Short, Relatively Flat Putts

[boogielicious]

NOTE TO POSTERS:  Please do not talk of grain or Ray's creek affects in this thread as there are really irrelevant.  If you must call out Voodoo effects, then that is OK.

In another Thread that Shall Not Be Named , Erik mentioned,

" Relatively flat slopes (1% or so - minimal grades for drainage). People miss more putts on relatively flat sections of the green than anywhere else."

I have been having trouble with this on 3 to 5 footers.  As an avid AimPoint player, I do really well with short putts with slopes I can feel.  The flat ones get me because I can't feel which direction the break comes from.  I will aim inside left or right depending on the general slope in the area, but at such slow rolling speeds on the slow greens I play (8 or 9 at best), small nuances in the green can move the ball just enough to miss.  Add to that the crown that bad greenskeepers assistants can leave when they make the hole, and the ball can miss.

Typical situation is on a flat section with a transition in slope, i.e., green is rising to the left and right of the hole location which is in slight valley on the green.  Or sloped green with a flat top tier or ridge top hole location.

I use the midpoint read method. I have tried going back to the zero line approach, but I wasn't talk that in my Clinic, so I am not sure if I am doing it correctly.

Any tips would be appreciated.

[David in FL]

The only advice I can offer is to hit the putt firmly. I know how tough that can be, because the only thing worse than a missed 4- footer, is the fear of a 3-jack from the same distance..... ....on anything under 10 feet, I say to myself, as I'm about to stroke the putt, "hit it, you'll make a lot more than you'll miss coming back". And I do.

[boogielicious]

Thanks David.  I usually try to hit it about 8 inches past the hole.  Are you saying more than that?

[Stretch]

I agree with David on this one. If you're getting the reads wrong, it may be worth aiming closer to center cut, taking some break out and just backing your ability to hit the smaller hole created by the higher capture speed. Even if you give yourself three times the room on the other side of the hole, you're still only looking at a 2 footer.

[boogielicious]

Thanks again.  I will try this.

[billchao]

IIRC, slower greens break less, so I would definitely play it straighter and hit it firmly. I like to take the break out of all short putts whenever possible.

If bad greenskeeping ruins my putt, I shrug my shoulders and move on.

[iacas]

Yes, capture speed is one thing. On slower greens eight inches past the hole is a BIG hole and a VERY slow moving putt. You can safely extend that out to two feet without really shrinking the hole beyond a manageable amount.

http://thesandtrap.com/t/46450/putting-capture-speed

One foot past is a 2.6" hole. Two feet past is still 1.9". That's almost half the hole. If the combination of your stroke and your read is good enough to hit the ball within half the hole, then you'll still make putts.

I'd be cautious of getting the speed up much MORE than that, though. You don't want to go to a 1.4" hole (3' past) or smaller. Then you'd TRULY be "ramming them in" and getting a lot of embarrassing Phil Mickelson-esque lip-outs.

[midwestswing]

Put a line on your ball. Aim the line to your spot. Get over the ball. Trust the line. Stroke the putt. Count one-one thousand before moving your head. Go grab your ball out of the hole. (Fist pump optional)

[indyvai]

I'm in the same boat and have concluded to take break out and play them firmer... we'll see how that goes tomorrow!