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i have no short game / putting


clearwaterms
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so today I was out playing my favorite 9 hole golf course. By all accounts the only thing that makes the course tough is the length. Anyway, here is a recap of my round.

9 holes, par 36
6 GIR's
22 putts
no penality strokes
shot a 45

In my bag:

some golf clubs

a few golf balls

a bag of tee's some already broken the rest soon to be

a snickers wrapper (if you have seen me play, you would know you are not going anywhere for a while)

and an empty bottle of water

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You definitely need to work on your putting.

I had a good putting round last week with 26 putts on 18 holes, with only 6 GIR. I shot 3 over. It's amazing what a good putting will do for your score.

What's your biggest problem? Reading the line? Speed? Consistent stroke?

Driver: 909 D3 Diamana Blue
3 wood Ti Bubble 2
Hybrid: Burner Rescue 19 S Fujikura
4-PW: ZB NS Pro 100 S
GW: 51 VokeySW: 55 VokeyLW: 60 BeCuPutter: Red X3 or Del Mar 2 TeI3Ball: TP Red LDP or Pro V1x

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You definitely need to work on your putting.

Lag putting is my biggest problem - I think my stroke is consistent, but getting the right speed is usually the biggest problem. On almost all of my putts outside of 15' I left it alot further then a tap in for par.

In my bag:

some golf clubs

a few golf balls

a bag of tee's some already broken the rest soon to be

a snickers wrapper (if you have seen me play, you would know you are not going anywhere for a while)

and an empty bottle of water

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there is a putting drill that drifterland posted a while back
this has taken a HUGE number of putts off my rounds
i have sorta made it my own, buyt it's as follows:

*putt 12 balls (only use 4 balls but make 12) in a row from one putter length from the hole
*once you make 12, move back one putter grip lenght - repeat
*continue this until you reach approx. 5 grips extentions, then shoot for a number you are comfortable (ex. once i reach this lenght, i shoot for 90%)
*then for lag putting pace out 8,11,14 and 20 steps
*hit 3 balls from each lengths, trying to get within one putter length (mark it w a t behind the hole, so you know)

this is a super fun drill, beacuse you dont want to miss that 11th or 12th putt, so it gives you that feeling of a "must make" birdie, par or even bogey

try it for a couple sessions, I guarantee it will help you

drifterland swears by it and it has helped me HUGE
my last round i only had 25 putts for 18 - dropped me from 31
"My swing is homemade - but I have perfect flaws!" - Me
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there is a putting drill that drifterland posted a while back

how often do you practice putting? Only before a round? Do you take advantage of the practice surface at the range? What distance do you start at? Do you start at just like 2' I will give this a shot, I don't have any place to practice putting at home (hardwood floors make for noisy putting)

In my bag:

some golf clubs

a few golf balls

a bag of tee's some already broken the rest soon to be

a snickers wrapper (if you have seen me play, you would know you are not going anywhere for a while)

and an empty bottle of water

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That is absolutly terrible putting. I'm guessing your chipping game stinks too?

Why do you need tap in's for par? Anything inside 5' should be pretty easy.

Here's a tip: practice your putting and chipping as much as your ball striking. It's half the game.
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That is absolutly terrible putting. I'm guessing your chipping game stinks too?

my chipping (as in inside of 15 yards) is pretty terrible. I work on chipping alot when I am at the range, but am not consistent.

In my bag:

some golf clubs

a few golf balls

a bag of tee's some already broken the rest soon to be

a snickers wrapper (if you have seen me play, you would know you are not going anywhere for a while)

and an empty bottle of water

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my chipping (as in inside of 15 yards) is pretty terrible. I work on chipping alot when I am at the range, but am not consistent.

You need to learn a technique, practice it and then execute it while playing. Chipping is, in my experience, rather easy when a solid technique is learned and executed. Chipping from <30 yards (about what I'd consider chipping range) is really a pretty easy thing if a thick rough isn't involved.

Find a professional to give you a lesson on chipping technique and practice it a lot. It will make your approach shots better because you'll have less pressure knowing you'll have a good chance of getting it up and down from around the green. A chip and a 3-putt is death.
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Once you are exposed to good technique through observation, instruction, books or videos, it is just a matter of practicing enough to grasp those fundamentals and gain confidence. Confidence is of paramount importance in the short game because the closer you get to the hole the greater the reward for good performance.

I had a really good short game for a while and started to lose it. I had stopped spending a portion of my time working on the basics chipping and pitching. So I rethought the fundamentsals and started working on chipping with different clubs and working on a set-up and techniqe that worked for me with the putter. Within a couple of weeks I was getting up and down from everywhere (I miss a lot of greens). I won a match play event a few weeks ago (4 and 2) and completed the round with 23 putts in 18 holes.

It takes a lot of pressure off your approach shots when you have confidence you can get in or near the hole from anywhere around the green.

My chipping had gone bad because I was letting my wrists breakdown at the bottom and I was not striking the ball well. Once I started holding the clubface square to the target line with a firm left wrist and striking the ball better, it became a simple matter of choosing the right club for the distance and just dropping the club head on the back of the ball. Regular practice gave me a sense of carry and release with different clubs and then the confidence to execute the shot I had chosen. With the putter, again I had gotten too busy with the wrists. I established a preshot routine where I rehearse keeping the left wrist flat through impact and releasing the putter head toward the target line. I employ a "no hit" stroke like David Toms and once I was confident in hitting the line I chose it became a matter of using the length of the backswing and release to control the speed.

Stabbing at the ball, flipping the wrist up and/or over and a helping of self doubt will result in a poor short game. Again, you have to find technique that works for you and practice it enough to have confidence.


Good luck.
SubPar
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as a side note - I have been taking lessons, and the last two lessons have focused soley on shortgame and chipping / pitching around the greens. I truely think for me, it just comes down to practice. I have a technique for both that I feel comfortable with. In both instances it comes down to choosing the right amount of speed / distance for the ball to travel.

In my bag:

some golf clubs

a few golf balls

a bag of tee's some already broken the rest soon to be

a snickers wrapper (if you have seen me play, you would know you are not going anywhere for a while)

and an empty bottle of water

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my putting is also horrible and chipping as well...i average about 14-16 gir's per round, and average score about 73-78....my ball striking has been so well lately, the flat (and super lofted) guys have been letting me down :o(
Driver r9 460 TP 8.5
Irons Apex Edge 2-PW
Wedges RAC TP Z Smoke 52, 56
Putter White Hot Blade #7
Ball Prov1x
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my putting is also horrible and chipping as well...i average about 14-16 gir's per round, and average score about 73-78....my ball striking has been so well lately, the flat (and super lofted) guys have been letting me down :o(

did you ever notice it is always something. throughout the summer I have gone through spurts of no 3 putts in a round but can't get off the tee with anything more then a 5 iron, to 3 up and downs in 9 holes, but terrible second shots (iron play) to this, good ball striking, but no short game.

I shot the best 9 of my life earlier this summer (43) and it was because I could chip and putt. Today, I had probably the best round (ball striking wise) but my chipping and putting held me back.

In my bag:

some golf clubs

a few golf balls

a bag of tee's some already broken the rest soon to be

a snickers wrapper (if you have seen me play, you would know you are not going anywhere for a while)

and an empty bottle of water

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I use the putting drill mentioned above religiously now, and it's cut my number of putts from 26ish for 9 holes down to 16-18 in just a couple weeks. It just really gives you confidence in your putting, and it becomes automatic.

As far as chipping and pitching, I chip decent, and I'm getting better at pitching every week. I have a bucket of balls out on the yard, and every night I dump the bucket and start at 20 yards, and place the bucket, and try to drop them into the bucket. I back up 10 yards, and go from 30 yards, and then keep going as long as I have time. If you only have time to hit 20 or 30 balls a night after work, as I do usually, I find that just chipping and pitching in the yard has done wonders as long as you measure it out.

It's all about feel from that close in, and the more time you spend behind the wedges, the easier it becomes.
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Lag putting is my biggest problem - I think my stroke is consistent, but getting the right speed is usually the biggest problem. On almost all of my putts outside of 15' I left it alot further then a tap in for par.

You sound like you have my short game! I'm always leaving 4 footers that for me are not easy. 3 putt way to many holes. I'm getting better slowly

but not fast enough for my taste. All I can say is stick with it you will improve.

Driver.... Nickent DX Evolver V2 65 stiff /07 Burner YS6+ stiff .
4 wood..... Nickent 4DX
Hybrids.....Tour Edge Geomax 22* 25* 28*
Irons.....TM R7 6-P + AW,SW,LW
Putter.....Odyssey White Hot XG 2 BallBag.......Callaway ORG 14 A.L.I.C.E. Ball........Bridgestone e6 / Srixon Soft Feel...

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It takes a lot of pressure off your approach shots when you have confidence you can get in or near the hole from anywhere around the green.

This is all really good advice and anecdote. The first part is something I really believe made my approach shooting better.

The second and third part is just good advice. Keep the hands in front of the club. The typical chip from a not-terrible lie becomes rather routine and fun to execute and you'll surprise yourself with the accuracy you place the ball.
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how often do you practice putting? Only before a round? Do you take advantage of the practice surface at the range? What distance do you start at? Do you start at just like 2' I will give this a shot, I don't have any place to practice putting at home (hardwood floors make for noisy putting)

i practice for 35 mins before every round (36-54/week) as well as 2-3 hrs/week on the practice surface the start distance is one putter length put the head in the cup and mark the length w a tee once you make 4 or 8 or 12 or whataver you want, move your tee back one putter grip length once you do this for again 4 or 8 or 12, move it back another putter grip length i just got back from the range 1/2 hour ago and practiced this for 1.5 hrs today i got this drill from "drifterland" on here search him out if you have questions, but i bleive this is THE BEST putting drill i have ever done i got bored of Phily Mac's 10 tee round circle, I am yet to get bored of this one have fun w it! :)
"My swing is homemade - but I have perfect flaws!" - Me
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my chipping (as in inside of 15 yards) is pretty terrible. I work on chipping alot when I am at the range, but am not consistent.

put the ball back in your stance...hands forward, don't release the club...just go through it low. Use a 8 or 9 iron. after an hour or two of practice you will be a new man and calling your shots. Don't make the game hard.

In the Bag...Ping Hoofer

3dx Tour Square - UST V2 HMOI X Flex
3dx 15* - X flex
Baffler DWS 20* Aldila NV Stiff 4-GW 600XC Forged Irons- S Flex 55* SW - Burner XD 60* LW - Burner XD Craz E Putter <----ProV1x---> Pellet

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***UPDATE***

yesterday I went to the practice facility and spent over an hour putting and another hour chipping. While I won't say that I reinvented my game, it definetly helped. Today I played again today and here is how I shot.

Same Par 36 course:
44 (8 over) (6 bogies, 1 double, 2 pars)
2 GIR's
17 putts
2 up and downs
2 3 putts


The thing that killed me today was getting my chips and pitches (15 yards away) inside of 6'. I will admit I wasn't striking my irons today like I was on monday (2 GIR's vs. 6 GIR's) but with the exception of 1 hole, I was right up by the green (within 15 yards) in regulation.

In my bag:

some golf clubs

a few golf balls

a bag of tee's some already broken the rest soon to be

a snickers wrapper (if you have seen me play, you would know you are not going anywhere for a while)

and an empty bottle of water

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Note: This thread is 5302 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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