Putting on the wrong side of the ball

[Rphall003]

I've been struggling with my putting for the better part of two years now. Could shave several strokes off my game if I could be a little more consistent. After spending a few hours on the practice green with another set of eyes watching I said I wonder if I could put left handed as I stroked the ball with the back side of my putter...plop!! I made more and had better distance and line control lefty than I ever had righty! Anyone else had similar experience?!?

 

 

- Rhino

[TSauer]

Lefty here, and every time I visit golf shops and test new putters the lefty selection is always limited. This leaves me testing them right handed, and for some odd reason, putting right handed feels so much better. Like you, distance and control is much more spot on.

[ole gray]

Lefty here, and every time I visit golf shops and test new putters the lefty selection is always limited. This leaves me testing them right handed, and for some odd reason, putting right handed feels so much better. Like you, distance and control is much more spot on.

 

I have a friend who hits right handed and putts left handed. Good putter too!

[MDGolfHacker]

Might be a good experiment to do on the course. Just for putting though. Could be an eye dominant issue too. Just because you are a Lefty doesn't mean your going to be right eye dominant or vice versa.

 

MDGolfHacker

[TSauer]

I have a friend who hits right handed and putts left handed. Good putter too!

I've thought about switch hitting when it comes to putting, or at least trying it out. Might have to invest in a cheap right handed putter to fool around with.

[MDGolfHacker]

Now that I think about it, I did this about 8 years ago. Picked up a ping right handed putter and tried it for a few rounds. I never felt comfortable with it and didn't see better stats so I went back putting left handed. My brother inherited that putter and putts better than me with it (he's a righty)!

 

MDGolfHacker

[ole gray]

I've thought about switch hitting when it comes to putting, or at least trying it out. Might have to invest in a cheap right handed putter to fool around with.

He claims it stopped the yips for him.

 

 

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[Rphall003]

Might be a good experiment to do on the course. Just for putting though. Could be an eye dominant issue too. Just because you are a Lefty doesn't mean your going to be right eye dominant or vice versa.

 

MDGolfHacker

Yeah I'm willing to say eye dominance is one of my issues. I'm Righty left eye dominant. When I was tournament bow shooting I learned to shoot my right handed bow upside down to make it left handed...before I got a left handed bow...made a lot of difference.

 

 

- Rhino

[Jiro]

Interesting. Have you alternately tried putting from your usual side but with your opposite hand low? (Left hand low for righties). For me I found this to work and feel better to me but perhaps not as drastic as putting opposite.

 

 

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[Rphall003]

I have actually...I decided to burn the boat...I tried it for an entire season, left hand low I mean, with no switching back!! Completely committed and it made it marginally better but not by much...I was putting right hand low when I switched to lefty this afternoon.

 

 

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[Canucklehead]

Interesting. Have you alternately tried putting from your usual side but with your opposite hand low? (Left hand low for righties). For me I found this to work and feel better to me but perhaps not as drastic as putting opposite.

 

 

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I found that helped out a lot as well. Had a real problem when I'd start towards the ball I'd pull the putter towards me a bit and hit the toe a lot. But going left hand low has made me a bit better and a hell of a lot more consistent with making good contact.

 

I also know a few guys who putt opposite from where they shoot.

 

Putting is such a personal thing though and that was just my 2 cents

 

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[Rphall003]

 

 

I also know a few guys who putt opposite from where they shoot.

 

Putting is such a personal thing though and that was just my 2 cents

 

It really is personal...an art form of sorts. I guess that's why there's so many different styles of putting and putters themselves. I guess it's time to burn the boat again and this "wrong side" putting a try!! I'm going fully committed and I'll stay in touch with results!!

 

 

- Rhino

[Brjpool]

I was having trouble batting when I played baseball. I learned to bat left (I'm right handed) first then learned right. I wonder if I should learn to putt left

 

 

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[Rphall003]

Might not hurt...seems we are in a similar boat since I first learned to shoot my bow left handed once I learned I was left eye dominant!! It helped my a lot in that aspect!! If you do put lefty...write back and let me know what you find!!!

 

 

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[fozcycle]

One of my golf buddies(retired and can't play due to COPD) played lefty but putted righty.

 

 

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[Kor.A.Door]

As a lefty I have tried a putting righty, but it feels weird, short putts were good, but anything over 15 feet or so became very difficult to control distance.

Notah Begay used to putt both, for left to right putts he would putt left handed, and right to left putts he would putt right handed.

[Rphall003]

As a lefty I have tried a putting righty, but it feels weird, short putts were good, but anything over 15 feet or so became very difficult to control distance.

Notah Begay used to putt both, for left to right putts he would putt left handed, and right to left putts he would putt right handed.

This is what I'm worried about...not being able to control the longer puts. I'm going to practice on it for a bit before I fully commit but thanks for the heads up. Did you go back to lefty putting? Did swapping help you any with your original stroke?

 

 

- Rhino

[TheWahoo]

As a lefty, I putt left handed.   I wonder if there is some sort of consistent factor when a right hander putts left hand low and just putting left handed.  

[Kor.A.Door]

This is what I'm worried about...not being able to control the longer puts. I'm going to practice on it for a bit before I fully commit but thanks for the heads up. Did you go back to lefty putting? Did swapping help you any with your original stroke?

 

 

- Rhino

I never really putted for any length of time right handed, I could putt the short stuff pretty well, but had no control on anything that was over 15 feet, it was just awkward feeling. Maybe you could get an old left and right putter, and use your dominant hand for long putts and opposite Handed for short putts.

[Rusty1885]

I own a left handed putter and practice with it for a while. I found that on short putts it performs well, not so much the distance control on longer putts for me. At that point the right hand shirt putt was giving me some problems, with the lefty it's all mechanic and technique not enough swing thought to spare. I was doing fine. Now I apply that to right hand and it works.

[kevin1889]

I've experienced this as well when I make some dramatic change to any part of my game.  Often times a change can work in the short term but it's not a consistent fix in the long term. It likely just frees your mind a bit and having less clutter up there can make all the difference. 

[L.I. Rich]

Can someone explain the eye dominance thing with respect to putting? I'm a righty and left eye dominant. In the Evnroll (better spell it right, got the ad at the top!) testing thread, eye dominance was something that Guerin (no ad!) asked each of the testers during the phone fitting. Anyway, if someone can explain how hand and eye dominance influence putter setup, maybe you just have to have a fitting...

[Rphall003]

Can someone explain the eye dominance thing with respect to putting? I'm a righty and left eye dominant. In the Evnroll (better spell it right, got the ad at the top!) testing thread, eye dominance was something that Guerin (no ad!) asked each of the testers during the phone fitting. Anyway, if someone can explain how hand and eye dominance influence putter setup, maybe you just have to have a fitting...

To the best of my understanding you want your dominant eye to be just over or slightly behind the putter blade. This allows you to see your intended line in its entirety from behind the ball. I think eye dominance is mainly focused on line/alignment. I'm also righty, left eye dom, and with me dom eye in front of the ball I felt I was always lining up correct but would be inevitably left. Anyone feel free to correct me if I'm off base.

 

 

- Rhino

[Kenny B]

I tried left hand putting several years ago.  I started doing it by tapping in putts with the back of my right-handed putter.  I got pretty good at it, so I bought a cheap left-handed putter and started practicing with it.  Like most of you that tried it, I was good on short putts, but as the putts got longer, I started missing wildly.

 

What's interesting is that I used the same grip as I do when putting righty, which is lead-hand low when putting lefty.  Feels natural, but when I tried lead-hand low with my current right-handed putter, it feels so awkward and I could never get used to it.

 

Many years ago, the pro at one of our local munis was a good player; played right, putted left.  He played in a few of the Nike Tour events, web.com Tour back then.  When he was in high school, he won the Washington State Amateur putting left handed.

[L.I. Rich]

To the best of my understanding you want your dominant eye to be just over or slightly behind the putter blade. This allows you to see your intended line in its entirety from behind the ball. I think eye dominance is mainly focused on line/alignment. I'm also righty, left eye dom, and with me dom eye in front of the ball I felt I was always lining up correct but would be inevitably left. Anyone feel free to correct me if I'm off base.

- Rhino

Thanks. Interesting.

[mpatrickriley]

Bumping this thread because I'm giving this idea some consideration. As per my other thread here (with follow up comments), I've found that I have a very hard time finding a putting posture in which the correct line actually looks correct to me. Using a swing analyzer, it turns out that I tend to aim about 2° right of my line, and then compensate by closing the face the same amount at impact.

For the most part, it works. According to Game Golf, I putt at the level of a high-single-digit handicap.

But I love tinkering, and (on a suggestion from my wife), found that I actually see the line more accurately standing on the left-handed side of the ball.

I was debating last night whether to take the plunge and buy a lefty putter from the classifieds of that other site. I even asked @GolfSpy STUDque for advice. His very helpful reply:

So I took the plunge.

It looks like a common refrain in this thread is that the biggest adjustment in switching sides is distance control (and Stud said the same thing). Unfortunately, that'll be the part that I can't practice on my basement green.

At worst, it'll be a failed experiment, but I got a good deal on the putter and will likely be able to flip it on eBay to get my money back. Anything more than that, whether a revolution in my putting or just mixing things up in practice (and putting my regular putter on notice that it needs to behave) is just gravy.

[Shankster]

MPR, I putted left handed for a long while. I lost my putter as a kid and all they had in the cart barn were left handed putters. Being right eye dominant I loved it. I had often thought about trying to learn to play golf lefty. That way I could start from scratch and leave all my bad habits on the “right” side. Too far along now to start over.

Have fun with it.

[TR1PTIK]

3 minutes ago, GolfSpy MPR said:

Bumping this thread because I'm giving this idea some consideration. As per my other thread here (with follow up comments), I've found that I have a very hard time finding a putting posture in which the correct line actually looks correct to me. Using a swing analyzer, it turns out that I tend to aim about 2° right of my line, and then compensate by closing the face the same amount at impact.

For the most part, it works. According to Game Golf, I putt at the level of a high-single-digit handicap.

But I love tinkering, and (on a suggestion from my wife), found that I actually see the line more accurately standing on the left-handed side of the ball.

I was debating last night whether to take the plunge and buy a lefty putter from the classifieds of that other site. I even asked @GolfSpy STUDque for advice. His very helpful reply:

So I took the plunge.

It looks like a common refrain in this thread is that the biggest adjustment in switching sides is distance control (and Stud said the same thing). Unfortunately, that'll be the part that I can't practice on my basement green.

At worst, it'll be a failed experiment, but I got a good deal on the putter and will likely be able to flip it on eBay to get my money back. Anything more than that, whether a revolution in my putting or just mixing things up in practice (and putting my regular putter on notice that it needs to behave) is just gravy.

I highly recommend this book https://www.amazon.com/Putting-Prescription-Doctors-Proven-Method/dp/0470371013 if for nothing else than learning about eye dominance and how it impacts putting accuracy. It's very easy to test and there are lots of good tips and insights in this book.

[mpatrickriley]

3 minutes ago, TR1PTIK said:

I highly recommend this book https://www.amazon.com/Putting-Prescription-Doctors-Proven-Method/dp/0470371013 if for nothing else than learning about eye dominance and how it impacts putting accuracy. It's very easy to test and there are lots of good tips and insights in this book.

Thanks! Just grabbed a copy for $6 on eBay

[TR1PTIK]

53 minutes ago, GolfSpy MPR said:

Thanks! Just grabbed a copy for $6 on eBay

I think you'll enjoy it. Just like anything in golf, I wouldn't say his methods are the only way to better putting, but it is a very good book and you'll definitely want to have your putter handy for most of it. I've still got a couple months before I'll get to it on my reading list, but it is most definitely on the agenda for a re-read.