My putting is down-right atrocious. It is ruining my improved ball striking since finding this forum. I hit it right and left; have low point issues, etc... and now it is all in my head. I want to start from the beginning. What do you all recommend to read / study / practice, to get better.
Putting Help
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Phil Rosenbaum
New
Control your holing speed first. With the proper speed you can increase the size of the hole and allow for more off line putts to drop. Try to hit some putts on the practice green with the ball falling in the front edge of the cup as slow as possible. Also, work on the rythym of your stroke. The last piece of the puzzle is the actual stroke
( technique ).
( technique ).
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softconsult
New
Google, "Putting Books" and then, from the results look at top 10 list on Amazon.
I have Pelz, "The Putting Bible", Utley's, "The Art of Putting". I currently am having good
success with Geoff Mangum's ideas (Geoff Mangum Putting Lessons and Clinics). He has an e-book for 10 bucks.
I have Pelz, "The Putting Bible", Utley's, "The Art of Putting". I currently am having good
success with Geoff Mangum's ideas (Geoff Mangum Putting Lessons and Clinics). He has an e-book for 10 bucks.
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Richie3Jack
New
Exactly.
I was a very good putter in college, took 8 years off from the game. When I got back into the game in 2009, I started off putting just like I did in college. But over time, I really lost my putting. I got fitted for a putter, used lazer aimers, took green reading course.
All of those helped.
About a month ago I dedicated myself to having a very good touch on the greens. In fact, I made it my #1 focus. Didn't worry about the stroke, stroke theories, etc. Nor did I over-emphasize the aim. I just looked at a putts as "good" or "bad" depending on the speed. In fact, I came up with a statistic, depending on the length of the putt, that I would call a 'Good Touch Putt.'
For instance, if I had a 10 footer and I missed it, but it went 20" past the cup, I'd call that a 'good touch putt.' Even if I badly mis-read it or aimed poorly. But if I had a 30 footer that burned the edge...but still wound up 3 1/2 feet bye, I'd consider that a 'bad touch putt.'
It's hardly scientific and a really good day for me is about 75% 'good touch putts', but typically I am about in the 50-60% range.
Anyway, the FOCUS and ATTENTION to speed and making that more important than all of the other factors...I've seen the largest improvement in my putting so far. I'm not back to my college days, but very close. But the leap in improvement was dramatic. One doesn't need to keep track of their putts they have good speed with, but just making it such a high priority and really be obsessive about it I think helps people become better putters.
If anything, if your touch/speed is good, you probably won't 3-putt much because if you can have a good touch on those 20-40 foot putts consistently....you're likely to have very close 2nd putt.
3JACK
Yes, SPEED, but that's (obviously) not all, and you said you were truly interested in starting from scratch..... I too suggest you Youtube Geoff Mangum or google Puttingzone...especially his one-read one-speed video. And about 2 months ago he posted a new series on green reading. Be patient, his info is gold.
Rolling the ball with a pre-determined SPEED so it drops into the back bottom of the cup is key. Because you can't read a putt unless you know what speed the ball is going to be rolling when it gets to the hole. With that said you can't become a better putter unless you know how to READ the greens well and actually hit the putt where you AIM it. STROKE is forth.
I've been seriously working on all four of those fundamentals. I, luckily, have a good knack for touch (speed) and have revamped my ideas on green reading. AIM is very interesting. It's shocking how careless (me included) people are. You want to be able to aim where you hit and hit where you aim every time (every putt is a straight putt) and take the compensations away. Easier said than done, but that should be the goal. Tiled kitchen floors with long lines are a great way to practice setting up and checking aim over and over and over...
Good luck.
Rolling the ball with a pre-determined SPEED so it drops into the back bottom of the cup is key. Because you can't read a putt unless you know what speed the ball is going to be rolling when it gets to the hole. With that said you can't become a better putter unless you know how to READ the greens well and actually hit the putt where you AIM it. STROKE is forth.
I've been seriously working on all four of those fundamentals. I, luckily, have a good knack for touch (speed) and have revamped my ideas on green reading. AIM is very interesting. It's shocking how careless (me included) people are. You want to be able to aim where you hit and hit where you aim every time (every putt is a straight putt) and take the compensations away. Easier said than done, but that should be the goal. Tiled kitchen floors with long lines are a great way to practice setting up and checking aim over and over and over...
Good luck.
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I find that I feel my putts better with my feet than my eyes. In other words, I read my putts by standing in the position that i normally will hit a putt then mark my ball and follow the usual routine of walking around the hole and to confirm my read.
If i dont do this i would have no confidence in holing the putt. I want to make a distinction between "reading the green "(easy to do) and "reading the putt"(harder task IMO)
If i dont do this i would have no confidence in holing the putt. I want to make a distinction between "reading the green "(easy to do) and "reading the putt"(harder task IMO)
softconsult
New
"I find that I feel my putts better with my feet than my eyes. In other words, I read my putts by standing in the position that i normally will hit a putt then mark my ball and follow the usual routine of walking around the hole and to confirm my read.
If i dont do this i would have no confidence in holing the putt. I want to make a distinction between "reading the green "(easy to do) and "reading the putt"(harder task IMO)"
I would strongly suggest that if your first sentence is true, then it just may be that you aren't good at reading putts with your eyes. Your last sentence supports the maybe part of the previous sentence. Reading Greens is not easy. It takes a lot of work to develop this skill. Reading the putt is part of the reading the green process, in my opinion.
I also think that there are some truisms about good putting. One is elimination of tension. Hard to be smooth if your
grip pressure is tight. There are many techniques that can work, but you probably don't want to mix and match them. My point is that focusing on speed control is great, but technique is really important.
I've played for a very long time now. Always was a good putter. Always used a mallet style with more of a straight back, straight thru method. All of this was way before the age of Internet video. Last year I spent the entire year practicing the Utley method. I got better simply because I worked on it so hard. Then I see the Taylormade, Itsy Bitsy Spider somewhere on the net. Who knows why, but I bought one. It wants to be straight back and through rather than on an arc. Now I stumble onto the Mangum videos and have been working on that for about 3 months.
Having great success so far, particularly with distance control.
So I guess I just inadvertently threw in another variable. The putter. Important that it fits you.
Good luck,
If i dont do this i would have no confidence in holing the putt. I want to make a distinction between "reading the green "(easy to do) and "reading the putt"(harder task IMO)"
I would strongly suggest that if your first sentence is true, then it just may be that you aren't good at reading putts with your eyes. Your last sentence supports the maybe part of the previous sentence. Reading Greens is not easy. It takes a lot of work to develop this skill. Reading the putt is part of the reading the green process, in my opinion.
I also think that there are some truisms about good putting. One is elimination of tension. Hard to be smooth if your
grip pressure is tight. There are many techniques that can work, but you probably don't want to mix and match them. My point is that focusing on speed control is great, but technique is really important.
I've played for a very long time now. Always was a good putter. Always used a mallet style with more of a straight back, straight thru method. All of this was way before the age of Internet video. Last year I spent the entire year practicing the Utley method. I got better simply because I worked on it so hard. Then I see the Taylormade, Itsy Bitsy Spider somewhere on the net. Who knows why, but I bought one. It wants to be straight back and through rather than on an arc. Now I stumble onto the Mangum videos and have been working on that for about 3 months.
Having great success so far, particularly with distance control.
So I guess I just inadvertently threw in another variable. The putter. Important that it fits you.
Good luck,
ggsjpc
New
Interesting exchange here. Reading the greens with your feet is one of the best ways by a mile. Reading the green much easier than reading the putt IMO.
Steve, I agree that finding a putter that fits is so important. I tried a lot of different style putters(who hasn't) and different thickness grips(I even tried the reverse grip Furyk did to his putter earlier this year) and different length putters.
I'm still looking. But I know what style works for me. Kinda like finding/dating a good woman.
Looks good to your eye, stays working through the good times and tough times, but only if you learn to how to hold it gently.
I'm still looking. But I know what style works for me. Kinda like finding/dating a good woman.
Looks good to your eye, stays working through the good times and tough times, but only if you learn to how to hold it gently.
softconsult
New
John, yes, interesting difference of opinion.
My comment is based on how I think I process the information on
the green. It all ends up in the brain. I am sure that tilt is sensed
through my feet. It also helps to sort out the mixed visual message
that are sometimes sent from opposite views of the line. I just don't
consciously specifically separate the feet sensations from the visual feedback.
Green Reading versus Reading the Putt. I suppose I do read the green
first, and then read the putt. It's so in-grained that I don't think about it.
So my comment on that is in-correct. My comment about Reading Greens
being hard is accurate based on my experience. If it were easy, I doubt
Aim-Point, Stockton, and Pelz would be in the putting improvement business.
My comment is based on how I think I process the information on
the green. It all ends up in the brain. I am sure that tilt is sensed
through my feet. It also helps to sort out the mixed visual message
that are sometimes sent from opposite views of the line. I just don't
consciously specifically separate the feet sensations from the visual feedback.
Green Reading versus Reading the Putt. I suppose I do read the green
first, and then read the putt. It's so in-grained that I don't think about it.
So my comment on that is in-correct. My comment about Reading Greens
being hard is accurate based on my experience. If it were easy, I doubt
Aim-Point, Stockton, and Pelz would be in the putting improvement business.
Richie3Jack
New
The problem that most golfers have with putters is that they just pick 'what looks good to them', even if it doesn't fit their eye and they can't aim thing. 80% of golfers cannot aim straight from 6 feet out. That's a fact. If I managed a golf store, I'd have one of those laser deals and allow my customers to use it to find the putter that they aim the best. Sure, it may cause them to stop buying putters in the future (although I doubt that), but I think it's that extra step of 'customer care' that would get them interested in buying other golf equipment from that store. Instead, guys look at putters off the rack and usually have the putter in their mind that they are going to buy without even putting with it. Then they plop $300 down and a year later get another putter.
Hell, I'll putt with a dead kangeroo's foot and it will look pretty to me if I'm draining putts left and right.
3JACK
Hell, I'll putt with a dead kangeroo's foot and it will look pretty to me if I'm draining putts left and right.
3JACK
softconsult
New
If I was actually going to pay $300 for a putter, you can bet that I would be
testing it out thoroughly before buying it. e-Bay changes that.
I think I have 3 putters. A Yes Golf - Marilyn e-Bay $70, a Scotty Cameron Red-X $110, and
now the Itsy Bitsy Spider - $69. I had hit some putts with a Rossa putter, and it felt good.
I thought the special grooved face might be legit, thus the Spider purchase. At these price
points making an error is tolerable. I'm too lazy to re-sell them on e-Bay.
testing it out thoroughly before buying it. e-Bay changes that.
I think I have 3 putters. A Yes Golf - Marilyn e-Bay $70, a Scotty Cameron Red-X $110, and
now the Itsy Bitsy Spider - $69. I had hit some putts with a Rossa putter, and it felt good.
I thought the special grooved face might be legit, thus the Spider purchase. At these price
points making an error is tolerable. I'm too lazy to re-sell them on e-Bay.
ggsjpc
New
Of the three that you mentioned (aimpoint, stockton, and pelz) only one tries to improve where to aim only. Like was said before, it is only one piece of the puzzle. The other pieces are quite difficult. With the information tour pro's have access too in terms of green mapping books, I would say where to aim is by far the easiest. Do we have access to all that info? Absolutely not, but even with a little work in that area, determining the direction of the break(reading the green) is not that difficult. How much it will break(reading the putt) is more of a challenge.
Thanks for the discussion.
softconsult
New
Let me add this point. When I really screw up the green/putt reading, or reading the green for a pitch or chip, it is almost always when I get lazy, and break my routine. Example would be failing to walk to the side of the line, or to the other side of the hole. Maybe the round has gone badly, maybe it's stifling hot, maybe there is something that causes me to to lose focus. So it's not technical, but it is critical to not leave out a step in preparation for the shot.
The Aimpoint stuff is interesting, and possibly useful, but I really think I already knew that stuff. I just never thought about it that much. When you miss putts in certain way, overtime, you learn where to aim in order to
make the putt. Or, in the case of many people I have played with, you never learn.
The Aimpoint stuff is interesting, and possibly useful, but I really think I already knew that stuff. I just never thought about it that much. When you miss putts in certain way, overtime, you learn where to aim in order to
make the putt. Or, in the case of many people I have played with, you never learn.
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