Worst Putting Tip You Have Ever Heard?

[JuanTheGolfer]

A buddy of mine and I were chatting about the worst putting tip we have ever heard..  One we discussed was one we saw in an instructional video by Phil Mickelson in which he says when he makes his putting stroke that he wants to go back 25% and through 75%.   Which means his backswing is 1/3 of his forward swing.. Which when you watch his video or him on TV, in tournaments, this is not true!!

What is the worst putting tip you have ever heard?

[boogielicious]

1 hour ago, JuanTheGolfer said:

What is the worst putting tip you have ever heard?

All putts break towards water or away from mountains.

Putts break downhill, period.

[Papa Steve 55]

29 minutes ago, boogielicious said:

All putts break towards water or away from mountains.

Putts break downhill, period.

This is my favorite too, we have an island green........

[Shindig]

"Try putting like @Shindig " -- horrible advice, I am awful at putting.

[Darkfrog]

Never received this advice myself, but "the influence of Rae's creek" always irks me.

[mcanadiens]

Crusty old sod once told me "Try it with yer eyes closed."

I think he may have simply been telling me that I suck.

[DaveP043]

16 hours ago, JuanTheGolfer said:

A buddy of mine and I were chatting about the worst putting tip we have ever heard..  One we discussed was one we saw in an instructional video by Phil Mickelson in which he says when he makes his putting stroke that he wants to go back 25% and through 75%.   Which means his backswing is 1/3 of his forward swing.. Which when you watch his video or him on TV, in tournaments, this is not true!!

What is the worst putting tip you have ever heard?

I have to agree with the others, the putt breaks towards (Rae's Creek, Indio, the ocean, pick one) is often wrong.  On the other hand, many greens DO slope away from the nearest mountain (towards Indio in Palm Springs, away from the Blue Ridge at my home club), or towards the nearest significant watercourse, simply for drainage purposes.

@JuanTheGolfer, the advice you mention isn't really the ideal (putterhead speed leveled off at impact), but it can be pretty positive for golfers who decelerate their putter through impact.  They often have a follow-through half the length of their backswing, so exaggerating the correction can lead to some improvement.  

[klineka]

15 hours ago, Shindig said:

"Try putting like @Shindig " -- horrible advice, I am awful at putting.

Has anyone actually given that as advice though? 

Edited June 25, 2020 by klineka

[Shindig]

5 minutes ago, klineka said:

Has anyone actually given that as advice though? 

Yeah.  I'm kind of a small guy compared to many in my club, and when my handicap was dropping, some of the (not surprisingly, higher handicap players) assumed it meant I was putting well and not that my drives were getting longer and I was hitting more GIR.   

Anyone who saw my GG stats or has played a few rounds with me knows better than to give that advice though. 

[ChetlovesMer]

18 hours ago, JuanTheGolfer said:

A buddy of mine and I were chatting about the worst putting tip we have ever heard..  One we discussed was one we saw in an instructional video by Phil Mickelson in which he says when he makes his putting stroke that he wants to go back 25% and through 75%.   Which means his backswing is 1/3 of his forward swing.. Which when you watch his video or him on TV, in tournaments, this is not true!!

What is the worst putting tip you have ever heard?

Okay, I went to Chicago Public Schools so math isn't my strong suit. But if it's 25% and 75% doesn't that mean its 1/4 of his backswing? 

[Missouri Swede]

7 minutes ago, ChetlovesMer said:

Okay, I went to Chicago Public Schools so math isn't my strong suit. But if it's 25% and 75% doesn't that mean its 1/4 of his backswing? 

If total is 24 inches, backswing is 6”, followthrough is 18”. 6/18 = 1/3.

[ChetlovesMer]

14 minutes ago, Missouri Swede said:

If total is 24 inches, backswing is 6”, followthrough is 18”. 6/18 = 1/3.

See, I told you. Chicago Public Schools. 

I was over simplifying in my simple mind 25% of 100% is 1/4. Which would mean his backswing is 1/4 of his total swing. ... I get it now. I stand corrected. 

[iacas]

1 hour ago, DaveP043 said:

I have to agree with the others, the putt breaks towards (Rae's Creek, Indio, the ocean, pick one) is often wrong.  On the other hand, many greens DO slope away from the nearest mountain (towards Indio in Palm Springs, away from the Blue Ridge at my home club), or towards the nearest significant watercourse, simply for drainage purposes. 

There's a course on a ski slope here, where almost every green breaks toward the mountain, because the course could just install drain lines on the one side (between the mountain and the green site) rather than putting them on both sides of the green.

[DaveP043]

1 hour ago, iacas said:

There's a course on a ski slope here, where almost every green breaks toward the mountain, because the course could just install drain lines on the one side (between the mountain and the green site) rather than putting them on both sides of the green.

I've seen plenty of examples myself, and that's why I think the "ball always breaks toward....." is bad advice.  It might be generally right on some courses or regions, but its wrong often enough that you have to look at the REAL slopes in every single case, and not rely on "generally".  And that's why I value the Aimpoint instruction, it helps eliminate some of the visual trickeration that some architects use to mislead a player.

[darthweasel]

"never leave a birdie putt short".

 

My putting style is admittedly mathematically incorrect...I try to die it in the hole and my most common miss is a few inches short of the hole. I know the putt is supposed to go I think it is 18-24" past the hole for optimum speed but when I do that I tend to miss 6 or 8' past the hole. For whatever reason  mind does not read that speed correctly and when I go past the hole I often 3-putt. When I putt to the hole, even if I leave it short, I tend to average 1.7 putts per hole and seldom 3-putt. I would much rather have a tap-in par than a 3-putt bogey because I elected to not leave a birdie putt short.

 

I consistently have people make smart remarks when I leave putts short...and I continue to laugh quietly to myself as I have 28-30 putts a round and watch them mutter "another 3 putt" 4,5,6 times a round and have 38 or 40 putts. Sure, if someone is a good putter going a bit past the hole is great but for me...it is TERRIBLE advice.

[pganapathy]

I was reading recently that accelerating through the putt is the worst thing you can do.  Ideally it should be a slightly decelerating blow.

For me the worst tip is putt from off the green if possible.  I seem to be able to judge a pitch shot better than a putt, especially distance wise.

I was reading recently that accelerating through the putt is the worst thing you can do.  Ideally it should be a slightly decelerating blow.

For me the worst tip is putt from off the green if possible.  I seem to be able to judge a pitch shot better than a putt, especially distance wise.  This really applies for long putts I guess, more than short ones off the green

[Missouri Swede]

On 6/24/2020 at 3:26 PM, boogielicious said:

All putts break towards water or away from mountains.

Putts break downhill, period.

 

On 6/25/2020 at 7:12 AM, DaveP043 said:

I have to agree with the others, the putt breaks towards (Rae's Creek, Indio, the ocean, pick one) is often wrong.

This idea just won't go away while it's perpetuated by announcers.  Evidently the effect of the Pacific Ocean on putts isn't reflected in the green books.  Saw this on the Pebble Beach Pro-Am (except no Ams) today: 

 

[saevel25]

You must putt straight back and straight through when natural putting happens on an arc. 

You must accelerate through the putt.