It's just golf. Somewhat Rant-ish

[whip_it_out]

I've been working ever so hard on my swing, and finally got it into shape. Everything is working the way I wanted to. But during the time spent working on my swing, the amount of time I spent practicing putting dropped a fraction, and now I have trouble making less than 36 putts a round.
And it's not like my stroke is out of whack, but I can't make a putt. FROM ANYWHERE. I missed a putt the width of your computer monitor at least 3 times last round. Without touching the hole. No joke. And I have to say that after missing a one foot putt, your confidence comes down a notch. Now the state of my putting is so deep in my head that even taking the Vijay-route and saying " I am the best putter in the world" has only helped me miss closer.
So my last hope is to continue putting on my mat at home, making those 8 footers 100 times in a row (easier than it sounds when you're not at the course) and wait until it clicks, and then I'll lose my full swing in this ever repeating cycle.

What I want to get at is, does everyone else suffer from something like this, where only one facet of your game is really "on" at one time, except for those good rounds where everything is working in sync?

[RC]

As a wise old golfer told me years ago, "Welcome to golf."

Seems there is always something coming into focus or slipping out of focus. How come those devil may care 20 foot putts for bogey go right in the center and the same putt for a birdie the next day leaves you a knee knocker for par? That's golf.

A little drill that might help: when practicing your putting, stack two quarters six inches behind the ball and where you want your backswing to go (probably a very small arc with a pendulum swing that opens the face slightly going back.) Clear the quarters and let your putter fall back into the ball as it squares up and pendulum swings on through. I like having my hands slightly ahead of the ball at line up and then again at the moment of striking the ball, but others say keep it more in line. Such things are personal choices. The key is no tension, no hit, and the feel of a gravity assisted arc. To me it feels like a dead hands swing with nothing going on below the elbows.

Other's putt differently -- anything that works is obviously good.

[kafka01]

For whatever reason the first time i showed up this year at our club they told me range balls are free from now on. Great i thought - just saved 500 € BUT i also read this stories of pros in Rotellas book who were so excited about free range balls that they spent way too much time on the range than working on the short game instead. So every day i spent on the course i spent at least 30mins on the putting greens, then go to the short game area - and after all is done - i go to the range.

I hope this prohibits exactly what you described this season and what happend to me in the past often enough. The rounds i played so far i didnt noticed any aspects of my game that were really off.

[right handed phil mickelson]

Now there might be a plethora of problems wrong. I need to know a few things before I give any advice.

1. Are you pushing it, or pulling it?
2. Are you putting it so the ball is going to the hole, but not past it? Like if it was going to go in, it would just get to the lip and fall in.
3. Are you leaving it on the high side or the low side?

just by identifying some of these things, you may be able to help yourself out, but still I would like to know what you are doing.

[Dpricenator]

For whatever reason the first time i showed up this year at our club they told me range balls are free from now on. Great i thought - just saved 500 € BUT i also read this stories of pros in Rotellas book who were so excited about free range balls that they spent way too much time on the range than working on the short game instead. So every day i spent on the course i spent at least 30mins on the putting greens, then go to the short game area - and after all is done - i go to the range.

I'm just jealous you get free range balls.

[Big Padrigo]

I don't think I can remember a round of golf when I didn't think, oh if I putted like I did yesterday I would hgave broken 80 or if my driving was like last week's I'd have broken 80, every single time there's always some part not as good as it could be.

When it comes to practise the only area where I feel multiple benefits is full and partial wedge shots. Seems like getting the feel on those shots, and the hand-eye co-ordination has knock-on benefits for my whole swing.

[bIGwIRE]

Playing golf is like trying to put a queen size fitted sheet onto a king size mattress. Every time you get the last corner to slip on, another one pops off, put that one back on and a different one pops off.
And don't forget what golf spells backwards.

[ks8829]

Back to basic:

1) putt with your shoulder and not with your hands and wrists even with short putts, remember to keep the V form from your chest to your two arms.
2) make sure that you have the correct putter grip. the grip should be not on your finger tips but down the middle of your hand. the shaft should extend down your arm in one length and without an angle and the grip pressure should be on the light side.
3) practice 1-3 foot putt starting very close to build up confidence and finally practice your longer putt for distance control from 10-20 feet.

you will be putting under 30 strokes in no time with a little practice.

[Blades4me]

I've been working ever so hard on my swing, and finally got it into shape. Everything is working the way I wanted to. But during the time spent working on my swing, the amount of time I spent practicing putting dropped a fraction, and now I have trouble making less than 36 putts a round.

Sounds very familar, but watching TGC one nite I was listening to Dave Pelz when he was talking about putting. He said work on distance control first and accuracy will come. It made a difference for me, and now when I miss its usually just a tap in

[David in FL]

What I want to get at is, does everyone else suffer from something like this, where only one facet of your game is really "on" at one time, except for those good rounds where everything is working in sync?

I'll let you know if I ever have a game when everything is working in sync......