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Taking more than 36 putts a round

Asden105

Asden105

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It's too far!
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8.7
If I could get my putting to work, I'd be below scratch. I average 39 putts a round, 19 a 9.

Just to put this into perspective, I shot 40 for 9 holes with 20 putts. (putting, my coach says, is 40 percent of the game, not 50%) If it were down to 14 or so, I'd be way under par. But I three putted three times that 9, and got up and down once out of 2 greens missed. I hit 7 greens.

It's not just my speed, it's also my lines. I either over read or under read break by feet not inches and I always hit the putt way too hard so it flies by 12 feet from outside 20 feet.

I've tried to practice but it's not doing anything for me. I always do well in practice, in fact I usually hole multiple putts on the practice green, but miserably fail on the course.

What on earth?

Any help would be appreciated.
 
My ball striking is superior to most, in fact it's professional level since I shoot 81 on average for 18 holes and I average 11 greens in reg, with 39 putts per round.
 
Have you been fitted for a putter?
Have you attended a school specializing in putting?
Have you been measured on something like a SAM putting lab?

And don't discount the words of America's greatest 20th century philosopher, Yogi Berra, when he said, "90 percent of this game is half mental."
 
Can't afford those things.
 
I was fitted for a putter once, it cost me nothing, even if I had not bought a putter, and the putter worked extremely well for me.

Search this forum and you will find references to aids such as putting mirrors. They can be had for very little money, especially on those auction sites.

I understand not being able to afford those things, believe me, and to some extent you are saying it's not worth what it would cost you to do it. In engineering,m we have a saying: "Good, fast, cheap. Pick any two."
 
Moved to golf talk forum
 
I'm in a putting slump of epic proportions. 205 putts last 6 rounds.
 
11/18 greens is 61%. that would put you ranked around 185 or 186 out of 195 tour players ranked on pga tour statistics for 2017.

what is your proximity to the hole when you do hit a green? the worst player on tour in proximity to the hole is just over 40' away. if you're around that distance from the hole, maybe the ball-striking needs to be improved so you have more realistic birdie chances, or at least an easier 2-putt.
 
Reframmellator said:
Have you been fitted for a putter?
Have you attended a school specializing in putting?
Have you been measured on something like a SAM putting lab?

And don't discount the words of America's greatest 20th century philosopher, Yogi Berra, when he said, "90 percent of this game is half mental."
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This is all very sound advice. I struggled mightily with my putting for 3+ years after returning to the game. It was absolutely killing me and much like you my ball striking stats were superior to my handicap level. Finally this spring I'd had enough after puking away so many unnecessary strokes in back to back rounds at a THP buddie's home course (ten GIR, five 3 jacks and a 4 putt followed by eleven GIR with seven 3 putts - EMBARRASSING!) that I decided I'd do whatever it took. Really put some work in which helped but I also got a free putter fitting in June at which the pro found that my putter was for some reason out of spec, lofted way WAY too high and then another THPer forwarded me some detailed literature on putter/stroke physics. I think where the literature helped most was because the Yogi-ism had a firm grasp on me, so many mental scars from blown 2 and 3 footers that I was seizing up. Focusing on the technical details didn't leave room to dwell on the past misses. Once I started to make some and feel like I should be making some I didn't have to hyper focus on the tech details and could start to 'feel' my putts again like I had years ago.

All in all everything I did has made a huge difference. My cap has dropped 4+ strokes in the past several weeks and despite hitting even more greens than I was earlier in the year my putts per round is down nearly three strokes. I still have a long way to go but my mindset is better than it was. You'll get there too as soon as you quit accepting the poor putting as your norm or a curse. I wish I had sacked up sooner but I now realize I was comfortable using my bad putting as an excuse to not (really) put in the work to I had to if I wanted to start improving.
 
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Do you need glasses?
 
Practice more? I don't think there's a method for reading breaks, I think you just have to try it and learn. Understand the pace on most greens and you should be close enough for tap-ins considering you're hitting that many greens in reg.
 
IndySC said:
Practice more? I don't think there's a method for reading breaks, I think you just have to try it and learn. Understand the pace on most greens and you should be close enough for tap-ins considering you're hitting that many greens in reg.
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Aimpoint Express
 
Next time you play or practice, have someone behind you, tell them where you are aiming, and have them see if you are lined up properly. Had a friend who was a great player, just couldn't putt a lick. In scrambles, I'd stand behind him and if we decided the line was outside right, he might be aiming outside left and think it was correct. Once I had him lined up properly, he made a lot more putts. He had no idea he was that far off. It wasn't the putter or the stroke, just alignment. Just a thought, as I've seen it before.

Other than that, it's all just practicing. The speed and distance control will come over time with practice.
 
StLCardsFan said:
Next time you play or practice, have someone behind you, tell them where you are aiming, and have them see if you are lined up properly. Had a friend who was a great player, just couldn't putt a lick. In scrambles, I'd stand behind him and if we decided the line was outside right, he might be aiming outside left and think it was correct. Once I had him lined up properly, he made a lot more putts. He had no idea he was that far off. It wasn't the putter or the stroke, just alignment. Just a thought, as I've seen it before.

Other than that, it's all just practicing. The speed and distance control will come over time with practice.
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That works for all shots too. I have seen people aimed way off of where they think they are all over the course.
 
c.a.eleric said:
11/18 greens is 61%. that would put you ranked around 185 or 186 out of 195 tour players ranked on pga tour statistics for 2017.

what is your proximity to the hole when you do hit a green? the worst player on tour in proximity to the hole is just over 40' away. if you're around that distance from the hole, maybe the ball-striking needs to be improved so you have more realistic birdie chances, or at least an easier 2-putt.
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My proximity is usually around 35 feet. Sometimes I get it within 10 feet and miserably miss the putt long. And by long I'm talking 7 feet. I don't have any feel
 
Asden105 said:
My proximity is usually around 35 feet. Sometimes I get it within 10 feet and miserably miss the putt long. And by long I'm talking 7 feet. I don't have any feel
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i don't have any stats to support it, but i'd say 35' is pretty good by amateur standards.

do you do any drills to practice putts? here's one that was taught to me.
1. place tees at 4' from the hole, 10' from the hole, 15' from the hole, 20' from the hole, and 30' from the hole. you can go back farther if you'd like.
2. place two tees 2' behind the hole and in line with each other, perpendicular to your intended putting line.
3. hit 5 putts from each location. a miss that finishes past the 2' tees beyond the hole counts as 0 points. a miss that finishes past the hole but inside the 2' barriers is 1 point. a make is 2 points. a miss short is -1 point.

keep score, and hang onto your score so you can track your progress over time. the most important thing in this drill is getting the speed right.
 
Asden105 said:
My proximity is usually around 35 feet. Sometimes I get it within 10 feet and miserably miss the putt long. And by long I'm talking 7 feet. I don't have any feel
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Many say a lighter putter gives better feel for distance control. My current putter has weight sets and I have much better control with the lighter option. Borrow a lighter putter from a friend (or a used one from your pro shop) and give that a try?
 
As I said my ball striking is excellent. I hit most of my fairways and over half my greens. My scrambling is around 10 percent because i cant chip it close more than usually three times a round, and i never hole a short putt. Thanks for some of the advice I'll go and practice a bit. Seems like from the majority of the comments I need a better putter. Mine's way too long for me even though it's a "short" putter. And it's pretty heavy for a blade. I'll see what I have in my garage.

Here's the funny thing. I used to be an excellent putter. And i actually putt very well on the practice green, just not the course. Back then when i putted the lights out my ball striking was below average, nowhere near where it is now. So my ball striking always let me down, but my putting was always decent and i shot high 80s. Now my putting is horrendous (on the course, not the practice green for some reason) and my ball striking is at an all time high.

Maybe what i need is not putting advice but how to putt when it matters (score wise, under pressure of making a score, or just any putt that seems important, on the course.
 
Asden105 said:
I've tried to practice but it's not doing anything for me. I always do well in practice, in fact I usually hole multiple putts on the practice green, but miserably fail on the course...Any help would be appreciated.
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Let's poke at this first. We need to find out why your performance is different on the practice green vs. on course. So...
What do you think? Tell us how you practice? What routines? What drills? How often? Same practice green all the time or do you move around? When playing an actual round, how many of those (on average) 22 misses a round are mis-reads, how many are not getting it on your intended line and pace, and how many are both?
 
So do you struggle most with line or with distance control? I have found that I pick a spot about 8 inches in front of ball that with my do,image eye goes through hole and set up to that. Trust set up and alignment and then look at hole and back at ball and let it go after that..my putting is probably the only reason I am at a 13 now as I a, averaging about 30 putts over last 10 rounds
 
I usually choose a random putt, read it and hit it on the practice green. If I miss I hit the next until it goes in. I usually choose putts with significant break around 17 feet. I hit some short random ones, and some lags from 45 feet. On the practice green I two putt most of my lags, two putt medium ones 80% of the time, 10% hole, 10% 3 putt, and hole 99% from 3 feet (on the practice green). I choose random putts to simulate play.

Maybe it's all mental. Its a speed issue, because i can read the line and even the speed, but I always get the speed wrong. Not on the practice green. Im starting to think it's all mental anxiety of fear of missing or hitting it too short. I put a lot of pressure on myself to do well. I never play golf to have fun. I do it to shoot a score. When I'm on the practice green there's no pressure.
 
Taking more than 36 putts a round

ntanygd760 said:
Aimpoint Express
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Dnevs did it and I'm sure it works for some (he lit me up for 18 holes). Not my method of choice. If the guy is hitting that many greens then the majority of practice should move to the short game.
 
Putting drills cost nothing but time.

Putt 50 (or 100) 3' putts in a row. Then 50 4' putts in a row. Then 50 5' putts in a row. Don't leave or move back until you make all 50 at that distance. Builds tons of confidence on short putts.

Do the clock drill at 3' on a hole w slope.

Get a string. Use it to help get the line right on breaking putts, which will help you read break and where to start your putt.

And start thinking you are a good putter.
 
Asden105 said:
I usually choose a random putt, read it and hit it on the practice green. If I miss I hit the next until it goes in. I usually choose putts with significant break around 17 feet. I hit some short random ones, and some lags from 45 feet. On the practice green I two putt most of my lags, two putt medium ones 80% of the time, 10% hole, 10% 3 putt, and hole 99% from 3 feet (on the practice green). I choose random putts to simulate play.

Maybe it's all mental. Its a speed issue, because i can read the line and even the speed, but I always get the speed wrong. Not on the practice green. Im starting to think it's all mental anxiety of fear of missing or hitting it too short. I put a lot of pressure on myself to do well. I never play golf to have fun. I do it to shoot a score. When I'm on the practice green there's no pressure.
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Now we're getting some where.

You need to practice in ways that put pressure on you to perform when you practice. Some have provided a few examples to start.

You need to change your mental process to have better success. I suggest establishing a putting routine you follow in practice and on the course without exception. I also would advocate that your ONLY focus once you get set (balanced and aligned) should be speed.

That brings me to a few follow-on questions. How do you propel the putter? Arms? Wrists? Shoulders? Fingers? Some combo? How does your putter backswing compare with your forward stroke in length? Rhythm? and are you accelerating, de-accelerating or maintain an even pace into and through the impact zone? How pure is your roll? Does the ball bounce a little then settle down? Skid? How far? Gets a little airborn then skids and starts tumbling? Whatever you say about your stroke and ball action off the putter face is it consistently that way or changes stroke to stroke?

This will give us more information on what needs correction and what we can ignore.
 
Seems like a high MOI putter would help as well if your misses are normally speed/distance.
 
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