Putting drills?

[Erik_K]

What are your favorite putting drills?

I am desperate to make some solid leaps in my game (lower handicap substantially) and I think the best way, for me, is to really focus on the short game and give the full swing stuff a rest.

Over the years I've gained much insight (thanks to Damon Lucas and Brian, and Geoff Mangum) about the "fall line"

Specifically I'd like to learn to make sure the ball starts on the intended line.

thanks,
Erik

 

[bryan@nobackswing.com]

best thing i ever did for my putting was set up a 3ft board in my living room, leveled, with aimlines. made a 2.5-inch opening with two bricks at one end, my ball at the other. if you have something like this, putt on it as much as possible, while you're watching tv or whatever. eliminate all variables except your stroke. groove it to the point that when you miss one on the course, you are confident it was a misread or a bumpy green.

then work on your green reading. feeling the slope with my feet was really helpful for me.

then start making a lot of putts.



i use this device for indoor putting also, really like it because it gives you feedback on the speed of your putts.

Puttist USA - Digital Putting Training Aid

 

[bcoak]

1 ball and try and get it up and down

 

[ParHunter]

Hi,

I've posted my setup for an office putting gate drill over on Michaels forum (with pictures)
Indoor putting green, recommendations request - The Explosive Golf School Forum

That got down my putting stats nicely

 

[Erik_K]

Whoa those are some slick setups and training aids!

 

[Kevin Shields]

For distance I like to putt 5 balls the same distance, whatever you choose. Then I like to roll a ball to 5 feet then 10, then 15 and so on keeping the gaps between them consistent.

I also like to practice making breaking putts three different speeds.

 

[Billy McKinney]

I find Optimal Capture Speed a la Aim Point to be the most important thing in putting. Make the hole as big as possible. Fall in love with the speed and you won't over steer to your line.

 

[Damon Lucas]

Optimal Capture Speed - a phrase investigated and coined by Geoff Mangum rather than the good people of Aimpoint simply describes reasons why certain capture speeds are better than others. The lowest capture speed(where the ball rolls into the cup at the last gasp) offers the widest hole as a target, but is prey to irregularities in the green surface, as well as the human factor, that being that being human means that you'll leave some short of the target, go long on some, and get it right on some, and leaving it short is not greatly desirable if you want to make some putts. As you increase the 'Capture Speed' the hole gets narrower(by about 1/2 an inch per revolution. So a desirable capture speed might be 2 revolutions at the hole, where the hole is still pretty big, the miss still leaves a pretty short putt when the human factor is taken into account, and the irregularities are overridden by ball speed.
With respect to the rest of the posts, I like most of them. Getting the ball to roll where you aim is pretty huge, as is speed obviously. Aim is not as important to worry about until you get the first two right, and green reading is contingent upon all three as your perceptions are determined by your reality.
I love Kevin's first drill, the second one I would argue is for better players or better putters, unless one is using the drill to get a better sense of his or her best speed. I might be wrong, Kevin is a much better putter than I am!

 

[JEREMY5577]

I've been working on Geoff Mangum's putting styles for a few months. After I align my eyballs to the target line I close my left eye, rotate my head to the left without lifting my chin and check mount Fuji, If mount Fuji is where I want it then I leave my head turned and if it's say a 15' putt I imagine right behind the hole is a brick wall and my arm is 15' long and I'm going to punch the wall, but I just stop short of hitting it any farther would smash my hand. Then I turn my head back and putt with no conscious thought of the stroke. The ball almost always ends up within a few inches or closer to the brick wall.
Also I find myself aligning this way and checking mount Fuji with every club in the bag. Made a huge improvement in my ball striking.

 

[ParHunter]

I've been working on Geoff Mangum's putting styles for a few months. After I align my eyballs to the target line I close my left eye, rotate my head to the left without lifting my chin and check mount Fuji, If mount Fuji is where I want it then I leave my head turned and if it's say a 15' putt I imagine right behind the hole is a brick wall and my arm is 15' long and I'm going to punch the wall, but I just stop short of hitting it any farther would smash my hand. Then I turn my head back and putt with no conscious thought of the stroke. The ball almost always ends up within a few inches or closer to the brick wall.
Also I find myself aligning this way and checking mount Fuji with every club in the bag. Made a huge improvement in my ball striking.

I remember watching a video with Geoeff about this but the audio quality was very bad and I couldn't get it all. 'mount Fuji', is he referring to his nose here? I think the important part was that you really look straight down with your head (not just looking down with your eyes).

 

[JEREMY5577]

I remember watching a video with Geoeff about this but the audio quality was very bad and I couldn't get it all. 'mount Fuji', is he referring to his nose here? I think the important part was that you really look straight down with your head (not just looking down with your eyes).

He is referring to the very top of the nose where the eyebrow and nose would meet. That round arch can be seen just close your left eye and turn your head left you can see a triangle formed by your nose and eybrow line. That triangle is mount Fuji and the top of it is where you want to be aimed (assuming your eyes are aligned to the target line). Also assuming when you check mount Fuji you don't lift your eyeline (very important). Turn head left don't lift chin.

All of this information is on Michael Jacobs site. Also if you email Geoff directly and tell him you are a member here or at MJ's he will send you his ebook for free

 

[ParHunter]

He is referring to the very top of the nose where the eyebrow and nose would meet. That round arch can be seen just close your left eye and turn your head left you can see a triangle formed by your nose and eybrow line. That triangle is mount Fuji and the top of it is where you want to be aimed (assuming your eyes are aligned to the target line). Also assuming when you check mount Fuji you don't lift your eyeline (very important). Turn head left don't lift chin.

All of this information is on Michael Jacobs site. Also if you email Geoff directly and tell him you are a member here or at MJ's he will send you his ebook for free

I've emailed him a while ago when I saw his offer but have never received a reply.

Thanks for your explanation, it seems I missed some really important info from that video.

 

[ParHunter]

He is referring to the very top of the nose where the eyebrow and nose would meet. That round arch can be seen just close your left eye and turn your head left you can see a triangle formed by your nose and eybrow line. That triangle is mount Fuji and the top of it is where you want to be aimed (assuming your eyes are aligned to the target line). Also assuming when you check mount Fuji you don't lift your eyeline (very important). Turn head left don't lift chin.

I've read your post again and I got a bit confused. You look straight down and then turn your head left. your right eye is moving up and your left eye is moving down, they stay on one vertical plane. Is my understanding correct? But how can your chin not move up when you do that.

It doesn't seem to help if you are wearing glasses either