3 Keys to Better Putting

[woodzie264]

2 minutes ago, GolfLug said:

 

I guess you can get one of those putting mats for your hallway that you can put away after practice. Anything helps. But you will be surprised how quickly you can get significantly better (maybe just couple of three putts instead of 8.. ) with a little putting practice..

There is a thread on Edel putter fitting on TST here that you should spend some time reading. I highly recommend just to understand how your natural stroke is not as bad as you think and the best way to improve is to adapt a putter to your stroke, instead of the other way around. The Aimpoint clinic in May will help (assuming you are still coming)..

I do work on my lags at the office down the longer hallways (up 50-60ft), but I do well there. I think it's the combo of distance and slopes that throws me. 

Actually, I posted in the Meet Up section that I'm now no longer coming in May. I thought I was golden for that weekend because it's my B-day weekend, but because it's my 40th my wife wants to do something with friends & family...so it'll just be playing a few rounds in Richmond area.  I was really looking forward to meeting some of you guys and getting some AimPoint classes in. I suppose there will be other opportunities...I hope.

[Howling Coyote]

iacas

I have questions about putting.  First I have observed a lot of people putting and have seen approximately the following types of strokes.  Which do you recommend?

(1) Standard follow thru method: Lower body is quiet, putt back stroke is about equal to follow thru.  About 1 inch of backstroke per foot seems to work.  However, I have trouble with distances greater than 20 feet.  The putt does not get there unless I use one of the other types.

(2) Pop stroke: A stroke with no follow thru (see Brandt Snedeker).  Like all putting, the lower body is quiet.  The Pop seems to transfer more complete momentum (as I have tried it and it is easy to hit it further).  However, from my experience direction control is poor.

(3) Wrist fling: Some golfers I have witness them flinging their wrists as they putt.  I keep my wrists quiet maybe that is why I can't et distance?  Ok, I have tried this method and distance control is difficult, but you can really make the ball move.

(4) Noisy follow thru: Basically the same as (1) but the lower body is allowed to sway a little.

[iacas]

3 hours ago, Howling Coyote said:

(1) Standard follow thru method: Lower body is quiet, putt back stroke is about equal to follow thru.  About 1 inch of backstroke per foot seems to work.  However, I have trouble with distances greater than 20 feet.  The putt does not get there unless I use one of the other types.

(2) Pop stroke: A stroke with no follow thru (see Brandt Snedeker).  Like all putting, the lower body is quiet.  The Pop seems to transfer more complete momentum (as I have tried it and it is easy to hit it further).  However, from my experience direction control is poor.

(3) Wrist fling: Some golfers I have witness them flinging their wrists as they putt.  I keep my wrists quiet maybe that is why I can't et distance?  Ok, I have tried this method and distance control is difficult, but you can really make the ball move.

(4) Noisy follow thru: Basically the same as (1) but the lower body is allowed to sway a little.

Brandt is actually a #1 putter (equal length backswing and through swing) with a faster tempo.

I'd recommend a faster tempo. I can hit a putt 60 feet with a backswing and follow-through that's 18" long.

Sorry the answer is so short… I don't want to over-complicate it. The distance you hit a putt is really just about those two things: how far you take it back and how fast the tempo is.

[Howling Coyote]

On 3/27/2017 at 6:44 PM, iacas said:

Brandt is actually a #1 putter (equal length backswing and through swing) with a faster tempo.

I'd recommend a faster tempo. I can hit a putt 60 feet with a backswing and follow-through that's 18" long.

Sorry the answer is so short… I don't want to over-complicate it. The distance you hit a putt is really just about those two things: how far you take it back and how fast the tempo is.

So you'd recommend 1, with a faster tempo.

I saw over the weekend, Rickie Fowler 4-putt because his 2nd and 3rd putts were lip-outs (on the 18th hole).  Each time after the lip out his ball rolled quite a distance past the hole, I assume both the lip-out and distance past the hole were due to too much pace (too firm).  Is this because these guy train hitting it so firm that sometimes they over do it?

For me very frequently I hit it too soft.  Often I am way short.  The other day, twice I left the ball on the lip of the cup.  I even stood there and jumped up and down hoping the ball would drop.

I also hate these claims, "Well teach you how to never 3-putt again", but when I see a pro like Rickie Fowler 4-putt I know it is untrue.

[Architex]

I 100% agree with this post. I have a question. I am a fairly decent putter but the problem I have is I play on different courses all the time. And it seems like it takes me 5-6 holes to figure out the speed of the greens. This is after I have practiced on the practice green for around 30 minutes. Is this one of those it is what is situations? Or maybe practice more on the practice green before heading out? I also tend to notice the practice green speed can vary form the actual green speeds. I play on mid tier courses so maybe that is why. It is just frustrating when I 2 put all over the place on the front 9 and then dial it in on the back 9. 

[iacas]

Just now, Architex said:

I 100% agree with this post. I have a question. I am a fairly decent putter but the problem I have is I play on different courses all the time. And it seems like it takes me 5-6 holes to figure out the speed of the greens. This is after I have practiced on the practice green for around 30 minutes. Is this one of those it is what is situations? Or maybe practice more on the practice green before heading out? I also tend to notice the practice green speed can vary form the actual green speeds. I play on mid tier courses so maybe that is why. It is just frustrating when I 2 put all over the place on the front 9 and then dial it in on the back 9. 

I can show up on any green and have the speed down often on my first putt just kinda by looking at it and walking on it.

So I don't think you should need 30 minutes, let alone MORE than 30 minutes.

I suggest you simply do something like this:

• Find a 15-foot relatively level putt. Figure out how big your stroke is on the greens you typically play to send the ball 15 feet.
• When you get to a new course, repeat the process. See how much longer or shorter you have to make your stroke to hit the ball the same 15 feet.

You should fairly quickly adjust this way. If you just go and start hitting putts on a green, I can see that taking a LONG time to get adjusted.

[Architex]

4 minutes ago, iacas said:

I can show up on any green and have the speed down often on my first putt just kinda by looking at it and walking on it.

So I don't think you should need 30 minutes, let alone MORE than 30 minutes.

I suggest you simply do something like this:

• Find a 15-foot relatively level putt. Figure out how big your stroke is on the greens you typically play to send the ball 15 feet.
• When you get to a new course, repeat the process. See how much longer or shorter you have to make your stroke to hit the ball the same 15 feet.

You should fairly quickly adjust this way. If you just go and start hitting putts on a green, I can see that taking a LONG time to get adjusted.

Thanks. I will try this tomorrow when I go out and play yet again on a new course. :)

[iacas]

Just now, Architex said:

Thanks. I will try this tomorrow when I go out and play yet again on a new course. :)

That's fine, but you haven't established a baseline. You don't know what your normal 15-foot stroke is.

[Architex]

14 minutes ago, iacas said:

That's fine, but you haven't established a baseline. You don't know what your normal 15-foot stroke is.

Forgot to say I am playing on my "home" course this afternoon in the gale force winds. So I was planning on getting the baseline then.

 

[Peter_b]

I have one thing to check for you guys missing on the right side and have measured a constant open club face at impact. I just found I am straightening the right arm into the contact of the putters downswing. Yeah you do that with irons and woods. I use the Skypro (accurate to 0.1) to measure the face-angle at impact and I could not get the faceangle to below 1.5° no matter what I did. Now that I don't let the putter leave orbit I am down to 0 to 0.5°. 

It’s a nasty fault as the feel is know from the full swing and not perceived as wrong. Maybe worth a  dedicated look!

PS I am putting on a slight arc not on the line

Edited April 10, 2017 by Peter_b

[Alx]

On 4/7/2017 at 6:59 PM, iacas said:

I can show up on any green and have the speed down often on my first putt just kinda by looking at it and walking on it.

So I don't think you should need 30 minutes, let alone MORE than 30 minutes.

I suggest you simply do something like this:

• Find a 15-foot relatively level putt. Figure out how big your stroke is on the greens you typically play to send the ball 15 feet.
• When you get to a new course, repeat the process. See how much longer or shorter you have to make your stroke to hit the ball the same 15 feet.

You should fairly quickly adjust this way. If you just go and start hitting putts on a green, I can see that taking a LONG time to get adjusted.

My putting is terrible. To say the least...

I can roll puts very well on the practice greens but on course I lose all touch. I just cannot adjust to the speed being different on every single green. 

I mean I realize were not playing tour courses but is it even possible to adjust going from a lush green grass to putting on basically sand? Not to mention grass being patchy so you get every speed imaginable. Oh and the break? Patchy grass tufts + barren sandy ground around and the balls are breaking against the actual break.

Im being told that its the same for everyone and no course is perfect but I just dont see anyone being able to putt very well with this much "randomness" thrown in. 

Would greens like this be considered normal? I hate to make excuses but it just feels impossible to read how the ball is going to juggle around between those tufts...

 

[iacas]

29 minutes ago, Alx said:

I can roll puts very well on the practice greens but on course I lose all touch. I just cannot adjust to the speed being different on every single green.

How are they that bad? I've never seen greens that vary as much as your description.

[Alx]

4 minutes ago, iacas said:

How are they that bad? I've never seen greens that vary as much as your description.

I dont have much to compare to so thats comforting to hear. I recall someone saying the winter was a bit harsh but tbh the greens were still pretty poor mid summer last year imo. I havent really talked about this with anyone at the course cause I dont wannt to be the douche making excuses for missing 4 footers...

Ill get some photos of the greens the next time I play.

This was the lie I got after a perfect drive on a par 4. I was about 5 feet off the front of the green...

[jsgolfer]

On 4/27/2016 at 8:08 AM, DaveP043 said:

In my case, I feel like if my eyes follow the putterhead, my head also turns a tiny bit, and that movement leads to a tiny bit of body movement, which in turn leads to missing my line.  I might be wrong about the movement, but the missing the line part is true, so I do my best to keep my eyes steady on the ball.

I'm with Dave, if I move my eyes to follow the ball, my body moves ever so slightly and makes me miss some putts that I should normally make.  So I have to be conscious to make sure I keep my head still through the putt.

[iacas]

On 6/4/2017 at 4:03 PM, Alx said:

This was the lie I got after a perfect drive on a par 4. I was about 5 feet off the front of the green...

Uhhhh, yeah, I'd play golf on a GOLF COURSE if I were you, from here on out… Cuz that's not one there.

[Alx]

18 hours ago, iacas said:

Uhhhh, yeah, I'd play golf on a GOLF COURSE if I were you, from here on out… Cuz that's not one there.

I counted 3 holes where we had what I would describe as good greens... The rest are basically this.

[uitar9]

I have no horticultural experience...but...much of that grass...is not sleeping...not napping...its dead. That first fairway shot...is dead. I suppose, if you are way north (wayyy north), brutal winters and reindeer urine could cause this. Otherwise, perhaps changing courses could help. Green fees do not appear to be making their way toward the course.

[iacas]

From James Sieckmann's book…

In his order, that's…

1. Bead
2. Read
3. Speed

And the fourth I kinda disagree with. I'm not trying to hole every putt, nor do I expect to hole every putt.

I expect that I'll give every putt a good chance, but once I do my job (the first three keys), it's up to chance whether my ball hits the right little bits and goes in. Particularly from outside, oh, 8-12 feet.

If you do the first three things properly, you'll have confidence that you're a good putter because you are… so #4 is "kinda" true… but not literally.