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Putting fool looking for a makeover

SeeMore Golf
Since I have a SBST stroke, I am going to practice using a board or something to try to get better at having a steady stroke. A 2x4 should work fine according to my coach. Just ride the putter against it on the way back and forth. He had me doing that during my lesson and said it will help you get more consistent. I have a terrible habit of going on different paths when I take the club back and need to get that straightened out. I made a 25 foot for birdie this week and no 3 putts on 9 holes. I was happy!!!!
 
Chunkylover77 said:
It was just strange for me to grip the putter. I grip with my left hand first and then put my right hand on last. Don't know how to put the ball in there properly. Maybe I'm a little slow. Is it supposed to feel pretty normal?
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Sorry for the delay. Yes, it's not going to be exactly like your normal putting stroke. Really, what it helps me do is get the feeling of using my shoulders instead of my wrists. I place the ball an inch or so below my right wrist and then grip with my left hand. You could also do the old tongue depressor or pencil under the watch band too.
 
Hawk said:
Sorry for the delay. Yes, it's not going to be exactly like your normal putting stroke. Really, what it helps me do is get the feeling of using my shoulders instead of my wrists. I place the ball an inch or so below my right wrist and then grip with my left hand. You could also do the old tongue depressor or pencil under the watch band too.
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Interesting. I played around with this a bit. Didn't like the ball placed so close to my wrist, it put my hands out of whack on the putter. I then put the ball about 4 inches above my wrist resting between my forearm and the end of the putter grip and it was better. I still didn't like the angle my forearm was in. I took my normal grip and found that my right wrist rests against the knuckle of my left middle finger, so if I press my wrist against the knuckle I can feel if my wrists move at all. This allows me to take my normal grip and I will also be able to use it on the greens. Thanks.
 
KellyBo said:
Since I have a SBST stroke, I am going to practice using a board or something to try to get better at having a steady stroke. A 2x4 should work fine according to my coach. Just ride the putter against it on the way back and forth. He had me doing that during my lesson and said it will help you get more consistent. I have a terrible habit of going on different paths when I take the club back and need to get that straightened out. I made a 25 foot for birdie this week and no 3 putts on 9 holes. I was happy!!!!
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thats exactly what my putting green from tour links came with - you warm up with the "board" in place and you feel the putter face stay square the whole time. Then remove it and your face should stay square.

Dave Pelz mentions that putter face angle is 4 times more important than putter path. So he says if you are going to practice anything and get anything right - make sure its putter face angle at impact. If your path is off line and the face angle is square - you will still be relatively close. Whereas your face angle slightly open or closed - the putt will never have a chance.

I like reading pelz, hes a science geek like me (although i didnt work for nasa like him) I like hearing the scientific reasons for things working. I cannot wait for our greens to dry up here - im anxious to get started on my short game for real.
 
David Porter said:
putting is as easy as shooting free throws.
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I couldn't hit them either. Thanks everyone for contributing. CG I appreciate the offer but I have his book already somewhere. It got put away during our move and I have just never found it. I ordered Utleys book and I think I may get the dual plane thingy that jnug has talked about. I think it will come down to repetition more than anything. I have been practicing my putting at home on the carpet and did manage to have only 32 putts my last round. If I could get my average down to low 30's I will be happy. Anyone who wants to post about their own putting woes or post about something that has worked for them please do so.
 
Chunky-

There are other alternatives that can be much more affordable. I've been where you are man, and I was there last year. I was so frustrated with myself on the greens that one night I sent an email in to Seemore. I was reading their website, saw a button that said contact us, I clicked it, then spilled my guts. I just laid it all out there. It felt nice to get it off my chest and it was even nicer when I received a reply from a gentleman named Ted. He asked me tons of questions in that initial email and not once did I feel like he was annoyed with me and my stupid questions.

We exchanged quite a few emails, he even requested that I send him some video, and based on all the information I provided he determined a few things:

- i was playing the wrong type of putter
- my putters weren't long enough

He recommended a center shafted putter for me b/c more often than not, I pushed the ball as opposed to stroking it. It was the best move for my game I ever did. I'm still young in my experience with the Si1 but there will be quite a few on here (mostly JB & my brother) that will tell you that my putting is night and day from last year.

THP has developed some phenomenal relationships with some phenomenal people. I would suggest reaching out to them before you do anything else.
 
David Porter said:
putting is as easy as shooting free throws.
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Not really, shooting freethrows is easy as long as you have the arc you need, it doesn't change. Putting, on the other hand, has many more variables. How fast/slow the greens are, uphill or downhill lie, how wet/dry the surface is, when the last time the green was cut, the elevations and undulations of the putting surface. All things you don't have to deal with when shooting free throws
 
Chunky,

How are you at reading greens? I feel I miss so many putts because of this and it really frustrates me.

Last night I read a couple new tips that I thought I would share.

1. Most greens (90%) have a low front and high back. Keeping this in mind should help you with the read.

2. Read with your feet. Which foot feels the highest? On long putts, it may take 3 readings (where your ball is, halfway there, then to the hole).

Would love to hear tips from others for reading greens. I especially have problems with hills.
 
KellyBo said:
Chunky,

How are you at reading greens? I feel I miss so many putts because of this and it really frustrates me.

Last night I read a couple new tips that I thought I would share.

1. Most greens (90%) have a low front and high back. Keeping this in mind should help you with the read.

2. Read with your feet. Which foot feels the highest? On long putts, it may take 3 readings (where your ball is, halfway there, then to the hole).

Would love to hear tips from others for reading greens. I especially have problems with hills.
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For me, getting opposite my ball, on the other side of the hole helps me read the green, kind of like looking back at the road you just drove down
 
TC I remember you writing about your back and forth with Seemore. You might be right. I will set aside some time tonight and write them. Thanks bro
 
I love my SeeMore too! I had trouble squaring my putter in the past. SeeMore gets rid of that problem so I can work on all the rest of the stuff.
 
KellyBo said:
Chunky,

How are you at reading greens? I feel I miss so many putts because of this and it really frustrates me.

Last night I read a couple new tips that I thought I would share.

1. Most greens (90%) have a low front and high back. Keeping this in mind should help you with the read.

2. Read with your feet. Which foot feels the highest? On long putts, it may take 3 readings (where your ball is, halfway there, then to the hole).

Would love to hear tips from others for reading greens. I especially have problems with hills.
Click to expand...

Kelly I think that I am actually quite good at reading greens. I've caddied for a guy who won the MET and he asked for my help quite a few times. He actually asked my help on 18 and sank the putt which won him the tournament. I guess if speed is included that would be a weakness. But I feel like when I read the green I will most times see the break well.
 
Chunkylover77 said:
Kelly I think that I am actually quite good at reading greens. I've caddied for a guy who won the MET and he asked for my help quite a few times. He actually asked my help on 18 and sank the putt which won him the tournament. I guess if speed is included that would be a weakness. But I feel like when I read the green I will most times see the break well.
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Great! When we play in our scramble at the outing, I will let just you tell me where to putt the ball and we will be putting lights out and singing our song!!!!!!
 
As long as we are not counting on me to actually make the putts we should be in good shape KB!!
 
Chunkylover77 said:
TC I remember you writing about your back and forth with Seemore. You might be right. I will set aside some time tonight and write them. Thanks bro
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You're welcome. YOu very well may need/want a lesson, but it doesn't cost a thing to send an email. Ted was very professional and helpful and I can't express how appreciative I am.
 
TC said:
You're welcome. YOu very well may need/want a lesson, but it doesn't cost a thing to send an email. Ted was very professional and helpful and I can't express how appreciative I am.
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+1, I took a putting lesson about a year ago and it was great. I always had the stupid thought in my head that puttings easy compared to a full swing.. wrong. One good putting lesson and I have never looked back. For say $75 for a one hour lesson is less than the cost of a new putter and will do much more for you short game.
 
My putting changed for the better last year.

The difference? I stopped thinking about it so much.

Actually, my putting stroke has become (technically) less sound. I break my wrists a bit on any putt over 8-10ft. I found this helps me judge the distance better. Purely subjective. I practiced what I found comfortable and broke my putt down to 2 parts.

1. Choose a line. That's your line, no matter what. You're sticking to it and forgetting about it.
2. Make a good stroke through the ball. Follow through longer than the backswing.

If it misses, I don't get down on myself as long as I rolled it ok, along the line I chose.

Overthinking, for me, is the killer on the green. If you're thinking about mechanics, you might as well not have a hole on the green at all.
 
Another thing you can try is just putting for distance. Lay a broom handle or something similar down and putt to it. Try and get the ball to just barely kiss it. Move it around to different locations and distances, it really gives you a good grasp of swing speed/distance control. Helped me alot, I don't come up way short or way over very often at all now
 
RonInThornton said:
Another thing you can try is just putting for distance. Lay a broom handle or something similar down and putt to it. Try and get the ball to just barely kiss it. Move it around to different locations and distances, it really gives you a good grasp of swing speed/distance control. Helped me alot, I don't come up way short or way over very often at all now
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I'm not a big fan of putting up to the target and no more. I feel like it tends to teach you to miss it short.

My favourite distance control drill is putting a couple of tees (lightly) in the practice green about a foot and a half behind the hole. You get 2 points for hitting the tees, 1 point for being within 6 inches of them, 1 point for holing the putt, and minus 1 point for everything short of the tees (which isn't holed).
Play until you hit a target of points.
 
Quick note: if you are going to try the Utley method don't order any aids except his Learning Curve. It is cheap and compliments his book, or can be used alone. The DVD covers everything functional in the book and just leaves out the stories and theory part of it. I would strongly suggest not picking a putter until you pick a style, or you are adding variable instead of removing them.

Never been a Pelz guy. He's the only one talking SBST. Al the other "big" guys out there teach some form of an arc stroke because it has fewer moving parts and comes more naturally. Having said that Stricker is SBST and I think he is the best putter on tour. For whatever that is worth to us mere mortals.

I try to play very naturally and instinctively like JB said and there is a guy named Geoff Mangum that teaches how to let your instinctive mind operate that way on the greens. Check him out. His stuff is light and easy to breeze through and try. It worked for me.
 
Chunky- here are my thoughts on it. Go to a golf store with a good golf green. Take out different styles of putters(anser, heel, center, mallet, etc), then go and putt a bout 10 5 footers with each. this will at least narrow down what you are most consistant with. After you have it narrowed down to 2 or 3, then back up a bit and see which one you lag putt the best with. That will help for now...I like How Kuchar has a longer putter so he can rest it on his front fore arm, this gives him the same stroke every time. One of my biggest problems is wanting to see the ball go in, I have really been working on keeping my head down for about 3 seconds after the ball is putted.
 
All4's said:
Quick note: if you are going to try the Utley method don't order any aids except his Learning Curve. It is cheap and compliments his book, or can be used alone. The DVD covers everything functional in the book and just leaves out the stories and theory part of it. I would strongly suggest not picking a putter until you pick a style, or you are adding variable instead of removing them.

Never been a Pelz guy. He's the only one talking SBST. Al the other "big" guys out there teach some form of an arc stroke because it has fewer moving parts and comes more naturally. Having said that Stricker is SBST and I think he is the best putter on tour. For whatever that is worth to us mere mortals.

I try to play very naturally and instinctively like JB said and there is a guy named Geoff Mangum that teaches how to let your instinctive mind operate that way on the greens. Check him out. His stuff is light and easy to breeze through and try. It worked for me.
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Thanks All4's. I got the Utley book on Saturday and have thumbed through it. After practicing his stroke a little bit I can definitely say that I am not an arc style putter. I thought I was but his stroke feels a lot different. I have read some of GM's stuff and I will look into him a bit more. For this week I'm going to try and practice the Utley method to see if it will work for me. I have to say that my last few rounds my putting has been better. 32 putts my last 2 rounds.
 
One-T said:
Chunky- here are my thoughts on it. Go to a golf store with a good golf green. Take out different styles of putters(anser, heel, center, mallet, etc), then go and putt a bout 10 5 footers with each. this will at least narrow down what you are most consistant with. After you have it narrowed down to 2 or 3, then back up a bit and see which one you lag putt the best with. That will help for now...I like How Kuchar has a longer putter so he can rest it on his front fore arm, this gives him the same stroke every time. One of my biggest problems is wanting to see the ball go in, I have really been working on keeping my head down for about 3 seconds after the ball is putted.
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Thanks One-T. I have been doing that but I'm not sure that I'm getting an accurate reading. The greens at my GS are basically sloped toward the hole so I'm not sure whether I'm putting it well or if the ball is just diving toward the hole because of the design of the green. I am feeling like some type of mallet is going to be best for me but Utley is dead set against mallets as they are face balanced which doesn't go with his method. I'm going to keep trying though. I really appreciate everyone who has taken the time to try and help me out.
 
Chunkylover77 said:
OK guys and gals. I'm desperate. Before I go out and start blowing money on a putter that won't change anything except my bank account, I thought it might be prudent to get some free advice. I am horrid on the green. I mean absolutely looks like the first time I'm playing golf horrid. My stroke is not uniform in the slightest. Sometimes I feel like I've got an arc stroke. Other times I feel like I'm SBST. Other times I feel like I'm almost lifting the putter up on the backswing and then jabbing down on the ball coming through. My aim is amazingly terrible. I can miss the hole on a 3 footer very easy.

I think what needs to happen is a complete overhaul. I've got a line into David Orr and I'm considering a 1/2 day lesson but it would be costly. If I could maybe start with a cheaper alternative that would be great. How would you guys/gals go about changing your putting stroke? Thanks for any insights offered.
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Buck putting is like a personality. You just have to be comfortable and have a positive additude towards it. My putting used to be really bad then a friend told me to open up my stance to see the line a little better and the ball started to drop a more often , but i wouldnt take any insight from me cause my putting sucks
 
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