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Do You Really Practice Putting?

i dont practice putting much its the strongest part of my game. i have a good stance and shoulder rock pretty consistant.

the fundamental that i have to watch is ball position if its off i i will push or pull puts if its too far forward or back in my stance. most of the practice i do is green reading and speed practice. through ladder drill and reps on the green putting different breaks.
 
I am not sure if I really work on putting based on your scenario here. I practice on my birdieball a few times a week, and when I go to the range, but I am mostly just picking out targets and rolling the ball towards them. Maybe it is because I am not familiar with HOW to practice putting in a better way
 
Honestly no, not enough.

Putting practice for me usually is 15 minutes on the practice green before and after a round/range session. I don't put in the same amount of time as I do to chipping/pitching, or to long irons... I just feel like because the ball is on the ground, that it doesn't require as much time/effort/skill. This is something I hope to change this year. Equal amounts of time spent on each aspect of my game (If I want to chip or mash balls for half an hour, then I am going to have specific drills for my putting practice so that I will spend the same amount of time with a more focused practice).
 
There are only three times that I bother putting outside of my normal round of golf. One is when I'm not doing well with short putts. I hate missing 3 footers, and I prefer to make 9/10 from 5 feet. So when that happens, I go out and do the latter drill, or around the world, or any other names for working on short putts. I call that practicing. When I'm on a new course, I hit balls back and forth across the green. I'm not actually hitting towards any cup, I'm just learning the speed of the green. I call that 'practicing' as well. Finally, the week of my city tournament, I spend at least 50% of my time the week of the tourney on each green at my course, putting to likely pin locations (I've played it enough, the pins are usually in one of a couple of spots), really focusing in on the amount of break from each area of the green. I call that practicing.

I can't remember the last time I just putted around on a green just to putt around.

~Rock
 
I can't wait for the SeeMore Event in June so I can finally figure out what I need to be doing and how I need to be practicing!
 
When I practice putting I always try to work on my swing/stroke so I am strike the ball correctly and get the right path. Other things I work on is my proper setup, proper grip, and make sure I stay consistent. Also I like to work on making my putter face square at impact. So if that isn't practicing IDK what is.
 
Honestly? No. I might hit some putts on the practice green before a round but other than when I was preparing for mc2012, I don't practice much.

I am either working or playing. Not a lot of extra time for real practice.
 
I usually work from close to far. Hit from 4 spots all around the hole from about 4 feet and have to make 5 in row to move on. Then I move to about 7 feet and repeat until I get far enough away that 5 in row is to hard lol
 
I'd like to think so. The routine I use is to hit a dozen 5 foot downhill, then 5 foot uphills, then move out to about 10 feet and do the same. Mostly just focusing on keeping the stroke in check and putting in my brain that this is the backstroke today...
 
I am working on the SPI method so that includes swinging the medicine ball and using the putting arc on almost a nightly basis. When I am on the putting green I have spent 905 of my time inside 10ft to get comfortable with the stroke. I would say that I am truly working on my putting
 
I start each practice session with the putter with working on fundamentals. Then I have a few drills I work on, but most of my practice is within the 10' range. After I work on these two things I will then work on the long range putting by "playing" 18 holes trying not to three putt any hole. Some times what I do might be the definition of insanity but I love to practice and play games with the putter!!
 
When I work on my putting I focus on tempo and stroke. I also focus on keeping my head still and in place until after the stroke has been made.


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Before my layoff from the game I just practice to different holes on thenpractice green. Id spend hours on my swing and chipping but maybe 10 minutes for putting.
Since my return to playing ive taken putting alot more seriously. Ive got quite a list of drills I work on when I practice on the putting green. Ive absorbed many ideas and thoughts from members on here.
The last month has been a true learning experience. With the r.s.t in seemore I came to find out that my setup and posture were off. Watching a video you posted about the putter grips opened my eyes up a little to. Throw all that in with the "no foward press" and ive spent hours re defining my putter stroke. And truthfully I cant tell a difference. Im not making 20 ft'ers everytime, but im making birdies and very seldom 3 putt these days.
 
I used to just go out there and hit putts and call it practice.

Here recently, I'm working more on posture (athletic) and proper forum and shoulder rock while trying to keep the hands out of it.

I also know that I'm just beginning to learn how to practice so I read these threads with keen interest to see better players habits.
 
My instructor has me working on putting from two different angles. First is the "four corner drill" which involves me hitting 20 straight putts from 3'. If I don't make 20 in a row, start over. He told me as I get better, to up the number of putts (25, 50, 100 if I am so bold and have countless hours to waste). The second ties in with my chipping. I need to chip onto the green with 5 balls. I need to sink 4 of those putts. Do that three times, and if I sink 12 of 15 putts, I'm done (a made chip counts as two putts). If I don't make 12 putts, I need to start over. So while the four corner drill helps me feel that anything within 3 feet is automatic when I'm on the course, the chipping drill really forces me to focus on lining up my shots properly, hitting from any number of distances (this drill punishes me for poorly chipped shots), getting my pre-putt routine down, and the like.

I only putt indoors for giggles, or if I am bored ... never for practice.

My pre-putt routine is something he's drilled into me from my first lesson, as well as keeping my head down (count to 2 after impact before lifting up to track the ball) and having a consistent swing back and swing through (no stabbing at the ball). I have found that when I go to putt now, I don't even look at the hole or my line once I address the ball. If I have lined it up properly, and I know what speed I need to hit it at, looking at the hole is pointless. The ball is lined up on the proper line, I just need to send it on its way. Maybe that's a particularly bad habit, but it's been working for me lately.
 
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It's interesting seeing the different approaches that people have to their putting and to their putting practice. This is a fun thread to read.
 
Most of my putting practice revolves around distance control. If the green is not crowded, I will always "grab" a section and put down tees at 20, 30 & 40 feet. Then, get 2 balls and putt until I get at least 5/6 to go in or stop no more than 2 feet past the hole.

On a crowded green, I'm usually working on getting better at reading breaks.
 
Lots of really good questions lately to make me think.

When I am home practicing on the birdie ball I try to work on a consistent stroke. Getting a consistent stance, ball position and rhythm. It's easy to see on a completely flat surface like that if you are pushing or pulling the ball or hitting exactly where you are aiming.

What I do need to work on out on the practice green is reading breaks. I have great distance control but am terrible at choosing the right line. It is one thing where it wouldn't be insanity yet to be out there practicing a lot because I don't do it enough, but certainly an area where drills or instruction could be beneficial.
 
My practice with putting depends on where I am putting. If inside on a mat, i'm more concerned with putting routine, getting set up, alignment, ball position, etc. These putts are usually 5-6 ft and working on setup and stroke.

Once i'm outside on the practice green I work on pace with longer putts, work on the putts that give me fits on the course (right to left breaking putts) & I work on downhill puts to not necessarily make them, but working on the proper stroke to try and make them or give myself an easy come back.
 
I have taken time to put in a lot more real practice, whether that's certain drills, like putting to a distance, or just focusing on going through my routine. I get some strange looks at the practice green when I get down behind the ball, line it up, step back, take my practice swing, step up to the ball, and make my putt. But grooving my routine is part of improving my putting, IMO.
 
Practice almost daily at work. Have a job that allows that at times. Smooth rolling carpet in the store. It's sweet. I work on my alignment and keeping my eyes over the ball with some tape on the floor from 3 different distances. It has proved very valuable in getting my putting back to where it used to be. Then I go to various areas of the store to work on my speed. Practicing both ways has helped. I work on the technical side with the alignment part and the feel side with the other. My putting has never been better.
 
When I practice putting I usually do it on the course during a practice round and try multiple putts from multiple locations.

When I'm on the practice green or at home it's all about fundamentals, posture, grip and stroke!
 
I'd say what I do when putting more closely resembles whacking away at balls on the range rather than structured practice. I try to make sure I' set up properly and aiming correctly. However, I'm still working on "feel". My brain needs repetitions to learn how far the ball will go with my putter with different stroke lengths.
 
Exactly my goal this year.

Practice putting ALOT more. I am guilty of never practicing it really. Its one of those things that I just dont get excited to do.
 
This is a great question, and I'd say I'm more guilty of beating balls, but do some practicing. The one drill I really enjoy is to put a sleeve of balls on each side of my putter and a ball in the middle to reinforce center of the face contact and bringing my putter through on line. The real thing I need to practice is reading greens, and that needs a golf course to work on.
 
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