Putting - Complete Overhaul

[lee34]

So I've always been a poor putter and realise if I'm ever gonna get good at this game this has to change.

Ive always putted with the same grip as I would hit my driver or irons with mainly because I didn't realise that majority use a different grip to putt with than normal shots.

So my goal now is to go from a bad putter to a good putter and I don't mind putting the hours in to get there.

I have just acquired Dave Peltz putting bible and am reading through this. I went to American Golf store a few years ago and using an app the shop assistant there decided I should buy a heel weighted putter that promotes an opening door swing path. So after trying out a few I settled on a Taylor made putter.

This however is a disaster and I cannot putt with it at all. I borrowed a mates Ping Anzer putter which is very old however I putt much better with this. This putter hangs diagonally on the finger so isn't face weighted but probably somewhere in between.

After reading some of Pelz book I am definitely converted to swinging along a straight path and I imagine a face weighted putter being the way to go to promote this straight swing path.

Just wondered people's thoughts on this as there are so much choice with putter styles and weighting nowadays it's hard to know where to start.

I would prefer to visit a custom fitting centre but being in the uk these places are hard to come by.

What are your thoughts on the above and how did you become a competent putter?

cheers

Lee

[Ernest Jones]

Putting is composed of three things. 

- reading the proper line (read)

- hitting your intended line (bead)

- making the ball roll the correct distance (speed)

if you want to get really good at putting, really quickly, do this:

Read - take an aimpoint class. Seriously, it will transform your green reading skills and is dollar for dollar, the best investment you can make in golf. 

Bead - make sure you are using a putter that you can aim properly. There's an odd phenomena called aim bias. Basically, your eyes don't perceive 90* the same way with all putter head shapes. It's weird but it's true. I was shown (with a mirror and laser) that I consistently aimed my old putter well left of my target. The only time I was making putts was when I misread the putt to begin with or I pushed the putt just the right amount to counteract the poor aim. Edel putters have an amazing fitting system that will get you into the correct putter shape for your particular aim bias. Research them on this site to learn more. 

Speed - practice obviously will help here and there are a lot of great drills (like the ladder drill) and mini-games (like football) that help hone in this skill, but again, equipment plays a big role here too. Every player will have better distance control with a putter that is properly weighted for them. This can be tricky to figure out on your own, because it's not just the weight of your putter, but also the location of the weight that matters. Some players need a little more weight in the butt of the club, others at the bottom of the grip or a heavier head weight. You can experiment a bit with different weights to see if you hit a good combo, or go see an Edel fitter. 

I would stay away from the Peltz SBST method, but I know some people like it. Too much unnatural manipulation for my tastes. 

And lastly, read this: 

 

[boogielicious]

59 minutes ago, lee34 said:

So I've always been a poor putter and realise if I'm ever gonna get good at this game this has to change.

Ive always putted with the same grip as I would hit my driver or irons with mainly because I didn't realise that majority use a different grip to putt with than normal shots.

So my goal now is to go from a bad putter to a good putter and I don't mind putting the hours in to get there.

I have just acquired Dave Peltz putting bible and am reading through this. I went to American Golf store a few years ago and using an app the shop assistant there decided I should buy a heel weighted putter that promotes an opening door swing path. So after trying out a few I settled on a Taylor made putter.

This however is a disaster and I cannot putt with it at all. I borrowed a mates Ping Anzer putter which is very old however I putt much better with this. This putter hangs diagonally on the finger so isn't face weighted but probably somewhere in between.

After reading some of Pelz book I am definitely converted to swinging along a straight path and I imagine a face weighted putter being the way to go to promote this straight swing path.

Just wondered people's thoughts on this as there are so much choice with putter styles and weighting nowadays it's hard to know where to start.

I would prefer to visit a custom fitting centre but being in the uk these places are hard to come by.

What are your thoughts on the above and how did you become a competent putter?

cheers

Lee

Lee,

I'm not a fan of the straight-back/straight-through method because in reality, it is not natural. Your putter swing is along an arc because the putter is rotating around your body. SB/ST is a manipulation away from this natural arc. The putter itself has a lie angle around 70 degrees. In order to really do SB/ST your putter would have to be 90 degrees.

By trying to do an unnatural movement, we can create variables that make accuracy in speed and start line worse. You want to eliminate motions that can affect speed and start line.

I have a couple of recommendations.

1. Film your putting from face on and from down the line (camera behind you) and put it in your My Swing thread or create on if you haven't yet. We can see what you're doing and help you with setup posture, etc. We have expert teachers and other really good putters on this site that will gladly help.
2. Read the two threads below to get a better understanding of the keys to good putting.
3. Wait on getting a new putter until after #1. After that, get a fitting if possible. I got fit for my putter 5 years ago and never looked back. I know my aim is dead on and the length and lie of my putter will get me to start my putt in the right line with the right speed.

If you like to read, I recommend Stan Utley's, The Art of Putting, Dave Stockton's Unconscious Putting. Also, Lowest Scores Wins, by Barzeski and Wedzik has a good section on putting.

[Piz]

The Ping Anser putter you borrowed is weighted in the heel and toe.  There are myriad examples of that design concept though it is not always obvious.  Some manufacturers rely primarily on the distribution of the metal while others add weights.  My putter, for example, has an aluminum body and tungsten billets outboard the centerline.  The idea is to increase the moment of inertia (MOI) i.e. the resistance to twisting on off-center hits.  For a pendulum putting stroke; that is what you want.  As for the weight of the head...that is a matter of personal choice.  I know good putters who use light putters, heavy putters, long ones, short ones...all over the spectrum.  Cheers and good luck.  There is an unloved putter out there, somewhere, with your name on it.

[iacas]

I'll reply more at length later. For now:

1. Weight balance in a putter head is largely inconsequential. The torques in putting are basically negligible.

2. SBST only really works if your shoulders are horizontal (lie angle is irrelevant).

3. Read the links others posted already.

[RH31]

I've always putted my best with some sort of ping Anser putter. My current version is the one with the face insert. Find a putter that feels good and looks good to you and stick with it for awhile.

I didn't become a good putter until I realized what my keys and tendencies are. I've tried multiple grips, stances, stroke styles you name it. I settled on what I need to do by spending many hours on the practice green and carpet at home. Find a gripping style that feels comfortable and stick with that for awhile. Same with stance/setup.

Get to the practice green and work on your stroke. When I'm working on my stroke/setup I like to hit the same line putt over and over. I find a putt that breaks slightly from right to left and hit putts from varying distances on that line. Doing this eliminates a misread, I know the break all I have to do is hit the line with decent speed.

Over the years, I figured out what my tendencies are. If I'm missing putts left and right, I'm probably crouching just a hair and soling the putter too heavily. This causes an inconsistent takeaway and pushes or pulls. Stand a little taller and lightly soling(sometimes tapping) the putter works for me.If I'm coming up short, I'm probably lifting or rotating my head just a fraction. making sure my head/eyes don't move until the putter blade passes my left cheek is the cure. Sometimes, I address the putt with my hands back too far towards the middle of my stance and that adds loft to the putter. Those are my 3 stroke killers.

Take note of what you do well, what felt good,  when you are canning putts and try to repeat it!

Anything else that goes wrong is either a bad read or not good to poor green conditions. For instance, I played yesterday on greens that weren't bad, but were not summer/fall true rolling either. I didn't make anything, and neither did anybody else. Sometimes golfers expect to make too many putts under less than ideal conditions.

 

[lee34]

Wow some great responses guys, thanks very much.

I will read through all this later.

Its so hard to know what to do when there are so many conflicting opinions etc. Definitely like the idea of a fitting and the aim point class etc.

[lee34]

2 hours ago, Ernest Jones said:

Putting is composed of three things. 

- reading the proper line (read)

- hitting your intended line (bead)

- making the ball roll the correct distance (speed)

if you want to get really good at putting, really quickly, do this:

Read - take an aimpoint class. Seriously, it will transform your green reading skills and is dollar for dollar, the best investment you can make in golf. 

Bead - make sure you are using a putter that you can aim properly. There's an odd phenomena called aim bias. Basically, your eyes don't perceive 90* the same way with all putter head shapes. It's weird but it's true. I was shown (with a mirror and laser) that I consistently aimed my old putter well left of my target. The only time I was making putts was when I misread the putt to begin with or I pushed the putt just the right amount to counteract the poor aim. Edel putters have an amazing fitting system that will get you into the correct putter shape for your particular aim bias. Research them on this site to learn more. 

Speed - practice obviously will help here and there are a lot of great drills (like the ladder drill) and mini-games (like football) that help hone in this skill, but again, equipment plays a big role here too. Every player will have better distance control with a putter that is properly weighted for them. This can be tricky to figure out on your own, because it's not just the weight of your putter, but also the location of the weight that matters. Some players need a little more weight in the butt of the club, others at the bottom of the grip or a heavier head weight. You can experiment a bit with different weights to see if you hit a good combo, or go see an Edel fitter. 

I would stay away from the Peltz SBST method, but I know some people like it. Too much unnatural manipulation for my tastes. 

And lastly, read this: 

 

Just done some quick research and there is a place that does Edel putting fitting less than an hour away from me so I shall take a trip up soon and get properly fitted.

[Club Rat]

I'll add to the many good post's above. Putting like all golf shots, requires Confidence.
Granted, there are basic mechanics which is a key to a good putting stroke, everyone develops a unique style of their own.

[Patch]

I have some very expensive putters in mothball storage. My gamer is a cheapie, $29, Zone putter. I have no idea who made it. It just fits my putting stroke. My point being that price/brand alone does not guarantee a putter to be usable to the individual. 

A putter fitting is a good thing, as long as you can find a qualified fitter, which is easier said than done. My cheapie putter is fitted to my putting stroke. 

As for reading greens, I spend practice time looking at greens, then rolling balls to see if they roll per what I am seeing. If the ball rolls completely different from what I read, I spend more time studying why. I can honestly say there have been times when I could not identify why the ball took the path it did. I just smile, and move on. 

 My second practice point is hitting a straight putt, since all putts are hit straight to a target point, that may, or may not be the hole. I practice rolling the ball over a penny/dime placed  a foot or so in front of the ball on a known level surface. When the ball rolls over the coin, I know I hit a straight putt, on my line. 

As for speed, that is something I have acquired over the years. I see that the ball has to go this far, so I hit it this hard. I can also say if you saw me putt, you'd probably cringe at how fast I roll the ball, especially on shorter putts. My own "no fear" attitude on putting. When I miss a putt, I am always looking at a 3-4 footer for my next putt. 

Using these practice regimines has allowed me to become a decent putter. What ever works for the individual. 

As a side note, practicing putts in poor weather conditions is not a bad thing either. 

[paininthenuts]

4 hours ago, lee34 said:

So I've always been a poor putter and realise if I'm ever gonna get good at this game this has to change.

Ive always putted with the same grip as I would hit my driver or irons with mainly because I didn't realise that majority use a different grip to putt with than normal shots.

So my goal now is to go from a bad putter to a good putter and I don't mind putting the hours in to get there.

I have just acquired Dave Peltz putting bible and am reading through this. I went to American Golf store a few years ago and using an app the shop assistant there decided I should buy a heel weighted putter that promotes an opening door swing path. So after trying out a few I settled on a Taylor made putter.

This however is a disaster and I cannot putt with it at all. I borrowed a mates Ping Anzer putter which is very old however I putt much better with this. This putter hangs diagonally on the finger so isn't face weighted but probably somewhere in between.

After reading some of Pelz book I am definitely converted to swinging along a straight path and I imagine a face weighted putter being the way to go to promote this straight swing path.

Just wondered people's thoughts on this as there are so much choice with putter styles and weighting nowadays it's hard to know where to start.

I would prefer to visit a custom fitting centre but being in the uk these places are hard to come by.

What are your thoughts on the above and how did you become a competent putter?

cheers

Lee

So everyone is an expert on putting. The problem is that putting and putters are so individual, and what works for one person doesn't work for another. Some people putt out to in, some people putt out to square, and some people just putt square. All three styles can work, but I have no idea what suits you. I will tell you what I do because it works for me, but I can not promise it will make you a better putter. I use a face weighted putter because I taught myself to putt square. The easy way to putt square is to the line the ball up with your left foot (if your right handed) and push the putter through the ball. Always ensure you do not take your eye off of the ball until the ball has left the putter face, this is VERY important. I haven't changed my grip for the putter, but that doesn't mean YOU shouldn't. It's as simple as that, and this method improved my putting considerably, but like I said, it may not work for you. 

[lee34]

48 minutes ago, paininthenuts said:

So everyone is an expert on putting. The problem is that putting and putters are so individual, and what works for one person doesn't work for another. Some people putt out to in, some people putt out to square, and some people just putt square. All three styles can work, but I have no idea what suits you. I will tell you what I do because it works for me, but I can not promise it will make you a better putter. I use a face weighted putter because I taught myself to putt square. The easy way to putt square is to the line the ball up with your left foot (if your right handed) and push the putter through the ball. Always ensure you do not take your eye off of the ball until the ball has left the putter face, this is VERY important. I haven't changed my grip for the putter, but that doesn't mean YOU shouldn't. It's as simple as that, and this method improved my putting considerably, but like I said, it may not work for you. 

Maybe a daft question but what do you mean by push the putter through the ball ?

[saevel25]

40 minutes ago, paininthenuts said:

The easy way to putt square is to the line the ball up with your left foot (if your right handed) and push the putter through the ball. 

That would be illegal. A golfer an not push the ball. It must strike the ball. 

 

[paininthenuts]

3 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

That would be illegal. A golfer an not push the ball. It must strike the ball. 

 

You misunderstand what I mean. The feeling is like a push and not a pendulum  

6 minutes ago, lee34 said:

Maybe a daft question but what do you mean by push the putter through the ball ?

The feeling is like a push and not a pendulum . Needless to say the actual ball will leave the club face immediately after impact

[iacas]

17 minutes ago, paininthenuts said:

You misunderstand what I mean. The feeling is like a push and not a pendulum  

The feeling is like a push and not a pendulum . Needless to say the actual ball will leave the club face immediately after impact

I've never heard a good putter describe their putting stroke as feeling like a push.

[paininthenuts]

49 minutes ago, iacas said:

I've never heard a good putter describe their putting stroke as feeling like a push.

I have never heard a waist coat called a vest, or a car bonnet called a hood, but there again I live in the UK. Hope you get my point !!

[iacas]

26 minutes ago, paininthenuts said:

I have never heard a waist coat called a vest, or a car bonnet called a hood, but there again I live in the UK. Hope you get my point !!

No, I don't. The word "push" is pretty universal.

Never mind that I've heard from and talked with good putters from the UK, too.

[paininthenuts]

52 minutes ago, iacas said:

No, I don't. The word "push" is pretty universal.

Never mind that I've heard from and talked with good putters from the UK, too.

Your being very pedantic. The same description is also used when teaching someone to play snooker, although a push shot is illegal. It is a feeling you experience when following through with the stroke. Enough said on the subject I think