Missing putts above the hole?

How do you miss putts above the hole?

  • Miss putts on the high side - shorter next putt

    Votes: 10 90.9%
  • Miss putts on the low side - longer uphill putt

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Other - see my foolproof logic in the thread

    Votes: 1 9.1%

  • Total voters
    11

RealPretendPsychic

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I can’t find the link, but I remember seeing a Padraig Harrington putting lesson video where he advocated missing putts on the high side of the break because missing below the hole causes the last few rolls of the putt to carry the ball further away from the hole. This goes against everything I believed in, as I was always taught to give myself an uphill putt if I miss. My home course has severely sloping greens, and as we near summer, the firm and fast greens have me recalling Padraig’s instruction.

THP thoughts?
 
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You might be mixing two different meanings of "above" the hole. Always want to miss the putt on the high side of the break -- i.e, above the hole rather than below the hole -- otherwise, it never had a chance to go in the hole. If you're talking purely straight uphill vs straight downhill, yes, you would want your second putt to be uphill.
 
Miss on high side just in case it wants to roll in. No chance below the hole.
 
You might be mixing two different meanings of "above" the hole. Always want to miss the putt on the high side of the break -- i.e, above the hole rather than below the hole -- otherwise, it never had a chance to go in the hole. If you're talking purely straight uphill vs straight downhill, yes, you would want your second putt to be uphill.
That’s exactly what I meant! Thanks for clarifying!
 
I’ve heard the high side referred to as the “pro side” because most amateurs don’t allow for enough break.
 
Yesss I saw a great visual for this today!
 
Low side never has a chance.

I preach high side, 2 feet by, to my kids
 
Low side never has a chance.

I preach high side, 2 feet by, to my kids
It’s been a surprisingly challenging change to commit to!
 
It’s been a surprisingly challenging change to commit to!
It’s hard to change a mentality on the greens let alone in golf. My HS boys and girls HATE missing low because they know they’re going to hear it from me wherever they are on the course :LOL:
 
Yesss I saw a great visual for this today!


This is interesting, I will admit I have never really given too much though about which side of the hole to miss on, other than instinctively knowing that missing bad on the low side is NOT the way to go.

I think I am going to give high side emphasis a try for a while at your suggestion.
 
Definitely not playing enough break and missing on the low side is a no no especially on slopey greens. Some of the old New England courses don't have the undulations of say Kiawah so they put a lot of slope in the greens. Low is a no go. Everyone likes an uphill putt but if it is within 3 feet I am fine with a downhill putt.
 
Yesss I saw a great visual for this today!

Your right that this is a great example. My course has pretty sloped greens as well and the one thing that stands out to me about higher handicaps is that the usually play to little break and miss low. If you start it to far out you at least have a chance for it to maybe catch the slope and dive in or if your speed is just right it can die and creep into the top of the hole. I don't mind burning and edge high but if I do the same thing on the low side it bugs me.
 
I have been really trying to focus on this this season. I am honestly trying to feel like what I would have originally thought was "half a cup out right" I'm now trying to force myself to start more "full cup right." I am over-reading some now, but I am hoping by the end of the year the over-compensation early on helps more putts fall later in the year. I will say, my putting has been a lot better this year compared to years past, but still needs some work

*insert joke about the long drive guy needing to work on his putting* :ROFLMAO:
 
Don’t forget the other, less talked about evil of the low side. When you’re flirting with the edge of the cup on a putt, way more often than not the high side likes to drop in and the low side likes to lip out.
 
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