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Do You Really Practice Putting?

I should add that I did have a putter fitting at club champion and was told my length/lie/grip was fine on my FGP. He adjusted the loft from 3 to 4 degrees - though I don't notice a difference. He gave me some drills to fight my tendancy to push the ball right which I've used some out on the range.

I'm also trying to coordinate at least one lesson with my local SPI instructor to confirm that I'm using the right length/lie/grip on my putter and to have some guided practice.
 
My miss is always on the left edge so I practice a follow through to the target, so I am thinking I am pulling it left even though everything else is lined up. I have put aligment sticks down and have proved this.
 
Up until recently there always seemed to be parts of my game that demanded more attention than putting, but I have now started practicing regularly. I try to spend at least half an hour per day at it, more if my back holds up or I can break it up. This is focused on alignment, stroke and distance control. I am putting in a lot of time inside six feet, I have been missing FAR too many of those. The work is starting to show, but I have a ways to go yet. However, I see this as the clearest path to shaving strokes at this point.
 
KellyBo keeps after me to get a lesson or two on the art of putting as I waste on average 40 strokes per round while putting. I can have a really solid ball striking day and still post a high score and I wonder why :bulgy-eyes:
 
Great question. I have been thinking about this lately. A bit of history. I bought a putting green (10' version with lines marked). First day I drilled 10 for 10 from around 9 feet. Right there I knew this was not going to help. Next up I bought a Birdie Ball green and started putting. Started getting pretty good quickly, and this made me think it would not translate too well on the course. For one thing, I was drilling a lot of balls in the hole. If those shots missed, I was in trouble on my next shot. And on the course I doubt I am going to make too many from outside 6 feet. The real issue is, am I going to get THE NEXT putt in or not? More important for me is getting the ball close, so I can make the next putt. That's why I started training by covering the hole on the BB. There is about a foot from the hole to the end of the green, so for me to count my putt as being "in the hole" it has to roll over the hole (so it would have went in) AND not go off the back of the green (longer than 1 foot past the hole). Basically I am practicing not to 3 putt.

I am also watching Jack's video and the PGA Tour Edition videos to get the fundamentals down.
 
I don't, although obviously I should, as it bores the life out of me! Interestingly, I've had 3 lesson in my life. 2 I got nothing out of, but 1, a putting lesson, totally transformed my game on the greens.
 
I honestly never properly practiced putting until now. I was always someone who before a round just rolls it to the hole to try to get my speed down. After getting a few tips and watching the seemore videos, I practice form, stance and grip repeatability. I have a long way to go to become a decent putter but putting in the proper practice will get me there.
 
I won't lie, sometimes I just hit putts but for the most part I make sure I go through setup routine, I pay attention to my back swing and follow through and feel for toe or heel strikes. When I practice I adjust after each role
 
JB said:
Okay, so stay with me as this will be a little drawn out. We all say we practice putting, but do we really? That is the question. Lets say you work on your putting for a bit at home as well as a bit before each round. Is that any different than beating balls on the range with no real purpose?

For some putting is a simple task because it is less moving parts and less length, so the assumption is who needs assistance. However the flip side is that if you are repeating a task over and over again in search of different results, it is literally the definition of insanity.

So the question to you, if you say you are practicing putting, does that involve anything more than putting balls at the hole from different locations? Or are you actually working on fundamentals?
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To be honest, I don't think I've ever practiced putting in my life. It has always been the strongest part of my game, so I usually just let it happen. Sometimes I include putting with my chipping practice as Harvey Penick recommended, using just a single ball and playing it until it's holed, then dropping in another location and doing it again (the goal being to never score higher than 2). In that case, I'm practicing a process more than just a single facet of my game.
 
I didn't until two years ago. Since I stated to really work on it, my handicap has dropped by about 5 strokes. There is absolutely a connection.
 
I usually just roll putts to get a idea of the speed of the greens, but I NEED to come up with some drills so my putting form is the same for every putt. I need to find some good drills to work on. Will do some searching here for some.
 
Ole Gray said:
KellyBo keeps after me to get a lesson or two on the art of putting as I waste on average 40 strokes per round while putting. I can have a really solid ball striking day and still post a high score and I wonder why :bulgy-eyes:
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Waste 40 strokes!? That's like self-woodshedding!

And to answer the question: My putting practice occurs in my head - confidence that I have the speed of the green. Trust my read. Practice stroke until it feels good. Deep breath, take stance, go. As soon as I get caught up and lose my mental confidence, oy!
 
I've just learned about truly practicing putting and I love it. Way fewer 3 putts now. I'll lay 5 balls around a hole on the practice green at 5,10, and 15 feet. I'll putt each ball using my on course routine. I only move to the.next distance after making 5/5 at 5ft, 4/5 at 10ft, and 3/5 at 15ft. This can lead to some long hours on the green, but it get me in the right frame of mind to drop those putts on the course. Especially from 5ft and in, I'm much more confident during my round.

sent without the boss's knowledge...
 
I think I do. Since getting a Seemore I have become more aware of posture, grip and stance. When I practice at home, these are my points of attention. When I am working at the course, I try to incorporate a concentration on pace.

JM
 
I practice putting a lot. My main drill at home and on the putting green is being able to get in a consistent setup to allow me to see the putt as a straight line to eliminate subconscious thoughts about the putt looking like it is going to go left or right. I continually get in my correct stance and then roll the ball over a dime that is 16 inches in front of the ball using any length stroke. If you are unable to roll the ball on your intended line, you are never going to be able to do learn break or speed control.

If I am working on reads and distance control, only 1 ball to any hole. Hitting the same putt over and over again only teaches me that putt and I may never have that exact putt again.



Obviously this is practice and not necessarily all I do pre-round. Pre-round I try add work to determine how fast the greens are running compared to my normal stroke distance. Not really a mechanical thought of take the putter back 6 inches, but more of a feel thing.
 
I definitely try and focus on mechanics during putting practice.
 
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. I have taken a new approach since I started working with my coach. It is working on fundamentals for sure and having targets so be able to judge distances. Making sure poster, grip and alignment are all in good shape also.
 
The way I view putting is this. You need to do 4 thing correctly in order to make a putt. First you need to read the green and pick a spot to aim. Then you need to be able to aim your putter to that spot. Thirdly you need to be able to start your putt on the correct line. And lastly you need to roll the putt the correct distance/speed.

So when I practice I break it down and work on these things one at a time. The last three you can work on both indoors and outdoors. The first no so much. I hate winter......
 
My typical putting practice isn't very practical. This winter I've been working on posture setup and stroke. Hopefully this will transfer to the course. I think going forward working on 10 ft putts and focusing on the basics (stroke and speed) is the way to go.

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I suppose if I'm honest and judge by the criteria in the first post than I do not practice putting. I do however have a ton of confidence in my alignment and stroke and it seems to serve me well from week to week. I do struggle with reading greens during the shoulder seasons but that's because they get very inconsistent and bumpy during the winter/spring.
 
A lot of times I'll pick a straight putt that's about 4-6 feet long and putt it until my mind starts to wander. Then I'll take a break and start over again. Usually, I'll do this during my lunch break from work, so before my time is up I make myself sink 10 in a row before I can leave.

Unfortunately with the weather being what it has been I haven't been able to get out in awhile. I can't wait to get back into it.
 
One of the best tips I have recieved is to put the putter against a wall take your normal stance and see if your head touches the wall if it doesn't you are not over the ball, you will be suprised how far you have to lean forward to get over the ball.
 
I just started playing again last year after a lengthy lay off due to burn out, followed by several years in the military. I took my first year to just play and try to get back into the game, and I tracked my stats. I figured out that putting was a definite weakness of mine (38-40ish putts per round). Last year I didn't really practice with a purpose. I would go out and try and make a few 5-10 footers, then practice lag putts, then get bored. It was just as you described- beating balls on the range with no purpose.

This year I have two drills I'm going to stick with. 1- Clock drill, where I go around the world to get speed and break down. I have to learn the fall line better, which is something I've read and watched videos about over the winter. Reading greens is a weakness of mine and something I'm going to improve upon. 2- Ladder drill, where I start at 3 feet and work my way back every 3 feet. Goal is to lag every putt to at or no more than 3 feet past the hole. I need serious work on speed control.

I figure if I work on those two with a purpose, knowing what my goal is and being competitive with myself, I will actually improve instead of staying terrible as I was last season. That, coupled with buying a putter fit for my stroke, hopefully will bring down my putts per round.


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After finding my current putter manufacture everything seemed a lot more repeatable. Winning a contest here and seeing first hand what my stroke was doing via a putt analyzer, I can tell when something isn't right. Trusting the line and stroke is easier to do, but still fall short sometimes. Making a game out of practice and doing so with a purpose changed a lot and look forward to ongoing improvement.
 
A beginner needs to practice putting a ton, just to groove a stroke, a pro, sure, it's his living. Since I play pretty much everyday when I play, once I start putting well, I rarely practice putting. If I stop making most of my putts within 6 feet, I might go to the green next round and start on my drill, I dump 5 in the hole from one foot and move out a foot every 5 balls until I'm about 6 feet. Usually I just concentrate on basics, hands ahead of ball, short backswing, accelerate through the ball. After making pretty much every putt and hearing the ball go into the hole over and over, I have enough visual feedback to think I am aligned and putting well again.

I play around 15 or so courses I know pretty well, so I know how the various courses are, slow, fast, medium etc.

All I worry about in putting is did the putt end up within 90% accuracy, 10 foot putt was it within a foot, 20 foot putt within 2 feet, 30 foot putt within 3 feet. Once you realize pros have only a 50/50 make ratio at 8 feet, you realize the key to putting is lagging putts to within 3 feet every put from 30 feet range. If you are putting over 30 feet, you need to work on your distances or ball striking.

I play with quite a few very good younger golfers, they shake their heads all the time, man you do not miss within 10 feet. Well I do, but if you can putt, you make lots of putts within 8 feet, way more than you miss, the first thing I learned in golf was to putt, the guy that taught me to play put me on a putting green with 10 balls at literally 1 foot, he said after you can make 10 in a row, move back a foot, then do it again. He said after you hit 10 in a row from 5 feet, come get me, I'll be hitting on the range and I'll show you how to hold a club.

It took me a few days of a couple of hours at the driving range putting green to even begin to master short putts 35 years ago. Nothing changed, you must be able to make almost every putt within 5 feet, pros are pretty much 100% from 3 feet, some go all year on tour and do not miss one putt within 3 feet. You move them back a foot to 4 feet, it's 90%, and they loose 10% every foot to around 8 feet when they get down to 50/50.

I hole out lots of long putts compared to the 'odds', but I'm really just picking a line and concentrating on speed once I'm past 15 feet or so. You can grind over puts past 15 feet, you make some, but you need to miss within 10% error. Even a 50 foot putt is only a 5 footer for two putts if you can just learn how to lag putt to 90% accuracy.

If I didn't play so much, I would put 50% of my practice time into putting. But playing everyday, I don't need to hit a range nor a putting a green, I play, that's my practice.

Some people are range rats, many are not, a lot of low handicappers that play look at the range as a warm up, I'm more like Angel Jimenez, I do a few stretches, loosen up and start to take half swings, then 3/4 then full, near the tee box.

I hit enough balls playing. If I want to work on something, I play a practice round late in the day and can usually hit a few tee shots on most holes, since most courses are dead later in the day.

Practice is paramount in the beginning of anyone trying to golf, but once you groove a fundamentally sound swing, what are you going to practice? Your swing is grooved, you use it almost everyday. You get off plane or start swinging badly, you hit the range or your instructor or start to look at video.

I would rather play daily than wear out clubs hitting way too many balls that only leads to aches and pains for guys over 50.

I've seen tons of guys spend 20 minutes on a putting green before a round and then they 3 putt all day.

Hit 10 short putts into the hole, get used to MAKING PUTTS and then you have the positive mindset to know you can make putts over and over within 5 feet. If you are over 5 feet from the hole on the 2nd putt over and over, you need to work on something other than putting. Unless you cannot lag from 20 to 30 feet.
 
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