How do you make 3 footers?

[ScottyCameron]

Hey guys I just played today and missed 4 three foot putts. What are some tips/drills to help make those tricky little putts?

[Leftygolfer]

One drill is the drill that Phil is famous for. Going around the hole and making one after another.

My recomendation is to hit these putts firm. I am just a lousy mid handicapper but I am pretty sure you don't want baby them in. I really work hard on making these putts and I find that I have a lot more success hitting them firm. And to clarify I mean if I miss it goes about about 2 feet past the hole.

This is the most important shot in golf. A round maker or breaker.

[CarlSpackler]

Were these straight putts or serious breakers? Were you missing right, left, short or blowing them past the hole?

[1par2win]

Whenever I go though something like that I can always trace it back to not releasing the putter head or excess movement. Head over to the practice green and take a little shorter backswing and let the putter head move through impact. Don't try to steer, just let the head move down the line. After 5 minutes you should be really feeling the ball chase down your target line. That should restore your feel.

[mdvaldosta]

Pick your line, trust it, and hit with a firm and confident stroke. Easier said than done though.

[billm408]

It's just practice. Place balls at 2, 3 & 4 feet out from the hole. Start at 2' and move back. If you make all three, move to a different angle and do it again. Set up a pattern of 4 angles around the hole (N,S,E,W works for me). If you miss one, start over.

When I practice, I never putt to a hole farther than 4 feet away. Otherwise I'm just training myself to miss. Beyond 4 feet, I'll putt to marks or tees, but mostly for distance.

[David in FL]

I think people who struggle with short putts are trying too hard to hit that 4 1/4 inch hole. I pick out a small spot, maybe a 1/4 inch round, in front of the hole and do my best to roll the ball over that spot . If I miss my spot by an inch or so, it still goes in. As a practice drill, I putt short putts at dimes.

Think "spot" not "hole" and see if you don't make more.


The .02 worth of a decent, but by no means great putter.

[deafheaven]

Don't be tentative. Hit it firmly into the cup.

I also think that people practice their long putting too much when it is the 3 and 4 ft putts that should take up most of your practice time. Those 3 footers need to be automatic.

I've been missing some myself lately and it is because I haven't been practicing and therefore have been too tentative on the short putts. I practice 3 and 4 ft putts in the house when I'm bored or when commercials are on when I'm watching tv. I don't practice long putts at all anymore inside the house.

[DavidFehertysBike]

One drill is the drill that Phil is famous for. Going around the hole and making one after another.

I do this drill as well. I set up 10 balls 3-5 feet from the hole and i try to drill them all in. I miss one, and i start all over again. I go though my set up routine every time, too. Dont just walk up to the next ball. Do it like your playing a round, and put the same pressure on yourself to make them. Hit em firm at the back of the cup.

[whip_it_out]

Tell yourself its harder to miss them than to make them.

[Leftygolfer]

One thing I forgot to mention was the line on the ball. It makes all the difference to me. I use it religiously and I really think it takes one thought out of your head. There is no thinking about aim once I am over the ball.

I highly recommend.

[ks8829]

I practice my putting this morning for 1 1/2 hours and this afternoon, I practice chipping for 1 hour and putting for another hour for a total of 2 1/2 hours of putting alone.

I practice distance control and finishing all putts as in playing situations.

I like to practice 3 foot putts on a level or uphill. I can check my putting mechanics.

Tips
1) check proper grip
2) check grip pressure
3) pendulum motion of the shoulder rather than hands or wrist
4) I do not break my wrist at impact so that Y is formed with shoulder and arms.
5) keep the putter low on the take away seems to keep the line
6) practice, practice and confidence will follow
7) slight forward press helps me

use a club on the ground to align the putter direction sometimes help.

How often you do you practice putting? How many putts per round do you average?

[goblue107501]

Don't think about it, just hit firm in the back of the cup. If the first putt rolls past the hole 3-4 feet, I will not think about it at all, just walk up to it and knock it in. I don't mark it, clean it, or line up. I will miss more of them when I have to mark it so I am not in someone's line. I don't like to stop and think about it too much. About half the time I will hit it left handed with the backside of the putter and rarely miss.

If it is a big bender or really fast downhill I will take more time, but usually I will just knock it in.

[alcorn]

Great topic... I just ram em home. I find that if I try to finesse them then they don't go it as much as when I just follow my instict and go aggressive. On a related note, I think there was an article about 6 or 7 years ago discussing how one reason why 3 and 4 footers are often much tougher than your average 10 footer is that we put pressure on ourselves to make them. They showed brain scans and you could see the difference in brain activity between several players in the same dilema

[Tulsa]

Whenever I go though something like that I can always trace it back to not releasing the putter head or excess movement. Head over to the practice green and take a little shorter backswing and let the putter head move through impact. Don't try to steer, just let the head move down the line. After 5 minutes you should be really feeling the ball chase down your target line. That should restore your feel.

Good advice!

Think of pushing the ball down your intended line, don't hit it.

[right handed phil mickelson]

Grab and friend and do this.

Go to a practice green and walk about three feet away from a hole, and put down a tee.
You and your friend both hit one ball, alternating shots, at the hole. If you make it, then your friend has to make it. If you make it, and he/she misses, then you win, and go to another hole. Play to 5 or 10 or whatever. Doing this will help 3 FOOTERS BECOME AUTOMATIC.

Hope this helps!

~RHPM

[deafheaven]

Grab and friend and do this.

My buddies and I went to the putting green before our tee off last weekend to warm up and had a putting contest with the winner getting a mulligan during the round.

[iacas]

Best advice on this topic (that isn't just "trust it") came from Daniel Chopra on Playing Lessons: hit the putt solidly. Make solid contact. Focus on that and that alone.

Works great.