe I had to go five pages back to find a week and a bit old thread about getting a belly putter. I would have added to that one, but I'm told it is bad form.

Anyway, I'd like to thank all those who helped out on this and my other belly threads. I've had a Yes Natalie Belly for the past week or so. It had extensive carpet practice, and I took it out for the medal on Saturday and a normal stableford today.

Alas, my results were the complete opposite of what I was expecting and what others here have experienced. I thought I'd be knocking in the short putts and having trouble with the long ones. On day one neither was true. I gripped it as I normally would, and had six three putts after 11 holes. Then I switched to a split grip and only had one more.

Today, I used the split grip and had no problem with long putts, or putts off the green. But I have never missed so many short putts. I just kept blowing it through, around and over the hole.

I'm willing to put up with my buddies sneering at me if there is a positive result, but there is nothing more embarrassing than using a belly putter and still putting like a chimpanzee.

The Natalie will be on eBay tomorrow.

[kiwidave]

2 rounds ........ Hardly time to break a putter in. They take a while to get used too, I'll never go back too standard

[sfdoddsy]

Yeah, I may give it one more bash on the weekend, or try it with a flat front grip.

[kiwidave]

I use the conv 2 handed with a variation of the claw on the bottom hand. Only my first finger across the front of the grip tho not the whole hand

[joesgonegolfing]

I roll mine left hand low, slightly. I can also get over confident and start pumping them by the hole so tempo takes a little time to get used to.

 

Look at Vijay................switched back and won again, why did he ever stop?

 

Joe

[tarheel]

how much for natalie?

[sfdoddsy]

I'm going to give it another shot. In any case, I am in Australia.

[TheBUNKY]

Takes practice mate! I know you've logged some time, however I would stick with it if I were you. It worked for Vijay over the weekend.

 

Different strokes for different folks. I for one will not be going back to a traditional length flat stick anytime soon.

 

Good luck with it.

[ben III]

I'm with TheBunky, it took 2/3 months for me to get used to the long putts. Just try it another month (or 2) before making your final call on bellyputters, just like you do with any other piece of equipment.

 

Nothing too lose lots too gain!

 

Ben

[sfdoddsy]

It's not the long putts I'm having problems with, it's the short ones.

[ben III]

It's not the long putts I'm having problems with, it's the short ones.

 

That was my experience, apparantly you have a different experience but my point was: it may take more then a couple off rounds to get used to a bellyputter.

 

Good luck!

[TheBUNKY]

I would also add that maybe you need to invest in one of those tools to put the straight line on your ball. That with the belly has helped me bunches. You can pick them up pretty much everywhere for a song. Not sure if there are WalMart stores in Aussie, but that is where I bought mine over here in the States.

 

Then all you really need to worry about is feel. That is as long as when you practice, you have a flat surface on your practice green. I might add, my PING lil'b' is a center shafted blade style and not a mallet.

 

I am telling you, I am sold on mine. I'm even sinking those four foot breakers that are so delicate.

 

Don't give up the fight just yet.

[evoviiiyou]

I had a 39" 2 Ball Tour Filled belly putter and I loved the way it rolled the ball. It was a great feeling putter with a nice moi...but I had trouble dialing in long puts...don't get me wrong from inside 6 feet it was money, but 10 feet or longer it either died or I pulled the ball due to trying to get the extra umph. I have sice been fitted with a BH Baby Ben Bettinardi cut to 31" and love the Winn AVS AI Midsize grip I had installed along with a certified weight to make the putter feel like it was 35". I will not ever go back to a belly now in retrospect.

[sfdoddsy]

I have to admire the fortitude of you guys, but I'm afraid I'm a little too impatient and too protective of my handicap to continue this experiment on the course, although I may keep trying things out on my Boomerang at home.

 

Today I used the Craz-E on the front and then switched to the belly on the back. I wasn't hitting it especially well on the front (4 GIR) and had 20 putts with 2 3 putts (including fringies). Not good.

 

I started hitting the ball much better on the back (6 GIR) but had 24 putts, including 1 4 putt, 4 3 putts and 5 misses from within a putter length.

 

I only play in comps so every round counts against my handicap and I'm just not willing to throw away so many shots in the hope things turn around with a belly when of course they not, so I'm going to do what I should have done. Go back to the old style putter I used to putt OK with, and (shudder) get a couple of putting lessons.

 

Thanks for all the advice.