Improved Chipping & Putting

[Scragger63]

Howdy...

Have been thinking about this a little bit and something one of my golfing mates said to me on the phone through the week has just come back to mind.

Since giving me a putting tip a few weeks back, which was quite simply "get your eyes directly over the ball", my putting has improved noticeably. Which has also resulted in higher confidence with the putter in hand.

The thing was that I was completely unaware that I was setting up to putt with the ball outside my eyeline and my putter toe up. Little wonder I was so erratic with the flat stick.

Anyway, a new putter (a Ping Karsten C67, very nice... ) and a new stance and my putting woes seem to have been greatly reduced...

Anyway, the purpose of this note is to mention a comment he made in passing to me during a discussion we had mid week.

Apparently, this same thought applies to those little short chip shots from around the fringe grass and just beyond where you use a putting type stroke with a wedge or other lofted club.

So, I am again going to go to the course early tomorrow and get out on and around the practice putting green and see if this tip of his works.

Watch this space....

Cheers

[buteman]

Re: Improved Chipping & Putting

Howdy...

Have been thinking about this a little bit and something one of my golfing mates said to me on the phone through the week has just come back to mind.

Since giving me a putting tip a few weeks back, which was quite simply "get your eyes directly over the ball", my putting has improved noticeably. Which has also resulted in higher confidence with the putter in hand.

The thing was that I was completely unaware that I was setting up to putt with the ball outside my eyeline and my putter toe up. Little wonder I was so erratic with the flat stick.

Anyway, a new putter (a Ping Karsten C67, very nice... ) and a new stance and my putting woes seem to have been greatly reduced...

Anyway, the purpose of this note is to mention a comment he made in passing to me during a discussion we had mid week.

Apparently, this same thought applies to those little short chip shots from around the fringe grass and just beyond where you use a putting type stroke with a wedge or other lofted club.

So, I am again going to go to the course early tomorrow and get out on and around the practice putting green and see if this tip of his works.

Watch this space....

Cheers

Real good advice from your mates Scragger, and yes the same thought should apply to short chips from the fringe. You mention a putting style stroke " with a wedge or other lofted club " I would suggest that is okay if you have a mound to negotiate etc. but getting up and down from the fringe is my speciality, here is my method.
If I have a fairly straight approach I wil use anything from a 6 iron to an eight iron choking well down the shaft. I play the ball in the centre of my ( slightly open ) stance, I pick a spot where I want the ball to land and then envision the ball running out to the pin.
I make sure that I have no wrist break at all and that I keep the back of my left hand going through to the target. The main idea is to get the ball on the green and running as soon as possible, if you practice this method I'm sure you will find that you will have a higher rate of success with the clubs I mentioned rather than higher lofted clubs. Best, Buteman.

[bill reed]

Re: Improved Chipping & Putting

hi Scragger
on the long putts try looking at the hole with both eyes, it feels strange but you seen to get a better understanding of the pace of the ball doing this. you let your mind judge the distance more than your hands. i have been putting looking at the hole for over a year and i don't think about it now but i feel it has helped how i putt.
if you get a chance try it when you have a long putt over a few hums and borrows and then try putting looking at the ball, even with having the line for the second putt i still found i putted better looking at the hole not the ball. when it gets to short putts i tend to look between the ball and the hole if i can get both in view.
cheers
bill

[Scragger63]

Re: Improved Chipping & Putting

Hi Bill.

One of my Club mates uses this "looking at the hole, not the ball" style of putting, and, he swears by it...

And, he is one of the better putters in the club.

Have tried it, but, after years of tennis where it was drummed into me that "eye's on the ball" was paramount, I found it difficult to trust myself and my stroke.

The compromise I have come up with is that my putting routine now includes a couple of practice swings whilst looking at the hole, to get a feel for weight, then to just step up to the ball and hit it, using the feel gained from the practice strokes.

I'm still not in the same class as some of the best putters at my club, but I'm much better than I was and I'm improving. The by product of this is the confidence I now have when on the green. I seem to have lost all fear of 3 putting and as a result, I haven't done so regularly for some time.

Cheers

[MaxxC]

Re: Improved Chipping & Putting

I don't look at the hole. However I have a variation on long putts which probably utilizes the same principle. After completely setting up to the ball and aiming I take one look at the hole then pull the trigger as soon as my eyes return to the ball.

I've found with this technique I don't have to measure the distance of the putt. I makes distance putting more like throwing darts, pitching a baseball or kicking a soccer ball into a goal. Looking at a target then react. Amazing how well the mind will direct the body to putt the ball the correct distance when it has a vivid and fresh image upon which to respond.

[bill reed]

Re: Improved Chipping & Putting

hi Scragger
i think if you do use the "looking at the hole!" you have to feel comfortable with it and believe it will work. with putting so much of it is the mental game that you have to feel right to putt well. feel your going to putt it and often you do, feel uncomfortable of that your not going to make it and that what you end up doing. i sure the guy at your club is a confident putter and believes in looking at the hole 100% and thats really what you have to do. if you don't feel that works for you then don't do it as it will fail if you have doubts in your mind.
i think chipping and pitching is much the same! if you practice then you get confident at you ability to chip or pitch the ball to a certain point on the green and when you have that confidence then you feel good about your game and it seemed to work it way through your whole game.
with a good short game you can save so many shots and a good putting game adds so much to your confidence.
if you look at the long hitters on tour it only the ones that scramble and have a good short game that are in the top 50 but you still see more people working on there long game more than there short game and almost no one works on there putting.
even spending 15 minuets putting before a game on the practice putting area helps not only your putting but getting your head into the right frame of mind for the game ahead.
far to many of us turn up for a round, you get dressed and rush to the first tee and hit our first drive all tensed up. even the few practice swings are not done right, not done to relax use before we tee up. my game has improved by arriving 45 minuets early and taking 6 balls and chipping 45 to 60 feet for 20 minuets or so, when i do tee up i feel relaxed and is if i already have an advantage over the players i'm playing against.
cheers
bill

[golfunderrepair]

Re: Improved Chipping & Putting

I spend the majority of my time chipping and putting and people look at me as if I'm not getting value for my money or time practicing.

In reference to your observation about chipping from around the green I do a similar thing to your friend I suppose but my club selection depends how much green I have to work with.

I will read the green and picture where the ball should land then determine how far the ball will run. If it's a short chip (10-30ft.) I stick with the sand wedge if it's longer (30-60ft.) I will use a 9 iron and for anything longer I will use a 7 iron and some prayer. The ball lands more or less in the same zone and the loft of the iron does the rest in running the ball to the hole.

I put the ball slightly back in my stance and keep the club head facing the stick. Then I use my putting stroke (although not my putting grip) bringing the club through 20% more on the front swing than on the back swing to ensure I'm not slowing down or getting "stabby" with it.

If you can stick the ball to the pin from the fringe you will gain a handful of shots per round.

Tim.

[bill reed]

Re: Improved Chipping & Putting

hi Tim
i think i go about my chipping in the same way you do.
with me i look at the green and i use the Dave Pelt's clock face to work out what part of the green gives me the best putt. if it slopes from right to left then i want the ball to land in the 9 o'clock area for n uphill putt or the 3 o'clock so I'm left with an uphill or down hill lie. then i look to see the point on the green i need to land the ball to get that result and work out if to play for the 3 o'clock or the 9 o'clock. and then like you i pick the club that will give me that shot.
i find that using the clock system you soon work out it not always wise to go for the pin and putting the ball where you have your best chance at a putt is more important.
one my home course i have worked out the parts of the green to put the ball to give me a good chance at a putt without to much borrow for most pin placements.
so i don't play to the flag but to the part of the green that will give me the best chance of a 2 putt and sometimes a one putt.
this part of the game I'm still working on and building up a note book of pin placements and where best to put the ball on the green.
it does work and it also gives you a bigger area on the green to work with and still be in with a chance of a one putt.
think it gives you better odds of making the putt than going at the flag and ending up with a putt with a huge brake on it.
cheers
bill

[golfunderrepair]

Re: Improved Chipping & Putting

Yeah, playing to where you will make the least putts will logically bring your score down. It's imperative to read the green like a putt before chipping one way or the other. If you have enough knowledge about where the greens break and how comfortable you are in certain positions then it's even better.

I play to the hole with my chipping and through the hole with my putting (It's a Dave Pelzish idea too). If you put the ball to the hole with the chip you are less likely to leave the thing twenty feet past. However if your putts aren't up they will never be in. Out of ten putts which go past the hole two or three will fall in whereas ten putts which are short will finish with zero in the cup.

I practice like I play which means getting the ball in the hole. Whichever way works best for you in reaching this objective is the best way.

Tim.

PS Tiger has notebooks on most of the greens he plays too.

[CaliGolf]

Re: Improved Chipping & Putting

Scragger,
I, have to admit your buddy gave you some good advice. Me i pride myself on being a good lag putter, and one of my golfing buddys suggested to me of keeping my head still, and last round i played instead of lagging to 3 feet i'm inside 1.5 ft now.

[AussieGolfBoy]

Re: Improved Chipping & Putting

for me i like to keep things simple... KISS.

my putting i keep my head over the ball and grip the club almost to where the grip meets the steel. feet shoulder width apart, ball 1/2 forward of middle in my stance. before hitting the ball i align everything square with the line i want the ball to take. i look at the hole, and take my practice swings at teh speed in which i want to hit the ball. as i step up to the ball i look at teh hole for a good 5 - 10secs to visulise my shot in my head, put the strength that i want to hit my ball into my head and visualise my arms - hands and putter being 1 to hit the ball. then make my shot. if it doesn't get in i'm usually within 1ft of the hole.

as for chips, it's almost a mirror of the above. the only difference is i use a lofted club to only get me over the fringe or 1st cut then roll the ball the rest of the way. this for me is either 9i, PW or SW, depending on distance... i'm still practicing with my LW. my feet stance is 1/2 my putting stance with the ball back inline with my big toe on my rear foot and shaft pointing at or infront of my left shoulder (i'm right handed). for strength i just visualise i'm holding a putter and use the same strength to hit the same distance.

i hope the way i have described this helps people with their putting and chipping. golf is hard enough to try and make things difficult so i like to try and keep things as simple as i can.

[bahamaman]

Re: Improved Chipping & Putting

I like the GREG NORMAN approach. You'll need to get the GREG NORMAN secret swing aid on Ebay. Also the video is available there too. It'll train you how to hold the wristcock longer before releasing hence opting for a more full shoulder rotation