Aussie Dave
Hacker From OZ
When I drive bad I putt bad I have no idea why this happens but it does.
putting woes, just venting
- Thread starter
- #27
the speed and read issues are what the spi instructor wants the drills to fix, and the putting arc work is what he wants to fix the strong arc.
on the putting green, I'm hitting my line, and speed is usually good within 3-4' of the hole, though not every time. and the tempo of the strike feels really solid.
but on the course, I'm missing my line by firing my right hand at impact and pulling the putt left. the speed issue I feel is a result of the right hand firing. hell, when I pull the ball back and try again the stroke is usually pretty good. it's just when it counts that it falls apart.
brother, I'm open to any and all criticism. if you're willing to put an eye on it, I would be so grateful.
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Tadashi70
Well-known member
Next week
theoverswinger
New member
Ha ha ha. Man, it's a local Filipino hamburger chain. The song's in Filipino. It's really dumb. In English, it goes, "I love you Saturday, as well as Sunday..." I told you it was dumb. But I holed a putt from off the green, 15 feet away and uphill 5 feet. If it's any consolation, the Side B in my head was "Gimme Shelter" by the Rolling Stones.
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theoverswinger
New member
i don't think there's anything wrong with the right limb, but it has to be the right elbow or shoulder, not the hand. wrist action is always a no-no. try marking a line across your ball. then with whatever stroke you're comfortable with, on a perfectly flat surface, try aligning the line, then putt straight. the line should roll end over end. work at it till it rolls end over end, with whatever technique you end up with. i'm an architect, so i simply ask the putter to draw a straight line across the green. that's the visual, but in reality, it's really a slight arc. so you may need to find some visuals or cues to "fool" your mind or body to make the right thing work - the counter-intuitive thing. it doesn't have to be real or make sense, for as long as it works.
the pendulum action is a rocking of the shoulders, and for up to medium-length putts, the lower body stays still.
I was really bad at putting, and basically wasn't good at reading greens. That led to zero confidence. AimPoint really made a difference, and my putting has improved a lot. My confidence around the green has too, and that is huge.
- Thread starter
- #32
i'm 3 chapters in, and i took some of the concepts to the putting green at lunch today. i took 2 balls, 2 tees, and hit putts from 12-20' (my nemesis of late). i tried to see the line, i tried to see the part of the hole i wanted the ball to enter in, and the starting line needed to achieve that. i crouched behind the putt, then walked to the midpoint on the low side. i got into my stance looking at the hole, and i stared at a spot just in front of my ball that i wanted the putt to roll over. results were ok. i made some nice putts, and hit my line and speed perfectly a few times. what i'm finding is that i have a VERY difficult time 1) seeing a line, and 2) keeping that line in my mind's eye. but my speed was very good. so i'll keep at it!
- Thread starter
- #33
i've tried this for a few hours over the last couple days, and it has been good. speed is kinda all over the place, but when i get the ball rolling correctly it does feel really good.
theoverswinger
New member
For speed, try to use different lengths of backswing to define different lengths of putt. Say, a backswing of four inches would be good for putts up to 6 feet, a backswing of 8 inches for putts up to 10 feet, a backswing of up to your right foot for up to 15 feet and so on.
Note that each backswing has to be followed by a hearty through stroke, the backswing serves as a cue for how much mojo you need to give the putt.
Of course, as you do this, you want the ball to roll line over line. It gets harder to do as the putt gets longer.
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I've been going through this for nearly 2 years, and this is after 38 years of being a VERY good putter. Just this past week, I bought a counterbalanced TM Daddy Long Legs - wow what a difference! I was able to see the line so much better, and my stroke was very pure.
- Thread starter
- #36
reading through unconscious putting. working at home and on the practice green. result? worse than last time. golf is becoming very unfun very rapidly.
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theoverswinger
New member
Putting is very much a mind thing as it is a physical one. Observe how little kids putt, they just want to ram everything straight in. Us adults, we tend to overthink.
Try this - on a fairly level practice green or putting area, start making putts six inches from the hole. Make five putts that way from several directions but just six inches from the hole. After five of those, double the distance to one foot and putt five more. Repeat and lengthen distance until you start missing.
While putting, just look at the ball and at the hole, and try to have nothing in your head. To get the stroke, make a practice stroke by gently rocking your shoulders and keeping your hands quiet.
Try keeping your head from participating in the putt - have a song or poem in your head, listen to the radio, watch TV, whatever. Just look at the ball, and at the hole, and rock your shoulders.
You'll need to trust your stroke and not intervene with your stroke at the last minute. Be a five-year old again simply trying to get that ball into the hole. Nothing else.
Putting is also a confidence thing. The short putts are there to build confidence. Nothing to it. Then make the putt longer and longer until you see four-footers like tap-ins. Never doubt that you can't make the putt..
Plin
Long Swinging Paul
Shot 47 with 24 putts Wednesday. Needless to say I'm having issues.
But I'm addressing it by aligning my eyes over the line better and gripping my putter only after alignment to get the right length grip as I have a extended grip with counter balance.
Work in progress.
But I'm addressing it by aligning my eyes over the line better and gripping my putter only after alignment to get the right length grip as I have a extended grip with counter balance.
Work in progress.
- Thread starter
- #39
here's to hoping it comes back around for you. i went to gs today to take some strokes with mallet putters. it did feel like i could keep the putter on more of an sbst stroke, but it really wasn't any better than anything i have now. same old same old.
theoverswinger
New member
To some, it does help to change the putter or the grip to refresh the feel on the putter.
It's sometimes not an easy struggle as the pros have shown, but I believe that getting better at putting is doable because it's a mind thing rather than a physical constraint.
emart2173
#journey2017
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did you check out the spi thread from howzat?
- Thread starter
- #42
no, but I've been to an spi instructor 3 times and have been working on his drills, as well as the putting arc he told me to buy.
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On the putter woe front, I saw the owner and head professional at my home course on the practice green. He looked frustrated. He looked at me and said "I just feel like I'm chasing the handle and I can't shake it." I put a golf ball down about 10" behind his ball and told him to get the putter over the ball. It really helped him feel the pendulum.
nwgolfr
New member
I'm not an amazing golfer, but putting is definitely my strong point. However, I also struggle to keep the nerves at bay round to round. When I feel stress above a putt, but confident the line is correct, I give it a few taps vertically onto the surface - almost like a putter version of the waggle. Maybe it's just metal, but for me it helps to release the stress of putting.
I used to drink coffee before playing golf, and would always be extremely nervous on my putts. That was really where my tapping came from. I'm smarter now, but I still need that tap every now and then
I used to drink coffee before playing golf, and would always be extremely nervous on my putts. That was really where my tapping came from. I'm smarter now, but I still need that tap every now and then
nwgolfr
New member
+1 to BlueGold's post as well, Pendulum! Don't whack at it, needs to be a smooth, confident, even motion.
- Thread starter
- #46
- Thread starter
- #47
2 hours of practice putting saturday and an hour today. it's feeling good. really good. i have a round scheduled this friday. that will be the ultimate test, whether i can take it onto the course.
theoverswinger
New member
Good luck. Remember, you're already equipped with all the physical and mental abilities to putt well.
- Thread starter
- #49
today wasn't impressive, but it was a MASSIVE step in the right direction. distance control was so much better. I burned a few edges, and only had a couple right hand yips. 2 3-putts iirc but also made some nice 3-5' come backers that felt awesome.
I have another round on Friday, should be another good test.
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I have another round on Friday, should be another good test.
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theoverswinger
New member
Glad to hear it's moving forward.