Putting Rant

[curtisj76]

If you suck, telling yourself that you're great does not all of a sudden make you great.

That's why I said, "Do I think it's going to knock off 25% of your putts? No, but it certainly doesn't hurt."


Easy question: Who's going to **potentially** make more putts? Person A who sucks and thinks they suck. Or Person B who sucks yet still thinks he's going to make the putt. I'll take person B.

Person A is going to be worried about mechanics and trying to keep this bent and that straight, etc. Person B will think less and let the ball roll. Once again, I don't think it's going to make you NONsucky, but I think it can help some.

 

[Steve Greffen]

I actually lean towards future on this one...

If you suck, telling yourself that you're great does not all of a sudden make you great. It puts kind of a 'house of cards' type confidence around you.

I prefer the type of confidence where you know that you can do something.

For this you need proof, or good feedback, away from the competitive environment that demonstrates your abilities in the 'nervous' area. Then you just go and reproduce game time.

Harrington is one of the great practisers. Rotella probably is helpful in slaying some of the negatives that go through this type of personality, but I would be inclined to credit the Trevino-esque preparation before Rotella's input.

I still agree that you need prepration but jeez see the side of positive confidence!

I don't know what you mean on the proof good feedback "away" from competition. At least I don't know how that tests the nerves? Lots of people putt well when nothing is on the line with feel and mechanics but then lose it when they get some pressure both displaying bad mechanics and poor feel. Somehow you need to replicate the tension to practice the routine outside of tournament, or use the head shrink stuff. And if Harrington is an example of preparation and mental toughness self confidence then I proved my point.

 

[Steve Greffen]

That's why I said, "Do I think it's going to knock off 25% of your putts? No, but it certainly doesn't hurt."


Easy question: Who's going to **potentially** make more putts? Person A who sucks and thinks they suck. Or Person B who sucks yet still thinks he's going to make the putt. I'll take person B.

Person A is going to be worried about mechanics and trying to keep this bent and that straight, etc. Person B will think less and let the ball roll. Once again, I don't think it's going to make you NONsucky, but I think it can help some.

Even better use the same question with our friend Otto here. Which Otto would hole more putts? Sure he could get better possibly with better preparations and mechanics but I think he even mentioned that sometimes that makes it worse. I would have to see his stroke and preparation to see if he even has poor mechanics. I mean he is a good player and can probably putt or has putted well at some point but again of he maintains this I don't putt good attitude it can be difficult to escape regardless of practice and skill training.

 

[thefuture37]

Easy question: Who's going to **potentially** make more putts? Person A who sucks and thinks they suck. Or Person B who sucks yet still thinks he's going to make the putt. I'll take person B.

thats a safe bet, but really I doubt there were be a statistical difference between the number of putts holed between persons A and B. at the "sucky" level, the "suckiness" of the putting is going to outweigh the mental game. said "sucky" player would be infinitely better off forgetting about the mental game and improving his technique.

 

[curtisj76]

but really I doubt there were be a statistical difference between the number of putts holed between persons A and B.

Just 1 putt more would = a statistical difference

 

[thefuture37]

Just 1 putt more would = a statistical difference

sorry i meant significant statistical difference.

 

[pm4610]

So, does confidence breed competence or does competence breed confidence? Seems to me this is an age old, question...it takes some of both and one person may benefit from more confidence and another may benefit from more competence.

 

[otto6457]

Mixed Bag Today

It's good to see everyone still musing over my misery. LOL!!!

I tried a new tactic today. I didn't keep my own score or stats. A buddy of mine that is coming off a minor surgery wanted to get out of the house and walk around with us. I gave him my scorecard, showed him how I stat my round, and told him to not mention any score or stat to me all day.

I committed to reading the putt, one practice stroke, aim, and pull the trigger.

Results......

30 putts....but 2 three putts. One from 21 feet, the other from 25 feet. Both first putts were way too long. 6 one-putts was nice except that I missed too many greens so it was mostly up and downs (not that I'm complaining since I converted 80% of my chances. Only 3 birdie putts made. The longest was 12 feet. Two of the birdies were on the par 5's that I hit in two, so it was 2-putt birdies. The longest first putt I had all day was 34 feet and I managed to 2-putt it.

I tried really hard to NOT focus on results, just on making a good stroke with good tempo. I still feel like I missed my line too many times. But other than the couple of 3-putts, my speed wasn't bad. (could have been better....but not bad)

So...a mixed bag of results. I wasn't as stressed about my putting today. The results were better, but mainly because my short game was pretty good today. The two 3-putts were both pathetic....like a bomb went off in my hands.

So future is right that just being positive won't make putts, but being negative doesn't make putts either. I was positive all day and made some putts, but the positive attitude didn't prevent me from making some really rotten putts.

This will be a tough problem to deal with all season. State Am qualifying is April 8th (which might be too soon for me) The West Texas Am is July 17th which is a realistic goal I feel. The the State Mid Am is in August.

Anyway....I will keep my misery quiet from here on out. I am getting on a SAM Puttlab in the middle of March. Hopefully, I can report sometime this season that the putting is much improved and that the game is back on track. Now if I do qualify for the State Am or Mid Am....I will be crowing a bit right here.

Thanks again to everyone that offered advice. It's been an adventure.

 

[dashfan87]

It's good to see everyone still musing over my misery. LOL!!!

I tried a new tactic today. I didn't keep my own score or stats. A buddy of mine that is coming off a minor surgery wanted to get out of the house and walk around with us. I gave him my scorecard, showed him how I stat my round, and told him to not mention any score or stat to me all day.

I committed to reading the putt, one practice stroke, aim, and pull the trigger.

Results......

30 putts....but 2 three putts. One from 21 feet, the other from 25 feet. Both first putts were way too long. 6 one-putts was nice except that I missed too many greens so it was mostly up and downs (not that I'm complaining since I converted 80% of my chances. Only 3 birdie putts made. The longest was 12 feet. Two of the birdies were on the par 5's that I hit in two, so it was 2-putt birdies. The longest first putt I had all day was 34 feet and I managed to 2-putt it.

I tried really hard to NOT focus on results, just on making a good stroke with good tempo. I still feel like I missed my line too many times. But other than the couple of 3-putts, my speed wasn't bad. (could have been better....but not bad)

So...a mixed bag of results. I wasn't as stressed about my putting today. The results were better, but mainly because my short game was pretty good today. The two 3-putts were both pathetic....like a bomb went off in my hands.

So future is right that just being positive won't make putts, but being negative doesn't make putts either. I was positive all day and made some putts, but the positive attitude didn't prevent me from making some really rotten putts.

This will be a tough problem to deal with all season. State Am qualifying is April 8th (which might be too soon for me) The West Texas Am is July 17th which is a realistic goal I feel. The the State Mid Am is in August.

Anyway....I will keep my misery quiet from here on out. I am getting on a SAM Puttlab in the middle of March. Hopefully, I can report sometime this season that the putting is much improved and that the game is back on track. Now if I do qualify for the State Am or Mid Am....I will be crowing a bit right here.

Thanks again to everyone that offered advice. It's been an adventure.

good to hear, when me and dad play, I always ask him to keep score, and to never tell me what I shot till the end...

 

[welshdentist]

Sorry to just jump on in on this one but I agree with the stats in that you need to know over a period of a month or so how many puts you are missing from a set on lengths, whether you miss long/short/left/right/overread/underread and see a pattern of misses.

You may be beating yourself up over a length that you shouldn't bemaking too many

I know my wife had a down time with her putting and she was just beating herself up over not holing from a distance that she SHOULDN'T have been holing from that often.

Good luck with it all.

My personal preference when it has all gone wrong is to reset my internal compass by aiming straight on a 6ft straight putt and TRYING to MISS.

As in 20 putts, pull one left, push one right and try to do this and miss every putt is tough, and you will often find out that you find it harder to push or pull it.

Then go back to your usual practicing.....