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Practice strokes as part of pre putt routine Yaa or Nay?


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Getting confused about this. Obviously for tap in range no.  But do you practice stroke prior to pulling the trigger ? 
If you do    Do you beside the ball sideways to the hole  ? Behind the ball facing the hole/spot? 
If you don’t do practice stroke how do you gauge the distance ? 
 

 

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I'm not sure if this answer will answer your yaa or nay, but here is my advice (this comes from a coaching background in other sports, but holds true for golfing as well). Whether you take practice strokes or not or in whatever fashion, just make sure you have a routine and that it is consistent. Do the same thing (other then maybe tap ins) for each putt. Have a process (and not a long one... nothing is worse then slow play) that is consistent which you are comfortable with. 

We often get athletes to write it down. This helps make some trickier putts more comfortable and higher pressure putts more relaxing as you are simply just staying in your routine. I know what I do and what I prefer, but it isn't universal for everyone. However I do have my routine and I do my utmost to go through it on every putt so that I'm consistent and in the end it has turned in to the best part of my game by far.

To answer the bit of yaa or nay and where or how.... I'll ask another question back. What for you would help you best visualize the putt and see it going in? I think if you can answer that you will have your answer as to what you should do and hopefully get into a routine that will help you drop more putts. 

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Much like my other routines I do not typically take practice strokes. Off the green with an awkward lie I do, so similarly on the fringe I will as well to see how I’ll be able to get through but on the green typically no.

I am of the thought that I do not want to waste a good swing 😂but seriously I am just more comfortable analyzing the shot and then doing it

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I usually do from the ball position but am kind of inconsistent on this one. Because my tendency is short, I mostly take a practice stroke or two to help remind me to "hit the damn ball Alice"... never up, never in is golf's equivalent to Newtonian Laws.  Recently I started trying the practice swings from behind, looking down the putting line (ala PReed), but that just felt abbynormal.

Because I'm subconscious about speed of play, I try and look over my putt before it's my turn (particularly walking to and looking at the putt from the opposite line). This helps me not feel like I'm taking excessive time and I pretty much just give one last look down the line, step to address, take a practice stroke or two, then putt.

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1 minute ago, fixyurdivot said:

I usually do from the ball position but am kind of inconsistent on this one. Because my tendency is short, I mostly take a practice stroke or two to help remind me to "hit the damn ball Alice"... never up, never in is golf's equivalent to Newtonian Laws.  Recently I started trying the practice swings from behind, looking down the putting line (ala PReed), but that just felt abbynormal.

Because I'm subconscious about speed of play, I try and look over my putt before it's my turn (particularly walking to and looking at the putt from the opposite line). This helps me not feel like I'm taking excessive time and I pretty much just give one last look down the line, step to address, take a practice stroke or two, then putt.

“Can’t go in if ya don’t make it there”

looking opposite side of the putt is something I need to get in a better habit of, but again pace of play is what prevents me a lot of the time. I need to just consciously do it as I’m coming up to my ball. Things like this over taking a practice swing are beneficial to my game.

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3 minutes ago, Lacassem said:

“Can’t go in if ya don’t make it there”

looking opposite side of the putt is something I need to get in a better habit of, but again pace of play is what prevents me a lot of the time. I need to just consciously do it as I’m coming up to my ball. Things like this over taking a practice swing are beneficial to my game.

Absolutely.  One of my Yuma partners got me onto the habit of looking at putts from the opposite side.  In most cases, I'm able to get that done while others are chipping on or positioning for their putts.  It has definitely helped me.  I can't tell you how many times I'd walk around after missing a putt and say to myself "well, hell, no wonder".

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7 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

Absolutely.  One of my Yuma partners got me onto the habit of looking at putts from the opposite side.  In most cases, I'm able to get that done while others are chipping on or positioning for their putts.  It has definitely helped me.  I can't tell you how many times I'd walk around after missing a putt and say to myself "well, hell, no wonder".

So many times! "well if I looked this way I would have seen that break" 🥵

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13 hours ago, Haro said:

Getting confused about this. Obviously for tap in range no.  But do you practice stroke prior to pulling the trigger ? 
If you do    Do you beside the ball sideways to the hole  ? Behind the ball facing the hole/spot? 
If you don’t do practice stroke how do you gauge the distance ? 

No practice strokes.   I have started heads up putting so my approach now it simply based on feel.   Prior to doing heads up I walked off the distance which gave me the stroke distance I needed to make.  

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14 hours ago, fixyurdivot said:

Absolutely.  One of my Yuma partners got me onto the habit of looking at putts from the opposite side.  In most cases, I'm able to get that done while others are chipping on or positioning for their putts.  It has definitely helped me.  I can't tell you how many times I'd walk around after missing a putt and say to myself "well, hell, no wonder".

No, I remember you saying it out loud a couple of times in Spokane!  🤣

We don’t stop playing the game because we get old; we get old because we stop playing the game.”

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14 hours ago, fixyurdivot said:

I usually do from the ball position but am kind of inconsistent on this one. Because my tendency is short, I mostly take a practice stroke or two to help remind me to "hit the damn ball Alice"... never up, never in is golf's equivalent to Newtonian Laws.  Recently I started trying the practice swings from behind, looking down the putting line (ala PReed), but that just felt abbynormal.

Because I'm subconscious about speed of play, I try and look over my putt before it's my turn (particularly walking to and looking at the putt from the opposite line). This helps me not feel like I'm taking excessive time and I pretty much just give one last look down the line, step to address, take a practice stroke or two, then putt.

What he's saying is that he is never the furthest from the hole.  That's not true folks!!!  🤣

I agree that taking practice swings from behind feels abbynormal.  I take 3 practice swings at address looking at the hole to gauge distance and force to use in the stroke.  Then after lining up my putter, make that same stroke with Head Up like the practice strokes.

We don’t stop playing the game because we get old; we get old because we stop playing the game.”

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Why not. I think it’s a good routine. Generally you take a practice swing before addressing the ball for other shots so why not practice and visualize the putt. I don’t buy the theory that you only have so many good swings and not to waste them in the range or with a practice routine 

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I do the same thing every time: Aimpoint for line, line myself to my spot, take two practice strokes looking at the hole, address the ball, wrist set, go.

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yes, depending on the length break speed of greens i need to see how far i need to take the putter back .. my buddies course greens play at a smooth concrete level, so I have to adjust and know I could do a 5 foot putt stroke length there for a 8-10 foot .. usually do 2-3 practice strokes

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I always take 1-2 practice strokes next to the ball while looking at the hole. I try and think about how much motion I would need if I was gently tossing the ball to the hole with my right hand, and then replicate it with my putting stroke. 

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On 9/26/2021 at 12:43 AM, GolfSpy_APH said:

I'm not sure if this answer will answer your yaa or nay, but here is my advice (this comes from a coaching background in other sports, but holds true for golfing as well). Whether you take practice strokes or not or in whatever fashion, just make sure you have a routine and that it is consistent. Do the same thing (other then maybe tap ins) for each putt. Have a process (and not a long one... nothing is worse then slow play) that is consistent which you are comfortable with. 

We often get athletes to write it down. This helps make some trickier putts more comfortable and higher pressure putts more relaxing as you are simply just staying in your routine. I know what I do and what I prefer, but it isn't universal for everyone. However I do have my routine and I do my utmost to go through it on every putt so that I'm consistent and in the end it has turned in to the best part of my game by far.

To answer the bit of yaa or nay and where or how.... I'll ask another question back. What for you would help you best visualize the putt and see it going in? I think if you can answer that you will have your answer as to what you should do and hopefully get into a routine that will help you drop more putts. 

To add on to this, a common aspect of a routine in any sport that people tend to forget or not focus on is purpose. What is the purpose of your routine? Is it to calm yourself down? To get a feel for what you need to do? To merge the plan in your head with where you're at on the putting green? A lot of people I've talked to with inconsistent routines are inconsistent because they're just doing a routine they picked it up from a friend or saw from a pro. In that case, they're doing the routine without the thoughts of the friend/pro to effectively utilize the plan.  

Action without purpose/intent can be as harmful as inaction simply because you're adding more thoughts and feelings to your plate. So adding a second question to @GolfSpy_APH's one, what would be the purpose/intent of a routine for you? If you can answer that, it flows well into APH's question of what routine would best help you visualize the putt going in, i.e. what routine would best help you execute the purpose. E.g., if it's to calm yourself down, it might be helpful to close your eyes for a practice stroke or two. 

 

 

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As to what's my routine, it's a bit complicated, but there's a process:

Stand behind the ball to guage slope and find a marker on my desired line at most a few feet out from the ball (easier to aim a few feet out than a long way). I normally do this while others are putting so I don't slow up pace of play.

Stand next to the ball and line up my putter towards the marker. 

Line up my back foot parallel to the putter.

Check my line while before setting my left foot. Once my left foot is set, I'm committed to my line no matter what, no second guessing or doubts, just commitment to my putt. 

Set my left foot.

Check my distance one last time.

Putt.

 

Purpose: Confidence, commitment and speed. I give myself two opportunities to guage my line, one behind the ball and one to the side. So I am able to force myself to take a smooth comfortable stroke that just focuses on pace. And it's a routine that from stepping up next to the ball to my putt takes less than 15 seconds. 

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... I always take a practice stroke to get a feel for the length of the putt. Just one is enough. Then simply repeat with the ball. What has always been a head scratcher for me is those that do those quick little mini strokes, back and forth rapidly. It just seems you are actively doing something different than you are about to do and I just don't see how that helps. Although I am tension free when putting and maybe this little exercise is needed to break some tension. Don't get me wrong, I am all about whatever works so if it works for you, have at it. But it has been my experience playing with thousands of strangers that doing something completely different than what you are about to do is never a recipe for success. 

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I generally try to do a loop around the hole from the ball and back so that I get a peak at all the sides (normally start that process while walking to my ball).  When it's my turn to play I take a practice stroke beside the ball and try to picture it rolling to the hole.  Then I step in and putt it.

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I know the usual pin placements at our course so well that I've seen pretty much all the putts that I'm going to get.

I rarely look at a putt from all sides. I stand behind the ball, choose a blemish of some sort on my line about two to three feet in front of the ball, take my stance and hit the ball. I can't take an actual practice stroke because I went straight to my stance not to lose my improvised target.

My head isn't over the ball, my stance is slightly open, I take a very, very short backstroke to make sure that I don't decelerate, and because I'm not standing square, my elbows are at altogether different angles from one another.   I just push the clubhead at the blemish with my right hand and keep the grip steady with my left. I try to hit the ball on the upswing so that it doesn't skid before it rolls. I also inhale a breath and let half of it out first.  I have NO IDEA WHY, but at some point in the past, I started doing that.  It makes me think that I'm steady and calm.

Nobody in his/her right mind would EVER teach anybody to putt this way.  I just created a technique that allows be to be mediocre as opposed to totally inept which is what I am square and right over the ball.  Since I got friendly with my lob wedge, I almost never three putt on a non GIR, so at least I avoid doubles.

 

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On 9/26/2021 at 6:48 AM, Riverboat said:

I was coaching a player who was shooting 72 to 75. The one thing I didn't like was that he never took practice strokes before putting. I had him start to take 2 strokes a little too hard, 2 a little too soft, and 2 just right before stepping into his putts. (Done very quickly...I don't believe in EVER playing slowly.)  He averaged a little under 69 that season, making everything in sight and won league and regional player of the year. I don't think that adjustment made all the difference, but he had never putted like he did that year. 

That is interesting. Probably 10 years ago I stopped taking practice strokes. I was struggling with speed control.  I noticed that I didn't struggle with it on the putting green, only on the course. So, I decided to stop taking them on the course and it forced me to really focus on feel. I am a better putter now than ever. 

However, what you said makes sense. I might try it on the practice green. Maybe one of each instead of two. 

My issue is one or two bad shots a round that I compound that kill me. It is almost never putting that I feel holds me back. 

There are a number of pros who don't take one. Dave Stockton was a big proponent of not taking one. So, it certainly isn't unprecedented. 

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7 hours ago, chisag said:

... I always take a practice stroke to get a feel for the length of the putt. Just one is enough. Then simply repeat with the ball. What has always been a head scratcher for me is those that do those quick little mini strokes, back and forth rapidly. It just seems you are actively doing something different than you are about to do and I just don't see how that helps. Although I am tension free when putting and maybe this little exercise is needed to break some tension. Don't get me wrong, I am all about whatever works so if it works for you, have at it. But it has been my experience playing with thousands of strangers that doing something completely different than what you are about to do is never a recipe for success. 

Mentioning those mini strokes reminded me of one of the best putters I ever saw or played with.  He was a great pool player too and just like a pool cue he would do a mini stroke with the putter right behind the ball a couple times before starting his stroke.  He was a smaller guy, about 5'8" and 150, didn't hit the ball far but could hit his 5 w like  a laser and could makes putts all day long.  Had some terrific pool circuit stories too!  

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Never.  Not with any club.  You waste your best swings.  😆

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Tour Edge Exotics EXS 220 3-wood w/stiff Xcaliber Mystic 5 shaft
Tour Edge Exotics EXS 220 3-hybrid w/stiff Xcaliber RT shafts shaft
Malby KE4 Max irons with reg Xcaliber RT shafts
Callaway Jaws full toe 60° wedge with Project X Catalyst 80 wedge graphite shaft
Odyssey White Hot OG #7 CH stroke lab putter
Callaway Org 14 bag

I'm not over the hill.  I'm on the back nine.
 

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I always take a practice stroke or two. I try to visualize sinking it before actually putting.

Driver: :cobra-small: Cobra RADSpeed XB 10.5° Motore X F3

Fairway: :cobra-small: Cobra 3/F Baffler Rail F 15.5°

Hybrid: :cobra-small: Cobra RAD Speed 24° 5 Hybrid

Irons: :cobra-small: Cobra Aero Jet 5 - PW, GW

Wedges: :vokey-small: Spin Milled 56°, 60°

Putter: :odyssey-small: White Hot Stroke Lab OG #7

Bag: 1622150773421.jpg.867df9e5987ee9b79cc36f4c70090b01.jpg Big Max 14.0 Hybrid

Ball: :titleist-small: Titleist Velocity

Shoes: :footjoy-small: FJ Flex

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2 hours ago, Shapotomous said:

Mentioning those mini strokes reminded me of one of the best putters I ever saw or played with.  He was a great pool player too and just like a pool cue he would do a mini stroke with the putter right behind the ball a couple times before starting his stroke.  He was a smaller guy, about 5'8" and 150, didn't hit the ball far but could his his 5 w like  a laser and could makes putts all day long.

 

... I am a big believer in if you genuinely think something works, it has a very good chance of working. I have said this in many threads but the brain is an amazing computer so give it the right information and it is capable of mind boggling feats. I am a really good putter because I think I am a really good putter. Some days just like anyone else I just can't seem to make a putt but I always think the next one is going in which at least gives it a chance. Once you tell yourself you can't read greens or have the proper speed on any given day you are toast. I quite honestly think I am going to make every putt regardless of length or break. Obviously we are capable of holing every single putt we attempt so why try and just get it close? I play with golfers all the time that actually say out loud they are probably gonna 3 putt so it really is no surprise when they do. And that doesn't even take into account negative internal thoughts. 

Driver:     :taylormade-small:  Qi10 10.5* ... Ventus Red Velocore 5R
Fairway:  :cobra-small: Aerojet 3/5 ... Kai'li Blue 60R
Hybrids:  :ping-small:      430 Hybrid 22*... Steelfiber 780Hy 
                  :taylormade-small:  DHy #4 ... Diamana LTD 65r 
Irons:       :titleist-small:         '23 T200 5-Pw ... Steelfiber i95r
Wedges:  :taylormade-small: Vokey 50*/54*/58* ... Steelfiber i95r
Putter:     :cobra-small:  Sport-60 33" 
Ball:           Maxfli     Maxfli Tour

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On 9/26/2021 at 2:07 AM, Haro said:

Getting confused about this. Obviously for tap in range no.  But do you practice stroke prior to pulling the trigger ? 
If you do    Do you beside the ball sideways to the hole  ? Behind the ball facing the hole/spot? 
If you don’t do practice stroke how do you gauge the distance ? 
 

 

Great question! For putts under 30ft my routine is not to take a practice swing, if on the green. Over 30ft, my routine is to stand behind ball, give it a quick plumb for the line & spot to putt to, take 3 practice strokes (facing hole/spot), then set the putter, one look at spot and go. Seems to work well. 

Lately though, not making as many shorter putts (8 - 15ft), so might change my routine and use same method as used for longer putts, for all putts.

Titleist T200 Irons - 5i thru Gap Wedge - Stiff AMT Black

Callaway PARADYM X 9.0 with Hazrdous X Black 6.0 Stiff Shaft

Fairway Woods:  Callaway Maverick 3W & RazrX Black 5W - Stiff Flex

Rescue:  Apex 4 (22 degree )- Recoil 75H stiff flex 

Wedges: Titleist SM8 - 54 (D Grind) wedge flex; SM8 58(M grind) wedge flex

Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom X5.5

Ball: Titleist ProV1

Handicap: 0

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On 9/27/2021 at 10:33 AM, MNUte said:

Action without purpose/intent can be as harmful as inaction simply because you're adding more thoughts and feelings to your plate. So adding a second question to @GolfSpy_APH's one, what would be the purpose/intent of a routine for you? 

This question is the reason I make practice strokes for longer putts, but not for shorter ones.  For longer putts, I'll take a couple of practice strokes while looking at the hole, feeing for distance only.  If my path wavers a bit, I really don't care, I'm not making the practice stroke thinking about line, only about distance.  For shorter putts, I'm not as worried about distance.  A wobbly practice stroke here can introduce doubt about my path, so I choose to just make the putt without a practice stroke.   After all, at this point in my golf career I've probably made half a millon 5-footers, I know how to make a good stroke.

:titleist-small: Irons Titleist T200, AMT Red stiff

:callaway-small:Rogue SubZero, GD YS-Six X

:mizuno-small: T22 54 and 58 wedges

:mizuno-small: 7-wood

:Sub70: 5-wood

 B60 G5i putter

Right handed

Reston, Virginia

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No practice stroke.  If you haven't developed your repeatable technique via hours and hours on the practice green, I don't feel any benefit to wasting time on practicing during a round.  I putt long putts heads up looking at the hole or the high point.  Cross handed.  Left hand totally below the right. Examine the darn crater effect right at the hole carefully, tho, it is our worst enemy on public courses.  You make a nice putt and it goes haywire 4 inches away, ugh.

Driver: PXG 0211, A flex Evnflo Riptide (2021). And an old Callaway 454 TI (2004) on regular flex.

3 W: Callaway Steelhead Xr A flex Tensei CK 55 gram. The rest are Regular flex.

5 W : Titleist TSi 1 on Aldila Ascent regular flex.

Driving Iron: Mizuno MP 18 MMC 3 18 degree, on Mamiya Recoil reg flex.

4 iron:  Mizuno Fly-Hi, 24 degree hybrid iron, GFF, even tho it is a hollow body iron.

6,7,8,9,wedge: Ping I 500, on Recoil reg flex shafts.

Gap wedges: 52 x 9 Mizuno forged S5, wedge shaft; 60 x 6 Mizuno forged T7, wedge shaft.

Sand: Old original Hogan Sure Out on Apex original shaft, probably 56 / 12.

Chipper:  (yep I carry a chipper) old Don Martin "Up n In" bronze? copper? 🙂

Putter: Just switched Jan 2024 to a Odyssey Stroke lab "R" Ball with the 2 piece, multi material shaft.🙃

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I never take practice swings before putts, but then I'm not a great putter - maybe that's why. I'm not sure if it would help me, I have 3 swing thoughts that have always helped me putt better, and they've served me well enough in that when I don't keep them in mind I putt worse. I need to practice putting a lot more off the course, that would probably help way more than practice swings while playing?

  • Titleist TSR2 11° HZRDUS Red CB 50 6.0 w Lamkin UTx Midsize
  • Titleist TSR2 16.5º HZRDUS Red 60 CB 6.0 & TSR2 21º HZRDUS Black 4G 70 6.0 w Lamkin UTx Midsize
  • Mizuno JPX923 HMP 4-GW, T22 54.12WS, T22 58.04DC w Lamkin ST+2 Hybrid Midsize
  • Evnroll EV5.3
  • Maxfli Tour & ProV1
  • Ping Pioneer - MGI Zip Navigator AT
  • Payntr X 002 LE, Ecco Biom C4, FJ DryJoys
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