Putting Speed/Distance Control

[dbuck]

Is it appropriate to "reset" your putting stroke at somewhere around 25-30 feet(arbitrarily) or so, to a long range stroke that is more effort, but still controlled by length of stroke? I have seen one video that basically said to hit it as hard as you can control on longer putts, again varying only your length of stroke.

I.E. for a three foot putt, your backstroke is an inch or two which you gradually increase out to the point where you reset. Then you reset  using a couple inches as baseline but hitting firmer, and continue the firmer stroke as distance increases varying again just the stroke length?

Obviously the distance at which you "reset" is based on conditions.

Related to the above what is a good maximum for length of backstroke?

And perhaps when you reach that maximum on current green conditions, that would be the "reset" point?

[iacas]

No. Why would you want to have to try to manage two putting strokes? And why would you want to hit it "as hard as you can" ever when putting?

And your backswing is an inch or two on a three-foot putt?????

[HJJ003]

Nothing about what that video you saw teaches makes any sense to me. “Hit it as hard as you can” sounds ridiculous and would mean you would be accelerating through the golf ball which as discussed in other posts on here is not what you want to be doing. 

[iacas]

6 minutes ago, HJJ003 said:

Nothing about what that video you saw teaches makes any sense to me. “Hit it as hard as you can” sounds ridiculous and would mean you would be accelerating through the golf ball which as discussed in other posts on here is not what you want to be doing. 

Yeah.

[dbuck]

Thanks

 "an inch or two" was a generalization. Yes for some putts on one course I play, there are downhill putts where about 2 inches is about it.

On a flat putt, you are saying it should be longer?

So, y'all are saying that all distance is determined by length of stroke, even with longer putts of 40 feet or so? 

[iacas]

8 hours ago, dbuck said:

So, y'all are saying that all distance is determined by length of stroke, even with longer putts of 40 feet or so? 

Yes.

Have you seen this topic?

 

[dbuck]

Well, that does help me understand, and post 179 also answered some questions. --Muscle aided pendulum-  I like it. So using shoulder/arm muscles to assist the swinging of the putterhead in a manner that immolates a pendulum-perhaps with a little more speed than just gravity acting on the putterhead.

Realizing it would vary slightly between golfers, what would be a reasonable baseline length of backstroke for a flat 6 foot putt on greens that are slightly faster than average? Somewhat ambiguous I realize, but I am not putting a ruler down, just a general baseline. It seems that 2 inches for a 3 foot putt raises questions, so obviously I need to lengthen my stroke.

Should you vary the amount of "muscle assist" for different courses with markedly different green speeds? not hole to hole but course to course? or strictly length of stroke?

Also, do you advocate a slight forward press to achieve the slight shaft lean at impact?

 

[iacas]

5 minutes ago, dbuck said:

Realizing it would vary slightly between golfers, what would be a reasonable baseline length of backstroke for a flat 6 foot putt on greens that are slightly faster than average? Somewhat ambiguous I realize, but I am not putting a ruler down, just a general baseline. It seems that 2 inches for a 3 foot putt raises questions, so obviously I need to lengthen my stroke.

It varies quite a bit, yeah. Two inches is ridiculously small, though. You do know the ball is nearly two inches wide, right?

I rolled some six footers on my living room carpet. It stimps at just over 11'. My backswing is about 10". The ball rolls about 7.5'.

5 minutes ago, dbuck said:

Should you vary the amount of "muscle assist" for different courses with markedly different green speeds? not hole to hole but course to course? or strictly length of stroke?

No. You simply lengthen or shorten your backswing. Just as you do on the same course to hit the ball a different distance, or for an uphill or downhill putt.

5 minutes ago, dbuck said:

Also, do you advocate a slight forward press to achieve the slight shaft lean at impact?

Whatever creates the right impact conditions.