Looking at the Hole when you Putt?

[Xbmchs12X]

Recently I was doing a putting drill where you look at the hole when you putt, it's supposed to help you read the speed of the green, and it did. It also did alot more for me that just that, I was making over 50% more of my putts, so I have started using it when im actually playing and I have only made one 3 putt in the past 6 round that I have played, has anyone else ever tried putting like this?

[Golf4life]

it's a drill to help you measure your lag putts and build confidence with those 40 footers. I personally wouldnt bring it to a course.

[Xbmchs12X]

it's a drill to help you measure your lag putts and build confidence with those 40 footers. I personally wouldnt bring it to a course.

if it helps you to putt why would you not use it?

[Golf4life]

maintaining your eyes constantly on the cup instead of down at the ball, you're going to have problems with executing preasure putts or putts with various lie angle.

[Diggitydog]

I agree with Golf4life, my buddy is using this method and I think his putting got worse over time. He used it as a drill and made more to start but now when he's looking at the hole his putting stroke has this loop in it that makes his strike so inconsistent. I told him about it after witnessing it and he tried looking at the ball next shot and the loop in his stroke went away. Of course he hit it better looking at the ball but then he didnt' like looking away from the hole. "Hand eye coordination" is named that for a reason, you use your eyes to coordinate your hands hitting the ball, not the hole.

I can see using it as a drill but try looking at the hole and then keeping that image in your mind as you go back to the ball. Trust your insticts and just putt.

[play4him]

Yeah, I've heard it used as a practice tool. The idea is like in pool. You look at your object ball (target), not the cue ball when you stroke it. It would also help you work on your follow-through, which is a problem for a lot of golfers. They quit on their stroke a lot of times.

[iacas]

I've used it as a practice drill. I even mentioned it in my big Putting article from a month or so ago.

On the course, I've used it once or twice, usually for a really long putt. But that's once or twice in a few years, not per round and not even per year.

[getinthehole]

Never tried it, guess I should. It sounds like a partly good idea, but no way would I do it on the course, too much at risk.

[Prodigy]

i saw this same exact thing in a golf magazine they did a study and people made more putts like that so go fore (haha bad golf humor) it man

[keygolf]

Recently I was doing a putting drill where you look at the hole when you putt, it's supposed to help you read the speed of the green, and it did. It also did alot more for me that just that, I was making over 50% more of my putts, so I have started using it when im actually playing and I have only made one 3 putt in the past 6 round that I have played, has anyone else ever tried putting like this?

Almost anything new will work temporarily, and there are sound reasons for that. But what the others are saying needs to be attended. (Change your grip. Get a new putter. Vary your stance, etc). Change works because it temporarily distracts your attention from the mechanics of the action.

It will allow problems later on, however, and then you'll wonder what happened. There are reasons for that, too.

[srjorion]

I played with a guy a few weeks ago that did that. I didn't notice it until after the fifth hole. I asked him about it then and he said it was something he was trying. His putts were pretty good in my opinion, however he wasn't smoking his putts or playing terrible.

I think it would be OK if you have a solid, repeatable putting stroke, but for most of us it would probably lead to pushes or pulls. Like most others have said, it's a good drill but probably not good enough for playing.

[seattlemudder]

Friend of mine was doing it for a while. I tried it a couple of times, I wasn't comfortable since I wasn't hitting the middle of the putter as consistently. It's so important to hit the putt solidly in the middle of the putter that I figured it wouldn't work for me other than for practice.

[Xbmchs12X]

Well I just got back from my second High School match and shot a 38 (we only play nine holes) and putted the best I ever have, and I just read what everyone said, and I hit the ball right in the middle of the club every time. I guess we will see if over time my putting starts to get worse, and if it does Ill switch back but with only putting 13 times on nine holes I think im going to stick with it and see how it goes

[Clubchucker]

i saw this same exact thing in a golf magazine they did a study and people made more putts like that so go fore (haha bad golf humor) it man

Here's a link to the article you mentioned:

http://www.golfonline.com/golfonline...3007-1,00.html I've tried it off and on since I read the article, both on the course during a round and just for practice. Honestly it's what I revert to when I'm not rolling the ball very well. What I've found is that when I'm putting bad, it's generally due to decelerating...and this method does correct that problem. Sometimes when I'm feeling "yippy" on the 4 footers I'll revert to this method, even though I know what I'm doing wrong (like lifting my head). It's interesting for sure, and I say whatever works...do it. Biggest thing is getting over your fear of whiffing the ball.

[Golf4life]

Well I just got back from my second High School match and shot a 38 (we only play nine holes) and putted the best I ever have, and I just read what everyone said, and I hit the ball right in the middle of the club every time. I guess we will see if over time my putting starts to get worse, and if it does Ill switch back but with only putting 13 times on nine holes I think im going to stick with it and see how it goes

You're obviously having a lot of fun playing golf right now and feel comfortable with your putting, which is how it should always be However if you intend on taking this game to the next level what so ever, your putting will need to change.

[Xbmchs12X]

Well if everyone thinks so than I guess I can try something else, because I really want to go some where in golf

[Clubchucker]

Well if everyone thinks so than I guess I can try something else, because I really want to go some where in golf

First advice I'd give is never listen to advice given in a public forum. Am I saying your new putting form will continue to work the way it did the first time out? Absolutely not. However I'm also not saying it won't. Flat out, nobody knows. I can tell you with all certainty however that if you consistently have 26 putts per round (or less), if you don't make it to the next level it won't be because you putt by looking at the hole instead of the "traditional" way.

Just remember: those who say you "have" to change just because it's unorthodox , well, the oldest saying in golf definitely becomes true: they don't ask you how, they ask you how many. I'm sure over the course of their career, Jim Furyk, Natalie Gulbis, Lee Trevino, et. al. all heard they "had" to change too because of their non-traditional approach.

[Xbmchs12X]

Ya thats true, thanks, the golf pro that I take lessons from said that if it works, I should keep using it. So what your saying is that if im shooting under 26 putts per round and I want to get to the next level its not going to be because my puttings bad but becuase of another part of my game?