Now you've got a reasonable long game, but your putting sometimes stinks!

[Lihu]

So, what do you guys think? Is putting all mental or is it a skill that you either have or don't? Some days you can putt like a pro, while others, anyone can beat you at it?

[DaveP043]

Putting is a skill that can be learned, like most other skills.  But like most of golf, some days will be better than others.  The key is to learn to putt well, so that your "bad" days aren't all that bad.  Here's some info that might help

 

[klineka]

I think a lot of it is mental, the actual putting stroke itself is not that difficult compared to other golf swings. Based on the playing partners I typically play with, most of them have decent putting strokes, but they lack the skill of green reading. I think that is a underrated and under practiced aspect of putting. I consider reading greens a skill because it is something you can practice and get better at. You can have the most pure putting stoke ever, but if you cant see subtle breaks in the green then you could be numerous inches offline even if you made a fantastic putt.

[Groucho Valentine]

If i take more than 32 putts i want to commit seppuku. If i take 28 or less, i usually shoot around par or better. More than 30 and I'm often in the high 70's to low 80s. Thats how important putting is to my game, since I'm just a average ballstriker in relation to my handicap.

I think putting is mostly mental, and imagination is key. But there are physical aspects to it like rhythm and small muscle control. A good setup (whatever that might be for you) where you can see your line is also important. Green reading is mostly instinct, IMO. But its an instinct can be honed with expereince and repetition. 

[Hacker James]

yet another use for The Tee Claw ( or pair of them). indoors, I stretch out a length of tee claw using two claws. Place the ball up against the line,and put into a cut off end of conduit. If you pull the put, you will lose contact with the line.  or to check against both pulls and pushes, simply stretch out two strings to form a "gauntlet". 

[Let it Fly]

For myself, I'd have to say confidence is the biggest key in making/lagging putts.  When it's not there, every putt is shaky b/c I'm afraid of the 3-putt or looking stupid for missing a 3-footer.  When confidence is up, it feels like everything will go in...or be to tap-in range when lagging.

Light bulb really came on last Spring when I actually started to practice putting for the first time in my life.  All types of putts felt more routine since I had already hit many similar ones over and over again during the previous week.  The practice also helped me shake off short misses as a "welp...I'll make the next one" rather than it feeling like the round was lost.

[Piz]

Most golfers would require extensive therapy if they putted like I do.  Last Saturday I four-putted the first green, one-putted the second, three-putted the third, and one-putted the fourth and fifth.  I went 13/18 GIR and had 37 putts total.  The trouble stems from finding the green; but in the worst possible relation to the pin.  That results in a lot of long, downhill, putts that just...keep...going...and leave 10-15 feet for par...if they are still on the green.  Long story short...the end.

[DaveP043]

2 minutes ago, Piz said:

Most golfers would require extensive therapy if they putted like I do.  Last Saturday I four-putted the first green, one-putted the second, three-putted the third, and one-putted the fourth and fifth.  I went 13/18 GIR and had 37 putts total.  The trouble stems from finding the green; but in the worst possible relation to the pin.  That results in a lot of long, downhill, putts that just...keep...going...and leave 10-15 feet for par...if they are still on the green.  Long story short...the end.

This doesn't sound like a putting problem as much as a problem with the shots you're hitting onto the green.  Leave it closer, or in better locations, and you'll take a lot fewer putts.

[phillyk]

I see a lot of single digit guys who can hit the ball very well, but their putting is very inconsistent.  Their setup is wrong.  I've seen some who setup a couple feet left of where they want the ball to start and intentionally push and some who do the opposite and pull it.  Take an hour to just go practice with a ruler or something to get your alignment straightened out.  Or sometimes they just don't take their time to read the green and just walk up to hit it without thinking.  Putting isn't a hard skill to get better at, just take some time to get it right.

[Kalnoky]

Oh man, I wish I had this problem. Ball striking has been such an arduous learning process for me. Putting is really pretty easy. I don't make a lot of birdies, but I pretty much never three putt. If I three putt, I am angry.

When I look at a green, I have in my head a photograph of a differential calculus, i.e., increasing at increasing rates, or increasing at a decreasing rates, or the reverse.. decreasing at different rates (faster or slower). The only tricky thing is getting the speed, but that only takes a hole or two.

I do find eating something during a round, or even drinking water, can throw off my putting. 

[Piz]

45 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

This doesn't sound like a putting problem as much as a problem with the shots you're hitting onto the green.  Leave it closer, or in better locations, and you'll take a lot fewer putts.

Agreed.  I meant to infer that "putting" can get into your head when it isn't your putting, per se.  Time was a 3-putt would really chap my ___.  These days I take a more realistic view.

[dave s]

The only 'magic bullet' in putting that I know of is practice, practice and more practice.

Check out some how to practice putting videos.  There are as many as there are blades of grass on a green.  Pick a couple that make sense to you and have at it.

What I see most in mid- and high-handicappers is missing putts inside 5 feet at a rate of 3-4 per 18 hole round.  I've spent a lot of time on those.  Now those putts go in like an uncontested layup in basketball.

dave

[14ledo81]

The single biggest change in my putting came when I practiced daily all winter.  I would putt in my living room (max of 15-20 foot) almost every day.  The carpet was not that tight, but it was tight enough to have gains.  

I don't practice it much any more, and my skill  has fallen off a bit.  Still workable enough not to be a weak point in my game in relation to the rest.

[Phil McGleno]

4 hours ago, Lihu said:

So, what do you guys think? Is putting all mental or is it a skill that you either have or don't? Some days you can putt like a pro, while others, anyone can beat you at it?

HOw is this a question a single digit player asks?-Is putting all mental? Huh?

@Lihu-buddy, are you okay? Of course you can become a better putter. Read speed bead right?

[Lihu]

5 minutes ago, Phil McGleno said:

HOw is this a question a single digit player asks?-Is putting all mental? Huh?

@Lihu-buddy, are you okay? Of course you can become a better putter. Read speed bead right?

I actually of thought you might say this exact thing, but I live life on the edge.

But, I wasn't baiting you into this topic. The only thing I wanted to know is why putting can be so on and off? I don't practice putting, but it seems like I should be able to lag within 3 to 5 feet or so consistently even on my worst putting day?

[iacas]

18 minutes ago, Lihu said:

The only thing I wanted to know is why putting can be so on and off? I don't practice putting, but it seems like I should be able to lag within 3 to 5 feet or so consistently even on my worst putting day?

I don't think putting is "on and off." Unless you're giving far too much weight to makes and misses from outside of 3-4' or so.

Your technique sucks if you can't do that.

[Lihu]

24 minutes ago, iacas said:

I don't think putting is "on and off." Unless you're giving far too much weight to makes and misses from outside of 3-4' or so.

Your technique sucks if you can't do that.

I might be. The issue is that the statistics shows that I should have made at least 45% to 55% of them and I made like 1/9 yesterday. I left tap ins, but they're still strokes. . .

It's also entirely possible that my bad putting days are simply my bad approach days. I'll check out my statistics. If so, I really prefer practicing my full swing anyway.

[iacas]

5 minutes ago, Lihu said:

I might be. The issue is that the statistics shows that I should have made at least 45% to 55% of them and I made like 1/9 yesterday. I left tap ins, but they're still strokes. . .

45-55% of putts from what length?

All I said was "outside of 3-4'" which includes 10 footers, 20 footers…