Putting epidemic

[lastings]

ugh...   I really have nothing to contribute here, really just utilizing this forum to vent.   What was once a minor putting problem has now become an epidemic.   

In 4 of my last 8 rounds, I have averaged more than 2 putts per hole.   and, worse, I am now averaging 2.16 putts per GIR.   more often turning GIRs into bogeys than I am birdies, which is awesome.  

I think the worst part of this is that I am not putting poorly as a whole.   My speed is solid, I'm reading the greens alright.   I am consistently hitting long 30+ ft putts to inside 4 or 5 feet, but I keep missing short putts.   like 3-5 ft putts that I should be making every time.  I'm missing like 3 of them per round lately.   on top of that, I have only hit like two 8-12 ft putts in my last 8 rounds combined.   I am confident in my reads, but the ball just isn't going where I want it to go.    

This is very, very frustrating.  

 

[David in FL]

  On 7/24/2017 at 9:40 PM, lastings said:

ugh...   I really have nothing to contribute here, really just utilizing this forum to vent.   What was once a minor putting problem has now become an epidemic.   

In 4 of my last 8 rounds, I have averaged more than 2 putts per hole.   and, worse, I am now averaging 2.16 putts per GIR.   more often turning GIRs into bogeys than I am birdies, which is awesome.  

I think the worst part of this is that I am not putting poorly as a whole.   My speed is solid, I'm reading the greens alright.   I am consistently hitting long 30+ ft putts to inside 4 or 5 feet, but I keep missing short putts.   like 3-5 ft putts that I should be making every time.  I'm missing like 3 of them per round lately.   on top of that, I have only hit like two 8-12 ft putts in my last 8 rounds combined.   I am confident in my reads, but the ball just isn't going where I want it to go.    

This is very, very frustrating.  

 

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My first thought is that you probably aren't doing as bad as you think you are.  These are the expected "make" percentages on the PGA tour for 2016.  Even the best in the world only make 3 out of 4 from 5' and less than 1 out of 3 from 12'.

 

PUTTING PROBABILITIES
Distance (feet)	One-putt %	Two-putt	Three-putt +	Expected putts
1'	100%	0%	0%	1.001
3'	96%	4%	0%	1.046
5'	76%	24%	0%	1.245
7'	56%	43%	0%	1.440
10'	38%	61%	1%	1.625
12'	31%	68%	1%	1.701
15'	23%	76%	1%	1.784
20'	15%	83%	2%	1.874
25'	10%	87%	3%	1.931
30'	7%	88%	5%	1.977
40'	4%	86%	10%	2.058
50'	3%	81%	16%	2.138
60'	2%	75%	23%	2.214

 

I'm not saying that you're not necessarily struggling a bit right now, but sometimes our expectations unintentionally become a little inflated.

Having said that, if your read and speed feel good, but you're not hitting your intended line (bead), that's what you'll want to work on.  I do that by simply putting over a dime on a straight putt from varying, relatively short distances.  Usually no more than 3 to about 7 feet.  That tends to tighten me up, and when I'm back on the course, I imagine that dime about 3-5 feet out on my line and try to do the same.

It could also be that you'd benefit from a putter fitting, as it's possible that you just don't aim your current putter very well...

[iacas]

Something's off.

If you're leaving yourself a bunch of 4-5' putts after 30' putts, your speed, bead, or read are off.

If you're missing a bunch of 3' putts, your bead is probably off.

[lastings]

Yeah..  I'm sure it's something.  I mean, obviously it's something.  But, I'm pretty it's all mental.  The more putts I miss, the more nervous I'm getting over short putts.  I think I just need to get the putting mat out and hit like a thousand 5 footers.  The confidence will come back.

I hope.  

  On 7/24/2017 at 11:00 PM, David in FL said:

 

 

PUTTING PROBABILITIES
Distance (feet)	One-putt %	Two-putt	Three-putt +	Expected putts
1'	100%	0%	0%	1.001
3'	96%	4%	0%	1.046
5'	76%	24%	0%
7'	56%	43%	0%	1.440
10'	38%	61%	1%	1.625
12'	31%	68%	1%	1.701
15'	23%	76%	1%	1.784
20'	15%	83%	2%	1.874
25'	10%	87%	3%	1.931
30'	7%	88%	5%	1.977
40'	4%	86%	10%	2.058
	3%	81%	16%	2.138
60'	2%	75%	23%

It could also be that you'd benefit from a putter fitting, as it's possible that you just don't aim your current putter very well...

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I mean, I'm obviously not aiming my putter well right now.  But I'm pretty sure it's not the putter.  Historically, I have always had very good aim with this putter.   I just need to get my groove back.  Somehow.

[b101]

What Erik said. Work out which of bead, read or speed it is and then get the string and knitting needles out to check start line and that you aren't cutting across the ball. With practice, it'll come.

[b101]

Also, grammatical pedant that I am, you don't mean epidemic (that would imply an outbreak of poor putting for everyone around you for a short-mid period of time!) 

Sorry, couldn't help myself - loved the mental image of you getting to a putting green and everyone else's game immediately falling to bits!

[iacas]

  On 7/25/2017 at 4:05 AM, lastings said:

Yeah..  I'm sure it's something.  I mean, obviously it's something.  But, I'm pretty it's all mental.  The more putts I miss, the more nervous I'm getting over short putts.  I think I just need to get the putting mat out and hit like a thousand 5 footers.  The confidence will come back.

Expand  

Stop leaving yourself five footers. Hit your first putt closer.

[lastings]

  On 7/25/2017 at 12:20 PM, iacas said:

Stop leaving yourself five footers. Hit your first putt closer.

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or, in.   in would be better than close. 

[iacas]

  On 7/25/2017 at 3:59 PM, lastings said:

or, in.   in would be better than close. 

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Unrealistic to expect "in" from 30 feet very often.

[Patch]

On a known level surface, put a coin (a dime or penny works well) 1-2 feet on the surface in front of the ball. Then take your stance, and practice putting (rolling) the ball over the coin. 

If you can roll the ball over the coin consistently, you have a good putting stroke. Too many missed putts could be bad reads, or ball speed. 

If you are consistently missing the coin, you have a problem with club head path into the ball, or a face angle not square a impact. 

I used to have putting drill I used, that took care of a lot of problems. On a known level surface, I  would take one of those red fire bricks, and putt the ball to the small end of it. From 3-5 feet, on my room's rug, I would putt the ball hard enough, that when I hit the end of the brick square, the ball would return to me. I would do this several time a day, when I had time, or nothing better to do. 

[saevel25]

  On 7/26/2017 at 11:09 AM, Patch said:

On a known level surface, put a coin (a dime or penny works well) 1-2 feet on the surface in front of the ball. Then take your stance, and practice putting (rolling) the ball over the coin. 

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Another good drill is to buy a metal yard stick. Then find a flat surface and try to putt the ball down the yard stick so it doesn't fall off before the end.

[iacas]

  On 7/26/2017 at 11:09 AM, Patch said:

If you can roll the ball over the coin consistently, you have a good putting stroke.

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Not necessarily. Speed (distance control) is a matter of your stroke largely too.

[lastings]

  On 7/26/2017 at 3:22 AM, iacas said:

Unrealistic to expect "in" from 30 feet very often.

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Was joking..  sorry. 

[Marty2019]

  On 7/24/2017 at 9:40 PM, lastings said:

ugh...   I really have nothing to contribute here, really just utilizing this forum to vent.   What was once a minor putting problem has now become an epidemic.   

In 4 of my last 8 rounds, I have averaged more than 2 putts per hole.   and, worse, I am now averaging 2.16 putts per GIR.   more often turning GIRs into bogeys than I am birdies, which is awesome.  

I think the worst part of this is that I am not putting poorly as a whole.   My speed is solid, I'm reading the greens alright.   I am consistently hitting long 30+ ft putts to inside 4 or 5 feet, but I keep missing short putts.   like 3-5 ft putts that I should be making every time.  I'm missing like 3 of them per round lately.   on top of that, I have only hit like two 8-12 ft putts in my last 8 rounds combined.   I am confident in my reads, but the ball just isn't going where I want it to go.    

This is very, very frustrating.  

 

Expand  

I think most people miss short putts because they move their head.  My advice would be, try hitting short putts without even moving your eyes.  Keep your eyes glued to the spot where the ball was before you hit it.  

Of course, this assumes you have the putt lined up correctly to begin with. 

I found this out a year or so ago, and it helped my short putting immensely.  

 

 

[BerndCheeseburger]

Might be worth trying the Spieth technique of looking at the whole for some short putts in practice as it will revert you back to a reactionary stroke as opposed to getting too technical/clouded with thoughts. Additionally, I put a slightly thicker grip on my putter this year to help solidify the wrists during my stroke and it has greatly benefited my short putting especially.