Blowing putts by

[MrW00t10]

Is there any readily fixable cause for blowing putts by the hole? I can't hit a 5 footer right now to save my life..

[Grndslmhttr3]

I'm in the same boat with you. My putting is looking like garbage right now. :|

[goblue107501]

The best answer is to hit it easier. The second best answer is practice. Short putts are all about touch. You have to practice the feel for a five footer so when you have them you know exactly how hard to hit it. It is the same as a 75 yard sand wedge. You just know how hard to swing from having done it hundreds of times.

If I am struggling with putting, I bring the putter and some balls in the house and just try and get a repeatable feel for different swings. Yes, the house carpet will roll slower, but as long as you can translate the feel to the course it will help.

The other option is to imagine that your 5 foot putt is a 3 foot putt and hit it that hard.

[ks8829]

The most important aspect of putting is distance control especially if you are blowing the putts way pass the hole. There are drill to help your distance control that will easily help improve your distance control with a little practice.

Grip
But before you begin make sure that you are holding the putter correctly. Most people hold the putter on the finger tips similar to holding a golf club and with an angle from your wrist and this is not correct. The ideal position is holding the grip of the putter down the middle of your hand so that the putter shaft is an extension of your arm and on a straight line from the putter shaft up your arm. This will help initiate a solid putting stroke.

Shoulder
Putt with your shoulder instead of your hands or breaking your wrist. you should keep the "V" in the arms and shoulders without breaking down during your putting stroke.

Make sure the your grip pressure is on the light side.

To practice distance control bring the club back to the inside of your back foot and follow through just pass your front foot, practice this distance with 3balls and if your tempo is the same for all putts the ball should all end up within an inch of each ball. The distance of your back swing and forward swing or follow through should be about the same distance for each length putt.

For further distance putts simple use the same tempo and bring the putt further back and forward perhaps to the outside of your back foot and forward pass your front foot.

If you practice different distance with the different length putts you will get comfortable knowing what length putts will give you a certain distance and you can compensate for different lenght putts now knowing how far you need to lengthen your putts for a certain distance. The key is keeping your tempo consistent on all your putts.

practice will help keep your putt distance just right for the length of putt necessary.

The video will also help visualize the proper putting fundamental.

[TheNatural]

Is there any readily fixable cause for blowing putts by the hole? I can't hit a 5 footer right now to save my life..

If your playing on MASS greens dont worry too much they are not ready to play on as of yet...in a month then you can worry.

[jambalaya]

I was having big problems with that late last year. I realized that I was hitting the ball using the hole as the gauge as to how far to hit it and was always blowing it by. What I did was start picking out a point short of the hole to which I putted the ball or wanted the ball to die. Depending on downhill, uphill or flat lie it would change of course. I putted to that point, keeping the break in mind, and it helped a lot. Even on a flat putt I go for a spot a little short of the hole. I think I am naturally aggressive on my putting. But you can't just putt at the hole.

[Fat Slice]

Putt a lot at home on carpet. A LOT! You'll get the touch for short putts.

[Jay-Bird]

confidence.

[elsito99]

Very short backswing and very long forward swing towards the hole.

One day at the practice green I started doing this to see if it helped. It did and a lot, I started draining everything inside 10-12.

Then I saw the tip in GD by lefty, which he explains as 25% backswing and 75% forward swing or 3x the backswing.

Shorter backswing will get your speed in check and have less time to twist the face.

I used to do 50/50 (which I still do for VERYY long putts).

[MiniMoe]

A good drill is to simply putt while looking at the hole. Get your read, line up the putt, then look at the hole and hit it there. Simple, yet effective.

[Troof.]

confidence.

x2!

Also, get your first putt closer...

[beachbreak]

If you live in Massachusetts you are just starting your season unless you are a snowbird.

It's probably still cold and wet up there too.

More than likely you just lost your touch over the winter.
That and heavy greens where you must to hit it firm.

If you putted OK last season, I wouldn't change anything other than to get to the practice green alot to get your feel back.

[MrW00t10]

If you live in Massachusetts you are just starting your season unless you are a snowbird.

Yeah the courses just opened but the snow has been gone for a while so I wasn't going to use that as an excuse.

[M2R]

Yeah the courses just opened but the snow has been gone for a while so I wasn't going to use that as an excuse.

Played Far Corners (Boxford, MA) yesterday, greens were dry, surprisingly fast, and only little bumpy. Some fairways were still a mess though.

Anyway ... if blowing putts by really is a systemic problem, you could try using a putter with less mass in the head (lighter).

[Pat007]

or you could try a putter with a softer insert (Odyssey-type putter).

[MrW00t10]

I currently use a Nike Unitized Retro. Which is a blade.

[Dub]

I'm in the same boat...I'm okay on short putts....it's the long lag putts that are doing me in.

My feel for these with come and go during a round.

I suppose the key is to not put myself these lag positions. Knock evey approach stiff and I'd be okay!!!!!!!

[xMATHISx]

Try hitting a few not looking at the ball or with your eyes closed. (yes I said with you eyes closed haha) When you putt with your eyes closed, try to guess how far each ball rolled. That'll give you a better feel maybe. Helped me a LOT