Putting - Problems with speed

[jrode]

After yesterday on the course I realized that my main problem with putting is speed. I'd say I'm pretty good at reading the break and picking a decent line, but I have some big issues with speed. I can never seem to put long putts close enough to where I have a tap in or a fairly easy look for a two putt, which leads to a lot of three putts for me.

Any suggestions on judging speed or any drills to help with it, or does being able to judge speed just come with more experience?

[GaijinGolfer]

I would say it comes with experience. I have a practice putting target (the one that shoots the ball back to you) and I practice on my living room floor. Its berber carpeting and its pretty close to having the same speed as most of the greens around here.
I practice putts in the 5'-15' range. IMO, thats the distance that seperates the men from the boys.

[jrode]

I usually spend a fair amount of time on the practice green before my round and yesterday I thought I had a good feel for speed, but when I got out on the course it was a different story. This putting green was like an actual green too, not just a flat, rectangle one that a lot of courses have, so I felt good about my putting going into the round. Once I got out on the course though, I was shooting putts past the hole when I thought I needed to give it a little more and leaving them short when I thought I just needed to give it a little tap.

[ks8829]

Long putts require the following:

1) solid contact
2) pre putt routine
3) consistent tempo
4) judge your distance putts of 5 feet, 10 feet, 20 feet etc. so you can duplicate this distance on the course.
5) read down hill and uphill putt speeds
6) confidence in your putting speed

practice so that you make consistent distance putts from 10 feet, 15 feet and 20 feet.

Reading down hill putts by judging the distance along with how much slope will add to the roll of the ball, for example a 10 foot down hill putt may only need to be putted a distance of 7 feet and gravity will take it another 3 feet.

[Stacey_E]

I try to commit to my line and once over the ball concentrate on nothing but speed. Seems simple, but It's vital to a good lag put. In my minds eye on say an 38 footer, I'm imagining how firm to roll it for 20 feet, 30 feet, 38 feet ....go. I'm always imagining a 6 foot circle on those long puts, which is easier to focus on than 4 1/2" inches.

I wouldn't worry too much about how far back I bring the clubhead for each distance. That just seems too mechanical for me. My best advice for distance control is to feel like you are holding the putter just as softly as possible in the fingers. With a softer feel in the hands, you will have more natural feel for distance. It feels almost like the club is going to slip out of your fingers. Just don't let the wrists breakdown, keep that wrist angle.

[GaijinGolfer]

I usually spend a fair amount of time on the practice green before my round and yesterday I thought I had a good feel for speed, but when I got out on the course it was a different story. This putting green was like an actual green too, not just a flat, rectangle one that a lot of courses have, so I felt good about my putting going into the round. Once I got out on the course though, I was shooting putts past the hole when I thought I needed to give it a little more and leaving them short when I thought I just needed to give it a little tap.

Sounds like just need more practice. With time and practice you will be able to judge how hard you need to hit the ball to achieve a given distance.

[alf174]

.....Just don't let the wrists breakdown, keep that wrist angle.

This is so true; get a little "wristy" with your putting stroke and ball speed dies quickly.

[gsu_paintballer]

After yesterday on the course I realized that my main problem with putting is speed. I'd say I'm pretty good at reading the break and picking a decent line, but I have some big issues with speed. I can never seem to put long putts close enough to where I have a tap in or a fairly easy look for a two putt, which leads to a lot of three putts for me.

I have the same problem. At times I can get a perfect putt, but have it die just before it gets there or either fly by. I don't have the confidence to really stroke through because I am afraid to hot rod it.

[iWALK18]

I have a lag putting drill which has helped me tremendously with judging speed which used to be the worst part of my game.

Basicly you build refference points in your putting stroke, meaning you know that if you take the putter back a certain distance and make a solid accelerating stroke, the putt will roll a certain distance.

I have three 'length swings" which I use: blade back to right instep, hands to right thigh, hands past right thigh. If you take several putts at each checkpoint, and pace off the distances, you have some refference lengths you know you can hit every time. For example, at my home course, my refference points are:

Blade back to Instep - 6 paces
Hands to right thigh - 10 paces
Hands past right thigh - 15 paces

Give this an honest try and it may very well help your game as much as it helped mine.

[jrode]

I have a lag putting drill which has helped me tremendously with judging speed which used to be the worst part of my game.

Interesting, this sounds like a pretty good idea. I'll definitely be giving it a try the next time I get out to the putting green.

[trageserk]

I'm reading this book, How to Break 100, and it's got this pretty cool idea on how to gauge speed. You basically just pretend you are trying to 'bowl' the golf ball to the hole with the putter. The logic is that if you were asked to roll a golf ball (or bowling ball for that matter) to a target x feet away, you'd have a fairly good idea as to the amount of force needed to do so, as well as the amount to compensate for any degree of slope (both uphill and downhill). By placing the putter in your hand and pretending to copy that bowling move, it actually gives me a decent idea as to how much pace to put on the putt. It may not work for everyone, but it is definitely helping my touch.

[Treemagnet]

I use my feet as a gauge Big toe =6' putt , pinky toe =10',ect practice on your course practice putting green. Before I play a new course I practice on there greens to get my distance honed in, before the round.