Putting stroke

[tazrestling27]

Hi everyone. I am having a serious problem with my putting lately and I am hoping some of you cured the same problem. Yesterday I shot a 79 with 40 putts. Pretty terrible. My stroke lately is a pull or I hit it left and it arch backs to the hole and goes in. Everything is left to right. I am a lefty. Anyone have any suggestions how I can practice this or work on this.

[rustyredcab]

Do note that the face angle of the putter at impact deter mains the direction of the putt much more than swing path. So if you are pushing putts, it is most likely that the face is not square to your target line at impact. That said, often I keep the face square to my path so a bad path results in a non-square face.

Are you trying to be straight back straight through (or close to that)? Or are you trying to have an arch stroke?

I'm Straight back straight through. I drill with a line on the green (or indoor putting matt) or a string above the ball. I practice taking the putter back on the line and follow through down that line. I also line my ball and find a flat part of the green and roll the ball on the line. A drill I don't like because I find it frustrating, is to lay two clubs on the green a tiny bit wider than your putter. Now putt keeping the putter head from touching the clubs. These drills help me get that straight feeling going.

[mvmac]

Yes, face angle is 96% of the start line.  Check to make sure your eyes are over the ball or slightly inside the ball.  I can run into some issues when my eyes are too far behind the ball

[tazrestling27]

When I putt I look at my putter on my back stroke and the face is a little open, so I am curious how I am pulling it. Am I coming across the ball instead of thru. Any good drills to keep it on its line. Anyway I can put my hands to keep the putter from opening and closing. Someone said it might be the way I rotate my forearms. Is the ball to forward in my stance?

[Mr. Desmond]

Why are you rotating your forearms?

Why is anything moving other than your shoulders?

No wonder you had 40 putts.

Take timing out of a putt...

[Mr3Wiggle]

Originally Posted by tazrestling27

Hi everyone. I am having a serious problem with my putting lately and I am hoping some of you cured the same problem. Yesterday I shot a 79 with 40 putts. Pretty terrible. My stroke lately is a pull or I hit it left and it arch backs to the hole and goes in. Everything is left to right. I am a lefty. Anyone have any suggestions how I can practice this or work on this.

Ever try the SeeMore putter?

[tazrestling27]

No what is a seemore putter, I feel like I do not rotate my forearms. That was just a suggestion someone said. I feel like when I do straight back straight thru I pull, however when I do arc putting, I hit it pretty well..

[Mr3Wiggle]

Originally Posted by tazrestling27

No what is a seemore putter, I feel like I do not rotate my forearms. That was just a suggestion someone said. I feel like when I do straight back straight thru I pull, however when I do arc putting, I hit it pretty well..

http://www.seemore.com/

Still guys on tour using them.  I've used one, it works.

[Motley01]

I have a few tips for you.

First, when you are over the ball in a set position. Check to see if your eyes are over the ball. This help with seeing the line. Hold another ball up to your right temple, then drop it, it should hit the ball you are putting.

Try a "square to square" putter head on your stroke. Keep it straight back and through, don't rotate the putter head.

Keep your eyes down after impact, don't look up until the ball leaves your direct vision, or about 3' away.. Watch most of the pros do this.

[Mr. Desmond]

SeeMores ... great putters. Used an mFGP before my Edel. I keep a FGP as a training aid. Keeps your setup neutral.

Like many of us, I've done a lot of studying on putting.

Remember, you stand to the side of the ball and your hands are attached to your shoulders -- so the natural stroke on anything other than a short putt, is an arc. If you don't have an arc, you are rotating the hands or manipulating them or you arms in some way to remain SBST.

I've found that thinking wide is best as it promotes a gradual arc.

http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-instruction/2009-02/obrienputting

http://www.seemoreputtersblog.com/2009/06/pat-obrien-grip-post-on-wwwpatobriengolfcom-putting-instructor-of-fedex-cup-leader-zach-johnson.html

http://www.amateurgolf.com/4215-GolfNews-Want-to-Putt-Like-Zach-Johnson?-Heres-How

As I stated in another post, see www.patobriengolf.com for his DVD. Pat likes a neutral setup and neutral grip that takes the right hand off the grip (you hold the gip in the fingers). He also has an inexpensive dvd for $20. Pat is Zach Johnson's and several other pros' putting guru. No forward press, square, upright setup, shoulder stroke...

[Mr3Wiggle]

Originally Posted by Mr. Desmond

SeeMores ... great putters. Used an mFGP before my Edel. I keep a FGP as a training aid. Keeps your setup neutral.

Like many of us, I've done a lot of studying on putting.

Remember, you stand to the side of the ball and your hands are attached to your shoulders -- so the natural stroke on anything other than a short putt, is an arc. If you don't have an arc, you are rotating the hands or manipulating them or you arms in some way to remain SBST.

I've found that thinking wide is best as it promotes a gradual arc.

As I stated in another post, see www.patobriengolf.com for a neutral setup and neutral grip that takes the right hand off the grip (you hold the gip in the fingers). He also has an inexpensive dvd for $20. Pat is Zach Johnson's and several other pros' putting guru. No forward press, square, upright setup, shoulder stroke...

Probably no coincidence, but Zach Johnson uses a SeeMore and has for years, including during his Master's win.

[Mr. Desmond]

Originally Posted by Mr3Wiggle

Probably no coincidence, but Zach Johnson uses a SeeMore and has for years, including during his Master's win.

Yes, interesting history. I used a SeeMore when Payne Stewart was winning the Open in '99 with the brass FGP. Didn't know much about putting at that time and did not appreciate the RST patented system of SeeMore. I probably sold the FGP within 6 months or less ... so impatient at the time.

After Zach's win, I noticed that SeeMore was purchased by a couple of guys who were once at Odyssey, and with Zach's Master's victory, they took off with their milled line. I really like the mFGP, and since they've come up with a gazilion different models including those with offset. They come close to a custom putter with length, lie, etc. and they've evolved from 4 degrees of loft to 2.5 degrees to account for today's faster greens.

I've always preferred the mFGP - a center-shafted, no offset putter. I found out later that I aimed it slightly left of target - discovered it when I was fitted for my Edel (a no-offset anser style). Still, made a lot of putts with it and keep a FGP as a training aid and I use Pat's system - took lessons from him, and have his DVD. His system is simple and has some similarities to Stockton, but is more neutral.

[Mothball7]

I'm new to this forum, however during my childhood my Dad taught me to putt under two ideals: 1) At address, if you imagined a bead of sweat dropping straight down from your nose, if should land directly onto the ball. 2) Imagine the stroke as a pendulum, the putter head as the weight of a grand father clock. Now that I'm 23 and more invested into my game, the more I buy into these ideals the better my putting has become. Btw my Dad never could overcome the baseball swing contrast with golf swings to become a low handicap, but he did average 28 putts a round