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Gimme Putts (God I hate them!)


martytilma
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It should be a law that you can't get mad at someone else when you miss a putt that you thought should have been a gimme.  Isn't that the point....

And don't get mad at me when you give me a straight up hill 2 footer and I don't give you a 3 foot breaker.

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I hate getting paired up with randos and then having them hit my ball back at me when my ball is still 3 feet from the hole. Who would presume to do this? I would never touch another golfer's ball without asking.
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I hate getting paired up with randos and then having them hit my all back somewhen my ball is still 3 feet from the hole. Who would presume to do this? I would never touch another golfer's ball without asking.

Definitely rude. I always ask "do you want to putt it?"

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Definitely rude. I always ask "do you want to putt it?"

I don't get mad and I act like I don't care because they never mean any harm but I can't fathom ever doing something like that. It's like being a dinner guest at someone's house and sticking your finger in some frosting the host is making to taste it.

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I guess I'm one of those weird golfers that is laid back to the point that I don't get bothered or even hardly notice what the other golfers in my group are doing. I rarely know what anyone's score is after a hole. I'd probably just tell the guys thanks for the generosity, but if I started taking gimmes it might ruin my ability to hole short putts in a match, and then I would put the ball back and tap it in.
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New old guy here.  I learned to play the game many years ago from a great Pro Named Rick Acton (died about 15 years ago, rest in peace Rick), he made us putt everything... "everything" out.  There were no gimmees... ever.

I play with some guys who take gimmees, but they know to not touch my ball, in Ricks memory, I putt everything out.  Always have, always will.

Just an old guy.

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New old guy here.  I learned to play the game many years ago from a great Pro Named Rick Acton (died about 15 years ago, rest in peace Rick), he made us putt everything... "everything" out.  There were no gimmees... ever. I play with some guys who take gimmees, but they know to not touch my ball, in Ricks memory, I putt everything out.  Always have, always will. Just an old guy.

Nothing wrong with that bro. That's a nice story.

Colin P.

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New old guy here.  I learned to play the game many years ago from a great Pro Named Rick Acton (died about 15 years ago, rest in peace Rick), he made us putt everything... "everything" out.  There were no gimmees... ever. I play with some guys who take gimmees, but they know to not touch my ball, in Ricks memory, I putt everything out.  Always have, always will. Just an old guy.

Hail to us old guys! Welcome to the site! :beer:

In David's bag....

Driver: Titleist 910 D-3;  9.5* Diamana Kai'li
3-Wood: Titleist 910F;  15* Diamana Kai'li
Hybrids: Titleist 910H 19* and 21* Diamana Kai'li
Irons: Titleist 695cb 5-Pw

Wedges: Scratch 51-11 TNC grind, Vokey SM-5's;  56-14 F grind and 60-11 K grind
Putter: Scotty Cameron Kombi S
Ball: ProV1

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When I first started playing regularly about 10 years ago, I connected with a group who had odd rules: birdie putts must be holed, par putts given within the leather, bogey putts given to about 3 feet and double or worse putts given from 3-6 feet. I'm sorry to say that I completely embraced this approach because I was a horrible putter, the short ones scared me. 3 or 4 years ago I connected with another group that putted them out, all of them. While nervous at first, playing with this group has done more to improve my putting than anything else I've done. I will still miss a 2 footer occasionally, but by and large, I have supreme confidence in any putt from 2 or 3 feet. This confidence permeates into all putts and my putting has improved dramatically as a result. Putt them out, it will make you a better golfer.

In my Bag: Driver: Titelist 913 D3 9.5 deg. 3W: TaylorMade RBZ 14.5 3H: TaylorMade RBZ 18.5 4I - SW: TaylorMade R7 TP LW: Titelist Vokey 60 Putter: Odyssey 2-Ball

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Grip and a Fist, that's pretty much the rule we play with I give more gimmes then i get usually, but most of my putts will just be a tap in anyways so usually i just tap it in. 2'-3' defiantly not gimmes and anything under par must be holed. Gimmes defiantly help speed up the game, it can take some people close to 1-3min to walk up mark align practice and putt a 12" putt that they will make 999/1000 times. If your playing with 4 people and they each have to take an additional lets say 1 minutes on maybe 10 holes each, your saving 40 mins at the end of the round. I guess that won't bother most of you who feel like 4+hr rounds are the norm, but it might save me from going insane waiting in the fairway watching people take all the extra time without missing any... Funny story me and a buddy got paired up with another 2 some younger guys like us, on the first hole he putts and ball is laying 3" from the hole so I hit it back to him and it was for a double bogey. He then precedes to tell me that they sometimes miss those so the prefer to putt them out, so now I always ask before giving it to them and since that day never had anyone say no.

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Three schools of thought on the matter of 'giving opponents putts' during league rounds.

1. Last night the guy I'm playing has a 7 footer for triple-bogey.  I'm already in with a bogie.  I ask, 'John, what is that putt for?'  He says 7, I say pick it up.  Let's not add insult to injury and let's be honest here; giving a guy that putt for triple is not going to drop his hdcp by 3 strokes.

2. Same thing happened to me as the OP.  Opponent has a treacherous 3-4 foot downhill breaker for par.  It's the classic, 'make it, or you'll likely 3-putt from there.'  I say nothing, guy misses and has 10 footer coming back and misses that one too.  On the next tee he tells me, "You don't know how f'n pissed I am at you right now!"  I mean, this guy was fuming MAD!  The way I look at giving a putt in this situation is that if I'm pretty sure I can make the putt, (usually 2 feet or closer) I'll concede the putt.  If the putt is 50/50 or worse make rate for me, sorry buddy, you're going to have to putt that one.

3.  When I'm not really familiar with an opponents game and putting, I'll say nothing for the first few holes.  If he's the type who steps up and continually rams in 2-3 footers, I have to assume he's going to do this for the rest of the round.  When he has an easy 2-3 foot straight putt, it's good by me.  He's not likely to miss.  Speeds up the game, too.

To the OP:  Insisting on, or trying to persuade your league partners to 'do it your way' is going to cause you more grief than anything else.  You're trying to get everyone else to see it your way and apparently, they're not interested.  Best to just give it up, relent and try to enjoy yourself.  Maybe you'll be the guy who doesn't have to putt that 7-footer for a triple.

dave

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Ping G30 driver
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Ping G #6-9 irons; W and U wedges
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Odyssey Versa Putter
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Three schools of thought on the matter of 'giving opponents putts' during league rounds.

1. Last night the guy I'm playing has a 7 footer for triple-bogey.  I'm already in with a bogie.  I ask, 'John, what is that putt for?'  He says 7, I say pick it up.  Let's not add insult to injury and let's be honest here; giving a guy that putt for triple is not going to drop his hdcp by 3 strokes.

2. Same thing happened to me as the OP.  Opponent has a treacherous 3-4 foot downhill breaker for par.  It's the classic, 'make it, or you'll likely 3-putt from there.'  I say nothing, guy misses and has 10 footer coming back and misses that one too.  On the next tee he tells me, "You don't know how f'n pissed I am at you right now!"  I mean, this guy was fuming MAD!  The way I look at giving a putt in this situation is that if I'm pretty sure I can make the putt, (usually 2 feet or closer) I'll concede the putt.  If the putt is 50/50 or worse make rate for me, sorry buddy, you're going to have to putt that one.

3.  When I'm not really familiar with an opponents game and putting, I'll say nothing for the first few holes.  If he's the type who steps up and continually rams in 2-3 footers, I have to assume he's going to do this for the rest of the round.  When he has an easy 2-3 foot straight putt, it's good by me.  He's not likely to miss.  Speeds up the game, too.

To the OP:  Insisting on, or trying to persuade your league partners to 'do it your way' is going to cause you more grief than anything else.  You're trying to get everyone else to see it your way and apparently, they're not interested.  Best to just give it up, relent and try to enjoy yourself.  Maybe you'll be the guy who doesn't have to putt that 7-footer for a triple.

dave

I don't see why your opponent got pissed off at you. A 4 foot downhill breaker is not even close to being a gimme?

BTW, if we played a round, you would be forcing me to putt out anything more than a foot. :whistle:

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"I'm hitting the woods just great, but I'm having a terrible time getting out of them." ~Harry Toscano

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On the next tee he tells me, "You don't know how f'n pissed I am at you right now!"

I love playing this kind of guy!  Once I know he's that volatile, I'll even give him an occasional questionable putt, just to keep him off balance.  For myself, I figure that if i can't make this putt every time, I have no reason to expect you to give it to me.  If I CAN make it every time, I've got nothing to worry about.  I'm fine either way.

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Dave

:callaway: Rogue SubZero Driver

:titleist: 915F 15 Fairway, 816 H1 19 Hybrid, AP2 4 iron to PW, Vokey 52, 56, and 60 wedges, ProV1 balls 
:ping: G5i putter, B60 version
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A four foot downhill breaker is not even close to a gimme. That's not even a knee tremblor. That's a hard putt. Putt it. If it's treacherous, putt it easy. And yes I've had those and ended up with an 8 to 10 footer coming back for a threep - I'm looking at you HC 18th green. So If I'm really tentative I may barely tap it and hopefully leave it short within a couple inches of the hole.

This year you don't want to give me a 1' putt. I can miss them.

Julia

:callaway:  :cobra:    :seemore:  :bushnell:  :clicgear:  :adidas:  :footjoy:

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Driver: Callaway Big Bertha w/ Fubuki Z50 R 44.5"
FW: Cobra BiO CELL 14.5 degree; 
Hybrids: Cobra BiO CELL 22.5 degree Project X R-flex
Irons: Cobra BiO CELL 5 - GW Project X R-Flex
Wedges: Cobra BiO CELL SW, Fly-Z LW, 64* Callaway PM Grind.
Putter: 48" Odyssey Dart

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A four foot downhill breaker is not even close to a gimme. That's not even a knee tremblor. That's a hard putt. Putt it. If it's treacherous, putt it easy. And yes I've had those and ended up with an 8 to 10 footer coming back for a threep - I'm looking at you HC 18th green. So If I'm really tentative I may barely tap it and hopefully leave it short within a couple inches of the hole. This year you don't want to give me a 1' putt. I can miss them.

Haha my hell hole. I don't think I've ever even parred that hole, which is sad.

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Quote:

Originally Posted by dave s

On the next tee he tells me, "You don't know how f'n pissed I am at you right now!"

I love playing this kind of guy!  Once I know he's that volatile, I'll even give him an occasional questionable putt, just to keep him off balance.  For myself, I figure that if i can't make this putt every time, I have no reason to expect you to give it to me.  If I CAN make it every time, I've got nothing to worry about.  I'm fine either way.


Guys like that are fun. We were playing a two-man scramble against a couple friends and they had a straight 2-footer left for par.  Normally we'd give it to them, but my partner and I were so occupied looking at our next shot that neither of us ever said anything to them.  By the time I looked up, they were lining up to putt it, so I figured "Let them putt it out".  They both missed and took a bogey on the hole.  One of the guys is very competitive and absolutely hates to lose, and he was so pissed he couldn't see straight.  His game came completely unraveled after that because he was so twisted up and seething about it.  They wouldn't even give us a two-inch putt for the rest of the round and he left immediately afterward without going up to the 19th hole for our traditional post-round beer.  We still tease him about it and everybody knows that if you're playing against him, all it takes is something little to get him spun up and his game will go in the crapper.

Mac

WITB:
Driver: Ping G30 (12*)
FW:  Ping K15 (3W, 5W)
Hybrids: Ping K15 (3H, 5H)
Irons: Ping K15 (6-UW)

Wedges: Cleveland 588 RTX CB (54*, 58*)

Putter: Ping Scottsdale w/ SS Slim 3.0

Ball: Bridgestone e6

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I just have an attitude that if I 3-putt like that I'll put a little extra heat on my drive on the next tee. It's not an angry shot. Usually works. I've been working on my temper this year.

Julia

:callaway:  :cobra:    :seemore:  :bushnell:  :clicgear:  :adidas:  :footjoy:

Spoiler

Driver: Callaway Big Bertha w/ Fubuki Z50 R 44.5"
FW: Cobra BiO CELL 14.5 degree; 
Hybrids: Cobra BiO CELL 22.5 degree Project X R-flex
Irons: Cobra BiO CELL 5 - GW Project X R-Flex
Wedges: Cobra BiO CELL SW, Fly-Z LW, 64* Callaway PM Grind.
Putter: 48" Odyssey Dart

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Part of match play is understanding your opponent. If he gets upset that easily, it would be wrong NOT to take advantage of it.

Dave

:callaway: Rogue SubZero Driver

:titleist: 915F 15 Fairway, 816 H1 19 Hybrid, AP2 4 iron to PW, Vokey 52, 56, and 60 wedges, ProV1 balls 
:ping: G5i putter, B60 version
 :ping:Hoofer Bag, complete with Newport Cup logo
:footjoy::true_linkswear:, and Ashworth shoes

the only thing wrong with this car is the nut behind the wheel.

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Note: This thread is 3175 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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    • I had to think about this topic for a while. I don't tend to remember specific details about my putts, but a few do stand out in my mind so I guess they're worth noting. I don't know that I'd call them my favorite but it's close enough. #18 at Spooky Brook Might be the hardest 4' putt I've ever had. Pin was back right and I hit my third shot just to the right of it. The green slopes fairly severely back to front. I read the green but I knew the putt anyway as I've seen it before. I told the guys I was playing with that the putt was it was going to break almost 3' and if it doesn't go in I'd have a longer coming back up for par than I was looking at. It went in. #12 at Quail Brook I'm not even sure how to describe this green properly. It's not quite a two-tiered green, but the back and front are separated by a ridge that goes across the middle of it, with the green sloping harder off the front than the back. You can generally putt from the front to a back hole location but good luck keeping the ball on the green if you putt from back to front. On this particular day, I was looking at the latter. I had to putt up into the apron due to how the ball was going to break and that helped slow the ball down enough to hit the hole at the perfect speed. One of the rare birdies I've seen on that hole. #2 at Hyatt Hills Short par 5. This makes the list because it's the first eagle putt I've ever made, which funny enough happened the day after the first eagle I've ever made. I've made two eagles in all my life and they came on back to back days. I wasn't even planning on playing golf - it was a Monday - but I was doing some work at the place I used to work at when I was younger and catching up with some of the guys I've known for years. They were going out to play in the afternoon and had a spot available. I used to see these guys every day for years but we've never played together, so I said I'm in. I hit a really good approach shot into slope that separated the two tiers on the green and spun the ball closer to the hole. Had roughly 8' left to the hole, a downhill right to left breaker. One of the guys said, "You've got to make this, I've never seen an eagle before," and I said, "I've never made an eagle putt before." And then I made it. #17 at Stoneleigh @GolfLug's post reminded me of my own heroics on #17 a couple of years ago. The hole was back left, in the bottom tier. I hit my approach short of the green and flubbed my chip so it stayed on the top tier. I read how the putt was going to break after the ramp (is that what you call it?), then read my putt up to that point. It needed to basically die at that point because if it hit the slope with any kind of speed, it would long past the hole and possibly off the green. I hit the putt perfectly and holed the 40-footer center cup. #6 at Meadow at Neshanic Valley, #15 in the Round This was during the stroke play qualifier of my tournament. It might be a little bit of recency bias and I hit some really good long putts in the four rounds I played, but this 7-footer was my favorite putt of the entire tournament. The hole was cut on the top of a ridge. I hit my tee shot short right but hit a pretty good chip just long and below the hole. Play had backed up at this point, with the ladies waiting on the tee while we were finishing up. I hit the putt just a hair on the high side and it curled around the hole, fell back a couple of inches and stopped on lip. We all looked at it incredulously, "How does that not fall in?" Before I took my first step towards the hole, the ball must have thought the same thing and decided to drop.
    • I don't remember a ton of putts, but I've thought about this a bit and came up with 2 good ones. #5 at Mid-South: 2017 Newport Cup I remember the putt pretty well, but the surrounding details are a little hazy. I believe this was in my singles match against @cipher, and it was a hole he was stroking on. I had hit a mediocre approach to the front of the green and had what must have been a 50 foot putt to a back pin. If I remember correctly, @cipher was pretty close for an easy par at worst. I had @mvmac help me out with a read, which ended up being a great read by him. Hit the putt and jarred it for birdie. It was perfect speed, too, would have been an easy 2 putt if it hadn't gone in. I think we ended up tying for the hole. But I rarely make putts that long, and doing it to steal half a hole was really nice. #3 Fox Hollow (Links): 2023 Match Play This was on the third extra hole of a scratch match against a legitimate 0 handicapper. We had tied after 18 holes and traded pars on the first two extra holes. On the third extra hole, he had about 30 feet for birdie; I had about 25. We were on pretty much the exact same line. He missed his putt just on the low side, and I conceded the par. I felt good over this putt - I knew the break well and just needed good speed. I hit a great (not perfect) putt, and BAM, back of the cup for the victory on the 21st hole. I will say that the speed wasn't great, as it would have been a few feet past if it didn't hit the cup. But I wanted to give the ball a chance and take a bit of break out of it. I went on to win the match play tournament, which is my only tournament victory in a scratch event.
    • there will be lots of changes.  i mean, look at newey past, each team fell off a cliff when he moved on i think max is the magic bullet   if red bull loses him then whee are they going for drivers?   lots of young talent but he is a proven winner and i’m sure top engineers love to work with him  
    • I too, like @GolfLug, remember great wedge, iron shots, or my missed putts, more than my made putts. My most memorable recently, would be: #17 Old Course St. Andrews (last year) I had been putting awful all day (I started 3 putt, 4 putt, 3 putt, 3 putt), but found a putting stroke on the back 9 and was 1 under on the back going into 16 and of course I 3-putted it for a bogey. Got to 17 and my playing partner just hit it into the hotel, so I went a little more left and decided to not try and hit it over the hotel.  And as soon as my ball was in the air, I heard one of the other caddies do the chicken noise.  LOL My shot was a little more left than I wanted, about 185 yards, I hit a 6-iron and it was drawing right at the flag.  The pin was just to the right of he bunker and towards the front of the green. My ball hit short (and just missed going into said bunker) and stopped about 15 feet left of the hole. Had a little left to right break and as soon as I hit it, I knew it was in.  Birdie on the road hole, looked at the caddie and said not bad for a Chicken.  Parred 18 (missed 10 foot birdie putt) for a 35 on the back 9 at the Old Course. #18 Springfield G&CC Last year while playing in our season long match play event, my partner and I get the 18th hole needing to win the match to move on into the knockout round.  We are tied going into 18.  A tie and we lose on overall points by .5.  Our teaching pro is on the other team (very good golfer), so we were pretty sure we needed a birdie to have a chance to win the match, I hit on of the best drives I hit all day and had about 135 yards to the pin, but it was in a place where you didn't really want to be long.  So I hit a PW and it landed just short of the flag but released about 12 feet past the hole, so have a devilish putt coming back down the hill.  Our competitors were away and the pro missed his birdie putt by inches, I thought it was in when he hit it.  So after reading the putt, which probably had a 2 cup left to right break, I made the putt to win the match.   #15 Springfield G&CC A few years back, was playing in the first round of the Club Championship (against the previous years runner-up) and my putter was balky all day.  Got to the 15 hole, 2nd Par 5 on back, and was 3-down with 4 to play.  We both hit good drives, both hit good second shots and we both hit decent 3rd shots.  I was about 15 feet and he was just a hair longer.  He missed his putt, I had another slider putt down the hill, with about a foot of right to left break and made the putt.  I birded the next hole, to go 1 down, but not a memorable putt as I only needed a bogey to beat him on that hole, he had all kinds of issues going on.  Lost on 17, as he birdied it, right after I missed mine to lose 2&1.
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