Re: putting, indication of recognition of priority or problems?

hi Ted
i think one problem is there are so many diffrent ways to putt and if you look at 10 top pros then they all do something diffrent.
not only do you have the barn door type putting swing but also the straight down the line swing. you have the bend over type putters and the stand tall putters. the ones with no wrist action and the others that have a lot of wrist action, you have hundreds of diffrent types of putters on the market and most work for some golfer but not for others.
i like to use a broomhandled 50" putter but there are many that have very short shafts some 28"
don't think there is a right way to putt as there are so many ways to putt and put well.
to answer another point i don't think many pratice putting on a real green. i know i try and arrive 1/2 hour early and start by putting for 15 minuets on the pratice green and then swing a few clubs to warm up.
it helps me get a few for the putting and also for swinging and i feel calm by the time i get to the first tee.
when i first got my Broomhanded putter i would go over to the old course and pratice putting about 9pm at night as it was staring to get dark and most golfers had finished up and i had the greens to myself. i felt my putting improved a lot by doing that.
cheers
Bill

Re: putting, indication of recognition of priority or problems?

IMHO I think that those folks who have a problem putting are using the wrong, ill fitted putter for their stroke. A properly fitted putter will feel more comfortable, and will give the golfer a a smoother putting stroke. This putter fitting would also include stance, and alignment for the individual. Comfort, and a smoother stroke will make it easier for a golfer to hit a straight putt. A great way to know if you are hitting a straight putt is to put a penny, or dime down, (on a level surface) about 1 foot in front of the ball. Then just practice putting the ball over the coin. If you can't roll the ball over the coin, on a level surface, you are not hitting a straight putt. After being able to hit a straight putt, then all that is left is learning to read the green's speed, texture, undulations, then correctly picking a spot to hit a straight putt at so the ball will roll into the hole. Not all putts are hit directly at the hole. Another issue that makes putting easier starts before a golfer even gets on the green. That being their approach shot, and knowing where to land the ball to give themselves an easier putt. As an example it is easier to putt up hill, than to putt down hill. Some golfers can putt better with a left to right break, while others can putt better with a right to left break. Putting is very specific to the individual golfer. What works for some won't work for others. I read some where that Tiger practices putting on smoothe, hard wood flooring to get ready for those tournaments that have the faster green speeds. Talk about preparation. GJS

Re: putting, indication of recognition of priority or problems?

Bill and GolfJunkySr,

You are right about the fitting. I would say most go to the golf shop and buy the putters off the rack, most of which are 35" long. But, that may not be the ideal length for your stance, height, arm length, etc. The tour players do not necessarily play standard length putters. Tiger plays a 34". Mickelson perhaps a 33"??. You should be prepared to adjust the lengths to suit.

Also about the right fitting, in another thread i discussed my putting journey. That journey took a long time to resolve, as I started with a heel shafted putter, which intuitively felt the most natural for me. I somehow got it in my mind that the pendulum stroke might be the way to go. Unfortunately, I was trying that stroke with the heel shafted putters I favoured. So I bought face balanced center shafted putters, but still struggled. The problem was I was always a natural arc putter and so I could not feel comfortable with another type of stroke, not to mention that I was also at times mixing the inappropriate type of putters with the stroke which I was trying to make.

The point of my posting and the title I chose was somewhat rhetorical. I think it's a reflexive action to want to look into a thread on "putting problems".

Ted

Re: putting, indication of recognition of priority or problems?

hi guys
i think Dave Pelz book the putting bible is the best help out here to people with putting problems. it covers the diffrent head and shaft lengths and also types of putting strokes but seems to favor the pendulum type shot.
it does cover swing timing and the rhythm, the tick-tock and how diffrent lengths shafts have an effect on the swing timing.
also how diffrent putter lengths and lie change your stance and the way you swing around instead of down the line.
it can be heavy reading but there more in that book to help the average putter than any other book i have read.
cheers
Bill

Re: putting, indication of recognition of priority or problems?

Like all things golf you need to work at it to become better and putting more than most. I think most golfers spend little or no time practising their putting, I agree that you need to be comfortable with your putter but from my viewpoint all good golfers have good putting actions and most higher handicap golfers have poor ones.