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

[iacas]

To sum up the most recent activity here: a bunch of 15 handicappers telling me how I feel after a long putt doesn't fall, or that I'm somehow dumb or wrong for feeling and thinking the way I do before I hit a putt.

You can get caught up in the semantics of definitions if you'd like, but I still believe that I'm going to make every putt I've got. I try to make every putt - I never try to "get it close." That's a synonym for "miss" or "not aggressive."

The simple cure to being disappointed when a putt doesn't go in? Here's the magic: I don't get disappointed. If I controlled the process and put a good stroke on it, there was nothing more I could have done. I go through that process believing - and yes, even expecting - to make the putt.

Someone once asked a famously good putter - I forget who - why he kept his head still so long. They asked him why he didn't want to see how the ball would break past the hole if he missed. His response: "why would I want to see myself miss"? The mindset of a good putter is different.

But please, carry on telling me how I should really be thinking. Don't mind me - I'm not really paying much attention to you anyway.

[SpringBokVol]

I expect to make every putt within 10 feet...and I expect to make the others 99% of the time.

[ScottRempel]

So, you're a machine?

Thanks for the lesson on tolerances...as a mechanical engineer I've always wondered what those are

So now what...every putt that goes in outside of, what, 5 feet is luck!? That is a bunch of rubbish. If that's your limit, so be it. Everyone is going to have their own "expectations"...don't tell me what mine are. As I said, I don't expect every shot to go in the hole...but when putting, yeah, a miss for me is missing the hole. Ending up with a tap in is ok, or maybe even good, but in my mind I missed the shot. With a driver, I expect to hit the fairway...maybe even left, middle, or right. I don't expect to land in a 10 foot circle. From within 200 yards I want to be on the green. From within say 150 or so I want to be on the desired part of the green. I expect these things from my game. I know that I can't achieve them 100% of the time, or even close to that maybe. But I know the ability is there to be hitting these shots and hence that is my expectation. Again, each to his/her own.

[Zapticon]

I have to use that phrase sometime. Hope with a high probability? That's mind blowing, lol.

Fine, that sentence was not written well, I'm not so good with using the words and phrases perfectly as I do not speak english fluently. Still, you always hope it will go in, even if your mind is set to a think it has a high probability of going in.

I think the problem here is how people see the word expect. You who expect every putt to go in, you know you miss the hole maybe 90% of the times from 40-50 feet, so you can't base your expectations on the statistics. But I think you make yourselves forget that, and base your expectations on something else. Well, this can go on and on for ever, and I think I'm just going to make more silly arguments if I continue, so I think I'll stop here. Good luck with the putting everyone!

[iacas]

I think the problem here is how people see the word expect. You who expect every putt to go in, you know you miss the hole maybe 90% of the times from 40-50 feet, so you can't base your expectations on the statistics. But I think you make yourselves forget that, and base your expectations on something else.

I think that is another way of saying what I've been saying.

Here's another. Jack Nicklaus will tell you that he has never missed a putt inside of five feet on the 18th green. He honestly believes it. He could miss twice in two days on 18 and if you ask him on day three, he'll tell you the same thing. I know what my putting stats are from 31-50 feet. They aren't good. But that's all in the past, and "expect" is all about the future. And then as soon as the ball leaves the putter face, that's in the past again. Oh, and one more thing... it may have been David Duval who said it: "protect your confidence at all costs." I believe in that.

[kris]

honestly? about 2 feet. I probably make 90% of putts at 3 ft. and anything beyond 10 ft. or so is about 1 in 10.

Some days I feel like everything will go in and other days i can't make a putt.

[Zapticon]

I think that is another way of saying what I've been saying.

Well, then we understand each other, problem solved. In golf, you have to lie to yourself and erase your mind to play good, it's a little weird way of putting it, but it's true after all.

[right handed phil mickelson]

The distance at which you expect to make putts obviously goes down as the handicap goes up.

For me if it's 15'- away, I expect to make the putt. If it's more than 15', I'm either trying to make it, or get it close enough to tap in the next putt. It also depends on how much undulation is on the green, and what kind of putt I'm looking at (downhill, slider, etc...)

100% of all putts that are left short don't go in

[flopdarock]

i expect all my chip shots to go in so i dont have to putt

[woodzie264]

maybe I lack the confidence, others do, but I "expect to make the 3-4 footers; anything more than that gets my full attention and routine

[prutkows]

I expect to make 4' and in but i don't always succeed. I also expect to make straight-ish 10' footers and i usually do pretty well on those.

Putting could be the weakest part of my game and my scorecard shows it.

[Fourputt]

maybe I lack the confidence, others do, but I "expect to make the 3-4 footers; anything more than that gets my full attention and routine

Every putt gets my full attention and full routine. Anything else is self defeating.

[Cussin hacker]

18"......my putting is really bad!

[iacas]

They talked about this on the CBS coverage earlier today. Faldo and I think IBF agreed that they tried to make every putt, regardless of distance, and they hated that "three foot circle" thing. FWIW.

[dag2000]

Every putt gets my full attention and full routine. Anything else is self defeating.

Yes, yes, yes.

I used to dread putts in the 4 - 5 foot range and, of course, usually missed them. I just finished Bob Rotella's Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect and I now expect to make those putts. I take almost no time over the ball now. I read the break, take a couple of practice strokes, take my stance, address the ball, and stroke it. No pause anymore. I visualize it going in and then pull the trigger. This has only happened in the last week. So I may find that this technique won't continue to work for me. But so far, it's been really good. I also try to hole every putt and chip.

[TheNatural]

yea the 3 foot barrell, I heard.

lately, my putting has been decent. 10-45ft lags falling within a foot of the cup. made one from 30 ft today.

I am attempting to cink every putt from 1ft to 90ft, with confidence and certainty that I can make it. I had 31 putts. BUT gir was 0% LOL