Putting woe

[miffin]

Thanks to this site I have resurrected my golf game. However, I cannot seem to hole a putt of 3 feet and over. They are either a bit left or a bit right. I play off 20. But I cannot immagine what I might be off if I coud sink some of these putts. If there are any tips for this it would be great. My long putts are not too bad. I seem to get to around 3 feet from most distances. But then I do not sink the next putt.

Bri

[AussieGolfBoy]

Re: Putting woe

probably the most common problem your making is looking at the hole immediately after you hit the ball. this will cause all sorts of inconsistancies.

here's a simple drill for you.... on the practice green set up 2 rows of 6 balls. 1 set at 3ft away and another set at 5ft away from the hole. for ease sakes, try to pick a flat surface. this will initially help with your confidence. approach each ball as if it was your first putt. set your feet square to the hole and putter face straight along your putting line. take a short backswing only long enough to get the ball to the hole or at max 8inches past. the track to this drill is "not to look up". keep your head down until the ball goes in the hole or has stopped. step upto the next ball and repeat from the start. once you've done all the 3ft putts, do the 5ft putts the same way.

the reason why your happy with your long putts getting to within 3ft is because you don't expect them to go in the hole and in your head, "if i can get it close it's a good shot". change your mentality for these long shots and don't accept anything outside 1ft from the hole and you should get immediate results from your long putts... now i'm not saying your going to get every long shot inside 1 ft.. but you should start increasing your odds for these long putts where more come to rest inside 3 ft than at 3ft where your encounting problems.

hope this helps.

oh. and use the same ball for the putting drill which whould be the same ball you use on the course

[rotator]

Re: Putting woe

This is a way to change up your routine and also it may help, in case you are "peeking" at the hole. You may not be coming out of the putt per se, but your mind and eyes may be "cheating" a mental look at the hole, if you know what I mean.

When you address the putt, close the eye closest to the hole and look at the back of the ball with the back eye, and make your stroke. As AGB says, do not look up until you hear the ball drop in the hole.

If your front eye is not your dominant eye, this is even better.

Ted

[miffin]

Re: Putting woe

2 great tips. I will try next week and post results. As long as i survive Scafell Pike which i am supposed to be doing tomorrow.
Bri

[BrianW]

Re: Putting woe

This is a way to change up your routine and also it may help, in case you are "peeking" at the hole. You may not be coming out of the putt per se, but your mind and eyes may be "cheating" a mental look at the hole, if you know what I mean.

When you address the putt, close the eye closest to the hole and look at the back of the ball with the back eye, and make your stroke. As AGB says, do not look up until you hear the ball drop in the hole.

If your front eye is not your dominant eye, this is even better.

Ted

Also:

Do not follow the clubhead with your eyes in the backswing, keep your focus on the centre of the ball.

[AussieGolfBoy]

Re: Putting woe

thats the beauty about putting, you can do it anywhere....... try doing it on the carpet in your house for 15minutes each evening.

[rotator]

Re: Putting woe

The other drill I've started doing in ernest now was one I knew about but did not realize hoe effective it was.

I took a putting lesson recently from a very accomplished golfer and instructor, and he got me back to doing it.

It was really back to basics. He did not want to mess with my style.

The drill in question is the pushing of the putter blade through the ball to hole the putt, with no backswing. Take a level straight 6 footer, and place the putter behind the ball and push (or is it pull?) the ball to the hole. It was an eye opener, in that I am having difficulty doing it consistently with good pace and direction. That only shows that I was not stroking through the ball, which led to the inconsistencies in my putting.

With the drill, I found myself making a weak "push" through the ball, and the ball barely went forward. I was also pushing or pulling the ball directionwise, with the blade open or closed respectively. I was likely previously ball bound and was hitting the ball and quitting.

I could see that this drill will help me improve my putting.

Ted

[golfshooter]

Re: Putting woe

All these points you have been given are excellent. I just want to reiterate rotator, strke through the ball, it it should not be a hit. Take the putter back only far enough to carry out the accelleration you need , this will elliminate the chances of the putter going of line through the stroke . Make the stroke and follow through about twice the distance of the take away, this will encourage you to make it a nicely timed smooth stroke. And if you can practice on some carpet or a strip of astroturf you can practice your routine even if it dosen't behave like a green.
Happy putting
Peter

[miffin]

Re: Putting woe

Great start. 2 putted 17 holes today and 1 putted one hole. That might not sound great but not one 3 putt! I will keep trying.

Bri