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Every putt isn't a birdie Putt or is it.

To be fair Ary, Stockton is a physical coach, Rotella is a mental coach. Two different ways to the same end. Stockton builds you physically to make the putt, Rotella builds you think you can make the putt.
 
I think I have a weird mentality when it comes to birdie putts. My #1 goal is to not 3 putt. If that means not being as aggressive on a birdie putt, so be it. The last thing I want is a 6 foot bender for par after a 30 foot birdie putt. Odds are very low that it will be made anyway, so I try and protect par. Obviously you get certain putts where you have a green light and can go after them without much consequence. A par putt after a birdie putt I am always going to try and make but those tend to be in the green light area anyway. I've seen too many times where multiple 3 putts just kill a good round so I just try and take them out of the equation. Same thinking applies if a par putt is the first putt. Green light area, go for it, if not guard against the 3 putt.
 
Maybe this is part of my problem, but if I'm 10+ feet away from the hole I'm not even trying to sink the putt I'm just trying to make sure my next one is a tap-in. My putting is improving day by day so I think I'm getting more and more confident over the ball as time passes and with that I'm getting more aggressive. Leaving birdie putts 2' short is disheartening at best though.
 
Playdough said:
To be fair Ary, Stockton is a physical coach, Rotella is a mental coach. Two different ways to the same end. Stockton builds you physically to make the putt, Rotella builds you think you can make the putt.
Click to expand...

Exactly.... Rotella is about the thought process to be a good putter, not the mechanics. His book will make a world of difference in the way you think about putting.
 
I just focus on making the putt regardless of if it's for birdie, par, bogey, etc.


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I focus on speed big #1 then line. 99% of the time Im just trying to get it as close as I can so I can have a easy tap in for par. When I start thinking about making a birdie before I make it I cant put to save my life cause I overthink it or get tense. Every put is to make the par put a gimmie.
 
If it is 10 feet or less I expect to make it. 10-15 feet I want to make it, 15-20 an outside hope, and 20+ it is just a lag putt, and if it falls it is all the better.
 
I'm usually happy with a 2-putt. Expecting to make everything inside of 15 feet isn't very realistic. Even tour pros can't do that!
 
I'll always look at a good lag(less then 4 feet) and if I like the line that I have I'll try and get a birdie. Otherwise I never try and three putt- I'll take a par before trying to ram in a birdie putt and get a possible bogey.
 
I would say anything outside of ten feet I am trying to get close while giving it a chance to go in. I don't hit that many greens in regulation so I hope I can get my pitch or chip within that 10 foot range.
 
Definitely not. Putts inside 10ft are good chances. Putts 20ft and longer are just a bonus.

Even putts from around 20ft, ridges and questionable pin placements in relation to speed and slope can make some putts almost impossible. Freddie, I remember a putt you had at Grand Cypress' south course once that was such a BS placement that there was nothing you could do to get it inside 10ft unless you basically putted away from the hole up into the fringe and it trickled back down
 
Always going for the birdie via dead weight and usually sets me up for a nice putt for par if not successful...usually.
 
Every putt is different, just like every shot is different. I've had 8-footers I'm happy to get close and 30 footers I think I should make. I also try not to think specifically about an eagle putt vs a birdie vs a par/bogey/etc. They count the same regardless. I don't see why (barring a match that dictates it) I would treat a birdie putt different than any other. If it's realistically makeable, try to make it. But don't get more or less aggressive based on the score.

Snap hooked from my Galaxy S3
 
I try to make every putt I know I won't it's my weakness So if I get a two putt par I'm fine with it I don't lose any strokes. If I miss a 3 footer I disappointed but accept it and move to the next green. No sense in woulda coulda shoulda in golf if I do that the game would eat me.
 
SinceI got my Ping Udrainium I've been trying to hole everything.
If I miss then generally I'll still be close for par, or birdie on a par 5.
If I miss after a chip then clearly it was a bad chip and my putting is not to blame.
If I do genuinely miss then I try to laugh it off.

Before I changed putters I was nervous about 4 footers and everything else too.
I only putted long putts to get close.
This putter has changed my game and already had an effect on my handicap.
 
I try to make everything, including any chip/pitch I look at.
 
every time i read and then stand over a putt, i see the line and know that it can be put in the bottom of the cup...
i concentrate on hitting that line and making sure that i at least give myself a chance at the birdie, by not leaving it short.

there is however a certain distance, on larger or tiered greens, where i do envision a "i can still make par from there" bailout area i guess...

but every time i putt, i am looking at birdie, and if not, then a gimme par.
 
If you are putting for birdie, no matter where from, it is a birdie atempt. Where you take advantage of it or not is another thing all together.

With putting, confidence plays a major part, to the extent that no matter how good your technique you will never be a good putter if you do not have the confidence to try and sink the sucker. If you are someone who is frightened of the return if you go past the hole then you need to either practice those short 2'-3' ones or accept that from longer range you will not be playing to sink it.

If you miss from say 10' don't thow the putter into the lake. These stats below are from the PGA tour 2010.

Here is how the tour players performed:
At 3 to 5 feet from the hole PGA Tour players made 88% of putts attempted. At 5 to 10 feet from the hole PGA Tour players made 57% of putts attempted.
At 10 to 15 feet the percentage of putts made dropped down to 33%.
At 15 to 20 feet the percentage of putts made fell to only 19%.
When players putted from to 20 to 25 feet the percentage of holed putts went to 14%.

You can see that even the good guys only get a 33% hit rate on what even we would think are good birdie chances. As NORMAL mortals, if we get 15% from 10-15' I think that is about what we shoud expect.

I personally think that anything for me inside 25' is a chance and I will do my utmost to give it a chance. I do not however worry if I miss the odd few.
 
The way to look at putting
There is now stats on the PGA pros every putt
Once they hit 8 feet, they are only 50%
24 feet and out, they're only 5% while amateurs are around 12%
Due to LAG PUTTING
A pro can't 3 putt from 24 feet, whereas an amateur rifles it to the hole and makes it 12% of the time in the 24 foot range
Past 15 feet the stats are low you can make it, try to get near a par 5 in two for birdies then have your 3rd shot within 8 feet and the birdies will fall in bunches like they do for the pros
 
Richard Rodgers said:
If you miss from say 10' don't thow the putter into the lake. These stats below are from the PGA tour 2010.

Here is how the tour players performed:
At 3 to 5 feet from the hole PGA Tour players made 88% of putts attempted. At 5 to 10 feet from the hole PGA Tour players made 57% of putts attempted.
At 10 to 15 feet the percentage of putts made dropped down to 33%.
At 15 to 20 feet the percentage of putts made fell to only 19%.
When players putted from to 20 to 25 feet the percentage of holed putts went to 14%.

You can see that even the good guys only get a 33% hit rate on what even we would think are good birdie chances. As NORMAL mortals, if we get 15% from 10-15' I think that is about what we shoud expect.
Click to expand...

For most amateurs, the rate would likely be far less than 15%. Pros are much better at hitting their approach shots to the green. So, their 10-15 footer is often going to be more makable than those of the amateurs who are just trying to get anywhere on the green.
 
Every putt isn't a birdie Putt or is it.
I've always been of the mind set that I can make every putt that I see on the green for Birdie. It hasn't hurt me score wise but it hasn't helped as I have been on a drought of sorts. I started to think if all those misses outside of 15 feet have an effect of the mind. I don't feel timid over the putts but maybe I'm second guessing my reads, I don't know.

So I ask, when you are on a green in regulation, what are your thoughts? Are you trying to make par with a good two putt or are you trying to make birdie. If its the latter, do you think this effects you the more you miss. I mean does it set in as a negative even though your making pars. Please share.....

I try to make every putt, remember, sometimes good putts don't go in the hole. Golf is a game of shots, not score.Each shot has to be played to the best of your ability, a drive in the fairway, an iron to the green and a putt in the hole.​
 
I'm just trying to get it as close to the hole as possible. I draw a line from my ball to the hole with every one and aim to make it. If I miss I want to have an easy 2-putt. Every now and then I'll get a long one to drop, but I'm not expecting it. I do try though.
 
I'm a mid-high handicapper so birdies are awesome. I try to give every birdie putt enough to get in. I feel like my score suffers though because I tend to send them too far past and miss the come-backer. I need to adjust my speed obviously.
 
What are these "greens in regulation" you speak of?

I do try to make every putt. But even if I miss a 20' for birdie, and finish with a par, I will take it. Three putt bogeys though, they make me want to swear at clergy. They make me very mad.
 
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