Putting - the frustration

I realized today why there are so many times that I hit my goal scoring-wise, but still am not content with what I have done - PUTTING!!!!!

The part of golf I am worst at is putting and it's the last thing I always do for every hole.

I can't stand 3 putting and yet it seems like it happens far too often.

I noticed that if I am 5-10 feet away, I almost always miss as well.

There is this one particularly long par 4 (for me) - ~470 yard par 4. I can get it reasonably close due to a good chip/shot, but then I always miss the putt!

Today, I 3 putt on the last green as well. Made my bogey golf score but several 3 putts and that missed 8-10 feet putt ruined the round.

Anyone else have the dreaded putting problem?

Putting can be challenging for sure. 3 putts happen, on long ones for me usually. I'm lucky enough to live close proximity to nice practice putting greens so I can get out early morning and/or evening for an hour often. I too had my Bettanardi putter fitted, a few months ago, with the addition of a back heal insert. Just now coming around with rolling the ball better and of more consistent weight. Takes a lot of practice for me. Was attempting 39+ pace lag putts yesterday using 4 different type balls from the fring. Putting drills afterwards.

I've found getting a good handle on distance control has been a major key in reducing the number of 3 putts I end up with. Rarely will you be so far offline that you'll end up with a long 2nd putt if you judge your distance correctly. I haven't been fitted for a putter but tend to do pretty well as long as I am using a blade type putter, so you may want to try different styles of putters to see which fits you best if you aren't able to get professionally fitted.

Check to see if you are fitted correctly for your putter. If you have distance control issues you might need a heavier putter and/or some counterbalance weighting.

For distance putting, I would take a much longer and slower stroke than you normally do for long putts. You rather be slowing down the putter than speeding it up. Most people struggle because they take a short backstroke and end up jabbing the putt 10 feet by. I rarely see a person take a huge backstroke.

What I like to do is lay a stick about 6 inches behind a hole. Then I will go out to 25 feet and at 5 feet increments drop about 6 golf balls. So you would have, 25, 30, 35, ect.. Start at 25 feet and hit a putt so it stops near the stick. Then go to the 30 foot one and do the same. My goal is to get all the golf balls to be near that stick.

Best thing I ever did was to totally commit to the putt. By that I mean, don't baby it. Hit the ball in the hole. Once I realized I could not be afraid of missing the putt and watching it roll past the hole 3, or 4 feet, I started making more putts. Before, I would be hesitant with the stroke figuring if I missed, at least I would have a tap in left over. I am not a "die at the hole" type of putter. Too much can effect the roll of the ball as it gets near the hole, and starts slowing down.

The extra speed also helped by straightening out breaks a little more, and I also became a better long range putter.  Yeah, I still miss putts,and have longer next putts, but in the long run, I make more than when I was afraid to miss. My way of putting is not for the faint of heart.

A fitted putter is must. It helps with hitting straight putts. All putts are straight to some point at, or near the hole. I practice by rolling putts, on a level surface, over a dime 2 feet in front of the ball. If I can roll the ball over the coin, then I am hitting straight putts. I also practice my green reads when on the practice greens. I size up what I see, and then see if the ball rolls like what I thought it should.

Another type of practice do is to use two balls. As I am walking across the green, I will drop a ball behind me. That dropped ball is my target from where ever I decide to putt from, The smaller target helps with focus.

I think WE amateurs over read our putts!!!!!!!!! Well, at least I did.

As stated above, look at the line, commit to it and hit it so it travels PAST the hole!

I have had fewer three putts since I tried this. Not making more putts on the first try, but more second putts! Helped my score.

I believe most amateurs under read their putts then either push or pull their putts back online.

I'm with you, I had a terrible round yesterday all because of the putter, I ended up with the same score as some old guy who could barely hit the ball, I was 100 yds past him off the tee on the fairway most holes and we still matched (he may have cheated his score) all because I couldn't find the hole, it was about as depressing a round as I've had, getting to many greens or near in regulation and not scoring well is the epitome of golf pain.

So my plan for the next few weeks- no more range, I'm good enough with all my other clubs for now, I need to become a wizard with the flat stick, I'm going to the best practice facility I can find and spending all my free time putting, it's my new mission.

+1.

I did 1 & 2 recently and found that I consistently under read long putts.   And I considered myself a good putter even before that.    To make a long story short, 1 & 2 will help along with practice, practice, and practice.

@808hacker

Putting suggestions.

1. First, accept putting from long range is difficult, especially on severe sloped greens.

Try to accept the fact that most second putts will be tougher because your stressing over a shorter putt.

2. Create a goal for long putts to always leave yourself with 6 feet or less.

3. Practice the short putts over and over from different angles. Once you feel comfortable, you will probably make more short putts.

4. Relax, learn to relax over the short putts. Take a breath, exhale, use a light grip, pick you line, make a good stroke and drain the putt.

Good luck, Club Rat

Thanks guys! Will try those. A lot of it is in my head now. When I go to practice greens my distance control is awesome! I mean I can go and just look at the hole and putt it close many times without any problem. Something happens on the course and that's the problem. Although I am a true 16 handicap, I could be at least 3 strokes less if I could just putt decently on the course. If I am about 3-5 feet away from the hole, I almost always miss. The ball is past the hole a foot past either an inch left or right - or it lips out.

I am the only person not excited when my ball is 3 feet away from the hole on a par 3. It's because I know I will probably make par.

Finally, when I pitch to the hole, I am always guaranteed to be 3-5 feet from the hole!!!!!!!!

I went an entire round with the other player just marveling at how every putt was lipping out or just missing by a bit. It was comical. I guess the good news was I never 3 putt on that round, but I never made a one putt either.

I average 32 putts per round and if I didn't, I'd have to quit playing because the rest of my game isn't all that great. The biggest improvement I have ever experienced was when I became conscious of rolling the ball so that it doesn't jump and skid off the putter face. I've seen guys whose putts scoot 4 inches or more before they start to roll and then they wonder why they can't control the distance or the line. Until you get that right reading greens and working on your nerves isn't going to help. Mark your ball with a stripe around the circumference and practice making the strip roll true without a noticeable wobble when it comes off the face. I play the ball forward and strike it with a little bit of an upstroke. Once I started doing that, the distance control improved greatly and putts started rolling on the intended line for me. Then all I had to do was get the read the green to determine the proper line. I don't believe in lag putting or getting it within a 3 ft or 6 ft circle from long distance. I want to make every putt. For that reason, I want every miss to end up 12 to 18 inches past the hole. In other words, never up, never in. Reading greens I find that imagining how a bucket of water thrown down where my ball is would flow across the putting surface. I find a ball mark or discoloration, or something else that I can use as an aiming point (I know nothing of the AIM system, don't want to) I take a practice swing looking at the hole to get a feel for the stroke I need for the distance. When I putt, I keep my head still and listen for the ball to go in the hole. I don't know about getting fitted for a putter, but I am convinced that a lot of people play with putters that are too long for them. I think it's important that your eyes be directly over the line of the putt. I have a friend with whom I've played more than 25 years. 6 handicap who could have been a 2 or maybe scratch if he could putt. In that time span he's tried at least 30 different putters. As long as I've know him, I don't think he's ever averaged less than 36 putts a round. I can't believe that none of those putters actually "fit" him. We were in one of the golf stores and he's trying out putters. I said to him "You don't need a new putter, you need to learn how to putt." He finally started rolling the ball instead of hitting and scooting and dropped about 4 strokes off his average rounds. Big drives are impressive but roll a couple twenty footers in during a round and it can be demoralizing to your opponents. Good luck to you. I hope you start rolling 'em in the jar real soon

I like the idea of trying different balls at practice, and playing balls that putt well above everything else.

I believe PGA tour players only make about 50% of their putts from 8 feet so don't be too hard on yourself.

Before I play I like to practice a lot of 3-10 foot putts (in addition to lag putts) as these are the key distances where my skill can help me sink the putt.  I like to start in close around 3 feet just to make sure my putting stroke is on.  Then I will work back from there, trying different angles and different holes.  On putts in the 6-10 foot range I try to go through my complete putting routine that I'll use on the course.

I also prefer to only use one ball to practice putting, preferably the exact type of ball I'll be playing with.  Using just one ball is better for me because I focus more on each putt.  It means I can't just rake another ball over if I hit a bad one, and also that I can't rely on muscle memory for the speed.

I told my uncle the same thing. He gets a bit fixated on the one miss out of three and he doesn't realize he's actually making a good amount of putts inside of 10 feet.

I love putting, but I am flaky. On days when I am on, I can make a few 6-8 footers in a row and no 3 putts. On bad days, I can have a four-putt. A four-putt double is really frustrating.

As Erik said, try to hit the ball the exact distance to the hole.  I try to do that, with the modification that most of the time I would prefer to be past than short, but I don't mean 3 feet past, more like 3cm. On short, straight, uphill putts, I like the ball to hit the backside of the hole insert. On an uphill putt, the back of the cup is above the front, and this speed helps to "trap" the ball in the cup, and this level of firmness takes out minor break. On downhill putts the oposite is true, and I do want these to die in the hole.  Frank Thomas says to let your mind and body control the distance on longer putts just as if you are tossing a ball to someone.

I believe the saying "Its the Indian, not the arrow" is very true in putting. There is nothing wrong with getting truly fitted for your putter if you want to spend the money. It does have practical and real benefits. You can however, learn to putt with anything, as demonstrated by the recent pro who finished his round with a wedge.  It is better if your putter is at least the correct length, and when you take your stance with the putter flat on the ground, that your eyes naturally fall directly over the line. You can accomplish this with a custom fit $700 putter, and you can accomplish it with a $50 PING Anser from a used barrel. Some people would say that you don't pick a putter, the putter picks you, much like Harry Potter's wand. I am not  a mystic, but I wouldn't go to far to argue with them either.

I have an old Wilson Geo Low Original 600 that I have had for 35 years. On good days, it swings itself. A lot of that is familiarity, both from time of ownership, and practice. It is a simple forged flanged blade with minimal offset. It does have a good feel when swung, a good all around weight. I am cross-dominant (right handed, left eyed) and the minimal offset is probably a "fitting" characteristic for me, by chance. I am 5-11 but with 33-34 sleeve length, so if I were properly fitted, they would probably suggest a 33" shaft. I have a putter like that, and when I take my stance, my arms do hang, but I am still more comfortable with my old Wilson's 35" shaft. Again, probably just familiarity. When my confidence is off a bit, or I just want a change up, I have an old PING Anser (2 or 3-I can never remember) that has a straight sightline that is in the middle of the sweet spot. Oddly, it has a good deal of offset, but it still feels comfortable and looks right. The point is I have used these putters a lot, have a good bit of confidence in them, and through use have a familiarity of how to control the distance with either.

People get it done putting with some strange stances, and if it works fine. I would first try the normal route though of square shoulders, thighs, knees, and toes, a correct length shaft, and smoothly swing back and through with the shoulders.

A tip that has helped me is to not slump and maybe stand a little more erect with a slightly narrower stance on long putts. Slumping on long putts makes distance harder to control, most often leaving it short.

One thing I do for long downhill putts that works sometimes, is to pick an intermediate target that if I give it enough to get to that point as if it was level, it will roll the rest of the way, much like picking the fall line for break. Combining this with the fall line gives me a spot to putt to and if I make the short putt, I am prettly close on the long actual putt--or in if I am perfect.