Putting - are you looking at the hole? Sometimes? No way?

[Dana]

I always putt looking at the ball. I have tried looking at the hole and the results have been good, just can't get the nerve to stick with it.

[Seef824]

I am still looking at the hole and it is working better.  I am still a poor putter, but it has improved.  I do not 3-putt as often anymore and I am more confident I can make putts as opposed to trying to just get it close.

[HighFade]

I used to look at the hole for extremely long putts.  Probably outside 50'  It helped me gauge the distance better.  But I always revert back to looking at the ball.  I think I hit it more solidly if I'm looking at the ball.

[RenteriaAJ]

I started looking at the hole while putting this golf season. I've always been a putter that leaves putts short or hit them too long. This helps me with speed big time. After practicing my set up on the practice green over the past months my confidence has gone up and I have almost eliminated 3 putts from my system. I can't go back to looking at the ball it doesn't feel normal anymore

 

 

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[Kenny B]

I started looking at the hole while putting this golf season. I've always been a putter that leaves putts short or hit them too long. This helps me with speed big time. After practicing my set up on the practice green over the past months my confidence has gone up and I have almost eliminated 3 putts from my system. I can't go back to looking at the ball it doesn't feel normal anymore

 

 

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My feeling exactly!  It's so natural now, and the uneasiness I felt when I started looking at the hole is gone.  However, I do have trouble looking at the hole when in the fringe and I cannot align my ball.  I'm OK with speed, but I miss my line that I read.  Maybe I should practice more without aligning the ball just to get a feel for seeing the line.  Hmmm.  I guess it won't hurt to try it.

[zacannette0]

Do you guys find that the smoothness of your stroke and the contact with the ball suffered without being able to see the club head directly?

[jlew2144]

Do you guys find that the smoothness of your stroke and the contact with the ball suffered without being able to see the club head directly?

Every once in awhile things get a bit out of sorts for me, but more often than not it's a nice smooth putt.

 

When I first started trying this there were definitely some moments of what on earth is going on here. The more I practiced the more things began to click. I encourage you if you're trying it out to spend some time on a practice green where you can get a feel. Not just 5 minutes before a round, 20 to 30 minutes at a range session.

[zacannette0]

Every once in awhile things get a bit out of sorts for me, but more often than not it's a nice smooth putt.

 

When I first started trying this there were definitely some moments of what on earth is going on here. The more I practiced the more things began to click. I encourage you if you're trying it out to spend some time on a practice green where you can get a feel. Not just 5 minutes before a round, 20 to 30 minutes at a range session.

Yeah I spent 20 mins the other night, took a few putts to get used to but then I still had varied results regarding distance control, especially on the really long putts.

 

I can get a smoother stroke once I've lengthened my putter so I'll give this technique some more time once that is sorted!

[Kenny B]

Do you guys find that the smoothness of your stroke and the contact with the ball suffered without being able to see the club head directly?

On the contrary, my putter stroke is much smoother when I don't focus on the putter head.  As jlew said and in earlier posts, this is something that you cannot just spend a few minutes "to try out".  You cannot go back and forth, looking at the hole then not looking at the hole.  If you do then looking at the hole will always feel uncomfortable and you will stop doing it.  I did that last year.  I looked at the hole on short putts but not long putts; it just felt weird.  This spring I fully committed to looking at the hole on all putts once I learned the greens at my new course.  The reason I changed was that my speed was inconsistent, mostly due to looking up early in the stroke.  I couldn't help myself and many putts came up short.  That doesn't happen now.  Once my ball is lined up on my intended line AND the putter is lined up with that same line, I can focus on distance without thinking about ball contact.

 

I am not saying that looking at the hole is something that everyone should do.  It will work for some, but not everyone.  I just wish I had done this many years ago when I was a really lousy putter and my pro said I had "hands of stone".  

[Betty Rene]

No, I don't look at the hole for at least 2 seconds after I have hit the ball. If I do my putting is worse than it already is!

 

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[revkev]

Do you guys find that the smoothness of your stroke and the contact with the ball suffered without being able to see the club head directly?

I actually find that my stroke is better looking at the hole. I had trouble watching the putter go back on longer putts when I looked at the ball.

 

I look at the ball on short putts. Don't ask me why I just do. I also have found that I make more left to right putts when I slightly elevate the toe of the putter.

 

Today it seemed as if I had all right to left breaking putts. It made it so essy, that and the fact that the greens were perfect, they had some speed but not too much.

 

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[RenteriaAJ]

Do you guys find that the smoothness of your stroke and the contact with the ball suffered without being able to see the club head directly?

Not really. Once I practice a good bit i would hit dead center on 98% of my putts. Just like your irons. You know when you mis hit it. But I have a alignment tool that I practice with that allows me to know when I pull or push my putts when I practice. The hardest part of doing this is trusting your stroke. Align your putt, set your stance, look at your target and then stroke it.

 

 

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[nicko]

I don't care for the logic personally...pitchers/QB's etc. aren't using anything but their arm and hand, no instrument. For me it doesn't work.

 

 

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[Kenny B]

I don't care for the logic personally...pitchers/QB's etc. aren't using anything but their arm and hand, no instrument. For me it doesn't work.

 

 

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Like I said, it's not for everybody.  The logic is sound though.  The putter, not the ball, is like the ball for a pitcher/QB up until it's released.  The difference is that for a putt, you don't let go of the putter! lol.  As for the ball, I am not thinking about it during the stroke.  After it's lined up, it just "gets in the way".

[cksurfdude]

I actually find that my stroke is better looking at the hole.

Agree - I'm much smoother, less hesitant less jerky, more consistent.

 

 

I

I also have found that I make more left to right putts when I slightly elevate the toe of the putter.

Assuming you're right-handed?

 

You're actually turning the face of the putter slightly to the left by raising the toe and so starting the ball on that line.

 

That's something I'm trying to be careful to control when putting across a slope.

[revkev]

I was a catcher in baseball. I played until my junior of college. That may have a lot to do with why I'm comfortable looking at the hole. I know it's why I prefer to see the ball go right to left. I could always help pitchers when they lost their release point on a curved or slider. My eye prefers that shot.

 

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[PMookie]

I tried looking at the hole a few years back, but not for long

 

 

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[DownInOne]

I only look at the hole on the practice green until I have a good feel for the green and then I don't look at the hole again. I have great distance control but zero accuracy when I'm not looking at the club head.

 

 

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