Thoughts on Putting?

[Whiteflash]

Really struggled with my putting last year and would like to improve this year.

I have bben thinking about reasons why my putting has gone down and I have come to the conclusion that it is mostly mental(big revelation I know). What I mean is~I have no clear thought process when I am putting,to many thoughts or random thoughts.

What are the things I should be mentally thinking about during the stroke or what do you focus on?

Line,speed.stroke,putter contacting the ball,etc.. Would really like to here your thoughts on"what I am thinking right before I make my putting stroke" I know the obivious is probably making the putt?

Thanks

 

[mjstrong]

Try to 'read' your speed first, and then use that to determine your line. If you commit to a line before you consider speed, you are forced to try and match the speed up afterwards. Not nearly as effective as the other way around.

If you can decide on your speed first, you can then visualize the putt much more effectively. Remember Furyk's two-setup putting style? This is what he was (still is?) doing.

 

[JonWil]

Try to 'read' your speed first, and then use that to determine your line. If you commit to a line before you consider speed, you are forced to try and match the speed up afterwards. Not nearly as effective as the other way around.

WOW, never heard things put this way before. This makes so much sense.

 

[Chip Putterman]

Geoff Mangum states that putting comes down to four elements:
1. Read - what will the ball do as it rolls
2. Aim - the hole is not always your target
3. Stroke - develop a repeatable stroke, every putt is a straight putt
4. Distance - match that stroke to various distances

 

[CaptainMoron]

I feel that many people become way too technical about their putting, even more so if they are struggling.

Line and pace can not be seperated and are intrinsically linked. I try and see the ball running along the length of the put and by doing so you get a feel for both line and pace.

Step up, align to your target (more often than not this is NOT the hole) and then just focus on pace that you saw and making solid contact. When my putting goes south, it's usually due to forcing the putter in a hit type stroke.

This leads to a too short backstroke, left wrist breakdown and all sorts of other evils. Using the 'prayer' type grip has also helped quite a bit in preventing writst breakdown and having a smoother stroke.

In my opinion, the 'ensure that you accelerate the putter' tip has caused more harm than help as it encourages a hit as opposed to a smooth stroke.

To assist with distance control, I use a technique encouraged by Geoff Mangum in which you stare at your target for 4 or 5 seconds prior to making your stroke. I think he calls it stone cold putting, but I'm sure you can find it on his website.

 

[kc8kir]

Here is a drill I constantly go back to in order to regain feel on greens:

Take a bucket of balls and go to the practice green. One by one, gently toss and roll the balls using your hands. Watch and learn the roll of a golf ball on the green. See how the ball responds to the curves at different speeds, how it dies at the hole, what different speeds look like visually. You can toss the balls facing the hole or standing sideways to the hole, with eyes looking at the hole, or at an aiming point on your "line".

You'll be amazed what your mind and eye pick up when you remove the putter from the equation. The object is to learn roll behavior and response, not putting stroke.

 

[holeout]

Really struggled with my putting last year and would like to improve this year.

I have bben thinking about reasons why my putting has gone down and I have come to the conclusion that it is mostly mental(big revelation I know). What I mean is~I have no clear thought process when I am putting,to many thoughts or random thoughts.

What are the things I should be mentally thinking about during the stroke or what do you focus on?

Line,speed.stroke,putter contacting the ball,etc.. Would really like to here your thoughts on"what I am thinking right before I make my putting stroke" I know the obivious is probably making the putt?

Thanks

I consider myself a pretty solid putter, and I find that I putt my best when I've got a clear view of the line when I'm over the ball. The stroke is such an overrated part of putting its a joke. Putting has so much more to do with speed and reading the break correctly.

As far as "what I am thinking before I make my putting stroke" goes, I more or less just get my one last look at the line, read it back from the hole to my ball, and then let it go. Not really any kind of concious thought.

 

[Richie3Jack]

Putting isn't too different conceptually from hitting a golf ball. The big difference in my opinion is reading the green and the putt. In the full swing, you take into factors like the weather and conditions, but with putting you have to read the green somewhat accurately for any success.

When my putting is in trouble...like it is now...90% of the time my speed/touch sucks. So I would work on that first.

I look at the face, particularly at impact as what counts with initial direction. The path is more about hitting the sweetspot or not. Then from there, reading greens...learning how to aim correctly and getting the speed down.





3JACK

 

[Bigwill]

Here is a drill I constantly go back to in order to regain feel on greens:

Take a bucket of balls and go to the practice green. One by one, gently toss and roll the balls using your hands. Watch and learn the roll of a golf ball on the green. See how the ball responds to the curves at different speeds, how it dies at the hole, what different speeds look like visually. You can toss the balls facing the hole or standing sideways to the hole, with eyes looking at the hole, or at an aiming point on your "line".

You'll be amazed what your mind and eye pick up when you remove the putter from the equation. The object is to learn roll behavior and response, not putting stroke.

This is how I like to putt. When things are going well, it feels like my hand is down there rolling the ball instead of the putter head.

 

[mjstrong]

Developing "feel"

A great "drill" that I give to a lot of students for developing a sense of "feel" or "touch:"

You need a putt of any length that you can't see out of the corner of your eye as you address the ball. Go through your normal routine, hit the putt, don't look up, and guess (outloud or to yourself) whether your putt was short, long, or just right.

The better you get at "guessing" (feeling) your stroke, the better you end up getting at judging your distance.

It's kind of neat thing to do on the putting green; too many people "practice" putting by just hitting putt after putt, without accomplishing anything really...

 

[LiftOff]

As above, learn how a rolling ball reacts to the slope.

Always read the putt from the back side of the hole, imagining the ball rolling into the hole the last several feet so you can determine the line.

Think only of distance while making the stroke. (You have already got the alignment out of the way by taking aim.)

 

[ggsjpc]

Thoughts during the stroke should be related to speed. With speed control, you have no chance. Go see someone that can actually teach you how to read the green and practice your speed control.