"Instinct Putting" by Eric Alpenfels

[iacas]

Discuss "Instinct Putting" by Eric Alpenfels here.

[Danattherock]

Just got the book and find it very interesting. The idea is not new as I first thought. Looking at the cup, rather than the ball while putting. Hmmm. Interesting for sure. Eric Alpenfels is a top 50 instructor here in Pinehurst. I heard about this book he recently put out and had to pick up a copy. Off to the putting range right now to try it out. Thought I would ask if anyone else has tried this method. I will share my findings here of course. Has anyone else gave this a try?

[TN94z]

That idea has been around for a while. I have tried it before but it doesn't help me that much. But that is all a personal preference thing. I would definitely try it out yourself!

[DavidFehertysBike]

I know an old british guy that does that. He putts pretty well from inside 15 feet. I couldnt do it, keeping my head on the ball is how i stay centered..

[David in FL]

I've tried it, just screwing around on the practice green......

......ever see anyone shank a putt?

[Eeryck]

On putts over 30 feet I take all my practice swings looking at the cup only and imagine each one is rolling the ball while trying to get the right swing feel.

Making the stroke, I use my normal set-up though while attempting to keep the feel for the distance.

On shorter putts <30 feet, I make one swing looking at the hole and one looking at the ball. I want one to feel the distance and one to feel the line.

-E

[TN94z]

I've tried it, just screwing around on the practice green......

And here I thought I was the only one

[mad max]

Just got the book and find it very interesting. The idea is not new as I first thought. Looking at the cup, rather than the ball while putting. Hmmm. Interesting for sure. Eric Alpenfels is a top 50 instructor here in Pinehurst. I heard about this book he recently put out and had to pick up a copy. Off to the putting range right now to try it out. Thought I would ask if anyone else has tried this method. I will share my findings here of course. Has anyone else gave this a try?

Is this just a drill or does he recommend putting like this on the course?

[iWALK18]

I actually have been using this a lot this year, and with very good results.

To begin the year, I was using it on the practice green to work on my pace. After some freekishly good results (for me anyways), I've taken it to the course. I prefer to use it only on long putts (20+ feet), as I often struggle to get proper speed and end up 3 putting. Its a lot easier to think about the hole and making your putt when you're looking at it...
I'm working hard to become a better putter, as it is easily the weakest part of my game. I don't see myself using this technique forever, but for now its helping me get better.

[beachbreak]

I used this technique in conjunction with a cross-hand grip when I developed the yips awhile back. It worked well and got me to focus on something other than the putterhead during the backswing. I actually putted good with it in play but ultimately dropped it because it is awkward feeling, as was the cross-hand grip.

To this day though, I credit that technique with improving my traditional stroke greatly.

[DaveLeeNC]

I play with a guy who putts this way on all putts. He said that, based on his stats, it might improve his putting around 1 stroke per round.

Hey - a stroke is a stroke.

dave

[Danattherock]

Spent about 45 minutes at the practice green this morning. In short, I was amazed with this technique. I made three putts over 20'. Something I rarely do to be honest. I somehow could see the line so much better than usual. I almost felt like I could read the green for once. Not sure what the deal is, but it is obviously the fact that I am looking at where the ball is going, rather than the ball. On short putts under 7-10', I was less accurate. But just flipping through the book this morning I read that is to be expected. They actually lay out a 14 session training program and you are not supposed to pick it up overnight. But on day one, right out of the gate, my 10+ foot putting was much improved. To be honest, I was amazed at how much. I am going to start the 14 practice sessions soon as I can get back to the course. Short, very focussed sessions, but they graduate in complexity as you build skills. Sounds very logical and from what I saw this morning on the practice green, after a few weeks of this "Instinct Putting", I will change the way I putt forever. This was an unexpeted surprise to say the least. From the book, Jim Dent on the Champions Tour is using this now. I see where he is on the Golf Channel twice in the next week. These are the "Playing Lessons from the Pros" shows. From the book, one of those Jim Dent programs shows off this style of putting. I set my dvr, perhaps others would want to see them as well.

Max,

To answer your question, it can be either. Some use it to improve their putting. Some change over to this style entirely. I did notice that with mixed handicappers at Pinehurst, the studies done by Eric (author) showed that the instinct putting was better than conventional in the far majority of the participants. He is not a snake oil salesman either, this guy is the director of instruction at Pinehurst.

Below is a link to the book (and some reviews) on Amazon...

http://www.amazon.com/Instinct-Putti.../dp/1592403530

For anyone interested in more, Eric was featured on this 40 minute podcast describing the technique himself.

http://odeo.com/episodes/23148989-In...Eric-Alpenfels





.

[iacas]

I've used this as a training drill to help me more quickly adjust to a green speed (it ties feel to eyes very quickly), but I can't see using it for an actual putting stroke.

[Brakkus]

interesting that there are things considered to be ironclad fundamentals.In snooker or for you fellas over the pond there 8-ball,it is widely preached that your vision is fixed on the ball to be potted not at your cue action,yet in golf it shouldn't look at the target but the putter,perhaps this is why so many struggle.

I don't look at my tennis racket,I look at the ball coming towards me.It's funny but Rotella talks about doing this very practice with putting to make it more based on feel and less mechanical.

I tried it and it does work so now on an actual round my last look is at the cup then a couple of seconds looking at the ball then the stroke and my eyes and head go straight to the cup

[Danattherock]

From the book,

Just reading through the book tonight, I see "Jim Thorpe". Sorry, I said Jim Dent in error earlier. I also read in the book that Johnny Miller uses this style of putting. Anyway, just clearing up my error

[Danattherock]

[TN94z]

Congrats on it working but I don't think I could ever use it in play. I had used it in the past for practice.

[Danattherock]

So far, it is going very well. Tried it twice now for about 30 minute sessions. I am already a believer. But it will take months to hone this in. One thing I will caution some of you on, don't just look at the hole and putt. It is not that simple. There are specific skills you acquire by doing the lessons in the book that make this happen. Don't just go out and putt some balls while looking at the hole and say, "How the hell can this work". That is how I would feel without the insights from the book. There is a building block phase to this and it does not happen overnight. After a few weeks/months, yeah, sure. But there is a process to it. There is really nothing to lose. Many folks learn this style of putting as an adjunct to their orthodox putting techniques. Just as a way to learn distance control. And it reportedly works wonders in this area, even for those that stay with their normal putting routine (looking at the ball). But many are so impressed they eventually change the way they putt entirely to this "IP". This is how they first used it at Pinehurst, a way to teach better distance control. The results were so overwhelming, they started getting request to learn this technique. That turned it into a new way to putt, rather than just as a teaching aid for learning distance control. Hence the book. So if reading the book, doing the lessons as very clearly outlined in complexity and such, we all have something to benefit from what I can tell. There is no downside. Even in the infancy stage I am at, I can say for sure that I have never had such distance control as while trying this method. I have not been this excited about putting in a long, long, time.