putting woes, just venting

McLovin

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so yesterday was another extraordinarily poor performance on the greens for me. it was one of those rounds where i was so stressed out on the greens. i would make a stabby, yippy stroke, then just smh in disgust. just so helpless to stop it. on the practice putting green, the stroke is so good. i'm hitting my line with great speed. but get me on a green in an 18-hole round, and i absolutely lose my mind. my spi instructor wants me to practice more, so that it becomes more automatic and second nature. but when the practice putting is so vastly different from the on-course putting, i don't know how to fix that.

anybody go through something similar? how did you pull yourself out of it?
 
so yesterday was another extraordinarily poor performance on the greens for me. it was one of those rounds where i was so stressed out on the greens. i would make a stabby, yippy stroke, then just smh in disgust. just so helpless to stop it. on the practice putting green, the stroke is so good. i'm hitting my line with great speed. but get me on a green in an 18-hole round, and i absolutely lose my mind. my spi instructor wants me to practice more, so that it becomes more automatic and second nature. but when the practice putting is so vastly different from the on-course putting, i don't know how to fix that.

anybody go through something similar? how did you pull yourself out of it?
Do you know why you do it? Generally, this sounds like a variation of what we normally hear about with the full swing not transitioning from the range to the course. In that realm we often talk about changing how we practice to simulate playing. Could that apply here? On the practice green are you rolling several balls from about the same spot or do you move around, make reads, play one ball, etc?
 
Sounds like you're letting your head get in the way when the putts mean something. You might try reading Stockton's "Unconscious Putting." Do you do better on the course with long putts, the ones when you are just trying to get it close?
 
Do you know why you do it? Generally, this sounds like a variation of what we normally hear about with the full swing not transitioning from the range to the course. In that realm we often talk about changing how we practice to simulate playing. Could that apply here? On the practice green are you rolling several balls from about the same spot or do you move around, make reads, play one ball, etc?

my spi instructor diagnosed that my arc was way too strong, and that the putting was mostly hands and arms rather than shoulders. he fit me into a different putter that gets me more over the ball for a less pronounced arc, and he has had me working on a putting arc to try to ingrain the proper stroke. then he has me doing lots of speed drills to get the pace better. we don't do many drills that focus on line.

but even with a better setup, it's a full-on yip on the course. i take the putter back on a decent line, then the right hand fires at impact and sends the putt way offline, usually left of target and long due to the added "hit."

on the practice green, i will roll 3 balls from different spots. i look for uphill, downhill, left-breaking, and right-breaking putts to try to simulate everything i might encounter on the course. i'm only focusing on stroke, tempo and line on the practice green. if i make the putt, great; but all i want to do is get my stroke right. and it feels fantastic on the putting green, with tons of confidence. then the first putt of the round, i'm terrified.
 
Sounds like you're letting your head get in the way when the putts mean something. You might try reading Stockton's "Unconscious Putting." Do you do better on the course with long putts, the ones when you are just trying to get it close?

distance doesn't play a roll in the problem. whether it's a 30' putt or a 3' putt, the same yip happens. fwiw the yip also affects my chipping. so there's something in both of those motions.
 
One of the old timers here gave me a tip years ago about such a problem. Continue the follow through so that your almost pointing the putter head at the hole. I dunno why it works, other than making you consciously focus on something other than the problem but it worked like a charm for me.
 
I just recently (and posted about it) went through a total loss of making any short putt to the point of embarrassment it was so bad. This went on for the better part of 3 entire rounds where I couldn't sink anything inside about 6 or 7 feet. Cant even tell you how many 3 and 4 footers I missed. Then one (4th)round it came back about 50/50 and then the 5th round just like when it went on vacation 5 rounds earlier it just came back to normal again. I have no explanation, no reason, and still have no clue why what or how this happened. Just one of those things that magically left my ability for a little while and then magically came back. The only answer or advice of any kind my post even offers is that it will come back and these things just sometimes happen. Good Luck!
 
so yesterday was another extraordinarily poor performance on the greens for me. it was one of those rounds where i was so stressed out on the greens. i would make a stabby, yippy stroke, then just smh in disgust. just so helpless to stop it. on the practice putting green, the stroke is so good. i'm hitting my line with great speed. but get me on a green in an 18-hole round, and i absolutely lose my mind. my spi instructor wants me to practice more, so that it becomes more automatic and second nature. but when the practice putting is so vastly different from the on-course putting, i don't know how to fix that.

anybody go through something similar? how did you pull yourself out of it?

How many putters do you have? Sometimes switching putters and just having something different to look at can pull me out of something like that. Not saying to go buy another putter if you don't have an extra, but it just sounds like a mental funk to me.
 
my spi instructor diagnosed that my arc was way too strong, and that the putting was mostly hands and arms rather than shoulders. he fit me into a different putter that gets me more over the ball for a less pronounced arc, and he has had me working on a putting arc to try to ingrain the proper stroke. then he has me doing lots of speed drills to get the pace better. we don't do many drills that focus on line.

but even with a better setup, it's a full-on yip on the course. i take the putter back on a decent line, then the right hand fires at impact and sends the putt way offline, usually left of target and long due to the added "hit."

on the practice green, i will roll 3 balls from different spots. i look for uphill, downhill, left-breaking, and right-breaking putts to try to simulate everything i might encounter on the course. i'm only focusing on stroke, tempo and line on the practice green. if i make the putt, great; but all i want to do is get my stroke right. and it feels fantastic on the putting green, with tons of confidence. then the first putt of the round, i'm terrified.
It sounds like your brain is focused on the result during the round instead of the process like when you are on the practice green, and that is causing the anxiety. It's easy to say but maybe try to consciously think about tempo, etc., when you are playing and not the result. Maybe play a few times whiteout keeping score??
 
How many putters do you have? Sometimes switching putters and just having something different to look at can pull me out of something like that. Not saying to go buy another putter if you don't have an extra, but it just sounds like a mental funk to me.

thanks for the advice. i have 4 putters at home. the putter i used yesterday is brand new, only seen two trips to the practice green before yesterday's round, both of which were excellent.
 
It sounds like your brain is focused on the result during the round instead of the process like when you are on the practice green, and that is causing the anxiety. It's easy to say but maybe try to consciously think about tempo, etc., when you are playing and not the result. Maybe play a few times whiteout keeping score??


This. One of the most difficult things about golf is not caring about the result during the shot will always give you a better result. It's the reason why for most golfers a 4 foot putt for triple bogey is much easier than a 4 foot putt for eagle. A golf psychology book such as Putting Out of Your Mind might be helpful as well.
 
I think like a couple others have pointed out that it's a mental thing. The fact that you're rolling em great on the practice swing indicates you're set up/swing is good to go but when you get out for a round you have the yips. Like tequila said, try a round without keeping score and I bet you break thru that mental barrier and start putting the lights out again.
 
thank you for everyone's feedback. i feel so confident on the putting green, but it all goes to crap on the course. it's so frustrating. i'll definitely take everyone's thoughts and put them into practice, and hopefully i break through this mental barrier. thanks again!
 
Like someone else has said, this is where I'd switch putters. We know its not the putters fault, but when I'm in this kind of funk just looking down at something different brings my head into a different place. Sometimes I stay with that putter, or go back to the original one. Again, its the Indian rather than the arrow (respectfully), but this helps my mental game for whatever reason.
 
It sounds like your brain is focused on the result during the round instead of the process like when you are on the practice green, and that is causing the anxiety. It's easy to say but maybe try to consciously think about tempo, etc., when you are playing and not the result. Maybe play a few times whiteout keeping score??

I would also agree that this is spot on. Clearly if you are putting well in practice, but not on the course, it is a mental issue. You need to get out of your head and allow yourself to do what you know how.

I went through a period like this and it snowballed on me to where I lost all confidence. Finally it took me stripping down my putting thoughts to where the only thought I had was "see the spot, roll the putt". Trusting your instincts instead of fighting them is liberating. This allowed me to get my confidence back and I've never putted better in my life. You'll get it caeleric!
 
Trusting your instincts instead of fighting them is liberating. This allowed me to get my confidence back and I've never putted better in my life. You'll get it caeleric!

that's SO encouraging to hear! good on you for sticking with it and coming through on the other side better for the struggle. so you're telling me there's a chance?! :)
 
I don't want to mess with your putting stroke since you say you're okay on the practice green.

Like what the other THPers are saying, I think you have a mental issue in actual putting.

You'll need to trust your technique completely and not overthink, the yip is a manifestation of not entirely trusting your stroke and trying to help it somewhat at the very last moment by adding wrists, which is the yip.

You might also want to lighten the grip on the putter. Try having a grip where the putter is almost falling off your hands, it's harder to put any wrist action, or yip, if you're gripping the putter that lightly.

I also try to not overthink by either having a song in my head or thinking of nothing at all while putting. I keep the decision-making process simple and more external, like looking at the hole and making practice strokes to find the right distance rather than having conversations with myself. It's sort of working out the putt I need to do with my body rather than the head.

I found myself humming to a stupid hamburger ad yesterday, but I made exactly just one putting error in 18 holes, and my longest putt that went in was 30 feet.

I also noticed I putt better when I contact the ball towards the toe rather than on the line itself, I just need to trust that whatever I do is going to work out.

Like you, my putting is also right-arm dominant but the motion comes from the elbow and shoulders, not the wrist.

Lastly, I don't know if you've been fitted with your Putter for length and balance. Strong putting arcs need toe-balanced putters, while flat arcs are better off with face-balanced ones.
 
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Even though you are an SPI guy, you should read Unconscious Putting by Dave Stockton. It's less than 100 pages, and very little of that book is about the mechanics of putting. More of it is devoted to the approach to putting. I'm a big fan of the approach that Stockton promotes. If you're committed to the SPI mechanics, then just skip the mechanics chapter of that book.
 
Even though you are an SPI guy, you should read Unconscious Putting by Dave Stockton. It's less than 100 pages, and very little of that book is about the mechanics of putting. More of it is devoted to the approach to putting. I'm a big fan of the approach that Stockton promotes. If you're committed to the SPI mechanics, then just skip the mechanics chapter of that book.
So much this
 
I don't want to mess with your putting stroke since you say you're okay on the practice green.

Like what the other THPers are saying, I think you have a mental issue in actual putting.

You'll need to trust your technique completely and not overthink, the yip is a manifestation of not entirely trusting your stroke and trying to help it somewhat at the very last moment by adding wrists, which is the yip.

You might also want to lighten the grip on the putter. Try having a grip where the putter is almost falling off your hands, it's harder to put any wrist action, or yip, if you're gripping the putter that lightly.

I also try to not overthink by either having a song in my head or thinking of nothing at all while putting. I keep the decision-making process simple and more external, like looking at the hole and making practice strokes to find the right distance rather than having conversations with myself. It's sort of working out the putt I need to do with my body rather than the head.

I found myself humming to a stupid hamburger ad yesterday, but I made exactly just one putting error in 18 holes, and my longest putt that went in was 30 feet.

I also noticed I putt better when I contact the ball towards the toe rather than on the line itself, I just need to trust that whatever I do is going to work out.

Like you, my putting is also right-arm dominant but the motion comes from the elbow and shoulders, not the wrist.

Lastly, I don't know if you've been fitted with your Putter for length and balance. Strong putting arcs need toe-balanced putters, while flat arcs are better off with face-balanced ones.

So, you're not going to share which "stupid hamburger ad" that will turn around his, and my, putting game? I was always told it is "nice to share."
 
Chris you say you putting stroke is okay on the putting greens. But not on the course. That tells it's not and doesn't hold up to the pressure you putt on yourself. From the two times we have played, I think your speed is off and reads are off. Next time out less work on that
 
I understand. I missed two under 3 foot birdie putts the other day but then made several other putts in the 6-12 foot range and one 25 footer. That's not uncommon for me. I simply feel confident over some putts but not others. Some of it is how putts line up (I see and line up right to left breaks better), and then other times I am mentally lost in the moment. I feel rushed, don't follow my routine, have negative outcome thoughts, death grip the putter, and every other possible faux pas. No way the putt is going in. And then that can carry over to the next green. The only thing I know to do is work on my routine and force myself to do the exact same things for every putt. Hopefully that structure minimizes those awful putts. Until then, all I can do is take the strokes and laugh.
 
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