Nerves While Putting

[ChetlovesMer]

On 5/11/2022 at 5:22 PM, KansasDude said:

I read through this thread.   People who have never suffered from Yips or putting tension or whatever it is don't understand how real it is.  

I have been playing golf since I was 5.  (I am 60 now)   Played in college.  Was a great putter when I was a kid.  But when I hit about 30 I started struggling with short putts.  I had a better chance to make a 30 foot putt than a 5 foot putt.  It seems to have really gotten worse the last decade.   Anything more than a tap in is an adventure.   I am a decent player.  I have a 7 handicap, I can hit the ball well, but putting is not fun.  

It doesn't matter how much I practice.  I can practice on the putting green for hours and my stroke looks and feels pretty good.  It doesn't matter how much I try to convince myself its only a game, etc.,  when I get to the first tee, under any kind of pressure, my hands and arms feel weird.  It feels like I don't even know how to stroke the putt.   It is the same whether I play with family, friends or strangers.  I putt better with my hybrid than my putter.

 I have around 30 different putters that I have accumulated over the years.  I have tried the following methods that I can remember.  There are probably more.

-Short backstroke

- pop stroke like Snedeker

-look at hole on stroke

-follow putter blade with eyes on stroke

-close eyes on stroke

-long putter

-long side saddle putter

-claw grip

-praying hands grip

-pencil grip

-one armed putting

-cross hand putting

-putting left handed

-cut putting

-Grip putter very loosely

-Grip putter very tightly

I have read Bob Rotella books.  I have read numerous instruction books.   

It is really sad.

 

Have you tried not giving a crap? 

JK - Seriously though. How bad is it? Do you keep stats? I've met lots of golfers who say they are either great at or horrible at putting, but when they keep their actual stats they find out that neither is true. I'm not saying this is the case for you. But the question has to be asked. Do you know your stats on 5 footers, 3 footers. etc... 

[Double Mocha Man]

On 5/11/2022 at 2:22 PM, KansasDude said:

-Short backstroke

- pop stroke like Snedeker

-look at hole on stroke

-follow putter blade with eyes on stroke

-close eyes on stroke

-long putter

-long side saddle putter

-claw grip

-praying hands grip

-pencil grip

-one armed putting

-cross hand putting

-putting left handed

-cut putting

-Grip putter very loosely

-Grip putter very tightly

I have read Bob Rotella books.  I have read numerous instruction books.   

It is really sad.

 

That is quite the litany of putter swing keys.  I'm impressed.  Have you ever tried being a "robot" to get back on track?  Get rid of the emotions, get rid of wanting to make the putt. Get rid of reacting to the putt.  Focus only on the stroke... not the things you can't control.  Also, in putting you can't shank the ball, you can barely top it or hit it fat.  And you essentially can't slice it or hook it to any great degree.  Rejoice in those things.

[StuM]

I've been lucky to avoid the Yips but one player on our league has them often on 3-4 footers.  He will calmly sink 5 and 6 footers but when he gets shorter putts he jerks badly at contact, almost seems to jump off the ground.  He seemed to beat it for a while but it came back.  My only thought is that he is so afraid of doing it that he tenses up and ends up doing what he knows not to do.  Thing is, he is  in his 80s and played varsity for Notre Dame in the 1050's.  He consistently shoots mid-40s on 9 holes.  Those short putts are is only weakness.

I just hope I never experience it.

[Double Mocha Man]

1 minute ago, StuM said:

Thing is, he is  in his 80s and played varsity for Notre Dame in the 1050's.

That must have been Notre Dame in Paris in those years.  Did he also work part-time as a knight or earl?  😀

[StuM]

4 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

That must have been Notre Dame in Paris in those years.  Did he also work part-time as a knight or earl?  😀

🙂 so much for my typing skills....he played for them in the 1950's.

[ChetlovesMer]

16 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

That must have been Notre Dame in Paris in those years.  Did he also work part-time as a knight or earl?  😀

Big hitters, those knights. 

[dennyjones]

His name was Quasimodo!