Uphill Putts!!!!

[saevel25]

So I found out today that I can't get the speed for uphill putts. Any tips on how to gauge uphill putts. When I try to hit it farther then I end up blasting it 3-4 feet past the hole. Frustrating is the word to describe this trend in my game right now.

[14ledo81]

I would like to hear some opinions on this as well. I definitely struggle more with distance control on up hill putts too.

[flopster]

It's purely a touch thing that your going to have to work on and it would probably be a good idea to refine that touch just before a round on the practice green, once you get what you see transmitted to your sense of feel then that's it.

[jamo]

I imagine the reason you're worse at uphill putts is the same reason why people are worse on slower greens.

[jclark]

Broadie talks about this a little in his book. He uses math. Figure the stimp and degree of slope. On a 20 foot putt He says a 2 degree uphill with a stimp of 11 equates to about a 30 foot putt. So visualize hitting a level putt 30 feet versus a 20 footer uphill. This visualization clicked for me.

[mvmac]

Yeah I can tend to struggle with uphill going up a tier. Other than practice you just have to make a bigger stroke but still keep it "smooth". You're not trying to add speed by "hitting" it harder.

For practice you can use a string or alignment stick from 15, 20, 25 feet and roll balls just over or past the string.

[saevel25]

Yeah I can tend to struggle with uphill going up a tier. Other than practice you just have to make a bigger stroke but still keep it "smooth". You're not trying to add speed by "hitting" it harder.

For practice you can use a string or alignment stick from 15, 20, 25 feet and roll balls just over or past the string.

Yea, I tend to do that a lot. My mind will think, "HIT IT!!!" then I do, and it becomes, "PLEASE LET THE HOLE GET IN THE WAY"

I guess I will head over to a course I know who's putting greens have some good uphill putts and just practice. I tend to look at the hole once before I stroke the ball. I think I might end up looking past the hole now for uphill putts. Maybe that can trick my mind into thinking to stroke smoothly at the right pace for uphill putts.

[boogielicious]

I visualize a longer putt like @jclark mentioned.  I get my read (with AimPoint method).  Behind the ball, I visualize my putt.  Then I pick my line and pick a point farther in the distance along that line to account for the uphill.  I putt toward that distant point.  AimPoint would add a bit less distance though.  The app shows 26.6' for a 20 foot uphill putt at 2 degrees with a stimp of 11.  But the idea is the same.

I think Utley talks about this too in The Art of Putting .

Tiered putts are harder like @mvmac stated.  If your practice green has a tier, practice that.  For these, I look at the top tier break by itself.  I then pick the entry point to the top tier and putt to enter that point at the required speed.  These putts can really be broken down into three parts.  Unless I am hitting the steep slope at an angle, I kind of ignore it for break and only worry about the bottom and top sections.  I got to practice these a lot last year because my league course had a tier on the practice green.

[Ernest Jones]

I have a more touchy-feely approach to these putts. I basically just get a feel for the stroke I would need for the putt if it was dead level. Once I'm comfortable that I have it, I visualize hitting the putt and try to feel how much energy will be drained out of the putt as it fights it's way up the hill (or how much energy it will acquire as it races down the hill) and then add or subtract that energy from the stroke. Basically, be the ball! Feel the extra work you'll need to get up that hill. I also tend to think in terms of weight, is it a neutral weight stroke that's travelling over relatively flat terrain or do I need to hit it heavier or lighter to account for the weight that will be drained or acquired. I have much better touch with this mindset than I do when I try to add or subtract a linear distance from my effective target. When I'm on, I have really good distance control. When I'm off, fuggetaboutit.

[JetFan1983]

Yeah I can tend to struggle with uphill going up a tier. Other than practice you just have to make a bigger stroke but still keep it "smooth". You're not trying to add speed by "hitting" it harder.

For practice you can use a string or alignment stick from 15, 20, 25 feet and roll balls just over or past the string.

This is a drill I need to do a lot of.

Broadie talks about this a little in his book. He uses math. Figure the stimp and degree of slope. On a 20 foot putt He says a 2 degree uphill with a stimp of 11 equates to about a 30 foot putt. So visualize hitting a level putt 30 feet versus a 20 footer uphill. This visualization clicked for me.

I do something like this. It helps when I don't practice much. For downhillers too. 30 feet down the hill of a 3% slope you know is gonna be quick. I like to picture a 10 footer at 1% when making practice strokes behind the ball.

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It's weird. Outside of ten feet, I actually prefer downhill putts to uphill putts for some reason. Don't really know why. Thanks for the suggestions.

I have a more touchy-feely approach to these putts.

I basically just get a feel for the stroke I would need for the putt if it was dead level. Once I'm comfortable that I have it, I visualize hitting the putt and try to feel how much energy will be drained out of the putt as it fights it's way up the hill (or how much energy it will acquire as it races down the hill) and then add or subtract that energy from the stroke. Basically, be the ball! Feel the extra work you'll need to get up that hill. I also tend to think in terms of weight, is it a neutral weight stroke that's travelling over relatively flat terrain or do I need to hit it heavier or lighter to account for the weight that will be drained or acquired.

I have much better touch with this mindset than I do when I try to add or subtract a linear distance from my effective target.

When I'm on, I have really good distance control. When I'm off, fuggetaboutit.

Yea, I putt better this way too, I think, just going purely by feel. When I'm playing a lot, this is the way to go. When I'm not, I have to get a bit tricky with it, like the others talked about. Maybe a combination of both is best for me.

[joekelly]

Always a tendency on putts that are a bit 'out of the ordinary' to focus on technique, like how hard to hit this, how long my backswing, etc. This may lead to body movement and stiff hands. I need to always visualize the ball rolling true into the hole and forget how it gets there.

[saevel25]

I have a more touchy-feely approach to these putts.

I basically just get a feel for the stroke I would need for the putt if it was dead level. Once I'm comfortable that I have it, I visualize hitting the putt and try to feel how much energy will be drained out of the putt as it fights it's way up the hill (or how much energy it will acquire as it races down the hill) and then add or subtract that energy from the stroke. Basically, be the ball! Feel the extra work you'll need to get up that hill. I also tend to think in terms of weight, is it a neutral weight stroke that's travelling over relatively flat terrain or do I need to hit it heavier or lighter to account for the weight that will be drained or acquired.

I have much better touch with this mindset than I do when I try to add or subtract a linear distance from my effective target.

When I'm on, I have really good distance control. When I'm off, fuggetaboutit.

See I can't do that style because then I would end up jacking the putt 10 feet past the hole. I need to mentally figure a way to trick my feel of distance into thinking to hit it further with out messing up the stroke. I think I will try looking past the hole from now on, for uphill putts. I use to do this for putts I needed to just get to the slope then let the slope take over, like putting down a tier green. My last look would be at where I want the ball entering the slope. It really helped out not hitting a normal 20 foot putt, but a much shorter one.

I'll just have to practice more and figure something out.

[Ernest Jones]

I need to always visualize the ball rolling true into the hole and forget how it gets there.

That's how think of it too. It's all about the visualization and the feel for the putt. Adding or subtracting distances in my head never works for me. Obviously YMMV, but that's what gives me the best percentages.

[dchoye]

Why not firm grip for uphill putts and light grip for downhill putts? I know that sound simple but works for me.

[boogielicious]

See I can't do that style because then I would end up jacking the putt 10 feet past the hole. I need to mentally figure a way to trick my feel of distance into thinking to hit it further with out messing up the stroke. I think I will try looking past the hole from now on, for uphill putts. I use to do this for putts I needed to just get to the slope then let the slope take over, like putting down a tier green. My last look would be at where I want the ball entering the slope. It really helped out not hitting a normal 20 foot putt, but a much shorter one.

I'll just have to practice more and figure something out.

This is because you and I are engineers.  We need numbers in our head!

[CarlSpackler]

See I can't do that style because then I would end up jacking the putt 10 feet past the hole. I need to mentally figure a way to trick my feel of distance into thinking to hit it further with out messing up the stroke. I think I will try looking past the hole from now on, for uphill putts. I use to do this for putts I needed to just get to the slope then let the slope take over, like putting down a tier green. My last look would be at where I want the ball entering the slope. It really helped out not hitting a normal 20 foot putt, but a much shorter one.

I'll just have to practice more and figure something out.

I was going to suggest picking a target past the hole. Distance control for me is always a feel thing, but I usually pick a target that is not the hole. Bad things happen when I let my brain get involved.

[dchoye]

Transition from long putter to short putter last few weeks of the season for next year and found this downhill/uphill issue is a problem for me now.

With the long putter I had no issue with distance control regardless if uphill or downhill.

However if the short putter I 'm good with uphill putts but with downhill, and fast greens Im having a problem.

I went back to my long putter and found that I subconsciously  think " roll"  for downhill  and flat putts and then for uphill putts I tend to hit more firm but still roll my putts.

With the short putter I tend think "firm stroke" and cant get the feel of "rolling"

Anyone with any advice?

[dkolo]

So I found out today that I can't get the speed for uphill putts. Any tips on how to gauge uphill putts. When I try to hit it farther then I end up blasting it 3-4 feet past the hole. Frustrating is the word to describe this trend in my game right now.

Simple. Hit a Mickelson flop shot, haha. But yeah, I agree with the advice of treating it like it's flat and putting to a spot behind the hole. That's helped me. If it's a funky tier, I think it just takes reps and getting as many of those putts into the mental database.