Putting Tips

[billchao]

34 minutes ago, Dunit507 said:

I don’t think going in with a strategy of not ever giving up the hole is the best plan but I do think that reading too much break is a common problem for a lot of people. 

My experience is quite the opposite. I find a lot of people under-read the break and miss low.

[Dunit507]

8 minutes ago, billchao said:

My experience is quite the opposite. I find a lot of people under-read the break and miss low.

There is no one simple fix for all. That is up to everyone to figure out from their own game. Where am I missing? High low? Do I have the speed right or am I missing short? Me, personally, I was reading too much break. Particularly on some of the slower greens I’ve played. I also was bouncing around course to course a lot this summer and really struggled due to significant speed changes in some cases day to day on different courses. Now that I’ve been staying home a lot more I’ve got more of a feel for the speed of the greens at the home course and I’ve noticed that on those greens I have the speed but I’m over playing the break in a lot of cases. 

[ScottyT]

I read an article by Dave Pelz, who is a putting and short game guru.  He said, after a lenghty study, that most golfers read too LITTLE break.  He emphasized whether or not you "give up the hole" is totally dependent on and a factor of speed, distance, amount of break and your preferred style of putting (do you prefer to "charge" the hole or "die" it in?).   He went on to say that every putt is different and each factor must be considered on each and every putt.  I don't know if there's a simple solution (or we'd make all those putts !!). Those 8-10 footers are particularly diabolical !! 

[iacas]

10 hours ago, Dunit507 said:

I don’t think going in with a strategy of not ever giving up the hole is the best plan but I do think that reading too much break is a common problem for a lot of people. 

Golfers historically read far, far too little break. As little as 1/3 to 1/2 as little break.

In years of teaching AimPoint, we've not once ever had a person read more break than is actually there on the putts we choose. We have had people read the break from the wrong direction, but never more than the break that actually exists.

[Dunit507]

7 minutes ago, iacas said:

Golfers historically read far, far too little break. As little as 1/3 to 1/2 as little break.

In years of teaching AimPoint, we've not once ever had a person read more break than is actually there on the putts we choose. We have had people read the break from the wrong direction, but never more than the break that actually exists.

I find that surprising. What kind of distances are you talking about in the AimPoint out of curiosity. I personally feel like my longer putts.... say 20+ feet I tend to be over reading. Just me personally.

[iacas]

23 minutes ago, Dunit507 said:

I find that surprising. What kind of distances are you talking about in the AimPoint out of curiosity. I personally feel like my longer putts.... say 20+ feet I tend to be over reading. Just me personally.

Distances don't matter, but our initial reads are often 20-30 foot putts.

But people - and by "people" I mean about 97% of golfers - under-read their putts, regardless of length.

A 4' putt on a stimp 10 green across a 2% slope… is properly played half a cup (2") outside the high side of the hole.

[JuanTheGolfer]

Here is a process that you might find helpful in making more 8-10 footers.

Buy a Pelz Putting Tutor.

Then set it up at 3 feet from the hole.  Then make the putt.  Do this at four different places around the hole.  After 3 feet, continue the same process at 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 feet.    You will have struck 32 putts, track how many you make.  You can start this process with the marbles at the widest width.

Then go off to the side, sit down and think about what you learned in doing this exercise.

My hunch is you will find among other things:

That you miss more putts than you think you would... and most of the misses will be poorly read putts.

You will also find as you do this exercise again, and narrow the marbles on the Putting Tutor to the middle and then the narrowest width, that you will start hitting the marbles.... which indicates you did not start the ball on line.

Also you will probably realize you have to be a lot more precise where you aim the line on your ball.

Once you have done this successfully on a fairly flat hole location, find a location with more slope.... to challenge yourself.

I guarantee you, after doing this drill over a couple of months your make percentage will go way up from every location inside 10 feet.

[Dunit507]

I’ve found for me the best routine is to read from behind. Take a few practice strokes to get a feel for distance. Walk and look at the putt from side and from the cup looking back. Then go back and take one more look from behind. When I am playing serious I’ll go through all that. I don’t do that every round. Typically I only read from behind in my average round. I putt better when I spend more time on it. No surprise.

[iacas]

5 minutes ago, Dunit507 said:

I’ve found for me the best routine is to read from behind.

Better yet, take an AimPoint clinic.

[Dunit507]

Does anyone use the ball marking to give an aid for line? I used to live by using the titleist word for my aim but now I set it and then make adjustments while over the ball.

[iacas]

3 minutes ago, Dunit507 said:

Does anyone use the ball marking to give an aid for line? I used to live by using the titleist word for my aim but now I set it and then make adjustments while over the ball.

We have topics on this kind of stuff. Let's try to keep this topic to whatever the original topic was.

[Dunit507]

21 minutes ago, iacas said:

We have topics on this kind of stuff. Let's try to keep this topic to whatever the original topic was.

Topic started with “putting tips and my inability to sink what I feel is an adequate amount of 8-10ft birds haha