Putting is the hardest part of golf

[Headhammer]

I couldn't agree more. Pros put a ton of time into practicing their putting and its the one facet of the game that almost all of them use some type of training aid. For me personally, its the one area of my game I practice most often.

[ddryan]

That Queen B,   I want one!!!

[Divothead]

That Queen B,   I want one!!!

It truly is a thing of beauty....I also have this yes...... I have problems!!

[txgolfjunkie]

It's between your ears. 

 

A bad putter will psyche himself out when he gets over the putt. A good putter will make the stroke he wants and be satisfied with the result whether the putt goes in or not. Brad Faxon once told reporters that he putted great during a round in which he had 34 putts. The putts were on the line he wanted at the speed he was looking for, they just didn't drop. So much of this game is mental and putting is no different. Once you allow yourself to miss and understand that once the ball leaves the putter face, you have no control over the end result, you'll be a better putter. 

 

Remember the good putts, forget about the bad putts and find a consistent stroke. The putts will start to drop. 

[Divothead]

It's between your ears. 

 

A bad putter will psyche himself out when he gets over the putt. A good putter will make the stroke he wants and be satisfied with the result whether the putt goes in or not. Brad Faxon once told reporters that he putted great during a round in which he had 34 putts. The putts were on the line he wanted at the speed he was looking for, they just didn't drop. So much of this game is mental and putting is no different. Once you allow yourself to miss and understand that once the ball leaves the putter face, you have no control over the end result, you'll be a better putter. 

 

Remember the good putts, forget about the bad putts and find a consistent stroke. The putts will start to drop. 

I could not agree more with this post.

 

I am a really good putter when I am feeling confident in my mind (I hope that makes sense to some)

That word BUT appears yet again. Some days I`m just down on my self and I just can`t seem to get that I`m king of the world feeling going.

 

I mean yesterday I played 9 holes and I genuinely putted for birdie under 20 foot on eight holes and the other at about 24 feet.

I sank one putt.

I play golf a lot with a golf pro and a -2 handicap golfer and I can honestly say they would have bagged 4-5 of those putts.

Now I roll the ball real nice end over end I think it is more reading skills.

 

Has anybody got any links to books or videos regarding green reading and such?

I have done the aim point thing and had success with it and I may have to go back to it.

 

I just find with aim point you have to have the pace really worked out to make it work its best and my clubs greens are rarely the same pace.

The thing is I want to be really good and don`t expect it to come without dedication and hard work.

HELP!!

[Kenny B]

Is putting the hardest part of golf?  I look at it from a different perspective.  I KNOW I will never be able to drive the ball like the pros.  I KNOW I will never be able to hit long approach shots into a green on par 5's.  I KNOW I will never consistently stick wedges by the pin like the pros.  I KNOW I will never be a bunker player like the pros... but,

 

I firmly believe that I have the ability to be as good a putter as many of the pros; it doesn't take physical prowess.  I know I am not there, but if I spent more time practicing, become a better green reader, and improve my attitude, there is no reason why I can't putt like a pro.

[Rickp]

Is putting the hardest part of golf? I look at it from a different perspective. I KNOW I will never be able to drive the ball like the pros. I KNOW I will never be able to hit long approach shots into a green on par 5's. I KNOW I will never consistently stick wedges by the pin like the pros. I KNOW I will never be a bunker player like the pros... but,

 

I firmly believe that I have the ability to be as good a putter as many of the pros; it doesn't take physical prowess. I know I am not there, but if I spent more time practicing, become a better green reader, and improve my attitude, there is no reason why I can't putt like a pro.

I like that attitude. Never realized it but I kinda feel the same way.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[Kenny B]

Has anybody got any links to books or videos regarding green reading and such?

I have done the aim point thing and had success with it and I may have to go back to it.

 

I just find with aim point you have to have the pace really worked out to make it work its best and my clubs greens are rarely the same pace.

The thing is I want to be really good and don`t expect it to come without dedication and hard work.

HELP!!

OK, let's talk aim point.  I have never tried it.  I understand some of the basics, but I haven't spent any time to know it better.  Honestly, with Adam Scott as the poster boy for aim point, I don't know if I want to waste my time.  Adam Scott has not been in the top 100 Strokes Gained Putting on tour for most of the last 12 years, and typically he has been near the bottom (130-180).  He started using aim point in 2013-2014, and he was #54 SGP.  However, in 2015 and 2016 he fell back to his usual 130-150 ranking.  This year he is #91.  As good a ball striker as he is, think what he could have accomplished if he had been near the top in SGP.  Oh wait!!  He was!  In 2004 he second to some guy named Tiger Woods, and he won the Players that year.  

 

IMO, aim point might be useful to gather information about the breaks on greens, but I think players can rely on it too much.  Putting is about feel and confidence in your stroke.  That's what the good putters do.  When you rely on some method like aim point, and the putts are not dropping, then you lose confidence in your stroke.  Worse thing that can happen!  The method can't be wrong so it must be my stroke.  Recipe for poor play.  

 

OK, someone please convince me that I'm wrong.  If you do, maybe I'll take an aim point class, but you have to be persuasive!!

[cnosil]

OK, someone please convince me that I'm wrong.  If you do, maybe I'll take an aim point class, but you have to be persuasive!!

 

I believe aimpoint is a good approach to figuring out a putts line.  That said, I don't think I can talk you into using that system.  Based on reading your posts,  you are a feel player and probably assess the putt on how you think it will curve, where it will enter the hole, and speed.  Aimpoint uses the approach that all putts are X distance right or left of the hole,  straight lines, and distance.  

[cksurfdude]

From a hacker's perspective...

 

I usually play 9 holes vs 18, and have had a few 45s recently but more typically 50-53. Not so great, BUT .. the number of putts per 9 holes has been a low of 17 to a high of 23, with a bunch of 18s and 19s.

 

So... you can see that in every round my Tee To Green performance is much worse (than putting) and is where I'm throwing away more strokes. But that's just me - which is probably the total opposite of most people - and I have spent more time with putting practice this year than ever.

 

The things I try to do .. just fyi, again coming from a not so great player .. when i putt are to....

#1. First, foremost and primarily - my goal is to get the first putt close which is all about getting the speed right (or: as close to "right" as I can).

Then,

2. Pick a line*, line up the ball to that line, line up the putter to the line on the ball and stroke the putter on the line with the proper effort to impart the desired speed to the ball.

 

* "Line": I'm finding I'm becoming more of a "spot" putter on most putts; ie. pick a spot between my ball and the hole .. along the line where I imagine the ball will want to roll towards the hole .. and putt with the correct speed to that spot.

 

Statistically I have a better chance of chipping in from say 20-30 feet or more than of dropping a major league bomb from way out there. (but I've also been working on my wedge game, too)

[Brian A]

Putting is so difficult because no two courses are the same. You can always bomb a drive or ball strike well, the ball will still travel roughly the same distance with each club. Every putt is different so that makes it tougher

[Headhammer]

"A bad putter will psyche himself out when he gets over the putt. A good putter will make the stroke he wants and be satisfied with the result whether the putt goes in or not.'

 

I think this is really a great point! Most hackers view putting as in=success and miss=failure which shakes their confidence. I've made putts with an absolutely shitty stroke and there are misses where I am ecstatic about the stroke, distance, pace, etc.  

[cksurfdude]

"A bad putter will psyche himself out when he gets over the putt. A good putter will make the stroke he wants and be satisfied with the result whether the putt goes in or not.'

 

I think this is really a great point! Most hackers view putting as in=success and miss=failure which shakes their confidence. I've made putts with an absolutely shitty stroke and there are misses where I am ecstatic about the stroke, distance, pace, etc.

Good point, saying "good point"about that previous good point

 

And you make a good point! ... and I try to remind myself of that after each putt -- if I've putted the ball on the intended line with the intended speed .. then I've done my job.

 

Either way - if that putt did or did not hit my intended target - it's new information that should go into the "data bank" for future reference.

(Well, that sounds good on paper anyway.......)

[Kenny B]

Said by a Golf Channel analyst during a tournament... "With the right line and the right speed the ball will go in the hole."  Well, duh!

 

As I have said before, speed is more important than line.  The right speed will leave you a shortish putt, unless your line is waaay off.  I try to make all putts, not just get them close.  With that said... part of green reading is knowing where you want to leave the ball if you do miss.  I can have good speed on a long putt, but if I leave the ball above the hole I will likely have a more difficult short putt than if I were below the hole.  

 

Yes, putting is hard.  However, I find it challenging, and I feel good when I make putts.  You can't feel bad missing a medium or long putt; the pros miss them too.  The short misses are the ones that frost my butt, even though I've seen pros miss those putts too.

[txgolfjunkie]

One more note about putting and comparison to those on TV...

 

Look at the greens you're putting on vs the ones you see on TV. Notice anything different? Notice the quality of tour greens versus your typical muni/private course? Would you be a better pool player if the surface was silky smooth or dinged up with numerous imperfections?

 

It falls back to the mental aspect of putting and understanding that once the ball leaves the putter face, it's at the mercy of the quality of the green. If you're making a good stroke and trust your line and speed, it's all that matters. Not too many people can make putts on greens that are littered with ball marks, shoe scuffs and countless depressions in the green from improper maintenance. Wanna see a pro struggle on the greens? Put him on a muni course with a speed around a 9 on the stimp. Add in some unfixed ball marks, maybe a few areas of crab grass and a footprint around the hole and see what his stats look like. 

 

We'd all make more putts if we practiced/played on tour quality greens. 

[chisag]

... Putting just has more elements and variables than any other shot. First you have to make the correct read ... twice. You have to have the right line and the right speed. You can become a better reader of putts but I think it is mostly inherent in great putters. Good putters are great green readers. Then there is plenty of margin for error in most other shots. You can even hit a drive into the woods and still make par or birdie. Hit your first putt that far off line and the changes of recovery are very small. Same with iron approach shots, you can recover with a great chip or mediocre chip and great putt. 

... Another variable is our ability to make putts just like the Pro's when no other part of our game can measure up, can cause a myriad of problems from looking up to see it go in and miss hitting the putt, to flipping your wrists to make it go where you want it to go achieving the opposite effect. When I was teaching full time I offered a free short game lesson with every 6 lesson package. I am guessing at least 75% of my students wanted another full swing lesson instead of a short game lesson. But those that took advantage of the short game lesson gained more than they did from the full swing lessons. Putting is by far imo the most ignorant part of a high index players game. They have knowledge of other aspects of golf but neglect putting knowledge, especially when it comes to their putting. Almost every student I "fixed" was unaware of their problem. Most common was head and shoulder movement. I would stand there in front of them and hold their heads still thru and after the stroke and it was the very first time they realized they were moving. Yet they knew they were coming over the top and slicing that ball. Crazy game. 

[null]

... Putting just has more elements and variables than any other shot. First you have to make the correct read ... twice. You have to have the right line and the right speed. You can become a better reader of putts but I think it is mostly inherent in great putters. Good putters are great green readers. Then there is plenty of margin for error in most other shots. You can even hit a drive into the woods and still make par or birdie. Hit your first putt that far off line and the changes of recovery are very small. Same with iron approach shots, you can recover with a great chip or mediocre chip and great putt. 

 

... Another variable is our ability to make putts just like the Pro's when no other part of our game can measure up, can cause a myriad of problems from looking up to see it go in and miss hitting the putt, to flipping your wrists to make it go where you want it to go achieving the opposite effect. When I was teaching full time I offered a free short game lesson with every 6 lesson package. I am guessing at least 75% of my students wanted another full swing lesson instead of a short game lesson. But those that took advantage of the short game lesson gained more than they did from the full swing lessons. Putting is by far imo the most ignorant part of a high index players game. They have knowledge of other aspects of golf but neglect putting knowledge, especially when it comes to their putting. Almost every student I "fixed" was unaware of their problem. Most common was head and shoulder movement. I would stand there in front of them and hold their heads still thru and after the stroke and it was the very first time they realized they were moving. Yet they knew they were coming over the top and slicing that ball. Crazy game. 

 

I wish I could "auto like" all of your posts.  Love what you bring to this site and wish we could tee it up

[Rickp]

... Putting just has more elements and variables than any other shot. First you have to make the correct read ... twice. You have to have the right line and the right speed. You can become a better reader of putts but I think it is mostly inherent in great putters. Good putters are great green readers. Then there is plenty of margin for error in most other shots. You can even hit a drive into the woods and still make par or birdie. Hit your first putt that far off line and the changes of recovery are very small. Same with iron approach shots, you can recover with a great chip or mediocre chip and great putt.

 

... Another variable is our ability to make putts just like the Pro's when no other part of our game can measure up, can cause a myriad of problems from looking up to see it go in and miss hitting the putt, to flipping your wrists to make it go where you want it to go achieving the opposite effect. When I was teaching full time I offered a free short game lesson with every 6 lesson package. I am guessing at least 75% of my students wanted another full swing lesson instead of a short game lesson. But those that took advantage of the short game lesson gained more than they did from the full swing lessons. Putting is by far imo the most ignorant part of a high index players game. They have knowledge of other aspects of golf but neglect putting knowledge, especially when it comes to their putting. Almost every student I "fixed" was unaware of their problem. Most common was head and shoulder movement. I would stand there in front of them and hold their heads still thru and after the stroke and it was the very first time they realized they were moving. Yet they knew they were coming over the top and slicing that ball. Crazy game.

Lot of knowledge/thought in this post!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[Rickp]

One more note about putting and comparison to those on TV...

 

Look at the greens you're putting on vs the ones you see on TV. Notice anything different? Notice the quality of tour greens versus your typical muni/private course? Would you be a better pool player if the surface was silky smooth or dinged up with numerous imperfections?

 

It falls back to the mental aspect of putting and understanding that once the ball leaves the putter face, it's at the mercy of the quality of the green. If you're making a good stroke and trust your line and speed, it's all that matters. Not too many people can make putts on greens that are littered with ball marks, shoe scuffs and countless depressions in the green from improper maintenance. Wanna see a pro struggle on the greens? Put him on a muni course with a speed around a 9 on the stimp. Add in some unfixed ball marks, maybe a few areas of crab grass and a footprint around the hole and see what his stats look like.

 

We'd all make more putts if we practiced/played on tour quality greens.

Your right decent greens make better putters. When I'm arranging tee time for the groups I'm looking at what the condition the greens R in. Greens rough we stay away.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[JDHolmes]

I guess im a geek. I track all my putt distances, every round, as well as number of putts and distances made putts, and 3 putts per round. I make 95% inside 6' and 3 putt most often outside 60'. And, miraculously, i have the lowest number of putts when my chipping is good (imagine that) because im one putting from inside 10'.

 

GIR for me, is not a real telling stat because i can have 70% GIR, but 36 putts because many of those putts were 45+ feet.

 

Ultimately, for me, the telling stat is total feet of putts per round which implies tightly hit approaches or a good chipping day (talking chips from within 10 yards of the green).

 

GOLF is hard...three facets to have right to score well

 

Sent from my SM-G920V using MyGolfSpy mobile app

[Flipper554]

Have to agree with Chisag on his comment that a lot of high index players ingore putting knowledge. When I lived in Ontario I would go play golf with my stepdad and his friends all 20+ indexes they all could get on or near the green in regulation. Once on the greens it turned into something resembling polo than golf. They never took time to see what a putt really did, just whacked it at the hole and hoped for the best. They probably were not the worst putters on the planet, but just in too much of hurry once they were on the green almost like the hole was over at that point. Post round they would all lament their scores based on their tee to green game rarely ever mentioning that they 3 or 4 putted half of the eighteen greens. I also see a lot of the same when playing senior scrambles. Maybe for these guys the game is more for the social aspect rather than the need to score.

[Rickp]

Have to agree with Chisag on his comment that a lot of high index players ingore putting knowledge. When I lived in Ontario I would go play golf with my stepdad and his friends all 20+ indexes they all could get on or near the green in regulation. Once on the greens it turned into something resembling polo than golf. They never took time to see what a putt really did, just whacked it at the hole and hoped for the best. They probably were not the worst putters on the planet, but just in too much of hurry once they were on the green almost like the hole was over at that point. Post round they would all lament their scores based on their tee to green game rarely ever mentioning that they 3 or 4 putted half of the eighteen greens. I also see a lot of the same when playing senior scrambles. Maybe for these guys the game is more for the social aspect rather than the need to score.

Luckily I've never come across any "hit & hope" players like u did.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[revkev]

Not a chance. Easily the easiest. So easy that my daughter with cp can putt.

 

Putting is insignificant to how good a golfer you are unless you let it become significant by getting in your head.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[yungkory]

I believe it depends on the golfer. For me, it is without a doubt where I lose the most strokes. I think the biggest difference between good and great golfers is the ability to scramble, and unless you put your chips/pitches within a foot for easy tap ins, you can't scramble without being able to putt. I get taught this lesson every round that I play with my friend who was former state champ in high school and got a full ride to play D1 golf. I can keep up off the tee, but he's in a different league when it comes to the short game.

[Kenny B]

One more note about putting and comparison to those on TV...

 

Look at the greens you're putting on vs the ones you see on TV. Notice anything different? Notice the quality of tour greens versus your typical muni/private course? Would you be a better pool player if the surface was silky smooth or dinged up with numerous imperfections?

 

It falls back to the mental aspect of putting and understanding that once the ball leaves the putter face, it's at the mercy of the quality of the green. If you're making a good stroke and trust your line and speed, it's all that matters. Not too many people can make putts on greens that are littered with ball marks, shoe scuffs and countless depressions in the green from improper maintenance. Wanna see a pro struggle on the greens? Put him on a muni course with a speed around a 9 on the stimp. Add in some unfixed ball marks, maybe a few areas of crab grass and a footprint around the hole and see what his stats look like. 

 

We'd all make more putts if we practiced/played on tour quality greens. 

I play at a muni, and as far as munis go, it's probably a little more upscale than most.  However, I agree about the greens.  I usually fix 3-4 ball marks on each green when I play after the Men's League.  They are horrible when it comes to keeping the greens nice.

 

I like fast greens and have played on several that were very smooth and much faster than my muni. However, I can say that unless I spent a LOT of time on a tour quality green, I would probably putt like those seniors in the polo match.  I was at Torrey Pines just before the U.S. Open when Tiger won. Those greens were scary fast, especially when going downhill.  It was defensive putting, and believe me, it was not much fun.  The speed was so much different than I was used to that I couldn't even begin to pick a decent line for the putt.  However, if I putted on those greens all the time like pros do, I believe I could be an acceptable putter there.

[Divothead]

I`m really glad I got this thread going it`s been great reading all of the differing opinions.

 

The greens at my golf club are quite small they don`t roll pure and my approach shots are usually on in reg and under 30 ft.

 

I have taken a new approach and found it to be quite a positive thing over the nine holes I've just played.

I even bagged a 25 footer off the lower tier up on to the top tier with 5 foot of break!! that got the juices flowing.

 

I bought a ball marker that draws a line around the circumference of the ball and I have spent all week perfecting the truer roll. 

I have read once you get that working, it is much easier on judging pace.

 

I`m also considering buying a Putting Arc MS-3D

Have any of you guys used something like that or considered using one?

[cnosil]

I bought a ball marker that draws a line around the circumference of the ball and I have spent all week perfecting the truer roll.

I have read once you get that working, it is much easier on judging pace.

 

I`m also considering buying a Putting Arc MS-3D

Have any of you guys used something like that or considered using one?

My opinion on your two comments above

 

Rolling the ball end over end will help with green reading and pace. Why? The underlying reason is that If you are hitting the ball with an inconsistent face angle the ball comes off the face at different speeds. Thus Pace and break arr hard to judge. With a consistent face angle you start getting the same roll for a particular stroke length or feel.

 

I have used a lot of training aids for putting. You need to determine how you want to swing the club and fit the tools to those decisions. A putting arc will 'force" you into a particular arc. Based on your setup you may need a different arc. In the end I found the best aid for me was a dime. I put one about 16" in front of a ball and work in consistently rolling the ball over that dime no matter how long it short of a putting stroke I make. Don't need a hole since you aren't worried about distance just stroke. Rolling the ball over a target that small helps build a consistent repeatable stroke and a feel for that stroke.

 

Related to all the discussions on mechanics vs feel I found the follow tweet that I thought was appropriate:

 

Good putters use consistent mechanics to develop feel. Bad putters use many different mechanical options to search for feel.

[Kenny B]

Good putters use consistent mechanics to develop feel. Bad putters use many different mechanical options to search for feel.

 

+1 on your post!  I just wanted to highlight this statement because it defines where I was when I started playing golf, and I think I'm on the road to being a good putter.

 

Who was the tweet from?

[cnosil]

.

 

Who was the tweet from?

His name is Bruce Rearick. He is my putting instructor.

[Rickp]

His name is Bruce Rearick. He is my putting instructor.

I know who Bruce is, good guy and is highly regarded.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy