Howdy! from Central Texas....

[permarkc]

Hello everybody. New to the site.  I golfed for 2 years in high school. Did not play for about 30 years, Life and such got in the way. Picked up a club about two and a half years back and have gone stark raving crazy ever since. I turned my 10 acre field into a driving range( kind of an oxy moron, as its only 240 yds to the house), so I cant practice driver or 3 wood, but 5 wood and down I can and do hit somewhere between 100 and 300 balls every morning, spending between 40 minutes and an hour and a half. Works up quite a sweat here in central Texas.

I golf 18 holes at different courses around here at least once during the week, and then walk 18 in the am at a local course and then 18 more that afternoon on Sundays. When I picked up a club 2 1/2 years ago, I was a 24 handicap...go figure....but I have worked my game down to a 5.6 according to GolfLogix(which I love btw), but have hit a brick wall with my putter. I can get tee to green with most, but my putter fails me. Your welcome to look at my profile on Golflogix for all my stats if you care to. When I hit low 70's its when my putter shows up and I hit around 26-28 putts. When I hit closer to 90, its when it doesnt and I hit 35-38 putts. I know I need to practice putting more, but a practice green is very expensive....trying to talk Mama (wife), into it, but no luck so far.

I hope to pick up some practice tips that I havent thought of. I have had zero professional training or lessons. I am also real close to getting tru blades and getting them custom fit to me. The clubs I am using now are Taylormade R7 TP Irons, R7 Quad driver, R7 draw fairway 3 & 5. Ping putter. I have cut my shafts off and regripped and reshafted my woods, Irons have Rifle 6.5's. Woods have 90G extra stiff. Worked my way up to extra stiff from regular, stiff, to extra. I am even thinking about xxstiff.

I will enjoy seeing any feedback and look forward to hearing from you's!

[RC]

Welcome to the best golf forum on the net.

I won't attempt to describe a putting solution for you (especially sight unseen) but you might describe what your issues are.  For example, are you three putting due to poor distance control, bad directional results, or poor green reading?  Sometimes spending a little more time on the practice green will give you more bang for the buck than hitting full shots.

Enjoy the Sand Trap!

[permarkc]

Thanks RC!

I really dont have a problem reading greens. My distance control is quite good. It just seems like my ball skirts the edge waaaaaaaayyyyy

too often. I have left more putts than I care to think about less than a ball width from the hole.

I know the answer.......putting green, putting green putting green.....I was just hoping maybe you had some magic mojo for me...???please!!...lol

I have tried dang near everything. When my putter is on, I am very satisfied and I hit in the low 70's. When its not,,,,,,well.....I dont like to talk about it!!

I shot a 90 on The Rebublic (first time Ive played it and a very nice course, btw) in San Antonio yesterday......I hit 43 putts......pathetic....Heres the most frustrating part....I had one putt for eagle on a par 5, 3 putts at birdie, and 9 putts at par not counting the previous 4. I will say they were some tough greens, but cmon....43!!

thats an all time record. not one Im proud of nor care to repeat or beat....

I 3 putted 7 holes....another all time record....

I know I need to forfeit some rounds and spend the time on the putting green, but I really like to play!!

I probably answered my own question.....

But I would really like some of the mojo!!??

[RC]

Don't let a one day poor performance with the putter get you down.  I have seen great putters have off days that were astonishingly bad.  If you are putting badly more often than you like, I would go to the practice green (of course) but I would also try something different.  One thing I really believe is you should hit a lot of putts that you make.  That means a lot of three footers.  Nothing helps more than stroking and seeing the ball go in the hole.  But try different things.  For example, you might try more forward press, or change ball position.  Experiment with grip changes as well.  Just do something that gets your confidence up because putting is mental for the most part (assuming you have a relatively good stroke.)  I like for people to try a feeling of hitting slightly down on the ball, keeping the putter a little delofted to reduce backspin.  It feels like the weight of the putter falls on the ball through the stroke.  Others like to have a slight upswing.  The point is try things and find your groove.  You already know you can have good putting days.