deauxrite

Wait...are we playing the same golf course or what? Actually I have played at Columbia Point..nice golf course, but as you say it is not exactly Pebble Beach.

Update to 10,000 putts. I have attached a short (12 seconds) video of the putting stroke as it is right now. The object is to putt the ball down that 1 inch wide, 48 inch long piece of aluminum stock..10 times in a row. This was my first successful run of 10. Since this video was made, I have had numerous runs of 10-20 in a row. Note that when I started this odyssey I had difficulty putting down a 2 inch wide, 36 inch ruler..progress is slow, but it is progress. That is my wellputt mat under the ruler btw. https://youtu.be/ArLTSp6UdZM

The wellputt mat is excellent. I find that it is just a touch slower than our greens at the club, but other than that..an excellent putting aid. I use it exclusively for stroke mechanics. I use it in addition to a couple of other aids..a 48 inch long 1 inch wide piece of aluminum (which I putt down) and a blast motion swing analyzer that provides me with feedback on the putting stroke in real time. I have not used the Wellputt exercises.

Good on you for eliminating the sugar. I had a flight surgeon that told me that sugar is modern poison. It is one of the most addictive substances known to man and, you are correct, it is in just about every processed food that we find in the grocery. In my case, I avoid processed food when possible...that means a lot more food prep in our house, but in the long run it is worth it. Let us know where your weight stabilizes.

Update to 10,000 putts. I am just over 6 weeks and nearly 6000 putts into this effort. As of today I am happy with the results. Not perfect, but vastly better than what I had when I started. First, the stroke is much more repeatable. Second, I am getting the ball on the line that I choose much more consistently. Third, I am rolling the ball better as evidenced by having a line on the ball that shows that the ball is turning over as it comes off of the putter. The new putter is working pretty well. I have added weight to it to more closely replicate the weight of my old putter. I am now beginning to get the lag putts within my 3 foot tolerance. I have also started using the strokes gained putting statistic rather than putts per round or per hole..I think that it provides a more accurate data point. Today I was -.55 strokes gained during my round of golf. I will continue to develop those numbers as the winter and spring progress. I will start reducing the number of putts that I hit each day now. Now that the stroke has settled to a rotation change of .3 degrees +- and the tempo has been steady at 1.8 to 1, I want to spend more time reading greens and focusing on the proper speed..that means less time on the indoor mat and more time on the putting greens. I will continue to use the mat on weather days and when I feel like the stroke is not working. One more observation..taking the stroke from the mat and the putting green to the golf course is not as easy as I thought that it would be. The first two days on the golf course my new stroke was very shaky..almost as if I was really under pressure..I don't really know how to explain it. Today was the third day and I was more relaxed and able to have confidence as I stood over the putts.

What is the length? Is it face balanced or toe down?

Update: I drove to Scottsdale, AZ and had a Sams Puttlab evaluation yesterday. The process took just about an hour. I started off by hitting 14 putts with my face balanced putter and did pretty well. My normal miss is right and I the putts that I missed during that part of the session I missed right. My putter showed to be correctly adjusted for loft, lie and length. The recommendation was to change to a 30-45 degree toe balanced putter. Since I have a couple of blade putters that fit the recommendation, I tried one of my Scotty's. I hit 14 putts with the first one and found that I had difficulty seeing the correct line..putts to both sides of the cup and a couple of good putts. The data again showed that the putter was properly adjusted for loft and lie and length. I then tried a mallet putter with moderate toe hang. The first set of numbers showed that it needed to be slightly adjusted for lie..loft and length being ok. Once adjusted, I hit 14 putts with it. I think that the first 7 went in the cup before I missed one. All were very close. The difference was that for the first time I could feel the putter closing as it came to the ball without having to manipulate my hands or wrists to complete the stroke. I then tried several different putters (all with varying degrees of toe hang and weight). I hit all of them very well..some felt better, some looked better to my eye, but the moderate toe hang putters were easier to get on the line. I left the evaluation with a couple of insights. 1. Putter fitting is important. I have been fit for irons and Drivers in the past. This was my first putter fitting and I think that it is just as important as the others 2. Data is critical. The Sams data is very good because it is graphical in nature..you can see the lie and loft angle of your putter. You can see the path that your putter takes on the backstroke and the follow through and you can see how open and closed the putter face is throughout the stroke (mine is more open going back). It allows you to SEE what you think that you are feeling. 3. Finding he correct putter may or may not have a dramatic impact on putting performance, but it does instill confidence that you have the best piece of equipment for the task at hand. Now that I have some good data and have an idea of what I am looking for...I am going putter shopping.

I totally agree. In fact, the reason that my handicap is where it is because I chip and one putt regularly. I really hope that the Sams Puttlab will verify what I have learned from the Blast. I did not mention that I have a book by Juan Gutierrez " Make more Putts".. Juan is the World Golf Hall of Fame 2011 Putting Champion and his book is very helpful in outlining a plan and is full of putting drills (Hat tip Juan). I do a putting skills assessment weekly as per the book and that assessment determines which putts get more attention during the upcoming week. I can easily convert that information to putts per distance..good idea. Thanks

OK. It is winter and I don't have a heck of a lot to do anyway..so..I have embarked on a journey of 10,000 practice putts. The journey is well underway (3400 so far). The journey includes a wellputt mat for practice on the days that I can not get to the practice green at our course, a Sams puttlab fitting in Phoenix (3 hour drive tomorrow), an Aimpoint Express lesson for green reading and a Blast Motion swing analyzer for good measure. The goal here is to: 1. Work on the mechanics of a putting stroke that is less than optimal. 2. Reduce the number of overall putts during my rounds (average 31) 3. Make more of those realistic birdie opportunities that currently result in tap in pars. The blast motion analyzer has been an eye opener for me. The fact that I rarely get the putter face closed at impact is huge. Making the stroke changes to accomplish that small (2-3 degrees) of change is much more difficult than I ever imagined. I have found that striking the putts on a 11/4 inch wide steel ruler has been a great help. I am currently at the point where I can roll 10-15 in a row down the 48 inch long ruler. The purpose of the Sams Puttlab fitting tomorrow is to see the data and see if there is an improvement possible with an equipment change. I currently use a face balanced putter with an arced stroke..less than optimal I am told..so I am determined to see if a putter change will improve the numbers. Now that mallet putters are available with varying degrees of toe hang , I am very interested to examine the numbers.

I use a Blast Motion swing analyzer on my putter. It provides a lot of information, including tempo, and club face rotation..which I find to be most important for putting. If your putter does not get back to the original set up position, the ball does not start on the intended line..sounds simple. I have found that after 3000 putts with the analyzer, that I am finally getting the putter face square to the line to within two tenths of a degree most of the time. It has made a great difference in my putting.

I have hit 2, 234 putts with mine. My tempo is also good..very consistent. When I began, my putter face rotation was very inconsistent. It varied from 2 degrees closed to 4 degrees open..with no consistency at all. I thought that I had my "AH HA" moment until I discovered that fixing my putter stroke was much more difficult than I expected. I got some professional help and now after several weeks and lots of practice on just the stroke mechanics, my tempo is still very consistent and my putter face rotation is down to .4 degrees average. Some days it is a little better..it depends on how well I am concentrating and how focused I am. I am committed to becoming a better putter by the spring and I think that this is the best approach for me.

My technique as well..I try to hold the face of the club open and aim left side. It works (Mostly )

I guess that I will just give up now! NOT. I do not play on PGA tour greens, nor do I play under that kind of pressure. I think that a good PGA player could achieve the goals that I have set under the conditions that I play. It does not take any special physical attributes to putt very well..it takes focus and practice, both of which I am willing to commit to.

Thanks for this post and for the link to the article. It is very timely for me. I fall into #3 category. I have the time, I play four days per week and practice some part of my game every day..every day. I have just embarked on a personal challenge to putt 10,000 putts over the next three months. Some will be in the house on carpet (actually on a 1 1/2 inch wide 48 inch long steel ruler) but most will be on the practice greens at the course that I play. My goal is to make everything inside 6 feet, half of the 15 footers, and roll the ball within 3 feet of the hole from all distances. Daunting? Indeed. My putting is pretty good, but to break par I need to make more birdies and that means hit greens and make putts. Since this time of year is better for practice than for golf..now is the time!

I have found that if I am practicing my putting indoors, I usually use a 2 inch wide ruler and putt down the length of the ruler..no problems with face angle (well not as much anyway ) but when I am on the putting greens, face angle tends to be much more erratic. I find the Blast to be extremely helpful to diagnose those faults..finding solutions is not as easy, but I am working on it.!

I Also bought one. I have been using it for putting. It is excellent. If you really want to know if that putter is square to your line..this little device will tell you to within one tenth of a degree. I have never been so excited about my putting!! This device is helping me to refine and improve my putting stroke. I have gone from 3-5 degrees of open putter face to .4 degrees (average) in a couple of weeks. Combine this knowledge with some putting drills and you have a formula for success.

I had an ace a few years ago..it was very exciting. I have shot 70 as my lowest score. I have done it twice..71-72 several times. I want to shoot 69 so bad that I can taste it. At my age, I have to hope that it is coming in the next year or two. My game is still pretty good, but time is not on my side. So..I have decided that this winter I am going to get professional help with my putting since I think that saving a couple of strokes on a good round will make the difference.

Amen to that..I don't get anywhere near that Cholla..I swear that it jumps or flies.

We see Coyotes, Javalina, and the occasional Rattlesnake here in Southern Arizona...but the lakes are usually safe!

Found one..this posting can be deleted.

Looking for a Scotty Cameron Futura 5W. Right Handed.

I get to the golf course very early on Sunday (I work there). What impresses me most is watching the grounds crew raking, mowing and getting the course ready for the Sunday morning golfers. It is very serene at 0500 (or earlier in the summer) when these guys arrive to work their magic.

I agree. Great analogy.

I have reduced the length of my g400 to 44". It has resulted in a 5-10 yard reduction in distance, slightly lower ball flight and 1 additional fairway hit per 18 holes over the last 6 months. I keep very detailed statistics on driving and putting. Now I have gone the other direction and replaced the shortened shaft with a 47 1/2 inch shaft. Results are still out, but it appears that distance has increased 12-20 yards and fairways hit have remained the same..so far. The big difference is that I am hitting 9 irons instead of 7 irons..resulting in more greens in regulation and a small increase in birdies. I have been surprised that the number of fairways hit have remained constant..surprised but pleased because it has made a big difference in the number of greens in regulation. Time will tell on this experiment.

Welcome back. Take care of the shoulder and when you are healed up..come on down to Sierra Vista and we will play a round of golf at Pueblo Del Sol..on me.