Putting book/DVD/method suggestions?!?!?

[ohiolefty]

Folks,

If you've seen my posts, you've noticed my HC has dropped a lot. I'm hitting it SO much better than I was 6 months ago it's scary, and am very pleased with my ball-striking and short game progress.

However - with the putter, I'm in the weeds. To be honest, I don't have a real method. I see things on TV, I try them, I emulate things, but I don't have anything beyond a perfunctory set of fundamentals and/or principles. I do 'okay' once in a while, but it feels more like dumb luck than anything. I feel like I read putts okay, but my putting stroke and my ability to have consistent speed are both pathetic for someone who can play the rest of the game reasonably well. Nothing feels worse than hitting an iron shot to 8 feet and then hitting a real sh*tty put. Not just missing, hitting one that feels like sh*t, and doing THAT more consistently than you hit one that feels good.

So my question is:

To those of you who are low-cappers or just great putters, what has helped you with your putting? Is there anything you can point me towards. Also, I'm in Ohio - any instructors in Northern Ohio, SE Michigan, Western PA that you might know of who are aces with the putter. I'm in the weeds here, people!

Any help, advice, encouragement, folk wisdom and witchcraft would be appreciated!

[iacas]

To those of you who are low-cappers or just great putters, what has helped you with your putting? Is there anything you can point me towards. Also, I'm in Ohio - any instructors in Northern Ohio, SE Michigan, Western PA that you might know of who are aces with the putter. I'm in the weeds here, people!

I'd recommend reading Utley's putting book... or coming over to us here in Erie for a putting lesson. We're good at teaching putting and the short game.

[saevel25]

Tips on Putting..

Well today i had one of the better putting days, it was on the back nine were i had about 15 or so putts.. Guess what, my reading of the putt was a slight glance from behind the ball then settling over the putt, if i felt comfortable with what i thought the ball would do i would just hit it. I thought nothing of my putting stroke. It was just all feel and instinct. It was awesome.

Best way to learn putting, PUTT!!! If your serious, do something like 50 putts from 5,10,15,20,25 feet. There is technique to putting, but it i believe it doesn't matter o much. As long as your centers of your swing dont move, and your head, it doesn't matter on grip or type of stroke, you can generate a feel for anything.. Just have to commit to one style. Constantly changing is were people end up messing up.

[ohiolefty]

Best way to learn putting, PUTT!!! If your serious, do something like 50 putts from 5,10,15,20,25 feet. There is technique to putting, but it i believe it doesn't matter o much. As long as your centers of your swing dont move, and your head, it doesn't matter on grip or type of stroke, you can generate a feel for anything.. Just have to commit to one style. Constantly changing is were people end up messing up.

I can buy into a lot of that. Over the last 18 months, I'd say that my practice time/energy has been 50% full swing, 30% short/wedge game, 20% putting. And, when I was really in purgatory, trying to get through certain performance thresholds with my swing, it was more like 70/25/5.

The short game, even as a kid, has always been something at which I was pretty proficient. The feel aspect, the creativity - I could always do it pretty well. The short swing is coming with discipline, hard-work, a positive attitude and increased physical capacity as I refine what I'm doing. I need to practice putting more, but I guess I'm trying to get down to the bottom of what I should be practicing and, when it goes t*ts up, how I can correct and troubleshoot things on the practice green and the course. Putting, even for pros, goes in streaks but I want to be more consistent. I don't 3 putt very often, but I 2 putt a lot of times that I feel I shouldn't. I want more birdies, more eagles, and more pars when I need 'em.