Can you practice putting too much?

[Fourputt]

Yeah it is. If I'd practiced 10-15 minutes incorrectly, I'd have just been a poor putter. Hour upon hour of it gave me the yips. You've obviously never had them - they're paralyzing.

Most of my putting practice is done on the days I play. The last thing I do before going to the first tee is spend about 10 minutes on the putting green. Since I play about 3 times a week, that means I get about 1/2 hour of practice a week. Then I play the round, and I consider every putt I hit there to be practice too. For me, my best practice for all of my game has always been just playing golf. I have a very short attention span for hitting balls on the range... boredom starts to set in after about 10 balls. I keep my focus longest when working on chipping and pitching... a half hour session is no problem. Putting comes somewhere in between.

[Paz]

I can tell when I've overdone the putting because I can't focus on even getting a line right let alone rolling the ball on that line. I generally cannot practice putting for more than an hour, maybe 90 minutes. I like going 30 mins putting, 30 chipping/pitching and switching off with those until I feel fatigued. usually no more than 2 hours between the two. then an hour on the range

Practicing golf for 4 hours is at least twice as tiring as a 4 hour round. at least

[bong_crosby]

Hour upon hour of it gave me the yips. You've obviously never had them - they're paralyzing.

Paralyzing? A little melodramatic, don't you think? If your golf game is "paralyzing", maybe it's time for another hobby. Actually, I think you're onto something though. The fact that a putt can paralyze you speaks to the fact that the yips aren't mechanical but mental. You could practice one minute a day or ten hours, but if your mind isn't right, it's not going to matter.

Finally, back to the original question, I've never heard a winner chalk up their success to hours and hours of non-practice.

[anthony]

I don't think you can practice putting or chipping too much (unless you do it 8 hours a day or something crazy). I got my a$$ handed too me last night playing with a coworker because his chipping and putting were way better than mine. I shot a 95 and he shot an 81. I out drove him on almost every hole and was straighter. My irons were just as good or better over 100 yds. This guy had touch around and on the green though and I didn't. Granted I played worse around the green than usual and duffed some short chips, but even if I didn't he still would have had me by 10 strokes.

[sean_miller]

Paralyzing? A little melodramatic, don't you think? If your golf game is "paralyzing", maybe it's time for another hobby. Actually, I think you're onto something though. The fact that a putt can paralyze you speaks to the fact that the yips aren't mechanical but mental. You could practice one minute a day or ten hours, but if your mind isn't right, it's not going to matter.

Sorry - should have said "virtually paralyzing for a couple seconds while standing over a tricky putt".

[The Recreational Golfer]

I think a person can practice to much on a given day, but over time, no. Professional musicians practice at least four hours a day, and technical exercises like scales and patterns are a daily part of each practice session. It never hurts to practice the basics over and over, no matter how good you get at them. And if you're not good at them, how else will you get good?