I have new motivation to become good at this game now.

[Bullitt5339]

I was having a talk with one of my regular playing partners at work today, telling him my plans for this summer to improve my game.

My first plan of action is to get my short game in order.  I am a horrible putter.  I can't read greens.  Even when I swear I have a dead straight putt and everything lined up, I don't hit it straight.  I average 34-36 putts per round, but only 5 or 6 GIRs.  My approach shots aren't horrible, I'm usually close, but not on.

My wedge play is improving since I bought a couple wedges with more bounce and practicing every evening, I've quit skulling balls over the green occasionally.  But I still can't putt......

So I decided that 1st I would ensure that I had a putter that I was able to aim, so I scheduled a fitting for an Edel putter.  After the putter comes in, I am taking both Aimpoint courses that David Orr offers to learn how to read greens.  I WILL get better at the short game no matter how much classwork and practice it takes.

After telling him that's my plan for the next couple months, he tells me I'm wasting my time and money and that the only way to get better at putting is to get on the practice green and practice.  My retort was that what good does it do me to go to the same practice green and hit a putt that misses left, so I put another ball in the same spot and aim a bit more right and then repeat that process until I get one to go in the hole?  What am I learning by doing that?  What good does that do me out on the course with ONE shot at a putt on a green that I haven't sat and practiced on for 30 minutes?

He still swears it's a waste of time.

Then I'm discussing learning to hit a nice draw, and say that I've been having problems turning it into a duck hook because I tend to setup with the clubface closed and then swing inside to out.  I mentioned that I'm going to work on opening up the clubface to hit a push/draw with the driver and he laughed at me and said "The only thing you'll do by opening up the clubface is slice the ball horribly"

So, I'm already beating this guy by a few strokes each round, but I'm going to come up with a few excuses for a couple months not to play with him until I've gotten that new Edel putter, had some more wedge practice and learn the Aimpoint technique and have some time to practice it.  Then go back out and show him what the right kind of instruction and practice can do for you.

Sorry for the rant, but I'm an avid student of the game right now, and view the information that most on here put out as better than the average information that's out there, and being told that concentrating on a methodical, scientific approach to my short game was a waste of time and money lit a fire in me.

OK... Back out to practice my wedges before it gets dark.

[BuckeyeNut]

good luck!!

[SamCreamer]

Well he seems like the average golfer that seems to have every answer to every problem. I like your approach man! I too have been taking lessons and greatly improving my ball striking. I'm not near your level but my goal is to score a round of 85 by the end of the summer. My putting needs work too. A lot of practice is important, but getting fitted for a putter is also great.

A drill my pro gave me is to line up 5 balls, each 5 feet behind the other. Then go to the first one, putt, back off 5 feet to the second, putt, etc. It helped me a lot and may help you as well. I also disagree with putting 4 times from the same spot because OBVIOUSLY it'll get closer after you get a precise read of the distance and break! Varying break, speed, and length of the putt is what I do nowadays when I'm working on the greens and I have to say I'm 3 putting far less and I'm draining more from the 10-13 foot range.

Good luck on your journey, with passion like that you're sure to see good results!

[Bullitt5339]

Originally Posted by SamCreamer

Well he seems like the average golfer that seems to have every answer to every problem. I like your approach man! I too have been taking lessons and greatly improving my ball striking. I'm not near your level but my goal is to score a round of 85 by the end of the summer. My putting needs work too. A lot of practice is important, but getting fitted for a putter is also great.

A drill my pro gave me is to line up 5 balls, each 5 feet behind the other. Then go to the first one, putt, back off 5 feet to the second, putt, etc. It helped me a lot and may help you as well. I also disagree with putting 4 times from the same spot because OBVIOUSLY it'll get closer after you get a precise read of the distance and break! Varying break, speed, and length of the putt is what I do nowadays when I'm working on the greens and I have to say I'm 3 putting far less and I'm draining more from the 10-13 foot range.

Good luck on your journey, with passion like that you're sure to see good results!

You'll be surprised with just regular play and a little practice, shooting in the mid-high 80's seems to come pretty easy.  You can have a crappy day putting and still be in the 80's.  Have a crappy day off the tee, and still manage to break into the 80's.  Now I'm stuck there like I hit a brick wall, and it's going to take some professional advice for me to consistently get better from here on out and a lot more practice.  I was excited last year when I shot 84 for the first time.  A year later and a lot more rounds, better ball-striking, but I'm still shooting 84-87 most times out, and the occasional 94+ still sneaks it's head in the door a little too often for me, especially when playing on an unfamiliar course.

[iacas]

When I first read your post I thought you said David Orr said those things about putting and hooking. I was like , then I re-read the first sentence and realized the "he" meant your buddy, not Orr, and I was like .

Good for you.

P.S. Invest in two crochet knitting needles and 15' or so of stretchy string.

[Bullitt5339]

I've been working on putting face angle by trying to putt balls straight down the lines in my kitchen floor.  It's tough, that's for sure.  It's super fast, and any mistake is immediately noticeable.  It is also making it very apparent that where I line up with my current putter is not really straight.

[Bullitt5339]

Originally Posted by iacas

When I first read your post I thought you said David Orr said those things about putting and hooking. I was like , then I re-read the first sentence and realized the "he" meant your buddy, not Orr, and I was like .

Good for you.

P.S. Invest in two crochet knitting needles and 15' or so of stretchy string.

I went back and read my post again, and can see that I didn't word it very well.