Do you putt....scared?

I am fearless when it comes to putting. I really put a roll on the ball inside 10' - 15' feet. Very aggressive with the flat stick.

Couple of reasons. 1, I take some of the break out. 2, I'm never short.

Sure, I miss my fair share of putts, and when I do, I have another putt of some length coming back.

I'm a decent putter in as much as I have very few 3 putts. I always assume I will make everything.
 
I have always been a streaky putter but now I am on a particularly bad streak. Either way short or way past it. Unfortunate because I am striking it unusually well this summer.
 
Stan Utley says the fastest way to improve your putting is to hit the ball closer to the hole. There isn’t much you can do on full swings beyond a certain point, but you can work on chipping and pitching closer for when you miss greens.

As for the nerves, you need to be athletic and react to the putt you have. In other words, what would it take force-wise to roll the ball to the hole with your hands? It’s going to be a similar feel with the putter stroke. You could try putting while looking at the hole, at least when practicing, to develop your proprioception.
 
I do not putt scared. I don't putt well, but I don't putt scared :ROFLMAO:
 
Putting is the only part of golf I am not scared about. It’s the rest of my game that’s the stuff of nightmares.

Putts? Some I make, some I miss. I feel like I make my share.
 
I feel much more confident lately after moving to a Scotty Squareback 2 (mid-mallet). It feels so much better at setup and address that the 3-6 footers are no longer the anxiety filled knee-knockers they once were.

It probably doesn’t hurt that I spend about 20 mins a day on the putting mat, working on my stroke.
 
After playing 2 rounds this weekend I think I can narrow down where my fear starts; about the 30 foot mark. Less than that, I feel ok about speed, and anything 15 feet or less it’s about getting the line right. At 30 feet, I begin to worry about speed and often leave it short.
 
I do. I'm generally a good putter overall but could be better if I weren't constantly guarding against the bad.

Of course on my best days, there's no concern, no fear at all. On my worst, I'm pretty much a mental wreck. Was that way last time out. Missed numerous putts inside 5' and had a 25' uphill/side hill eagle putt that I left a whopping 8 or so feet short. 3-putt par.

Of course, playing the putt again after the hole, I put it to 4". Bubba's shots and do-over putts, those are nearly all very solid. Like Faxon says, when you don't care, it's easier. And during my PB round, I sort of adopted that mindset. Can't say that I didn't care but all round I was telling myself about putts "that's already good, just knock it in anyway." I was pretending that putts were already given to me and it seemed to take away the nerves.
 
Nope not any more. I won't be happy if I miss that short putt (inside 6 feet) but it happens. No reason to worry about a putt going by, the comeback putt is easier.
You putt with confidence and you will start making more putts.
I was good at hockey, not golf. But, like golf, goaltending is very much a mental game.

A breakaway in the first period is easier to stop than a breakaway with a minute left in a tied or one-goal game. That'll never change.

BUT.....

IMO, the key is having a loooooong memory for the good, and having the ability to forget the bad almost instantly.

It's difficult to do, but, if you can get good at it, you'll be smiling under your mask at the guy coming on that breakaway, or at that four footer on 18 for a new personal best.
 
I really struggle with this. My putting is becoming a strength especially when it’s not a big putt but I get really nervous when putting for birdie or par especially from 2-8 feet. It’s helped me lately to really focus on a slow back stroke so I don’t get jittery and quick and then focus on keeping my head down.
 
I really struggle with this. My putting is becoming a strength especially when it’s not a big putt but I get really nervous when putting for birdie or par especially from 2-8 feet. It’s helped me lately to really focus on a slow back stroke so I don’t get jittery and quick and then focus on keeping my head down.
Don't tell yourself it is a birdie (even though you know it is) it is just another putt. Treat them all the same whether birdie or eagle or to save par. Because what happens is you concentrate to much on the birdie putt and then if missed you dwell on it.
The only expectation should be "I will make this putt".
 
I don't think I'm ever scared putting. I don't always putt the best, but I try not to let anything bother me, choose my line, and go for it.
 
Don't tell yourself it is a birdie (even though you know it is) it is just another putt. Treat them all the same whether birdie or eagle or to save par. Because what happens is you concentrate to much on the birdie putt and then if missed you dwell on it.
The only expectation should be "I will make this putt".
I have been trying hard to get score out of my head when I play and just think about the shot I’m playing. It’s really tough for me being competitive but I think it would be the biggest improvement I could make in my game.
 
Don't putt scared, have always thought if on the green there's a chance to make it.
 
I prob putt more on the “scared” side than the aggressive caution to the wind side of things.
 
I don’t putt scared. Speed to me is the most important thin. I hate being short because it means I didn’t stand a chance. 1-2 ft past the hole speed wise. Than I trust my read and go through my routine. I can definitely improve but I don’t putt scared. I’ve been working on my putting stroke a lot lately. It’s coming together most of the time.
 
Never. 100% of the putts that come up short don’t go in. Long putts I commit to a solid line and imagine the hole is actually a manhole. All I gotta do is get it to backside of the manhole. Who couldn’t drop a tiny ball into a manhole from any length?
Works for me.
 
I do have a tendency to decelerate before impact more on lag putts and leave them way too short. Some days are worse than others.
 
Pros spend hours practicing 3’ and 6’ putts. I can’t remember the exact numbers but tour pro make 99% at 3’ and 85% at 6’. 3’ is the 2nd putt. Pros expect to get their chip shots within 6’.

Moral of the story for weekend warriors….practice the short putts. It will help remove/reduce the fear factor.

At least 3-4 times a week I do the star drill putting. I put 4 tees around the hole at 3 and 5 feet out. I make 3 putts at each spot before moving to the next spot doing all 4 spots at 3 feet then moving back to 5 feet. If I miss a putt at any spot I start over at that spot having to make all 3 without a miss. Fairly often I can make all 12 3 footers. I haven’t made all 24 putts without a miss yet but I did have only one miss yesterday.

Practicing the short putts and being confident in them frees you up on the longer putts because you aren’t worried about making the next putt.
 
My goal is to pick a pace and line, and hit them. If I do that, the putt going in the hole or not just is. It was kind of beaten into to me to not putt scared. He used to 'count the doubts in my stroke'. My game is based on being in aggressive positions, and that applies to putting as well, so I might think 'well this is going to suck' when I'm out of position, but I don't putt scared. The putter had nothing to do with me being in crap position on the green.
 
I spent and still do spend a ton of time working these putts on the practice green. Learning how to get confident with my line and speed on these putts is one of the most important parts of my game.
It’s working! You’re a killer!
 
@jmix18 was a spectator to this on Saturday in spite of his encouragement for me to hit the damn ball :LOL:
 
I have thought about this question in one form or another a few times. They idea of putting in hoping to not miss your next putt vs trying to make this one. It is a hard thing to get over. Especially on certain types of putt. Like down hill left to righters. You stand over it thinking "better be careful not to blow this by too far"..

The next question is how do you get to the not caring mentality?

I don't think of that ... maybe before the putt when I'm walking to the green. The way I get to get to not care is a process --- when I'm on the green, I'm reading and walking, finding my speed and line, up and downhill and my taget. My routine is the only thing on my mind. When I've prepared, I execute. Then I ask, did I do what I wanted? Did I hit the putt I wanted? If so, that doesn't mean it went in the hole. I can't control all variables. If I did not execute what I wanted, I ask why and figure out the execution issue. Then forget it.

Or that's theoretically what is happening. I've put score out of my mind. It's about the process.
 
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