Instinct Putting

[RoverRick]

I got the book today, Instinct Putting, and gave it a quick look through. This is the method that I use and have for years. The general premise is that you need to focus on the target not the ball. When throwing a basket ball or football you do not look at your hand to make sure you release it properly. Hockey players look at the goal or the spot they are hitting the puck to. They also point out that if you are focused intently on the hole, than you are not able to worry about all the other crap that goes with a putting stroke.

 

I started doing this a couple of years ago and have been known as one of the better putters at the club. However, I was easily distracted, lost my concentration and began missing lots of short putts. Like an idiot, I decided that I would go to a mallet style putter, Odyssey White Hot 2 Ball, and this would solve all my problems. I began to have distance control problems with it, and then when my back became a serious issue I went to a long putter, Scotty Cameron Big Sur, and a totally different putting style six months ago.

 

Now that I have the proper shafts in my irons, and my GIR is way up, it really spotlighted my putting. Which has been degenerating for the past few months. The last two weeks especially. Last weekend, I hit like 14 GIR and shot an 86. It was infuriating. I decided that my problems began when I went to the new putter and new putting system. So I was going back to the method that I now know as instinct putting.

 

Wow. First off I had to get the right putter so I got the old putter out, Odyssey White Hot Mid, modified the shaft so it is belly putter, which it was originally, but I cut it down. I spent a couple of hours fitting it so that it was comfortable and the proper length for me. Then practiced it here in the living room. I also modified my game strategy based on the fact that I was confident that I could putt the ball into the hole.

 

Instinct Putting is not for everyone, and they say that in the book. If you are narrow minded and do not expect good results, than do not bother. But it is based on that you 3 putt not because you miss read the break by 5 or 6 feet but because you are short or long by that much. By focusing on the target, you end up much closer to the hole on the first putt and have an easy second putt.

 

It is true. But you must FOCUS on the hole. Today I had two 60 foot putts. The first one, on hole 6, one of my competitors had a 3 foot birdie putt. As we were walking to the green, I was ribbing him about me making the long putt and making his 3 footer turn into seemingly a 12 footer.

The day before we were on 11 and he had a 5 footer for birdie and I had a 40 footer. Right over his line. I told him to pay attention to my ball because he was going to need the line. I sunk the putt and left him so shook up he missed. I was determined to do it again. I made the putt but so did he. But in both instances I focused intently on the hole and nothing else. Two holes later on 8 I had another long putt. I was thinking about how hard I had to hit the ball, not the hole and came up 15 feet short. I was very mad at myself, but I then focused on just the hole and made the 15 footer. I also had a long one on 7 that I did not make but left it 2 feet left of the hole. Because I was focused.

 

Many people say that they can not look at the hole and hit the ball. BS. The ball is not going anywhere, and it becomes second nature. It is sort of strange at first, and sometimes, I hit the putt and think, where are you going, I wanted to go left, and then the ball starts to break and goes in or near the hole. Sort of like throwing a ball in the wind. You look at the green and say that the ball has to go into the hole at the 7 o'clock position, and then look at and focus on the hole and the ball goes there.

 

It is like Instinct Shooting. You do not look at the sites of the gun to shoot skeet. Same thing here.

 

I have experimented some with chipping this way also. It is a little bit trickier but I am going to work on it this week and report back.

[Tyk]

I practice alot looking at the hole, I find it encourages my hands to more properly release, and I think you could be right, it does help with distance control. However, I don't putt like that on the course. I don't typically have a problem with 3 putts and I think I have a better chance of making the putt focusing on getting the ball out of the chute and on line properly instead of focusing on distance control.

[RoverRick]

The whole point of this Instinct Putting is that the human brain can do many thing at the same time, think of the ballet dancer or ice skater subconsciously. However, they can only do one thing at a time consciously. Think of typing reading response while your spouse is talking to you. By focusing on the target and not the stroke, we actually make a better stroke. AND the added bonus is that we end up closer to the hole. When I first went to this method, I did it in an effort to just get close but I found a disproportionate number of long putts dropped.

 

The crazy thing is that a month ago at the height, or is low, of my putting problems, before the round I got into a putting contest with one of the guys. $1 a putt. I was using the Scotty, that I had such trouble controlling the distance with. I made $9 off him before the round and was putting this way. Then we start the round, I did not focus as intently as possible on the hole, and putted horribly. Obviously, the problem was not with the putters.

 

I will say that by looking at the hole you have a much wider vision than when looking at the ball. This means that you usually see the other players on the green. I am much more easily distracted by them scratching their _ _ _ than I am when I look at the ball. On Friday, they figured this out. They were intentionally moving around while I was trying to putt. At first I got mad at them. Then I decided if they distracted me I would reset and start over. I had to do this four times on one hole, and they thought this was hilarious. I eventually did putt the ball and ended up 6 inches from the hole. Then it was their turn, so about the time they were set, I started singing. Which of course, they got really pissed at. So I apologized and shut up. Until he reset again. And then I started singing again. And then I apologized and said I would not do that again. And he reset, and I asked him how he liked his daughter moving back in for the summer and if that was working out for him. And I am happy to report that this seems to have broken them of messing with me when I putt.

[BK in TEXAS]

Interesting concept.

[RoverRick]

No 3 putts in 126 holes. Misses inside 5 feet during this period = 2. Both for worrying about missing them instead of thinking about making them. (I am such an idiot.)

[RoverRick]

Yes, I was shocked that the book got here so quickly. It was a very quick read because all I really read was enough to see if this is what I was already doing. Since it was I did not have to spend much time learning how to do what I already was doing for a couple of years.

[BK in TEXAS]

I tried it on the course today. Felt oddly natural inside of 12 feet. Out past 20' it was an absolute disaster though!

[RoverRick]

Well, I went out with my girl yesterday afternoon & I putted two balls on the greens..The first, I used my regular putting style, eyes on the ball...My second ball, I used the Instinct Putting Method, eyes on the hole..As I said earlier, I use this method in my daily practice routine on 3'ers, putting to make ten in a row...I do not use it on any other distances, which I knew would set me up for a rough time or as BK so accurately stated, a frickin disaster...Since my only witness was my girlfriend, I wasn't hung up on the probable hideous putts to come...lol...

 

On my first ball, I had 27 putts(score:73, Par:71) & on the Instinct Putting Method I had 32 putts(78)...I had zero 3-putts on my first ball & three on my IPM ball, & they were from 24'(6' leave), 32'(7') and 41'(6')...As is evident, my distance control left a lot to be desired....I also made a 7'er with the IPM style that I missed on my first ball...The feel on that putt was the best all day of the 59 putts that I hit...It was "perfect"...From backstroke, feel @ impact, follow-through and ball path...I make alot of putts and in my mind I've gone rounds without the "perfect" feel, as I did this day on the other 58..I might have 3-4 that I would classify as "poor," though that does'nt mean that I miss them, though I would say that I do on about 80% of those...

 

It's obviously a subjective scale, & I'm known as a good putter, so I don't let my judgement effect my performance, since the ball is gone before I classify the stroke...The thing that really wasn't fair in this is that probably the greatest benefit to the Instinct Putting Method is on the mid-longer lag putts from 15-60'+...Since I haven't practiced these, I could not rationally expect to perform well on those lags...

 

While I'm not ready to make the switch, I am going to increase my practice routine with the IPM from ten made from 3' to ten(not made) from 10', ten from 20' & five from 30' & 40'...My average approach leave is 23'.4" so I really don't get a lot of 40'+ lags(thank God), though I can only improve my overall feel & distance control by practicing the IPM style froom these distances...

 

Fairways & Greens 4ever......

 

To me the real question is, when your were using the IPM how many times did you not hit the putter in the center of the face?

 

If you were not rolling the rock well with this, hitting off the heel or toe, or causing the ball to hop, then this may not be for you at all. I originally only did this from beyond 20'. Where the chances of making the putt are not that high anyway. Because I was still missing the occassional 4'er I switched to the mallet putter which cause distance issues, and that started my changing to the conventional Spot Putting Method, (SPM) (picking a spot in front of the ball and rolling it over that). However, last week when I went back to the IPM I did this for ALL putts. The switching back and forth based on distance is not a good thing IMHO. I have a difficult time maitaining the feel when I switch methods, also no matter how hard you try you still have preconcieved notions on which method will work. I think instead of switching back and forth you should do it for several holes without doing the conventional method.

 

The true key is to concentrate on a spot on the back of the hole. It is after that point you can decided it is or is not a method that you can implement full time.

 

As an aside, I was in Dallas this morning, actually was there most of the weekend and stayed over last night because my meeting lasted too late to drive home, and went by the Golfsmiths this morning while waiting for a phone call that would tell me if I had another meeting of could go home. I went and putted on the putting green with 40 or 50 putters. While there were some that I did not like the weight, for the most part I made putt after putt no matter what brand.

 

A sales person ventured by and watched me make 5 20'ers in a row with a TM Ghost something or other, and he said "That looks like the putter you need right there." I put it down and grabbed a Ping Belly putter and asked, innocently,"Do you think it is better than this one?", and made 5 more 20'er into a different hole. I told him I was just messing with him while I was waiting on a phone call. And the phone rang at that moment.

 

I did find that I putted much better with the belly putter which is what I have now for a gamer. The shape of the head made no real difference, blade or mallet. The alignment aids on top made no real difference, since I do not use them. I simply make sure the back of my left hand is square to the club face and then adjust my hand when I look at the hole. Were the left hand goes is where the ball goes.

 

OT, I will say, again, that the mallets with the alignment graphics on the top and the grips with the flat side are much more of a "cheat" than the belly putter. If that is the case than why do I claim to putt better with the belly, you ask, because I can stand up straighter and am more comfortable. But I had a great time.

[RoverRick]

I was interested in Instinct Chipping Method (ICM), since I was having such good luck with the Instinct Putting. The goal was to go out today and do this. Well, as luck would have it, I missed the first green. I rolled past the hole and off the green, 17 mph wind help this. So I had a chip back into the wind. Perfect opportunity to test this method. Hitting back directly into the wind, looking at the hole, I hit an almost perfect chip, landed on the edge of the green, release to the hole, and broke along the slope, and missed the bottom of the hole by a hair, and stopped less than a foot from the hole. Par. This method works it is awesome, I am awesome, I will never bogey a hole again.

 

So I go to the next hole, a 5 par. after a great drive and 200+ yard hybrid second shot I am 18 feet from the flag, on the up slope 3 feet from the green. Another opportunity to use the ICM of which I have just established I am an expert, but I might add I am down wind this time. I only missed the hole by less than an inch however I did leave myself a 45' putt for birdie, and made my 8'er for par.

 

The next hole I had a 60'er chip, that I left 15'er that I made for par. Next hole, I had a 40 yard pitch, that I left 30 feet short and made a bogey. Luckily I birdied the next hole after leaving my 50' eagle put a foot past the hole. After the first four hole I abandoned the ICM. I did not really have a chip for the rest of the front nine and since I had played the front 9 at 1 under par I could not bring myself to try this again.

 

I did decide that this method may have merit if you look at the spot where you want the ball to land and trust the loft of the club to provide the desired amount of roll, but had I not have been pitching into a stiff breeze on the first hole I think I would have been much further than I was and it would not have been even close.

 

I may attempt this again, but honestly, I have a whole new perspective for those who try the IPM and abandon it in a hurry. Could I have gotten the hang of this in the next few holes if had stuck with it. Maybe, but the bottom line is I am already a pretty good chipper and pitcher so why ruin a great round when not necessary.

 

For the record, my IPM continued to help me out. I scored a 1 under 71 for the day with 28 putts. This was a particularly good score when you take into account that off the tee box today I was not that great. I had 4 tee shots that I was unable to even aim at the green on the second shot. One of these was a par 5, I ended up on these four holes with two pars, a bogey and a birdie. Incidentally, the hole I bogied I had a 5'er for par but failed to focus on making the putt and was too concerned about if it broke or not. If I would have focused on the back of the hole. It would have gone in.

 

The same thing happened on two birdie putts that I missed. Perfect teeshots, great approaches inside 10 feet, and missed the putts because I had doubts that I would make them, played a break that was not there.

[JMiller]

Interesting method, I know I have heard Johnny Miller talking about how he has won tournament looking at the hole, eyes closed in the stroke, all kinds of crazy little tricks and methods to free his stroke up to make a more natural stroke. I tend to pick a spot 6in in front of the ball on my line that I picked and focus on rolling the ball over that mark exactly. Distance for me is just length of stroke and speed through impact for long lags. When I miss putts it is always because I miss read the green or missed my spot on my line. My head is normally tilted a little towards my spot with my focus more on the spot then the ball, so I guess in a way I do the IP type of putting but not all the way to the hole.

[RoverRick]

Truthfully, the "smooth" stroke was a by product to me. I did not get the book until Saturday after Will Parr pointed it out on Amazon, and have been doing this for several years, although did get away from it for a while. I started out on the putts over 20 feet where I was not really expecting to make them anyway. I never really considered the smoothness of the stroke until the book.

 

The article I read said you determine the way the ball has to go into the hole and then focus on the last 6 inches of the putt.

 

The book on the other hand says to "project you innner consciousness to the hole." I did not tell that part earlier because if I would have read that at first I would have totally disregarded this method and put it on par with "Use the force. Luke." I simply said focus as hard as you can on the hole. I have made a disproportionate amount of long putts this last week. And even more of the short ones. I think I have missed two putts under 8 feet and none under 6.

 

This weekend I noticed that anything less than 5 feet my competitors were saying that was good and walking away because I was going to make it. I went ahead and putted it in anyway, which lead to them giving me the next one.

 

In the past, I did occasionally heel or toe the putter, but with the belly putter it has been dead center hits 99.999% of the time. Everyone I have played with has remarked about how the shorter putts are hitting dead center to the back of the hole, and how they wish they could have the confidence to hit them that firmly. A side effect of this is that last Saturday, I noticed that if I had a short putt, sometimes 5 feet or more, my competitors would say "that is good" and walk off. I would putt it anyway because for the last week I have been putting it out no matter how close it was. I used to pray for a gimme, now I do not care, I will putt them into the hole anyway with no fear of missing the short ones.

 

I, of course, do not tell them about the IPM but some have noticed and simply said they do could not do it. I do not argue, I just take their money.

[JMiller]

Have you tried making putts with your eyes shut after taking your address position? I just was curious which one worked better for you.

 

I have used "looking at the hole" or IPM before in practice for short putts never on the course. I tended to get better results for feel and control of the stroke with the "eyes closed" method personally.

 

I had an instructor in college that would have us putt 30 footers with eyes closed method and then tell him where I thought the ball finished if I didn't hear the bottom of the cup. He would also have me make full swings with my eyes closed to get a feel for just have a good tempo and contact. I'll tell you right now most people get scared the first time they full swing with their eyes closed that they will miss completely lol.

 

Anyways back to IP I am just seeing if it the only method to free up the putting stroke to be more natural you have used or not.

[GolfSpy WD]

I think IPM may work for someone who has a very very consistent putting swing. For me, I've found I get much better results doing with Jmiller does, pick a spot in front of the ball, but still have the ball in my line of sight so I can hit it in the middle of the face. For distance control I do everything I can to not think about it and trust my instinct.

[RoverRick]

Have you tried making putts with your eyes shut after taking your address position? I just was curious which one worked better for you.

 

I have used "looking at the hole" or IPM before in practice for short putts never on the course. I tended to get better results for feel and control of the stroke with the "eyes closed" method personally.

 

I had an instructor in college that would have us putt 30 footers with eyes closed method and then tell him where I thought the ball finished if I didn't hear the bottom of the cup. He would also have me make full swings with my eyes closed to get a feel for just have a good tempo and contact. I'll tell you right now most people get scared the first time they full swing with their eyes closed that they will miss completely lol.

 

Anyways back to IP I am just seeing if it the only method to free up the putting stroke to be more natural you have used or not.

 

I have not tried the "eyes closed method" (ECM ?). I did not go to this to smooth the stroke out and I went as a form of distance control on long putts. The fact that it smoothed the stroke, and caused more putts to go in is a by-product that I honestly did not expect. I do know that when I look at the putter I can not go straight back an through. It is more a figure 8. I am told I am straight back and through with this method. I do not know this because I am looking at the hole.

 

You would not get the same benefit with the ECM because you are not using you vision to directly control the speed like the IPM.

 

While I have done this for years, and made my share of long putts, it was never like it has been this past week with the belly putter and IPM combo. My confidence with this is so high right now it is incredible.

 

On the hole where I made the 60'er and my competitor had the 3'er I kept asking if they were good/good. When mine went in he said he would take it, but of course the offer was not on the table then. A few holes later I was about 45' and he was 8'. He said good/good. I said I know mine is but there was some doubt about his. He said, "I know, that is why I am offering.":P

[JMiller]

RR, as you probably figured out I am just making comment to spark technical conversation, this is nothing personal to you at all just more towards the IP "method".

 

What I am getting at is basically IP is a "visual perception" way to putt for distance control.

Eyes closed drill or ECM as you labeled it is more a mechanical length of swing and tempo to achieve the distance.

 

Also, to have a literal "straight back and straight through" putting stroke, you would have to swing the hands out away from the body and close the face down. To correct this in the through stroke you would have to rotate the putter face open again. I am not saying that it can't be done but seems like a lot of manipulation to putt consistently well to me.

 

Anyways, I was just wondering what you had better success with on a wide verity of green speeds, IP or a mechanical approach such as eyes being closed.

[RoverRick]

RR, as you probably figured out I am just making comment to spark technical conversation, this is nothing personal to you at all just more towards the IP "method".

 

What I am getting at is basically IP is a "visual perception" way to putt for distance control.

Eyes closed drill or ECM as you labeled it is more a mechanical length of swing and tempo to achieve the distance.

 

Also, to have a literal "straight back and straight through" putting stroke, you would have to swing the hands out away from the body and close the face down. To correct this in the through stroke you would have to rotate the putter face open again. I am not saying that it can't be done but seems like a lot of manipulation to putt consistently well to me.

 

Anyways, I was just wondering what you had better success with on a wide verity of green speeds, IP or a mechanical approach such as eyes being closed.

 

I took no offense, and when I wrote straight back and through I though about elaborating that I meant that it was on a slight arc. Perhaps, I should have said it was "arced back and arced through"? straighter back and straigher through? curved back and curved through? Not a figure 8 back.... More along the proper line back and .... So a smoother stroke was a by product.

 

 

I have looked at the hole and made practice strokes, and it felt, well, I hesitate to say this now, straight back and straight through. But then I would look at the putter and the damned thing would do a figure 8 and I would push or pull the putt.

 

 

But I have never putted the ball with my eyes closed.

[JMiller]

I took no offense, and when I wrote straight back and through I though about elaborating that I meant that it was on a slight arc. Perhaps, I should have said it was "arced back and arced through"? straighter back and straigher through? curved back and curved through? Not a figure 8 back.... More along the proper line back and .... So a smoother stroke was a by product.

 

 

I have looked at the hole and made practice strokes, and it felt, well, I hesitate to say this now, straight back and straight through. But then I would look at the putter and the damned thing would do a figure 8 and I would push or pull the putt.

 

 

But I have never putted the ball with my eyes closed.

 

lol majority of players have a putting stroke that is on an arc, how much of one and what arc is optimal I'll leave to Burnt Edges Consulting and Bruce (bargolf) to teach

 

I was just trying to compare "visual" method versus more a "mechanical" method to get distance control

[RoverRick]

I stated earlier that I had distance control problems with my 2 Ball putter and the Copper Cameron. I guess that the problem was with me not them. I took them out because I have been putting so well, and used them with this method, and the ball went into the hole. It was the fact that I had gotten away from this method and gone to the traditional method that was more of an issue than the different putters.

 

This method may not be for you, but I find that just like shooting a gun, if I focus on the target I get more hits than focusing on the sights.

[BK in TEXAS]

This method may not be for you, but I find that just like shooting a gun, if I focus on the target I get more hits than focusing on the sights.

The biggest difference is, with a shotgun you still have the bead in your peripheral vision. I've messed around a bit with this since the thread started and (for me) as long as I could see the ball out of the corner of my eye (about 9' and in) it was at least as good as traditional putting. Beyond that range, "old school" putting was significantly better.

[RoverRick]

I would say that I had the same experience with chipping this way.

[JMiller]

RR are you using a "traditional" putter or a long one anchored to your body? I think I might the different results as I have a 33.75" putter where just my hands sit on the putter and nothing else. I have seen a lot of people putt "side saddle" with belly length putters using this type of method looking at the hole. Maybe I missed that part RR sorry if I did.

 

KJ Choi has tried it wasn't lookign at the hole however

[RoverRick]

I have had a belly, and a long, and a regular putter. I was using the belly initially and thought that was the greatest thing ever, but then Monday I went to Golfsmiths and used 40 different putters of shapes and sizes and found that it really did not make any difference.

 

I then took my belly putter out and my standard two ball, I played 9 holes each, I shot a 35 with 14 putts, and a 36 with 14 putts. Longest putt made with the belly 8' longest putt made with the standard length 7'. Shortest putt missed with belly, 6', shortest missed with standard, 12'. However, on the 6 footer I missed I was thinking about if I was playing enough break and not thinking about putting it in the hole. I played too much break and it lipped out. ( I then made the same putt 4 more times in a row once I knew the break and concentrated. But you can only count the first one.) That was Monday evening, last night I did not get to play just went out and putted on a couple of greens and came back home.

 

 

I will continue to game the belly putter, mainly because it is more comfortable on my back over the long haul, however, not having the right putter now seems more like a convenient excuse for failing to concentrate and execute the putt properly.

[JMiller]

Ah you use the cheater stick that explains everything , just joking around. Very interesting numbers in terms of distances, seems to be some over lap in terms of what average putts you are good with on each putter.

[RoverRick]

Also, I take a traditional stance, paralell with the line. Also a traditional grip ensuring that the clubface is square with the back of my left hand. Another reason I like the belly putter is it (the one I have) feels very balance to me when it is square with my backhand. If it is not I can feel it is not. This was not the case with all putters, so I like that one best. One less thing to double check. I then put the putter behind the ball. And stare at the hole. I rotate the back of my left hand until it feels right. I sort of ask myself if it is right. When I feel it is right, I think to myself, that's it right there, and put my right hand on the putter and come back and through.

 

Even before I can see the ball in my vision I know if I made it, or not.

[RoverRick]

JM or RR, this is a little OT, though it's definitely non-traditonal & I was wondering if either of you know anything about it or have tried it & that's the style(sorta side-saddle) that was in that movie where Bob Duval played the old retired tour player & the young tour player who just flamed out in a tourney & his car wrecked & broke down in the old pro's town....Seven Days in Utopia, I think...

 

Again, I can't think of the name of the movie, however the putting style that Duval showed the kid that was supposedly much more accurate than traditional method..I looked it up on the computer at the time & I just remember that the putter was pretty expensive for a basic, non-milled ling putter....

 

Anyway, have a good one....

 

Fairways & Greens 4ever....

 

I can not say that I tested it, but I have made a few putts that way but only when it did not matter. With the IPM it does not really matter where your feet and body is, it is strickly the back of the left hand for me. That tells me where the clubface is pointed. The book may not agree with that. In the part that I have read they advocate an open stance with the feet. I do not do that and honestly do not care. I only think about the back of the left hand and the target.

[RoverRick]

Many of you have make the comment that you tried it a few times and it did not feel right etc... I understand this because that is exactly what happened to me on the chipping experiment. You have a couple of bad shots and throw this method in the trash. Which is ok with me because I get paid the same if you use it or not, but I will tell you what the book says about this.

 

 

This method originally appeared in Britain around 1973. A guy name Hunter Daick came up with it. He used a 2 3/4" hole rather than the standard 4 1/4" (I have no idea why) and he alternated between traditional look at the ball (LAB), and the look at the hole (LAH) method. He hit 500 8 foot putts alternating between 10 each way. He made 30% with the LAB and 40% LAH. Not really much difference. He then decided to hit 100 of each way not alternating. He made 30% LAB and then made 54% LAH.

 

By switching back and forth it is unsettling and makes it difficult to get into the feel of it. This was what I was doing 6 months ago when I abandoned it. The switching back and forth is bad. However, it is hard to "stay on the throttle when the boat starts taking on water."

[Will Par]

My local library has this book and I read it a year or two ago. Although I picked up a couple of useful tips from the book, I never seriously tried the LAH method. I have used it in practice and found that it does work well on what I would classify as medium length putts... six or seven feet out to 20 feet. I can't say that I tried it much on longer distances. For those that have tried this extensively, I'm curious how it works from 3 to 6 feet in a round with something important riding on the putt. If I remember correctly, that range is where I had some difficulty gaining confidence. Of course, I never worked on it very much.

 

I do believe there is an advantage from a method where you stand facing the hole, but I've never found a way to swing the putter easily in that position.

[JMiller]

Yes Richard you are correct, http://www.sevendaysinutopia.com/ the movie is based on a book this movie is actually a good one IMHO mostly dealing with the mental side of the game a lot sounded to be accurate.

 

To answer your question If i have tried side saddle that is a big negative, for as long as I can recall playing golf I have always putted with a blade style putter and a traditional length, I am sort of against a putter that anchors to your body in a location other then the hands personally but I won't make fun of you too much if you use one.

 

Great history RR I did not know that about the method.

[RoverRick]

I'm curious how it works from 3 to 6 feet in a round with something important riding on the putt. If I remember correctly, that range is where I had some difficulty gaining confidence.

 

 

Will, I have not been keeping records that long, and did not keep track this weekend during the competitive money rounds, but I did not miss a single putt from the 20' and in on Saturday or Friday, no golf on Sunday. I do have good records for a few rounds, non money rounds, I am 25 of 27 in the 3 to 6 for range I am 12 of 13. No misses inside 3 feet and no 3 putts in 144 holes. And as far as when it counts, I shot a 75 and lost by one stroke when the handicaps were added in.

 

I did discover that my copper plated Scotty Cameron Putter works best with the Pro V1x on breaking speed putts but leaves other balls just short. My Odyssey Putter works best with Pentas and Pro V1's. These were all outside of 25' but the Odyssey and Pro V1x were all off the high lip where the Penta were going in the hole. The Pentas and Pro V1s were just short with the copper faced Scotty Cameron, and the Pro V1x went in the hole.

[RoverRick]

On the last hole today, I had a 2 ft putt to make 170 putts inside 3 feet in a row and to shoot even par. Unfortunately, I was thinking about the number and not the putt and missed. A straight in, no break tap in, that I could make on my worst day, and did not even hit the hole. Had a three footer coming back. I am now at 1 in a row but at least I did not three putt so that streak is intact