Putting problems

[Kor.A.Door]

It's no secret that I feel like I am a horrible putter, what I have figured out over the last few weeks is that it is 100% a mental issue, I generally don't have any problems with putts 20 feet and out, lagging it close is not the issue, my issue is from 4 feet and in, the ones that can mean the difference between 78 and an 83 in a given round for me anyway. These are generally putts that were inside 20 feet for birdie or par that I have tried to make, and have either left it really short, or hit it 4 feet past. So I am left with 4 footers, a lot, my thought early in the round is that I want to pick a spot, and make a good stroke at the ball, if they fall early in the round the confidence goes up, but as soon as I miss one, I'm sure to miss the next 3 or 4, then I get into my head, and I start to over think everything, the distance, the grain, the slope, the break, and then right before putting I tell myself something like hit it hard, don't leave it short, and then proceed to guide the ball, or yank the ball or push the ball, my last few rounds of golf have been decently played, but they all could have been 3-5 shots better just from making 4 foot putts. So I guess what I am asking for those of you who are good putters, and I know there are a few here. What are some mental exercises or things you do while putting to keep your brain from taking over. I used to be a fairly decent putter, but now I feel like I couldn't make a 4 foot putt if the bet was for a penny, practice does not help, on the putting green I make everything from 4 feet, it's just standing over the putt in the round where I have issues.

[Mike Z]

No mental exercise is better in my opinion for this range of putt than making a bunch of them.  I spent a lot of time early last year putting from 4 points around a hole until I made it around 3 times (12 consecutive).  Did some at a little over a putter length, and then 2 putter lengths.  To this day I have more confidence standing over putts of that range than I ever had in my life.  There's just something about actually making a lot of them that carries over.  When you miss one or two you tend to see it as an aberration and not the norm. 

[Mike Z]

And we also tend to think of putting as more science than art.  A teacher of mine rolled a bunch of balls off a ramp at about 10 feet.  It was amazing to watch as one missed high, one missed low, one was made even though my head was telling me that they should all roll the same because they were all "hit" the same. 

 

Sometimes you can do everything "right" and still miss.  That's golf.  Once you decide the line and speed, accept the outcome before you even hit it.

[Mr_Theoo]

Have you thought about AimPoint? I learned it last year and it helped me putt a lot better. The part that helped me the most was how to approach the short putts. Which for me were the ones I stressed over and missed a lot more than the 20-30 footers.

[westy]

Ah yes this feels so familiar. Could have written this thread many times myself.

 

Im sure some of the mental exercises do work - but nothing's worked better for me than going to the super stroke 5.0

 

I've got better distance control, which helps reduce the number of 4 footers I face - but when I've got them now i do t get the white knuckles and as many of those horrible shoves. Not that I'm suddenly great, far from it, but now I can hold my own on the short grass.

 

if you don't want a huge grip then how about changing your hands round and going left hand below right?

[Kor.A.Door]

I've tried to go right hand low it is really uncomfortable and I just cat seem to get the ball to roll well doing this. I did purchase a new counter balance TM spider mallet that I seem to do well with, but we will see if it translates to the course. I will check into the aim point, as I don't know much about it. If I could just keep my brain from taking over I will be ok. I feel like Rube, from Major league II when he couldn't throw the ball to the pitcher, it's a simple thing but mentally just can't do it. Maybe I will memorize the ads in the VS magazine

[revkev]

No mental exercise is better in my opinion for this range of putt than making a bunch of them. I spent a lot of time early last year putting from 4 points around a hole until I made it around 3 times (12 consecutive). Did some at a little over a putter length, and then 2 putter lengths. To this day I have more confidence standing over putts of that range than I ever had in my life. There's just something about actually making a lot of them that carries over. When you miss one or two you tend to see it as an aberration and not the norm.

 

This method has worked for me for nearly 50 years. I never go to the putting green without holing 9 in a row from between 3 and 4 feet. I will wheel around the hole but honestly I've found that 9 in a row straight in from the same spot works just nicely. There is nothing like making putts to build confidence for making putts. Even if you have to start working th 1 footers to make 9 or 10 in a row, do it, then move back. The longest I've ever made 9 in a row doing it that way is 6 feet.

 

Also not to be contrarian, if you are leaving 25 footers outside of 3 feet more than once in a while I'd say lag putting is an issue too. I have 3 drills for that. 1. Hit putts looking at the hole. 2. Find a steep slope with 2 holes at least 20 feet a part. Take two balls and putt them down and up until you are consistently hitting the ball a foot to two feet past both ways. 3. Hit putts at the fringe trying to get the ball to just hop on it but not into the long grass.

 

Of course if all else fails you could break down and take a lesson.

[Undershooter]

I've tried to go right hand low it is really uncomfortable and I just cat seem to get the ball to roll well doing this. I did purchase a new counter balance TM spider mallet that I seem to do well with, but we will see if it translates to the course. I will check into the aim point, as I don't know much about it. If I could just keep my brain from taking over I will be ok. I feel like Rube, from Major league II when he couldn't throw the ball to the pitcher, it's a simple thing but mentally just can't do it. Maybe I will memorize the ads in the VS magazine

To quote another great baseball movie. "Don't think meat! Just throw!"

 

This may sound dumb but one of the greatest things I've ever been told is to not care whether a putt goes in or not. This is from Dave Stockton. The less you care the more it's going to go in. On the chance you miss a 4 footer then big deal! Short memory and move on. I'm not the best putter in the world but when I'm on then by damn I'm on. What can I say, I'm streaky. I definitely putt better when I try and care or think less about missing a putt rather than making one.

[westy]

I'd agree with Rev, I usually do, I might think about focussing on cutting down the number of 4 footers you face for par. If you'd said they were all short or all long that would be less of an issue, but once again this feels familiar to my own game.

 

Over a few years I realised, that in particular on slower greens, when I had to give a putt a bit of oomph I missed a lot several feet short and right and the impact of that was to charge others way past - it was something to do with my stroke and an open stance. Faster the greens the more my stroke held up.

 

The last time I had a lesson my pro asked if I was a charger or a lagger; I am most definitely a lagger. To focus that in mind is important, I don't like 4 footers and I'm trying to minimise the number of putts I have, so i won't be busting my own chops if I leave a 25 footer in the jaws (unless it was for a win). so what are you Kor, lagger or charger? I'm not sure being both is a good idea.

 

I guess off 6 and not being the most confident putter you must be hitting loads of greens, if your hitting 15 greens then frankly 33 or 34 putts is no disaster (possibly annoying) unless they were all 6 foot birdie putts. Those guys in the bar talking about 27 putts (swines) usually only hit 8 or 9 GIR

[Kor.A.Door]

This method has worked for me for nearly 50 years. I never go to the putting green without holing 9 in a row from between 3 and 4 feet. I will wheel around the hole but honestly I've found that 9 in a row straight in from the same spot works just nicely. There is nothing like making putts to build confidence for making putts. Even if you have to start working th 1 footers to make 9 or 10 in a row, do it, then move back. The longest I've ever made 9 in a row doing it that way is 6 feet.

 

Also not to be contrarian, if you are leaving 25 footers outside of 3 feet more than once in a while I'd say lag putting is an issue too. I have 3 drills for that. 1. Hit putts looking at the hole. 2. Find a steep slope with 2 holes at least 20 feet a part. Take two balls and putt them down and up until you are consistently hitting the ball a foot to two feet past both ways. 3. Hit putts at the fringe trying to get the ball to just hop on it but not into the long grass.

 

Of course if all else fails you could break down and take a lesson.

The putts that I leave short or go long with are usually the 15-18 footers that I am trying to make, if I am truly just lagging the putt it is not an issue, I usually get those fairly close, mostly in gimme range, with the occasional mishit or misread.

[Kor.A.Door]

To quote another great baseball movie. "Don't think meat! Just throw!"

 

This may sound dumb but one of the greatest things I've ever been told is to not care whether a putt goes in or not. This is from Dave Stockton. The less you care the more it's going to go in. On the chance you miss a 4 footer then big deal! Short memory and move on. I'm not the best putter in the world but when I'm on then by damn I'm on. What can I say, I'm streaky. I definitely putt better when I try and care or think less about missing a putt rather than making one.

This is very true, i see it many times with some of the guys that I play with, they will have a 12-14 foot putt for double, and knock it right in the heart, mostly because they aren't thinking, they just line it up and hit it, doesn't matter either way if it goes in or not. That's golf

[Kor.A.Door]

I'd agree with Rev, I usually do, I might think about focussing on cutting down the number of 4 footers you face for par. If you'd said they were all short or all long that would be less of an issue, but once again this feels familiar to my own game.

 

Over a few years I realised, that in particular on slower greens, when I had to give a putt a bit of oomph I missed a lot several feet short and right and the impact of that was to charge others way past - it was something to do with my stroke and an open stance. Faster the greens the more my stroke held up.

 

The last time I had a lesson my pro asked if I was a charger or a lagger; I am most definitely a lagger. To focus that in mind is important, I don't like 4 footers and I'm trying to minimise the number of putts I have, so i won't be busting my own chops if I leave a 25 footer in the jaws (unless it was for a win). so what are you Kor, lagger or charger? I'm not sure being both is a good idea.

 

I guess off 6 and not being the most confident putter you must be hitting loads of greens, if your hitting 15 greens then frankly 33 or 34 putts is no disaster (possibly annoying) unless they were all 6 foot birdie putts. Those guys in the bar talking about 27 putts (swines) usually only hit 8 or 9 GIR

I'm usually at around 36-38 putts per round, I'm usually at around 13-15 greens, if my chipping is on then my putts will go down a bit, maybe 34-35, but not much, I think hat making 75% of the 4 footers during the round my putts would go down 3-4 strokes I usually have 4 or 5 four foot putts I'm a round, so making 3 of them turns the 83 into an 80, or 80 into 77. From tee to green I like what I am doing, but on the green it's totally mental.

 

I would say I am a lagger not a charger. I tend to play max break and less speed, I think that's what you mean by lagger?

[westy]

Indeed it is what I mean, if you could get that to 32/33 putts average then that would be decent with those GIR stats. It's not a huge jump forward.

 

Are you someone who spends a longtime reading putts? Including short ones?

[sp0rtsfan86]

One thing I've thought is to have the same routine for a 4 footer and a 50 footer. I rushed a putt in a tournament years ago and someone remarked to me that in trying not to over think a putt i ended up rushing everything. The key for me is routine and where you leave your lags. Are you leaving yourself makable 4 footers or ones that are tough? 

 

As another note, when I struggle I look up while putting. Try to keep stay mechanically correct during pressure moments. You can't focus on it while playing, but I find if I practice I need to keep my focus on mechanics and it translates to the course.

[Kor.A.Door]

Indeed it is what I mean, if you could get that to 32/33 putts average then that would be decent with those GIR stats. It's not a huge jump forward.

 

Are you someone who spends a longtime reading putts? Including short ones?

I don't usually take a long time to read putts, long or short, I try not to overthink what I am doing, but on the short ones I may let the little voice of doubt creep in, and I think that May be the issue here, I can't get out of my own head and just putt.

 

32/33 putts per round would be really good, like you said I'm not far away from that, it's really only 3 putts per round it's iust getting the confidence to make those putts instead of missing them

[revkev]

This is a great thread and I don't mean to pick on you only help you, myself and others.  You seem to be someone crying out for help - I don't blame you - there are times when I cry out for help with my game, too.

 

So here are some comments based on your replies, my own observations and reading every shot counts.

 

No matter what you do you will not ever make many 15-20 foot putts.  Look at the stats on tour - less than 20 percent - for us on the greens that we putt on with the time we have to invest in our games its going to be less than 10 percent.  I would highly recommend that you save yourself on average a putt per round and stop chasing them - lag them - if one happens to drop now and again great but be sure to 2 putt 99 percent of the time from there.

 

You are hitting more greens in regulation than guys on tour.  Parse that stat out a bit though because it may reveal that your putting is not as bad as you think it is.

 

Are you hitting so many greens because you are playing away from pins to the fat side when the short side may actually be better?  I know that sounds like blasphemy but the reality is that not all short sides are created equal.  What if I aim at a right pin where my miss right leaves a simple basic uphill 30 foot chip that I'll get up and down 80 percent of the time or even more?  Had I aimed left to the fat part of the green I will have left myself a very difficult downhill 30 footer that I might three putt close to half the time.  It looks like I have a putting issue when in reality its a course management problem.  (I've only learned this one over the past couple of years.)

 

Just those two scenarios, lagging the 20 footers and improving proximity to the hole) could bring your average putts down to the 32-34 range.  For a ball striker like yourself, that would be a great goal. 

 

I would still invest time on those short putts on the practice green - I play golf for fun and I play golf under pressure, it sure helps when playing under pressure if I'm able to shut my brain off because my last though is the visual of me picking the ball out of the hole like I've done 10,000 times already in my life.

 

Please keep the dialogue up here - I think this is a very beneficial thread.

[Severtheties]

This is a great thread and I don't mean to pick on you only help you, myself and others.  You seem to be someone crying out for help - I don't blame you - there are times when I cry out for help with my game, too.

 

So here are some comments based on your replies, my own observations and reading every shot counts.

 

No matter what you do you will not ever make many 15-20 foot putts.  Look at the stats on tour - less than 20 percent - for us on the greens that we putt on with the time we have to invest in our games its going to be less than 10 percent.  I would highly recommend that you save yourself on average a putt per round and stop chasing them - lag them - if one happens to drop now and again great but be sure to 2 putt 99 percent of the time from there.

 

You are hitting more greens in regulation than guys on tour.  Parse that stat out a bit though because it may reveal that your putting is not as bad as you think it is.

 

Are you hitting so many greens because you are playing away from pins to the fat side when the short side may actually be better?  I know that sounds like blasphemy but the reality is that not all short sides are created equal.  What if I aim at a right pin where my miss right leaves a simple basic uphill 30 foot chip that I'll get up and down 80 percent of the time or even more?  Had I aimed left to the fat part of the green I will have left myself a very difficult downhill 30 footer that I might three putt close to half the time.  It looks like I have a putting issue when in reality its a course management problem.  (I've only learned this one over the past couple of years.)

 

Just those two scenarios, lagging the 20 footers and improving proximity to the hole) could bring your average putts down to the 32-34 range.  For a ball striker like yourself, that would be a great goal. 

 

I would still invest time on those short putts on the practice green - I play golf for fun and I play golf under pressure, it sure helps when playing under pressure if I'm able to shut my brain off because my last though is the visual of me picking the ball out of the hole like I've done 10,000 times already in my life.

 

Please keep the dialogue up here - I think this is a very beneficial thread.

 

Great suggestions Rev. I like your outside the box thinking. 

 

I am on the opposite side of the spectrum. I tend to make more putts then I miss (I spent a majority of my practice time while in high school and college on the putting green) so I try and have my miss just somewhere on the putting surface. 

 

I also agree with a few posters above on the 5-8 foot putts. I tend to not over read them. On most courses i play I believe in (for the most part) just putting it in the back of the hole. I tend not to "finesse" those putts and it seems to work. Even on long putts, instead of taking a lot of time to read the putt, I give it about 10 seconds behind the ball and then set myself up over the ball and read the putt from overtop the ball. I visualize the putt, pick the spot I'm going to hit it to, and I putt. I try to keep things as simple as possible with the least amount of time to think about it. 

[Kor.A.Door]

Good suggestions here, rev I think you are correct, my overall putting stats are probably not bad, and like you said, I may be able to save 1-2 putts per round by lagging the 15-18 footers instead of running at them, it's good to discuss these things, sometimes just getting other points of view can help greatly, there are little things that can add up to big things if we take the time to read and take advice.

[revkev]

Guys you are both very kind. I'd like to claim originality here but I cant. I stole the short putt drill from some touring pro's tip back in the 70's, I'd stay on the practice green until dark as a college student. (Probably why my GPA as a grad student was higher than as an under grad.).

 

I learned the uphill, downhill drill around the same time by reading an article on putting drills by Tom Watson. The putting to the freinds drill comes from Annika.

 

I only figured the where to miss stuff or closer proximity to the hole stuff out after reading Every Shot Counts. It's a great book, if you haven't read it you need to. Even though I only "hit" 7 greens Sunday afternoon I had 6 others where there was a far greater chance that I was holing out on my so called miss green than taking 3 to get up and down. I could putt 5 of them and the other was a very easy chip shot.

 

At any rate like many things in life, perception isn't always the reality. A step back and analysis is sometimes needed before a remedy is applied.

 

Please let me know if your scores improve and what led to that improvement.

[Kor.A.Door]

There always some little things that we do t think about for putting, or even for the rest of our games, sometimes it's nice to get others perspectives on some subjects as it could be one thing that's we are missing that can be the difference in shooting 85 or 80, or better yet, from 80-75, thanks for the input, this is a good discussion

[Zeasy]

I used to be an awful putter. 6 months putting with a blindfold on cured me.

[Kor.A.Door]

My great uncle always said to practice with your eyes closed, he would say line up like you normally would, then take one last look at the hole, then close your eyes and putt, you are basically putting what you saw, I think it works well with lag putts, not sure on the short ones, although I don't think I could do any worse if I were to close my eyes while putting.

[revkev]

I often putt looking at the hole particularly on lag putts.

[Kor.A.Door]

Putted a little better on Saturday, I made a couple of birdies which was nice. One was from about 15 feet, the other was from about 3 feet. S

[Kenny B]

Late to the party on this one... sorry. Been on a golf vacation in Oregon this last week. I experience similar issues when I travel like this because each course I play is different from my home course as well as different from each other. That's why I follow Rev's putting drill at each course before I play. It really gives you confidence that the short putts are going in. I did have one horrible round where I spent 45 minutes putting on the practice green before the round only to find that the greens on the course we're nothing like the practice green! I was really peeved about that!!

 

Lots of good advice already given, so I won't repeat. But I will jump on the lag putting bandwagon. The 15-20 footers should be mostly makes and gimme 2-putts. If you are leaving 4 footers short or long, then more lag practice would be beneficial. Confidence is built knowing that if you miss, it's a tap-in.

 

If you are both short and long by 4 feet, it would be worth having the pro look at your stroke. The slightest of flips can be devastating distance-wise. Of course, I am also assuming that your putter fits your stroke. I was a terrible lag putter until I found a putter that matched my swing tempo and characteristics. Now 3-putts are rare, unless the practice green is nothing like the greens on the course!!

[Kor.A.Door]

I like the new face balanced TM spider that I picked up. My stroke is good, I either miss read, or just mis play the putt, going for it when I should lag. I've only play a couple rounds with the new putter but it seems to be helping, I have actually made a few 4 footers in the last few rounds

[Bogey in The Woods]

One thing I've thought is to have the same routine for a 4 footer and a 50 footer. 

 

 

Agree wholeheartedly. You already have a difference set into your mind. DON'T. All you have to know is that it is a putt. PERIOD. Distance of putt in your head shouldn't matter except as matter of stroke power. As soon as you tell yourself "its another damn 4 footer" you are in your head and fighting twice as hard. 

 

It is a putt. 4 inches, four feet, forty feet. Doesn't matter.  Your mechanics don't change. Don't change your routine. 

[joen]

I will bore you with my putting adventures so that hopefully you can garner something that might help you.  I used to be a terrible putter inside of six feet.  Constantly overthinking the putt....getting too handsy.  So, I went to a belly putter....two ball from Odyssey that was custom fit about 9-10 years ago.  Got a Truthboard that Dave Pelz sold and just practiced those three footers every day.  I became money.  Belly putters are horrendous to judge distance with lag putts, but it didn't matter....if it was within six feet...I KNEW I would make it....even though obviously you don't make all of them.  But, it is such a mental game....and I did make most of them.  Now....fast forward to the anchoring ban...I made the move this winter (I know I still have one year but I figured I might as well get the pain of switching out of the way) to get a new putter.  After trying about 40 different putters.  Got one that felt good finally....the Tank.  I am a great lag putter now; however, I started having issues with those putts inside of six feet again.  I went back to the using truth board regularly....but was still having issues.  I stopped looking at the ball on those short ones....and I am back to money inside of six feet.  You may want to try not looking at the ball.  I don't know if it will be your answer, but it is worth a try.  The other thing that I initially did years ago that helped immensely is to have the EXACT SAME routine with every putt.  Develop whatever routine that works for you and stick with it!

 

I wish you the best of luck with solving your golfing demons.

[RookieBlue7]

I'll tel you what helps me, and what I've been doing for years.  I'll go through my normal routine on the putting green pre round (a few short ones, 10 mid length putts, 10 long putts.  After that, I'll take 10 balls and make a ring around the hole 3 foot out and I'll putt those until I make 10 in a row.  If I miss, I start over.  Seeing a bunch of short putts fall before the round helps with the confidence and focus for me.  

If you do want a truth board, you'll have to build one because they quit selling them a long time ago.  They're no hard to make though.

One question I do have for you though is do you use any type of alignment on the ball?  What I mean is do you draw a line on the ball or use the seam writing on the ball and aim that at the hole when replacing your ball after spotting it?  If you don't, I'd try that.  It helps get the putter set up to the hole along your line.

[mbrodeur86]

A couple of things for me that might help you. I would say my putting is my best "ability" in the bag and I think a lot of it has to do with knowing what length and weight of the putter I putt most comfortably with. For me, it's at 34" length and 340g weight. My lag putts are much closer than if I had a 350g putter. The other secret is getting a Superstroke Mid Slim put on. It seems to keep my hands quiet and My putting per round since then plays around 1.6

 

If I'm over a tricky 4-6 ft putt, I tend to forget the break and putt a little more aggressively. I find it much harder to play a bigger break and find the speed to that break than just hit it a little firmer. It will call for playing less break generally and you don't have to second guess yourself. Give it a shot.