putting

[jr001280]

Im not what you call a great putter but i'm not horrible either. Most of my focus this summer has gone to putting and while it has improved there seems to be at least 1 or 2 holes that i 3 putt. I was wondering for those of you have had and conquered this problem how you managed to do it.

[Dent]

A tip on long putts: Dont go for the cup, if its an easy putt sure. But imagine a 2 ft circle around the hole. Get it into that imaginary circle, if you do, you reduce the chance of a 3 putt. You wont miss a 2 footer.

It relieves the pressure of getting it into the hole, all you have to do is get it in that circle and youll 2 putt. When you think of the cup, youll come short or go long, think of the circle, its a simple task ;). Good luck.

[CG031]

First off, let me be honest. My lag putting is horrible. Anything over 20 feet I have no idea if I will get it close, I need more and more practice on that, its improving, I guess.

Within 1-8 feet I am very very good. I have only missed about 2 out of 20 putts within 5 feet the past week or so...

I can give you some tips on short putting:

Keep your head down
play less break and hit it firmer with confidence
follow the putter face to your target (like left edge of the cup) or right to the hole.

[iacas]

A tip on long putts: Dont go for the cup, if its an easy putt sure. But imagine a 2 ft circle around the hole. Get it into that imaginary circle, if you do, you reduce the chance of a 3 putt. You wont miss a 2 footer.

I despise that form of thinking on the putting green. I think it's ridiculous. If you're good enough to "aim" for a 2-foot circle, you're good enough to aim for the hole. The goal of putting is to make the putt: aim for the hole.

Aiming for a two-foot circle: a) introduces the possibility of missing b) is lazy and sloppy c) increases the area of error Why would you ever want to think about missing? Everyone knows that's a stinker. When I was a pitcher in baseball, I'd focus on a stitch on my catcher's glove and throw to that. Bob Rotella tells you to focus on a single little branch 400 yards away or whatever - the smallest target possible - when playing golf. Why? The human body becomes more accurate. A two-foot radius circle is just another way to be "sloppy." Focus on the hole, try to feel the correct speed, and your ball should be within two feet of the hole even if you misread the putt pretty badly. If you miss holing a putt by two feet you're two feet away. If you miss your two-foot circle by two feet, you're four feet away. For more of my thoughts, read this .

[Warik]

A tip on long putts: Dont go for the cup, if its an easy putt sure. But imagine a 2 ft circle around the hole. Get it into that imaginary circle, if you do, you reduce the chance of a 3 putt. You wont miss a 2 footer.

Ever since reading Rotella's book I always, always, always go for the hole. The bigger the target, the bigger the margin of error you create for yourself. Aim small, miss small. I'm a very high handicapper, but 3-putting is no longer standard procedure for me thanks to this frame of mind.

In short, always go for the cup.

[MPS67]

I despise that form of thinking on the putting green. I think it's ridiculous. If you're good enough to "aim" for a 2-foot circle, you're good enough to aim for the hole. The goal of putting is to make the putt: aim for the hole.

I like Dent's method of putting the ball within a 4ft diameter of the hole on lag putts. It's not sloppy because it doesn't mean that you aim at the circle's tangency points, but

still aim at the center of the cup . A goal of landing the ball within 2ft radius eases mental pressure on the shot, relaxes the golfer, and reduces the risk of a mis-putt such as a pull. I'm currently focusing on improving my short game and just watched David Ledbetter's DVD on the topic. He recommends the same 2ft. radius aiming method for lag putts. Your anology of pitching a baseball comes up short in my humble opinion. A baseball pitch is all or nothing and must hit its mark with each attempt. Although the sinking of a putt is the goal, getting close on a lag putt is a good result, nevertheless.

[MPS67]

Im not what you call a great putter but i'm not horrible either. Most of my focus this summer has gone to putting and while it has improved there seems to be at least 1 or 2 holes that i 3 putt. I was wondering for those of you have had and conquered this problem how you managed to do it.

Not that I've tackled my putting woes, but many good putters place more importance on putting distance than direction. The only way to gain confidence on putting length is through practice.

On another note, investing in a new putter may give you an edge. I recently picked up a Yes brand C-groove putter that starts to roll the ball earlier compared to my previous blade putter. A ball that rolls vs. one that initially skips will give you more control on distance. It has a wider sweet spot because of the toe/heal weighting and is also face balanced which assists me in keeping the face square during the putting stroke.

[iacas]

It's not sloppy because it doesn't mean that you aim at the circle's tangency points, but

I still think it's sloppy. If you're aiming for the center of the cup, then what's the point of the two foot circle? It has no relevancy. None.

A goal of landing the ball within 2ft radius eases mental pressure on the shot

It may ease the mental pressure, but it's confusing. It's a substitute target, and Bob Rotella says you should choose the smallest target possible. Aim at the fairway and you're more likely to miss the fairway than if you aim at a tree trunk way out in the fairway (small and precise).

Your anology of pitching a baseball comes up short in my humble opinion. A baseball pitch is all or nothing and must hit its mark with each attempt.

No it's not. It's no more "all or nothing" than a putt. A putt either goes in or it doesn't. You can miss your spot in baseball by three inches and still get a strike. You can miss it by three feet and still get a strike. Or you could miss the strike zone and the batter will still swing at it.

My baseball pitching analogy is perfectly in line with what Rotella says about choosing the smallest possible target. I think each golfer should choose what works best for them. If you've found a way that works best for you, good. But, that being said, I wouldn't be surprised if you changed your mindset as your handicap dropped.

[MPS67]

Erik,

After reviewing both your reply and composition "Almost Everything I Know About Making Putts," I tend to agree with you on the aiming aspect. But, at the same time, I disagree with you on the goal in regards to lag putts.

The way I see it is that with less mental pressure, a player feels more at ease, is less tense, and performs better. I believe the chance of a PGA Tour player sinking a 10ft birdie putt to win the U.S. Open is less than that of holing it in from 10ft on the third hole and first round of the Firestone Tournament. A major league pitcher is more likely to fold under the pressure of needing to throw a perfect strike for the last out of the World Series with bases loaded versus throwing the same pitch during a regular season game. You even wrote so yourself when stating the following:

"Lots of people are better par putters than they are birdie putters, and are even better bogey putters than par putters. Even Tiger Woods is a better par than birdie putter."

If you apply in your mind that "every shot counts the same," won't you be handicapping yourself unless you're able to overcome any pressure constraints?

By the way, you wrote a nice essay Erik. There’s a lot of helpful information and good advice.

Thanks :)

[iacas]

This is interesting, so I'm glad to have the discussion. The below is all my opinion, again, nothing more. If you've found something that works for you, good.

I disagree with you on the goal in regards to lag putts....

That's where you and I might differ. Whether it's mental makeup (not "better" or "worse" but different) or just our handicap indeces, life experience, etc... I don't feel any pressure over a long putt. I'm trying to make it, and I don't feel any added pressure by thinking only about holing it rather than a bigger circle. What pressure? It's just a putt.

The only pressure I ever feel is to go through my routine, consider everything, and make a good stroke (or swing). If I do all of that, the result literally doesn't matter. I did my best and that's all I can do. I've shot 80 before and been very happy with how I played and I've shot 73 and been very disappointed. I feel absolutely no pressure with even a 100 foot putt. Heck, if anything, I sometimes get excited about them and think "wow, what a birdie THIS will be when I make it!" There is no pressure. In thinking ONLY about making the putt, I don't leave any room for pressure to exist in my mind.

I believe the chance of a PGA Tour player sinking a 10ft birdie putt to win the U.S. Open is less than that of holing it in from 10ft on the third hole and first round of the Firestone Tournament.

For some people, that may be true. Do you think it's true of Jim Furyk? Jack Nicklaus, Bobby Jones, etc.?

Some players elevate their game. Some crumble. There's a reason we call those who crumble "chokers." They let pressure get to them. Tiger in that instance would think only about making the putt. Period. Nothing else. Tiger's also a bad example, because unlike other people, I believe his attention is focused 100% at ALL times. I think he cares as much about a putt at Firestone as he does at the U.S. Open. He's said as much, anyway: he's there to win and to play his best golf every time he tees it up.

A major league pitcher is more likely to fold under the pressure of needing to throw a perfect strike for the last out of the World Series with bases loaded versus throwing the same pitch during a regular season game.

I would suggest that pitcher has a poor mental outlook. Do what you can to the best of your abilities, let the pitch go, and let whatever happens next happen. Even more so in baseball than in golf you have to accept the outcome. A good pitch can still be hit out of the park and a bad pitch can still get through for a strike or grounded into a double play.

When I pitched, I wasn't even aware of the batter. Sure, I paid attention to what their faults might be or the order and location of my pitches, but when I actually pitched, I can't say I ever saw the batter. I was too busy looking at a stitch and preparing myself to deliver the ball to the best of my abilities. If I made a good pitch and the guy hit it well, so be it. It's like playing good golf but shooting 80. I got more satisfaction from pitching well and getting hit like crazy than pitching a shutout in which I threw poorly.

You even wrote so yourself when stating the following:

I never said _I_ was a better par putter than a birdie putter. In fact, I view the fact that "lots of people are better par putters than they are birdie putters" as a flaw those people have to overcome.

Tiger, again, is a bad example for your argument because, though he focuses at 100% at all times, he has another notch above that where he can just will the ball into the hole. We see it more on par putts because DESPISES bogeys so much. I talked about this in the podcast the other day, about Tiger's "extra level." I don't think it means he's only giving it 90% the rest of the time... but it's hard to deny that "extra gear" he has. (Plus, oftentimes those kinds of stat comparisons are skewed because the golfer has extra information about the way a par putt will behave than they do a birdie putt: usually they've either putted or chipped to the location of their par putt, and the information gained from watching the ball roll past or towards the hole in that case can be helpful. Or their par putt is inside their playing partner's birdie putt, so they get to watch how his putt moves around the hole... etc.).

[Mr.Buckethead]

I agree with most of what Erik has had to say. Just getting it close is usually not good enough for me. I like to think that I can hit a wedge from 100 yards in within 6 foot and I like to think that I can hole every putt. Confidence is important.

However, there are times when I am happy that the ball nestles within 2-3 feet of the cup. There are some putts that you know aren't going to go in because of the severity of the green. If I am putting severely downhill, then I am happy to get the ball to stop somewhere puttable as opposed to rolling it 6-8 feet past the whole.

[sonicblue]

I'm just going to echo iacas' opinion. Just yesterday I was playing in the rain, it was messy, and I was uncomfortable and cold. I hit a lot of fairways and greens on the front but it was getting very hard to do so on the back, with clubs starting to get saturated, etc.... I made a good iron swing on one hole but ended up with a long putt, probably 35 feet or so. I started to kinda sigh, thinking, "man, I really wanted that closer, now I might 3-putt...." I physically shook my head and said out loud, "No, you're going to try to make this putt." I over-read the break a little but put it 6" away and kicked in for par.

Putting is 100% confidence. PRESSURE comes from your apprehension about missing, and by how much, how far past, etc.... I actually feel more relaxed when I go into my routine with the TRUE intent to make the putt. When I get that feeling, I stop worrying about 3-putts because I know that if I miss the putt, I'm going to kick in the next one. Granted, there are times when multiple-breakers or up/down-hillers may leave me at "well, I'm picking this line and we'll see," vs. "oh, I got this one nailed," but you trust what you decide either way once you get up to it.

IMO, the "2-foot circle" procedure is for beginner, beginner players who are truly just learning how to roll a putt the proper distance. Once you've gained a reasonable level of skill, I don't see why you wouldn't be looking to make it.

[iacas]

I agree with most of what Erik has had to say. Just getting it close is usually not good enough for me. I like to think that I can hit a wedge from 100 yards in within 6 foot and I like to think that I can hole every putt. Confidence is important.

Being happy with the result and trying to make the putt to begin with are two very different things.

I tend to try to "make" all of my putts at a speed that will stop the ball about 17 inches beyond the cup. And again, if I do everything well and "make a good stroke" then the ball won't be 8 feet past the cup. In that case, I'd have hit it too hard. In other words, when I say "try to make the putt" that doesn't mean - at all - that I am trying to ram it in the back of the hole. I'm a "die it in the hole" kinda guy, a "17 inches past the hole" guy. Hitting a putt too hard and having a good mental outlook on making putts are two very different things.

[sonicblue]

I think the key difference is, what do you say in your head before you go out to play, and what do you say while on the course? OUTSIDE the lines, on the practice green, you may hit fifty putts, make twenty and have thirty kick-in's and say, "boy, my line and speed felt great, I hit it well and all of my misses were tap-in's," and that's a good practice session. BUT, once you're on the course, you don't say, "well, I think I have the line, I feel the speed, so I'll trust that, because if I miss, I'll still be close," because you just thought about missing it. In play, you pick your line, feel your speed and visualize that those two things will make the ball go in the hole.

It's a very stingy mental process, much like the rest of golf, which is what makes the likes of Tiger's clutch putting from ranges like 10-feet so impressive.

[Mr.Buckethead]

Fostering confidence is important. I know that sometimes I get 12-15 foot putts that I have no doubt that I will drain and I usually do. So, being a wimp and just laying up is not going to improve your game a whole lot.

[Jack_2251]

Instead of focusing on break, focus on the uphill/downhill contours and get your speed right. When doing practice strokes, look at the hole rather than the putter. Always make sure you are trying to get the ball into the hole, and you will hit it closer.