At what distance to you begin to "expect" to make putts?

[ScottRempel]

If I'm using my putter, I expect to make it.

Ditto. I obviously don't make them all...but I sure am trying to...whether it's 4 feet or 40 feet.

[whip_it_out]

Oh for heavens sake. How ridiculous. There is not a player on the planet for whom a 2 footer is a tap-in, let alone 5 or 6 feet. A tap-in means you'd be happy to put up your own money to make 100 in a row. Hmmmm - I could make some serious money out of you on the putting green.

I would be more than willing to put up money that I would make 100 6 foot putts in a row.

Every night, I mark out 6- feet, and putt 150 from there, and don't leave until it has been done. I have done it in one try for the last 2 months or so. If you REALLY commit to practicing, and you are truly confident in your putting, it is not that hard. They key is believing. I want to see people who struggle with their short putting try that drill, or any for that mater. Too many accept that making 100% of putts within 6-feet is impossible ( I am not saying i do, but that is not the point). If you accept that fact, then putting doesn't improve. If you have the mindset of 100% of your short putts will go in, and commit to practicing consistently, your putting will improve.

[flopdarock]

when i was a kid... i was a fearless putter... as long as the ball was on or near the green... it was going in the hole... putting was my fave part of the game... now... its one of my weaknesses... my brain gets in the way...
back then i expected everything to drop... now... id have to say anything more than 6' scares me... i need to regain my fearlessness

[Ben]

I'm truly amazed at the number of people who aren't simply saying "everything." And some really good players are saying it, too.

In this case I think there is a difference in "wanting" to make every putt and "expecting" to make every putt. Yes, I'd like to, and put in my best effort to make every putt, but I certainly don't expect to make every 35 footer I look at. I do however expect, not want, but expect to make everything 12' and in (like was my original answer.)

[iacas]

In this case I think there is a difference in "wanting" to make every putt and "expecting" to make every putt. Yes, I'd like to, and put in my best effort to make every putt, but I certainly don't expect to make every 35 footer I look at. I do however expect, not want, but expect to make everything 12' and in (like was my original answer.)

I don't see that as different. If you "want" to make something but don't "expect" to then you know you're lying to yourself. Not once have I ever heard a good, mentally strong player say "I wanted to make it, but I didn't expect to." That's what people say when they get lucky and they know it.

Heck, "want" isn't part of the equation for me. I expect to and I try to. And the times I don't succeed, I have a short memory and focus on expecting and trying to make the next one, which is usually just a tap-in. Want isn't part of the equation because it's irrelevant. Wanting something and failing leads to disappointment. If I do everything in my power to read the putt and put a good stroke on it, then I've succeeded. If I succeed, I expect the putt to drop. There's no room for "want." And all that said, I'm most shocked at your answers, Ben. You're a good player, you're miles better than me (I appreciate the difference between even a single stroke difference at sub-5 handicaps), and likely a very good putter. I guess what works for me may not work for everyone.

[Ben]

I don't see that as different. If you "want" to make something but don't "expect" to then you know you're lying to yourself. Not once have I ever heard a good, mentally strong player say "I wanted to make it, but I didn't expect to." That's what people say when they get lucky and they know it.

Yeah, I do understand the point you are making. And it does make sense. What really triggered my putting become better than average was a quote I read of Arnold Palmer's in a Golf Digest last year. It was something along the lines of this discussion, in that he truly tries to make every putt he looks at. To put my situation into your point of view, I suppose I should say that I try to make every putt expecting to make it. I guess that's what separates me from Tiger Woods. I bet he really does "expect" to make every putt. Huh, eye-opening thread... Maybe if you got an interview with Tiger, being arguably the greatest putter ever, The Sand Trap could pose this question to him.

[VardonFlyer]

Ive learned that i score the lowest when i play without any expectations throughout the entirety of my game. Ive found i focus harder and deeper when Im not worrying about how i should play, that only leads to disapointment and frustration. For this reason i don't think about what i expect to make. If you approach a six-footer and think to yourself "i should make this" you're thinking about the wrong things. What i DO EXPECT is to go through my putting routine with pure focus and concentration, pick a line and speed, and make a good stroke, sometime they all go in. sometimes they don't.

[worst_shot_ever]

I expect to two-putt outside 15 feet. I expect to one-putt inside 5 feet. Sometimes I surprise myself with each. Maybe this is a problem? I need the gun-blowing-up-head smiley.

[Fourputt]

Ive learned that i score the lowest when i play without any expectations throughout the entirety of my game. Ive found i focus harder and deeper when Im not worrying about how i should play, that only leads to disapointment and frustration. For this reason i don't think about what i expect to make. If you approach a six-footer and think to yourself "i should make this" you're thinking about the wrong things. What i DO EXPECT is to go through my putting routine with pure focus and concentration, pick a line and speed, and make a good stroke, sometime they all go in. sometimes they don't.

Nobody will argue that focusing on playing sound fundamental golf is the best way to make your expectations come true. But if you have no (or very low) expectations, how can you really formulate a plan?

I see this as the classic instructional technique of positive reinforcement. You don't focus on the hazard that you want to miss, you focus on the section of fairway or green that you want to hit. By planning to make every putt, regardless of length, I'm focusing on the positive and excluding the negative. This allows me to make a good, confident stroke on every putt, and THAT stroke gives every putt a better chance to drop.

[Troof.]

If I'm using my putter, I expect to make it.

[Shorty]

I would be more than willing to put up money that I would make 100 6 foot putts in a row.

It's one thing to groove a putting stroke on straight putts. It's another to call them tap-ins.

[Shorty]

.. Maybe if you got an interview with Tiger, being arguably the greatest putter ever, The Sand Trap could pose this question to him.

I think we know the answer to the question without the interview.

We've seen how many clutch putts he makes.

[allin]

i guess i phrased the question wrong. everyone "expects" to make every putt, cause if you dont expect to make it, you wouldnt putt it in the first place. however, there is a difference between being an optimist and a realist. an optimist thinks positively about everything, no matter the situation, and always looks for the birght side. thinking positve is

Isn't the old line, your not good enough to get mad? Seriously crossing the line from frustrated, or dissapointed to pissed is the real mistake for me. My focus has to be on what I learned about green conditions, or any errors I have made. My goal is to get on to the next shot as quickly as possible. Getting pissed just gets in the way of playing well for most people, (there are exceptions people who get cool mad). My goal is to make a choice to respond in the way that helps me play better, that way I won't be pissed often or for very long. To be fair and answer your question, whenever I feel I made a good stroke and didn't miss anything obvious in the read. That is successful for me.

[wachesawgolfer]

I'm truly amazed at the number of people who aren't simply saying "everything." And some really good players are saying it, too.

I guess the question would have been better posed to you as what is your 99percent make distance from actual putts. Hoping to make putts has nothing to do with percentage made putts from increasing distances from the hole. Most people make all two inch but do not make all three feet putts although they would like to forget those misses. Every putt is makeable and mental attitude and good technique make more putts sink, but alas, they do not all go in for anybody and the question is or should be at what distance for you do they all go in.

[thedoxology]

My impression of the question is at which point does it turn into a 'lag' putt. I don't "expect" to make it at 15 feet, but I'm certainly giving it a roll to make it. At 30-40 feet I'm technically trying to put it on a line that it will go in, but I'm also trying to minimize mistakes and leave it inside of a 3 foot circle.

Everybody should stand over a 30 footer and think 'i can make this'. You would be setting yourself up for a mental nightmare if you stood over it and said 'i expect to make this'.

Inside 5 feet I'm upset when I miss. 5-10 feet I'm very disappointed when I miss. 10-20 feet I'm being aggressive and looking to make it. Outside of 20 I'm trying to give it a chance.

[iacas]

I guess the question would have been better posed to you as what is your 99percent make distance from actual putts.

I think that's a completely different - and much more boring - question. Anyone who said anything outside of two feet would likely be kidding themselves.

My impression of the question is at which point does it turn into a 'lag' putt.

And not to beat a dead horse, but I'm never trying to lag a putt. If I miss, the speed and line should leave the ball within "lag" distance, but "I'm trying to lag this one" is just another way of saying "I'm trying to miss this one [close]."

You would be setting yourself up for a mental nightmare if you stood over it and said 'i expect to make this'.

I disagree. I expect that I will read the putt correctly, that I will stroke the putt correctly... if the putt doesn't fall and I did those things, well, what more could I have done? I'm not disappointed. There's no mental nightmare.

[thedoxology]

And not to beat a dead horse, but I'm never trying to lag a putt. If I miss, the speed and line should leave the ball within "lag" distance, but "I'm trying to lag this one" is just another way of saying "I'm trying to miss this one [close]."

You can't tell me you step over a 50 foot putt expecting to make it. We must be using the word differently. I "expect" a tax refund this year, if it doesn't come I'm furious. I "expect" to find my ball after I drive it down the middle, but when I can't find it I'm very very angry. I actually think you are using it as a way to hype yourself up, and that's great if it works for you. But most people do not think this way. I know many mini-tour players(including the top money winner of one last year), many ex D-1 players, and dozens of teaching pros and not a single one would tell me to expect to make a 50 foot putt. When does it end? What about an 80 foot putt? 100 ft? 125 ft? What happens when you're playing the old course on some of those double greens and you have 150ft with some fringe in front of you? How can you make such blanket statements?

[VardonFlyer]

Nobody will argue that focusing on playing sound fundamental golf is the best way to make your expectations come true. But if you have no (or very low) expectations, how can you really formulate a plan?

Planning and expecting are two completely different things. a 10 footer, i always PLAN to make it... but I surely don't EXPECT to make every 10 footer...