sickyspider
New member
Does anyone regularly practice shorter breaking putts, say inside 10 feet? If so, what does your routine involve?
Thanks.
Thanks.
Practice shorter breaking putts
emart2173
#journey2017
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I don't necessarily practice short breaking putts but my putting practice consists of a few rounds of putts at 4 positions around the hole with 4 balls at 4' and 4 balls at 5'...one of each length at each location and work around taking a putt from each 4' location then from 5'
This is something I really need to incorporate. Making a few more 5 footers would do a world of good.
sickyspider
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This is a good practice routine and unless your green is totally flat will invariably involve a left breaker and a right breaker and an uphill and downhill putt.
The course by my work has a decent green for this, and yes I practice it. My routine is to hit about 3 shots at multiple locations around the hole and rotate around it. Helps me read the break from all angles and hopefully get a feel for how the greens are breaking that day
emart2173
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I have slacked on my putting practice since school started back up but it is a great routine and builds confidence. My instructor wants all 8 putts made but says at least 6 need to be made
Tedfroop
One eyed and left handed
Speed is the key on all breaking putts. You can hit it straighter and harder and make it. You can add more break and hit it easier and make it.
That said you will make more breaking putts when your speed is good than when it isn't so I work on speed first then refine it with breaking putts when I practice.
That said you will make more breaking putts when your speed is good than when it isn't so I work on speed first then refine it with breaking putts when I practice.
Spivey
Active member
Yep - I have been practicing these putts (4-6 ft, L-R and R-L breakers) for the last few weeks. Working on making certain that I am staying down thru the putt.
And I have improved (although it is easy to improve when the baseline is "miss every putt").
And I have improved (although it is easy to improve when the baseline is "miss every putt").
Right to left breaking putts are my nemesis. Especially inside of 10 ft. I will pick it a spot where I have this putt and practice from 2-3 ft away all the way to 10ft. My only thought is putting it the high side and let the slope take the ball to the hole. The last thing I want to do is run it by and have a worse putt coming back or lose it on the low side and it run away.
theoverswinger
New member
For breaking putts, I try to find the point where gravity takes over the putt to put it into the hole, and then I just try to die the putt to that point. It doesn't go in all the time, but I usually have an easier putt coming back.
I don't practice to any specific length because all putts are different, but I like to take my time especially on important putts, just to get the speed and break correct.
I don't practice to any specific length because all putts are different, but I like to take my time especially on important putts, just to get the speed and break correct.
Metroid
Australian Golfer
On my home course I generally get out one night a week to practice. We have a huge number of sloping greens. I'll normally pick two or three, and once I've finished the hole drop some balls and spend 10 putting from all over the green inside about 2 meters or so. Amazing how much better my short putting on slopes has become just by experimenting with reads, speed and slopes.
I think nothing beats on course practice.
I think nothing beats on course practice.
UglySwing
New member
I bought a Birdieball putting mat maybe 7-8 months ago.
I worked on that a lot.
It seems overly simplistic, but more than anything, a good shot putting game is the foundation for a good putting game.
When you feel really confident inside of 6 feet, it allows you to relax on your first putt.
On the other hand, when you are lacking confidence with your short putts (especially when they are high pressure putts), it is really easy to miss in those circumstances.
My Birdieball matt got destroyed by my kids, dog and cats.
I started putting at the range practice green.
Without thinking about it, because I now could, I started almost exclusively practicing long putts.
You can only get so good at long putts.
Over the last couple of months I couldn't understand why my putting has gotten so weak. I am so nervous with short putts, and miss so many of those compared to a few months ago.
I thing the '4 Corner' drill, and others like that which stress (simulate) high pressure short putts should be the foundation for a good putting practice routine.
I worked on that a lot.
It seems overly simplistic, but more than anything, a good shot putting game is the foundation for a good putting game.
When you feel really confident inside of 6 feet, it allows you to relax on your first putt.
On the other hand, when you are lacking confidence with your short putts (especially when they are high pressure putts), it is really easy to miss in those circumstances.
My Birdieball matt got destroyed by my kids, dog and cats.
I started putting at the range practice green.
Without thinking about it, because I now could, I started almost exclusively practicing long putts.
You can only get so good at long putts.
Over the last couple of months I couldn't understand why my putting has gotten so weak. I am so nervous with short putts, and miss so many of those compared to a few months ago.
I thing the '4 Corner' drill, and others like that which stress (simulate) high pressure short putts should be the foundation for a good putting practice routine.
theoverswinger
New member
I always consider putting more a mental challenge than a physical one. Not all of us have the physical ability to hit a 7 iron 180 yards, but we all have the physical skill to drain a testy 5 footer.
I think it's important to find a putting method that works, have confidence in it, stick with the routine till hell freezes over.
I think it's important to find a putting method that works, have confidence in it, stick with the routine till hell freezes over.
here's the drill i was given. it works pretty well, but more from the standpoint of reading greens than anything else.
envision a clock face with 12, 3, 6, and 9. 6 is a straight uphill putt, and 12 is probably relatively straight downhill putt. place balls 10' away from the hole at each of these locations. now place balls 10' from the cup at 3 and 9, as these should be the most severely breaking putts r-to-l and l-to-r. you're obviously trying to make all 4, but pay close to attention to how hard the ball breaks and what speed and part of the cup you prefer to see the ball go when it enters the hole. i routinely found myself under-reading and over-hitting the r-to-l and l-to-r putts, which spoke to why i find myself with difficult come-back putts.
Wakit300
Active member
Yes! In a normal putting session I'll practice 15-20 footers until I get warmed up and the stroke feels smooth, then move to playing a game on the putting green with one ball. My intention is to move around the putting green, finding the most difficult, slopey breaking putts in the 30-40 ft range. This will leave me with some ridiculous 3-10 footers to make "par" if first putt isn't excellent. Depending on the time I have I'll go 9 or 18 holes this way and keep score. One ball contributes to a "must make" mind set and puts some pressure on me to score, like in a round on the course.
I'm not working on mechanics or anything of that nature, just trying to simulate putting during a normal round. I go through my regular putting routine - reading every putt, setting up, etc.