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Putting.....watch the putter or the ball


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  1. 1. Do you look at the ball or watch the putter

    • Putter
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    • Ball
      37


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An old-timer, Willie Park, who was considered a 'great' putter recommended visualizing a thumb tack precisely in the back of the ball. See you putter head drive the tack straight into the ball. Consistency and confidence go a long way in dropping putts.

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I personally use what I read in Dave Stockton's putting book. I look at a spot about 1-2" in front of the ball on the line I want it to take, and just try to roll it over that spot. It works for me, but I know that a few people I play with regularly think I'm nuts because of it.

 

 

My bag:

Driver: G10 10.5* w/ Pro Launch Red Reg 

3 Wood: G10 w/ Pro Launch Red Reg 

18* and 21* hybrids: G10 with Pro Launch Red Stiff 

4-PW: Ping Eye 2 Irons w/ Reg GS 95 

56* and 60*: Tour-S Rustique Wedges w/ Stiff KBS Tour 

Putter: Scotty Cameron Pro Platinum Newport 

 

 

 

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I'm shocked that 30% thus far voted for watching the putter................Would you watch the mit to catch a baseball?  Would you watch your bat to hit a baseball?  ........or watch any golf club to hit a golf ball. Wow....the insanity.

Watching the putter is a very bad thing........seriously folks, you need to reconsider.

What's in Paul's Bag:
- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha Driver
- Big Bertha Alpha 815 3-wood
- Callaway Razr Fit 5-wood
- Callaway Big Bertha 4-5 Rescue Clubs
-- Mizuno Mx-25 six iron-gap wedge
- Mizuno Mp-T4 56degree SW
- Mizuno Mp-T11 60degree SW
- Putter- Ping Cadence Ketsch

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Originally Posted by BuckeyeNut

I'm shocked that 30% thus far voted for watching the putter................Would you watch the mit to catch a baseball?  Would you watch your bat to hit a baseball?  ........or watch any golf club to hit a golf ball. Wow....the insanity.  LOL   that's nuts......


But you watch the "moving" ball hit the mitt or the "moving" ball hit your bat. Not saying it is right, but it helps with the plane for some reason.

"My ball is on top of a rock in the hazard, do I get some sort of relief?"

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you'll never be a good putter that way..........

What's in Paul's Bag:
- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha Driver
- Big Bertha Alpha 815 3-wood
- Callaway Razr Fit 5-wood
- Callaway Big Bertha 4-5 Rescue Clubs
-- Mizuno Mx-25 six iron-gap wedge
- Mizuno Mp-T4 56degree SW
- Mizuno Mp-T11 60degree SW
- Putter- Ping Cadence Ketsch

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you'll never be a good putter that way..........

Sounds like a challenge lol

"My ball is on top of a rock in the hazard, do I get some sort of relief?"

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Neither.  Look through the ball at the dimple that it leaves in the green.

[ Equipment ]
R11 9° (Lowered to 8.5°) UST Proforce VTS 7x tipped 1" | 906F2 15° and 18° | 585H 21° | Mizuno MP-67 +1 length TT DG X100 | Vokey 52° Oil Can, Cleveland CG10 2-dot 56° and 60° | TM Rossa Corza Ghost 35.5" | Srixon Z Star XV | Size 14 Footjoy Green Joys | Tour Striker Pro 5, 7, 56 | Swingwing

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Originally Posted by BuckeyeNut

I'm shocked that 30% thus far voted for watching the putter................Would you watch the mit to catch a baseball?  Would you watch your bat to hit a baseball?  ........or watch any golf club to hit a golf ball. Wow....the insanity.

Watching the putter is a very bad thing........seriously folks, you need to reconsider.

I'll challenge you to a putting contest. I'll look at the putter & you look at whatever you want.

Re your analogies, each is irrelevant - a baseball is moving, a golf ball isn't. And a golf club moves outside your peripheral vision so obviously you can't watch it.

We are talking about a putt - the club moves, what, a foot? And it's hitting a stationary object. There is zero similarity of it to the things you described.

Again, it's putting. The most individualistic part of the game. If I could make putts looking at my freekin shoes then I would do it.

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Originally Posted by Fourputt

I watch the spot where the ball lies.  Before I strike it, I watch the ball.  After I strike it, I'm looking at the spot where it was until it's well on its way to the hole.

Me too. I believe I read about this technique in an Arnold Palmer book (My Game and Yours?).

My Tools of Ignorance:

Driver: Ping I20 9.5*
Woods/Hybrids: Cobra AMP 3W and 3 HY

Irons: Cobra AMP 4-GW

Wedges: Callaway Forged Copper 56* and 60*

Putters: Scotty Cameron  35" (Several of the flow neck blade variety)

Ball: Bridgestone B330-RX and Srixon Z-Star

Bag: Nike Performance Carry

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Originally Posted by Sticky

I watch the ball but try to see as a whole, I line up the ball so there are no marks on top.

Same here - prefer no visible markings when putting.

Mizuno MP600 driver, Cleveland '09 Launcher 3-wood, Callaway FTiz 18 degree hybrid, Cleveland TA1 3-9, Scratch SS8620 47, 53, 58, Cleveland Classic 2 mid-mallet, Bridgestone B330S, Sun Mountain four5.

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Watching the putter is a very bad thing........seriously folks, you need to reconsider.

I've never really thought about it, but I tend to watch the putter......and I'm not at all happy with my putting. Not horrid, but not to the level that I think it should be either. I'll reconsider......

In David's bag....

Driver: Titleist 910 D-3;  9.5* Diamana Kai'li
3-Wood: Titleist 910F;  15* Diamana Kai'li
Hybrids: Titleist 910H 19* and 21* Diamana Kai'li
Irons: Titleist 695cb 5-Pw

Wedges: Scratch 51-11 TNC grind, Vokey SM-5's;  56-14 F grind and 60-11 K grind
Putter: Scotty Cameron Kombi S
Ball: ProV1

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I evaluated my crappy putting this year, realized I was looking at the putter causing all sort of issues.  Started looking at the ball and putting immediately got better.

Thinking on it a bit, it doesn't really make sense to look at the putter.  When you hammer a nail, do you look at the hammer?  When you hit a baseball, do you look at the bat?   Etc...etc

Driver: i15 8* UST Axivcore Red 69S
3w: CB1 15* Grafalloy Prolaunch Platinum 75s
5w: G10 18.5* UST V2 HL
3h: HiFli CLK 20* UST V2 Hybrid
4h: 3DX 23* UST V2 Hybrid5i-pw: MX-23 TT Dynalite Gold S300GW/SW: RAC 52*and 56*Putter: SabertoothBag: KingPin

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  • Administrator
Originally Posted by zipazoid

But you're saying you're 'effed' if you move your eyes. I disagree.

That's not what he said. He said if you notice your putter is off-path or something you may think you're "effed." Big difference.

Originally Posted by zipazoid

I'll challenge you to a putting contest. I'll look at the putter & you look at whatever you want.

I could probably beat a bunch of people while looking at pictures of Kate Beckinsale on my iPhone. Doesn't mean that's how people should putt.

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

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Quote:
Originally Posted by zipazoid View Post

But you're saying you're 'effed' if you move your eyes. I disagree.

That's not what he said. He said if you notice your putter is off-path or something you may think you're "effed." Big difference.

Quote:
Originally Posted by zipazoid View Post

I'll challenge you to a putting contest. I'll look at the putter & you look at whatever you want.

I could probably beat a bunch of people while looking at pictures of Kate Beckinsale on my iPhone. Doesn't mean that's how people should putt.

I don't think it will be people you will be beating. :D

"My ball is on top of a rock in the hazard, do I get some sort of relief?"

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Originally Posted by iacas

That's not what he said. He said if you notice your putter is off-path or something you may think you're "effed." Big difference.

I could probably beat a bunch of people while looking at pictures of Kate Beckinsale on my iPhone. Doesn't mean that's how people should putt.

I didn't say that's how people should putt. I said that's how I putt & it works for me.

Seems we have similar issues with reading comprehension, Erik.

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Neither for me as well.  I look at a spot just in front of the ball on my line, but not too far out.  I also prefer no markings on the ball since I am not looking directly at it anyway.

Nate

:pxg:(10.5) :benhogan:(4W):titleist:U500(3UI) :benhogan: Icon(4-PW) :edel:(52/58)

:odyssey:Putter :snell: MTB Black  

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