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The Dark Art - How to learn to putt

JCoop

JCoop

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As a relative golf noob it has taken me a couple of years but I'm beginning to see the light. Putting is very, very important.

With that in mind, how would I best go about learning to putt properly? And how do I figure out whether my inherited mallet putter is right for me or if I ought to switch to a blade? Lessons? Fitting? Youtube videos?
 
A lesson is the best way to start IMO. SeeMore's SPi is a place to look first. They have instructors all over the country and lessons are even available on-line if you prefer.
 
Agree 1000% with Howzat
 
Take a lesson. It's a golf swing. As such, an instructor is a good thing to have.

Green reading is something where I think there's no such thing as too much advice, until you hear the advice that works for you. Once you find something that works, never listen to another word anyone tells you on the subject.
 
After seeing the title, this is gonna be me every time I putt now:

Avada-avada-kedavra-24249448-500-210.png


:alien:

On a more serious note though, a lesson really is the best way to start, followed by lots of practice and (if you can) experimentation with lots of different headshapes and lengths once you've got your stroke semi repeatable. A putter fitting would be even better in that regard once you've got halfway decent technique.
 
SPI instruction and get properly fit for a putter
 
All great answers. I learned more about putting in a morning with Seemore than I had previously learned my entire life. The bonus...........It Works!

JM
 
Agree with the premise - it's black magic. It's like being a protege at a musical instrument - some people are just wired to be able to read slope and greens and have soft hands that can judge speed from any distance and slope. I feel the full shots are much easier to master, as this can be done through practice over years ... but to be a really REALLY good putter - thats a God given talent (of course thats brought out by practice), but if you don't have it, you just don't have it. The putting stroke is mechanical ... it's judging speed on different greens / courses and particularly reading greens that is inherent to certain individuals. Speaking from experience - I've proven extensively that I just don't have "it" ...
 
There are a lot of theories about putting just as there are about the full swing and any other aspect of the game. Some people teach an approach that drives you to a particular setup and stroke. Others promote a more natural way that doesn't necessarily conform to conventional theories. If you look at this board (even this thread) there are many people that appear to have success with the seemore approach to putting. In my opinion, they fit you to a putter. My instructor takes the approach of fitting a putter to your natural tendencies and choices. Choices are things like posture, eye position, and source of motion. For example if you want to model yourself after Tiger you will use the right arm to power the stroke, Pelz is shoulders with not arms, Utley is arms with passive shoulders, Stockton is left arm.

The first key to putting is to find a style or putter that will enable you to roll the ball on your intended line every time. If you can't do that you won't have the consistency to effectively read a green or tune distance control.

You asked if your putter is correct; my question back to you is do you roll the ball on your intended line not matter what distance you are trying to hit a putt? If not, then it probably isn't the right putter or you have conflicts in your stroke that are causing you to make manipulations during your stroke.
 
Thanks for all the great input! I guess I am going to get a putting lesson from my local pro. It turns out that there is an SPi instructor not too far from here so I'll likely go that route.

Some days I do okay with my putter but I'm not consistent and have changed my grip several times looking for that consistency.

Is there any use going to a demo day and trying out different types of putter? Will I pick one up and it'll just feel "right"?
 
I agree with all that was said above and will add my two cents. Find a setup/stance that is comfortable to you so it is repeatable. Then have the putter fit to your style. For judging distances, I have found picturing myself rolling the ball to the hole with my hand helps my lag putting.
 
Do you need a SeeMore putter for their instruction?
 
inthehole said:
Agree with the premise - it's black magic. It's like being a protege at a musical instrument - some people are just wired to be able to read slope and greens and have soft hands that can judge speed from any distance and slope. I feel the full shots are much easier to master, as this can be done through practice over years ... but to be a really REALLY good putter - thats a God given talent (of course thats brought out by practice), but if you don't have it, you just don't have it. The putting stroke is mechanical ... it's judging speed on different greens / courses and particularly reading greens that is inherent to certain individuals. Speaking from experience - I've proven extensively that I just don't have "it" ...
Click to expand...

Disagree.

Putting is not mechanical at all. It's all feel. If you're trying to make it mechanical, that's likely the cause of problems. You have to envision the line, then envision the stroke it will take to get the ball there. It's impossible to completely describe what you need to feel, but once you feel it, you'll get it. That doesn't mean you'll suddenly become the world's best putter, but you'll get much farther than trying to be mechanical.

However, I do certainly agree that taking a lesson is helpful. Even if your feel is great, you won't be successful if your setup or stroke is poor.
 
Step 1: Get a putting lesson from a coach coach. Find out who the best putter fitters are in your area and call them for a recommendation if you need. SeeMore is great, but it's just one of many great options. If no good coaches are in your area, there are some very good ones online for both charge and free (youtube is one hell of a resource).

Step 2: Go to a great putter/club fitter and have them check your putter, for you, as you putt properly (thus why the lesson and a week or two of practice should come before the fitting). They'll figure out how much loft, toe hang, and etc that it take for you to get a good, straight, consistent roll. You may find you need to buy a new putter here, and you may find you're just fine with the one you own already.

Step 3: Putt the hell out of your new lessons and fit putter. Go to a practice great and practice no more than 2 putting every hole out there in a row. Over time you'll develop an intuition for putting, your putter, and your method. You may feel you need to try a different putter or to change your swing--fine. If intuition and practice lead to that conclusion then great.

Step 4: Once you feel the ball is going where you want it to, at the right speed, then you need to invest time and energy into reading greens better. Aimpoint is one, but there are many videos and youtube teachers who can give you all you need and more. Learn to read break, slope, and the fall line and how those interact and will influence the path of the putt.

Step 5: Now you're pretty much "installed" at this point. By the time you get here, you'll form a strong point of view about how to practice, where your strengths and weaknesses are, and where you need to do better or ask for help to improve.

Best luck.
 
Thanks again for the advice, everybody. Sounds like I need to invest in a number of areas, a lesson, practice and fitting at a minimum.
 
I cant' read a green to save my life unless there is a huge, obvious break. I usually just aim for the hole and try to get the speed down.

It also puts a lot of pressure on your chipping if you feel you have to put the ball within 3 feet to sink it. THere's nothing more frustrating than hitting a rare (for me) great iron shot or chip and then missing a very makeable putt.

I've never broken 80, but if I could putt well I'm sure i would have several times, including this past weekend.
 
hackasack said:
I cant' read a green to save my life unless there is a huge, obvious break. I usually just aim for the hole and try to get the speed down.

It also puts a lot of pressure on your chipping if you feel you have to put the ball within 3 feet to sink it. THere's nothing more frustrating than hitting a rare (for me) great iron shot or chip and then missing a very makeable putt.

I've never broken 80, but if I could putt well I'm sure i would have several times, including this past weekend.
Click to expand...


This post could have been written by me ... I agree with every single word of it. Being a lousey putter puts tremendous pressure on chipping - I've always felt this. I too have knocked on the door of breaking 80 & without question - missing too many 5-7 footers is always the root cause. I'm thoroughly convinced that reading breaks is an art ... an inherent ability ... some people have it & some don't. I just can't read subtle breaks reliably ...
 
Anyone can learn to make a decent putting stroke. The hard part is making that stroke with confidence. You may be uncertain of the speed, or maybe the break you read doesn't look quite the same as you stand over the putt, so your subconscious tries to "adjust" for what it thinks it sees or feels. That leads to inconsistency, which leads to frustration, which makes you second guess every putt. I've found that I have to make my read, then regardless of whether I have doubts, I have to plan my putt, set up and make the stroke I visualize, then accept the fact that I won't always be right.

I still want to make that stroke - that is my key to whether I'm putting well or not. I want to be able to say that I hit my spot, even if it turns out that the spot was a foot off the line I should have read. If I keep making good strokes, them I'm winning 3/4 of the battle. Reading is mostly experience. You can pay for Aim Point classes or the like and chart your game to death, but ultimately, experience and practice will serve you best.

I've only been able to play 10 rounds in the last 28 months, yet my putting is still the best part of my game. The reason is because I can make a confident stroke regardless of any niggling doubts. I know that my stroke is rock solid, so that takes a lot of the uncertainty out of my putting.
 
Fourputt said:
I want to be able to say that I hit my spot, even if it turns out that the spot was a foot off the line I should have read.
Click to expand...

This is the key to putting. If you can't hit your spot, you can't expect to learn to read putts or learn distance control.
 
Fourputt said:
you read doesn't look quite the same as you stand over the putt, so your subconscious tries to "adjust" for what it thinks it sees or feels.
Click to expand...

You're absolutely right. I've found myself doing this sometimes and need to stop doing this.
 
"Hitting your spot" right on - I have often read a putt then changed my "read" when I got over the ball, usually with disastrous results. I'm finally getting it in my thick skull, execute what you "read" when you stand over the ball.
 
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