Why am i lipping out so many putts?

[Typhoon92]

All year the amount of lipped out putts for me is mindboggling.  Normally inside 10 feet I make a lot of putts.  This year...no.  Set up is fine read seems fine, no pushes or pulls.

Example..played in 2 tournaments and the guys said they have never seen anyone lip out so many putts.  I played 9 today and lipped out 5 putts in the 7-10 foot range...2 were horseshoes.  I had a 6th putt go in the cup, hit the metal cup liner and pop back out again.

Anyone have anything?  Putts start out on the intended line then all of the sudden take a sharp left or suddenly straighten out after being dead center.  

Public course so we're not talking great greens but jeez...

[billchao]

Are you exceptionally unlucky or hitting the ball with slightly too much speed?

I don't know if you keep stats on anything but it's kind of hard to quantify this:

26 minutes ago, Typhoon92 said:

Normally inside 10 feet I make a lot of putts.

Same thing with the lip outs. That could just be confirmation bias.

[GolfLug]

Yeah, capture speed comes to mind..

 

[Patch]

Well the ball only goes where the golfer hits it. Problem is how to find out why the golfer is hitting the ball where he/she is.

I had this "just barely missing" problem earlier this year. Had a tough time figuring it out. Spent several hours messing wth my stroke, and grip, seeing no improvement. Turned out my putter was damaged  just enough to throw my putts offline. Off line just enough to just miss by the littlest  of margins. I had been using this putter for several years. 

after finding the damage to my putter head, I switched to another putter I had, and saw improvement immeadiately. The improvement continued untill I was back to my normal putting. Maybe even a little better.

Not saying this is the OP's issue, but it is worth taking note of.  

[Piz]

When I get too focused on the edge I miss high or lip out...usually just miss high.  I do better when I imagine the ball dropping into the cup.  A breaking putt is just a jump shot in 2D.

[Typhoon92]

Putter is fine Patch, I have gone back and forth between my Scotty and Ping with the same result.  Speed could be the issue because my putts finish past the hole ( unless they horseshoe!) but under a foot.  Maybe I'll focus on that.

[Wally Fairway]

17 hours ago, GolfLug said:

Yeah, capture speed comes to mind..

 

Typhoon - unless you are consistently missing on the same side of the hole (meaning right or left, not high side vs. low side), then I'd guess that speed is 100% of the reason for you having more lipouts. If the greens are faster, or you are hitting it more firmly then a slight change in the speed at the capture point will make you miss putts that you would have previously made.

I'd suggest a drill where you hit some putts from 10 - 12 feet away, and put a tee in 8-10 behind the hole. This will help you gauge if your capture speed relative. Read iacas link, very informative relative to putting speed

[Typhoon92]

Yeah, that's the thing...I can miss on either side but the only thing is its not 17" past the cup on either side.  I hit one yesterday from 8 feet, perfect line, a little left to right break,  about 18 inches from the hole it takes an unexpected left turn and misses lowside about 5" past the cup.  After we putt out, I drop a ball same spot, same aim and it goes in...no left turn.

[DeadMan]

12 minutes ago, Typhoon92 said:

Yeah, that's the thing...I can miss on either side but the only thing is its not 17" past the cup on either side.  I hit one yesterday from 8 feet, perfect line, a little left to right break,  about 18 inches from the hole it takes an unexpected left turn and misses lowside about 5" past the cup.  After we putt out, I drop a ball same spot, same aim and it goes in...no left turn.

Have you checked your aim with the putter? It's possible your eyes are playing tricks on you.

[DaveP043]

1 hour ago, Typhoon92 said:

Yeah, that's the thing...I can miss on either side but the only thing is its not 17" past the cup on either side.  I hit one yesterday from 8 feet, perfect line, a little left to right break,  about 18 inches from the hole it takes an unexpected left turn and misses lowside about 5" past the cup.  After we putt out, I drop a ball same spot, same aim and it goes in...no left turn.

Life happens, even the very best greens aren't perfectly smooth.  You say you're hitting your intended line, and putts either break more or less than you expect, and this happens to cause misses on both the left and right side of the hole.  Perhaps you need to improve your reads.  Or maybe its just the odds, and you'll go on a streak where you make a bunch.  

You do mention that you make a lot of putts from 10 feet and in.  Its appropriate to understand that PGA pros average about 50% from 8 feet, 40% from 10 feet.  You probably shouldn't expect to make any more than that yourself, on a long-term average.  

[p1n9183]

I guess to much speed or bad reads.

Either way a lipped putt outside 3 feet it´s an OK put to me, some will lip out and some will go in.
I will only be upset if i don´t touch the hole at all.   

[RayG]

Better than coming up short. I had a round a few weeks ago- 5 putts for birdie inside 8 feet. 1 went in. 1 full on horseshoed 180*, 2 90* lippers, and 1 burned the edge a bit.

I looked at it as being a damn better putter than most people. Every one had the chance to go in- right speed and read. If it didn't make it to the hole, then NONE would have had a chance.

Now- if you lipped out every one on the same side, then it's an aim issue... maybe. But you also said it's on public courses. That in itself puts a kink in the works. Even the slightest difference in cutting, grain, footsteps, will affect the putt if it isn't the right speed to get through them. On a course with immaculate, speedy greens, you wouldn't have the issue. But you WOULD have to worry about banging it past the hole and running 8 feet past. On public greens I will expand the "miss past" to about 3 feet instead of the 17" (or whatever "they" say it should be). Give that little extra to get through that "Fuzzy Donut" that is around every hole. (The area where nobody steps while retrieving their ball. grass stands a bit taller and will alter path/speed of ball as it nears hole)

[Typhoon92]

A lot of good things here to look at guys.  I definitely appreciate the suggestions as I've been at wits end all year over this.

Aim is generally good.  I changed the way I set up a few years ago and ironically a year or so later the guys on your set up that way...very funny to me.  It does work but I think I'll put a little more focus info it tomorrow when I play and see if it makes a difference.

Getting " on a roll" for a few weeks of making putts would take care of the mental side and I'm betting that'd so the trick but this year...ugh.

When I was writing about making putts inside 10 feet I knew someone would bring up the PGA tour average.  I knew what it was but I'm in zero land whereas before I was right on par with their numbers.

[Typhoon92]

Apparently the thing to do is post the problem on here and u guys come up with enough ideas to fix it!

Today's 9 was great.  Thanks to all of you.  Focus on my line was the biggest issue.  Speed was secondary.  

8 footer on 2 for birdie

8 footer on 3 for birdie

25 footer on 4 for birdie

Missed a 10 footer for birdie on 5...Poor putt.

8 footer on 6 for birdie.

The other holes were either up and down tap ins or a long putt.

 

Thanks again to all!