Why can't I putt?

[denver_nuggs_15]

It's ridiculous. I'm playing to a 10 right now and I can't putt for the life of me. I average 36 putts per round and 2.1-2.2 PPGIR! I'm getting 40% GIR, so there is a lot of opportunity to get up and down. Obviously my short game needs work, but 2.1-2.2 putts per GIR is outrageous.

I practice for a couple hours per week on putting. I concentrate on putts inside of 12 feet for the most part and then do some lags. Then, I'll mix it up so I don't get comfortable with one distance (long, short, medium, short, long, etc.). What am I doing wrong? Nothing has been working at all.

Could someone help? (Something I noticed today: my putts skid for the first couple of feet on longer putts...not so much on putts inside of 15 feet.)

[iacas]

You haven't really told us enough.

When you hit a GIR, are you far away? Do you lag well? Do you tend to go long or short? Misread putts? Miss frequently from 3 feet? 4 feet? 5 feet?

Do you practice putting like in real golf - one ball, one hole? Or do you hit two or three or four balls to the same hole?

[OzzDOA]

I had the same problem with the ball "skidding" for the first couple feet on long putts and what worked for me was to move the ball forward a little in my stance. Now even if I hit a 40ft lag the ball rolls as soon as it leaves the face of the putter instead of skidding.

[iWALK18]

You haven't really told us enough.

+1 on this. You really have to diagnose the specifics of the problem to be able to work on fixing it. I, for example, Lag very well, but miss 2/10 from 3 feet. Therefore I'm hitting a lot more 3 footers in my practice routine.

[denver_nuggs_15]

You haven't really told us enough.

Most of the time, I should have an easy 2-putt on my GIRs. There are times when I'm crazy far away for whatever reason (I've had two 90 foot putts this year so far...one I used the wrong club on the approach and the other I just hit a bad shot). But, most of the time I should get a two-putt. Then there are a few GIRs when I have a legit birdie attempt where my approach is inside of 15 feet or so. However, I've had a tough time completing them so far...my last few birdies came off stuffed shots to four feet.

It's the speed that's been killing me on anything outside of 20 feet. I've been either blowing them 6 feet past the hole or leave them 6 feet short. Most putts I miss are left short. I've been reading greens well this year (I think) and whenever I get the speed right, I'm either making the putt or going over an edge on "makeable" putts. When I practice, I use 2 balls. One will be my "serious" stroke where my routine is like that of when I play. Read the putt, line it up, 2 practice strokes, then commit. If I miss the first, I'll diagnose why (misread, speed, push/pull) and correct it on the second. Recently, I've been feeling good about getting putts started on line, it's been the speed that's getting me. Sorry for lack of info to start.

[iacas]

You need to do what Brad Faxon calls "reacting to the putt."

Try this drill on the practice green (with one ball). Set the putter behind the ball, look at the hole, look at the ball, and hit it. Do it as fast as you can (without rushing). Eliminate worries about the line and all that - just try to hit the ball as hard as you think you should.

Alternatively, practice putting while looking at the hole. It ties in your "speed" with "what your eyes see" rather quickly.

I don't know what to tell you beyond that. "Work on your speed" if that's what's causing problems.

[bunkerputt]

Could someone help? (Something I noticed today: my putts skid for the first couple of feet on longer putts...not so much on putts inside of 15 feet.)

Here are some ideas to help you figure it out:

* Break it down into green reading, line, and speed. Honestly evaluate your skill at each area independently. For example, I could hit nearly everything on a straight line out to about 35 feet, I was OK at speed, but I sucked at reading slopes. I tried to roll a ball across my driveway at roughly putt-speed and see if I could hit a weed on the other side, and I would typically miss by 2-3 feet. I found that my biggest problem in putting is consistently reading too much break. * If you are skidding putts, try to get rid of the acceleration in your stroke. Acceleration causes lag which can pop the ball up and put a lot of backspin on it. This will kill your distance control on slower greens. If you mainly struggle with long putts on slow greens, this might be your problem. Try taking a longer stroke and accelerating less. Kind of like when you are bowling. The "accelerate the putter" tip I've heard from so many people is about the worst putting advice I've ever heard, IMO and in my experience.

[iacas]

* If you are skidding putts, try to get rid of the acceleration in your stroke.

That's probably not good advice.

Better to move the ball up in your stance a bit or something to try to eliminate acceleration (the ball will always skid to start - if it skids more than about two feet on 20 foot putts, though, it's too much) - particularly since he said he tends to leave things short. He may even be decelerating. OP: describe the length of your backswing and your follow-through? Equal length? One longer than the other?

The "accelerate the putter" tip I've heard from so many people is about the worst putting advice I've ever heard, IMO and in my experience.

Perhaps you were doing it wrong. To go from 0 to forward movement you have to accelerate at some point. Most of the good putters I've ever seen have a slightly longer follow-through than a backswing, which hints at good acceleration, too.

Decelerating, again, is more likely the problem if he's coming up short all the time.

[J-Rob]

You need to do what Brad Faxon calls "reacting to the putt."

I believe that one tip right there will help me very much. Thanks man. Putting speed is my arch enemy.

[Parker0065]

Some great advice and drills so far!

Just want to add one additional thing is "Control your breathing"

Greg Norman has talked about how he would wait to exhale before he stroked a putt. It's funny but thats exactly how they taught us to fire a rifle in the Army. Firing a rifle is much like putting in that you are focusing on a target and must be relaxed and control your breathing to score a hit or make a putt!


Good Luck!

[denver_nuggs_15]

I just got done practicing and I think I'm dropping my putter for a three wood. I'm not sure yet. You know how everybody is a driving range all-star? Well, when I'm on the putting green, I hit terrible putts. Excuse my language...I have no right calling those putts. /rant

I was rolling the ball better (minimal skidding and no hops), but I feel like I'm hitting a hook with all my putts...I'm coming from the inside and the face closes and it feels like a draw to me. Is this normal?

The greens were terribly slow, so the speed was so tough to get. But, I pulled so many short putts (because of the hook thing I guess). I'm getting really angry putting now (I almost broke my putter over my knee PRACTICING) and I'm very close to spending all my practice time on pitch/chips and hitting the ball straight. If practicing doesn't pay off for putting, why should I continue to practice it? Maybe there's no hope for me to be a good putter and to break 80 consistently I need to average 15 GIRs.

Anyways, thanks for the suggestions. One final question: what is this business of "finishing low" on putts? Someone (~5 handicap) told me I don't "finish low" on my putts. It seems weird to hit up on the ball and keep the putter head low...any help?

[Zeph]

How far do you take the club back when putting? I've seen many struggle with putting because they take the club very short back and have to make a huge acceleration through the ball to get enough speed.

Try using the length of the backswing to determine the length of the putt. Let the clubhead do the work and make an easy swing where you don't rush anything. The club goes back and through. I used to have the same length on the backswing and use force to hit the ball. Made my putting very unreliable. Once I tried taking a longer backswing and a swing without force, the results got much better. I think this is what they call lag putting.

The finish low comment might be that you are taking the club up steeply and finishing with the club too high. This will also contribute to difficult distance control and skidding. Try rotating the torso for the putt, not tilting the shoulders up and down. How you finish reflects how you swing the club. Keeping it closer to the ground may help.

About your stroke and feeling you come from the inside, what kind if putting stroke do you have? A pivot where you take the club inside and back on an arc like any iron shot, or straight back and through, clubface always square to the target line? I've changed from straight to an arc, and it feels like I'm pulling the ball, but I don't really do it. By the time the clubface starts closing and the stroke moving to the inside again, the ball has already started rolling.

[iammpspeer]

If you are having distance problems, maybe you should not be worrying so much about making the put as much as you should for having a second put tap in. If you are hiting it past the hole 6ft, there is still some pretty good meat on that bone for a par put for a GIR.
My father always taught me that when I have a lengthier put, where the odd in me making it were pretty low, I should imagine a HulaHoop around the hole and try to hit it within the roughly 3ft diameter. Then, once I get the speed down, then I could dial in the hole.

Also when you are reading your put look at it from three different angles:
1. behind the ball going towards the hole
2. behind the hole looking back towards the ball
3. While you are walking to the two different locations stop in the middle and look at how long the put actually is. This will give you a little more information on how hard to hit it. It at least mentally helps me.

Coming from the inside could possibly be a balance issue, which I believe is discussed in the below video.

I also take a couple practice strokes while looking at the hole for distance.

Take a peak at this too, this is a great video on putting, especially for aligning and speed:

[jsherm45]

Three things I think you need to work on based on this thread. Take this advice as you will.

1) Don't lift your head! Start with your eyes over the ball, and keep them on that spot until after the ball is gone.

2) Low back, low through. Imagine a pendulum that stays as close to the ground as possible.

3) Ball placement forward of center. This will get it rolling quicker (as previously mentioned).

Hope this helps. Keep us updated!

[laxbballgolf]

A simple good tip I've heard for working on your speed is to never hit the same putt twice in a row while practicing. When you repeat the same putt, it becomes a muscle memory thing, which is the opposite of what you want while putting (no two putts in a round are ever the same). It's better to engage all your senses for a unique putt every time to develop your skills and feel.

The way I used to do this was at the end of the day if I ever had a hole to myself (I would stay out pretty much past dark sometimes, haha), I would just randomly throw 8 balls or so all over the green and simply try to 1 or 2 putt each one of them. It's pretty fun, and it feels pretty good if you don't 3 putt any of them.

Maybe take a break from practicing putting if you're too frustrated, and come back to it in a while with a positive attitude. You might find that it can be fun.

[iammpspeer]

Three things I think you need to work on based on this thread. Take this advice as you will.

Keeping your head over the ball is okay if you are in balance. If you are in balance and your head is NOT over the ball that is okay too. The video I posted explains this well. If you are out of balance you will not put on the same plane.

[iacas]

2) Low back, low through. Imagine a pendulum that stays as close to the ground as possible.

Not trying to pick on you, just responding to this part...

I HATE this advice. Hate it. A pendulum doesn't "stay" close to the ground. It swings up and down. I've never seen any good come from someone who tries to keep the putter low to the ground. It leads to all sorts of manipulation, none of which helps you make more putts.

[jsherm45]

Originally Posted by jsherm45

Three things I think you need to work on based on this thread. Take this advice as you will. 1) Don't lift your head! Start with your eyes over the ball, and keep them on that spot until after the ball is gone. 2) Low back, low through. Imagine a pendulum that stays as close to the ground as possible. 3) Ball placement forward of center. This will get it rolling quicker (as previously mentioned). Hope this helps. Keep us updated!

I watched your video before posting that and enjoyed it. I agree balance is important. If your eyes aren't over the ball, that's ok too, but regardless of where your eyes are, the head must be still and eyes focused in the same spot as address all the way through if you want to putt consistently. IME the head coming up on the forward stroke is the #1 high handicapper/beginner/putter struggler issue.

Originally Posted by jsherm45

2) Low back, low through. Imagine a pendulum that stays as close to the ground as possible.

It's ok, I've got tough skin from years of internet forum use ;P

That's a tip I read in a Golf Magazine from like '95 that extolled the virtues of Greg Norman's putting stroke. You're right that the word "pendulum" doesn't make the most sense there. The other thing about "low back low through" is that it doesn't really apply to lag puts where the force you have to apply is going to bring the putter off the ground. Still, I use "low back low through" to get the ball rolling immediately off the putter face and to make sure I get consistent contact with the sweet spot. I think the more you try to "swing" the putter like on a U curve, the more spin you apply to the ball and the less consistent your contact will be. As I said in my initial response to this thread, I'm sharing some personal swing thoughts that help me. The OP and others can take them however they please. I assure you my intentions are to help the OP and provide food for thought. =)