Putting BRAIN Freeze

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Does anyone else make nice, smooth practice putting strokes, say for a 4 footer....then...step up to the ball and freeze? I have found myself having to back off, reset, but I still get hyper. Then my right hand goes berserk and punches the ball. What the heck is going on?
 
Mental block for short putts? I play with a guy who just gets petrified standing over a 3 footer. I used to be the same way, I just don't over think them anymore.
 
Mental block for short putts? I play with a guy who just gets petrified standing over a 3 footer. I used to be the same way, I just don't over think them anymore.

What does "not think about them" mean? Are you saying to just putt and whatever happens...happens? If so, I get what you're saying. I need to block out negative outcomes.
 
I pick them up as a gimme

But seriously i tighten up too much and then pull it. Try to do the toe wiggles but I do better just lining up, walking up, and hitting.

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What does "not think about them" mean? Are you saying to just putt and whatever happens...happens? If so, I get what you're saying. I need to block out negative outcomes.

I don't over think them. Quick look at the line, 2 practice strokes and go.
Before I start every round I go to practice green and putt ten putts the length of my putter. (try a flat putt if possible) If I don't make at least 8 of them I do it again. It will get you over the mental block of 3-4 foot putts. It has helped me immensely.
 
I pick them up as a gimme

But seriously i tighten up too much and then pull it. Try to do the toe wiggles but I do better just lining up, walking up, and hitting.

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So may I conclude that you try to NOT think about the putt? Let it occur naturally? I think I might try that. I feel I'm over-focused on NOT missing a shorter putt. I should whistle a song or something! LOL!
 
So may I conclude that you try to NOT think about the putt? Let it occur naturally? I think I might try that. I feel I'm over-focused on NOT missing a shorter putt. I should whistle a song or something! LOL!
My practice strokes are behind the ball while I look at the line to get the speed I would need, quick set up and confirm line and let it go.

I find if I do another 2-3 practice I 2nd guess the speed and then under hit it.

Come to think of it I haven't really practiced that routine this year and my putting has been considerably worse so far

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2 approaches, just don't think stop caring and step up and go. If that worked you probably could do it and not be posting about it. Next is just know you will make it. Every day or as often as you can hit 25 straight 3 footers and make them all or start back from 0. After that hit 25 straight 5 footers starting over if you miss one. Do that enough and you will stand over the 4 footer knowing you will make it and you will. 4 footers don't matter much to PGA players as they basically all make them or they wouldn't be there. I imagine first and last is only separated by a few %. Amateurs on the other hand it matters tons. Practice till you know you will make it. Might be a tad over simplified but imo it is the way to go.
 
I get that from time to time. I just switch to left hand low and stare at the hole. Works wonders in tourneys and I make a lot of em. Give it a try.
 
I very recently went back to thinner pistol grips because with larger grips I found myself gripping the putter too tight with one hand of the other and causing a pull or push on pressure putts. Have not experienced that issue with the smaller grips and have made a lot more relatively stress free 4 - 8 footers. Guess the larger grips have an opposite effect on me than what they are supposed to prevent.
 
Putting BRAIN Freeze

I used to do that every now and then. I freeze over the ball and then hit it way too hard. Oddly enough, it happens more often when I’m not putting well. Which then leads to me second guessing things, which then leads to me freezing, rinse and repeat. It’s a terrible feeling not knowing if that 4 footer is gonna be short or 6 feet too long.

I read something somewhere about putting with confidence. The gist of it was the writer started putting timidly, worrying about where to miss instead of trying to sink the current putt. Another golfer was putting great and reminded him of how fearless he used to be, trying to hole every putt. Change of mindset and he was putting well again. That struck a chord with me and has led to some putting improvements. No more freezing too.
 
Does anyone else make nice, smooth practice putting strokes, say for a 4 footer....then...step up to the ball and freeze? I have found myself having to back off, reset, but I still get hyper. Then my right hand goes berserk and punches the ball. What the heck is going on?

1. It's about the process and not thinking about the result. Expectations kill. Go through your routine. Most people want you to play well.

2. Be tension free. Relax your arms. Deep breath. Light Grip on putter.

3. I don't take practice strokes. While I'm over the ball, I've already got my line, I'm thinking speed only.

4. Eyes on ball, or try this - eyes on line an inch in front of ball. Sometimes, you are ball bound

5. Over the ball, keep your feet moving slightly and body free of tension -- stay loose.

My process - I get my read, relax my body, setup address position - eyes on line, check my putter head with line, keep body moving a little and relaxed arms, think speed and go.

Stay smooth and balanced. When I make a stabby stroke - that's not smooth and balanced - that's tension - be tension free.

If you have a routine, you don't need to think about the result. Go through the process and relax.
 
Pick up Dave Stocktons book "Unconscious Putting"

Fantastic read
 
1. It's about the process and not thinking about the result. Expectations kill. Go through your routine. Most people want you to play well.

2. Be tension free. Relax your arms. Deep breath. Light Grip on putter.

3. I don't take practice strokes. While I'm over the ball, I've already got my line, I'm thinking speed only.

4. Eyes on ball, or try this - eyes on line an inch in front of ball. Sometimes, you are ball bound

5. Over the ball, keep your feet moving slightly and body free of tension -- stay loose.

My process - I get my read, relax my body, setup address position - eyes on line, check my putter head with line, keep body moving a little and relaxed arms, think speed and go.

Stay smooth and balanced. When I make a stabby stroke - that's not smooth and balanced - that's tension - be tension free.

If you have a routine, you don't need to think about the result. Go through the process and relax.

This is exactly my thoughts on it. Results based swing thoughts are killers from tee to green, 3' putts are no different. Come up with a trigger to get your mind off of the results that will help you make a better putting stroke. For example, standing over a putt like that I always tell myself to just rock my shoulders, it keep my stroke steady and on line. You just have to figure out what works for you.
 

I liked parts of that book, and got a lot from it about falling in love with the line, no practice stroke, look in front of the ball on your line. But Stockton teaches a block - ask Rory. :) So I ignored that part.
 
1. It's about the process and not thinking about the result. Expectations kill. Go through your routine. Most people want you to play well.

2. Be tension free. Relax your arms. Deep breath. Light Grip on putter.

3. I don't take practice strokes. While I'm over the ball, I've already got my line, I'm thinking speed only.

4. Eyes on ball, or try this - eyes on line an inch in front of ball. Sometimes, you are ball bound

5. Over the ball, keep your feet moving slightly and body free of tension -- stay loose.

My process - I get my read, relax my body, setup address position - eyes on line, check my putter head with line, keep body moving a little and relaxed arms, think speed and go.

Stay smooth and balanced. When I make a stabby stroke - that's not smooth and balanced - that's tension - be tension free.

If you have a routine, you don't need to think about the result. Go through the process and relax.

It's so weird....it's like a totally involuntary movement after 20 perfectly smooth practice swings. I think you're right....I'm too results-oriented vs. relaxing and not worrying about outcomes. Same could be said from tee to green as you stated.

Also, I saw something online about how the pro's keep moving their feet to relieve tension. I think they are trying to distribute tension over the body so it doesn't manifest in one particular area.
 
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Pick up Dave Stocktons book "Unconscious Putting"

Fantastic read

That book helped me so much last year. Definitely worth a read.
 
As someone prone to horrible putting, my issues have always been green reading related. I putt WAY better on courses I know. We have a local course with redonkulous greens. I had my best ball striking day in years there last fall. Shot in the 80's. With 14 (no typo, fourteen!) three putts. I was putting defensively from 4ft. I had no clue what most balls were going to do, and if I knew which way, I didn't know how much. Didn't want to 3 putt from 4 ft (doing so multiple times from 10ft was bad enough). Had an 8ft eagle putt on a long 5 into a stiff breeze in wet conditions. Made par.

I have glasses now. I'm thinking that will help a ton. Granted I haven't taken them out on a course that I'm not familiar with yet, when I played with them I can see the green and what it does. I may not make every 5 footer but I should at least know if it's going right or left.
 
Reporting back on trying Stockton's putting approach (based on a video online...book coming). I started off thinking of what Stockton says, look about an inch ahead of the ball, look at the hole, no practice swings, roll the ball, and most importantly, to NOT CARE if the putt goes in. My brain fought me like no tomorrow on the first hole..."don't hit it too far!"..."are you SURE you're aligned right?"..."don't let the right hand go crazy!"..."how can you not care?"....guess what, hit the ground behind the ball! Who chunks putts? How embarrassing!

So after that I just looked at the hole, gauged the line, let it sink into my head...no instructions otherwise, no lining-up the ball with the ball alignment mark...etc. I just looked at the hole one last time, looked slightly ahead of the ball, not the ball, and said to myself "who cares? You're not going to make this....I should open a beer". Sank a 22 footer. But, I found the "battle" still raged on inside my head. "You MUST care!" "No, I DON'T care!". The "I don't care" side started winning. As the round progressed, I sank several 8 to 12 footers, and otherwise left short putts or tap-ins. 30 putts vs. my normal 38, and I've been in the low 40's in bad slump times. Now I know why I putt well on the practice putting green...I don't care!

BTW, I also took the "I don't care, you're going to screw up anyway" to the course. It's amazing how much better my shots were off the tee and especially approach shots. It's like the burden of worrying about failure which only adds tons of tension was lifted. Expecting a bad shot and hitting a good one is actually more fun!
 
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