Putting frustrations....

Woodgate

Lads,

I don't worry or think about bad rounds or shots that much, I normally move on and forget them. However over the last while I've been missing the odd short/shortish putt, always to the left, i.e. slight pull (I think). Played today and missed out on a prize by a point and winning by 4 points and you guessed it I missed a few putts that I should never miss. This was my worst round of this happening. I play off 5 so it is very very costly to be doing this.

Any ideas on what the main cause for this could be?
(at times I feel maybe I tend to have a little look up, then others I think maybe I'm decelerating).

Any advice appreciated.:o

Woody.

dvemail

Had the same problem earlier on this year.
I had my putter head closed at address, which meant that i pulled my putts also.
Maybe try to open the face of the putter slightly when you are over the ball.

Hope this helps.

postalservice

Article about Tiger Woods

Woods positioned two golf tees 4 or 5 inches apart. He could slide the head of his putter in the opening between the tees, but just barely. He put a ball in front of the tees. Swinging the putter back and forth through the gap, he putted 10 balls into the hole with just his right hand on the club. Then he did it 10 times with both hands. If the putter did not travel back and through in the proper arc, it would hit one of the tees. On the day I was watching, Woods never hit the tees and made nearly every putt. For most of the rest of us, it would be more challenging and a good drill for honing a smooth stroke and a square putter face at contact.



Also, head down has always helped me....

stockdam

Get somebody to look at your alignment and the swing path.

It could be that you are aiming left (shoulders) but aiming the putter at the target. That will normally not be too bad as the ball will tend to go where the putter is aimed. However if you then close the face so that it is square to where you are aiming then you will pull the shot.

Or take a video of yourself down the line. It shouldn't be too hard to see what you are doing.

Trampas

What length putts are you missing?

Players think they are going to hole everything inside 10 feet because when they watch golf on TV they see the pros usually making them but what people don't see is the amount of putts missed.

I don't have stats to hand but the success rate from 10 feet is a lot lower than you will think.

I think putting is a real confidence game.

I was a bad putter as I wouldn't have the straight back and through swing. Got an Odyssey 2 Ball blade putter and I have never putted as well. I find it much easier to keep the putter head on a straight path.

The methods above do help and would recommend in trying them. I use a line of tees and not just one either side.

Another tip I got was keep putter head low when going back

ShriekingSheet

Woodgate, similar to yourself I've been having some small issues with the putter lately. Funnily enough I also play off 5 and tend to miss left.

One thing I would say is not to shy away from the idea of getting a lesson on it. It doesn't have to be Neil Manchip in the GUI academy, your usual or club pro will most likely do fine. I find with myself, and would suggest it's probably the same for you, that there is a slight mechanical change required. Sure, putting is largely mental but at the same time, if there's a regular flaw in the move, it's worth correcting.

A few things to watch out for that I've worked on myself and with my pro...

Taking the putter back on the outside - a square face will pull the ball, to get it straight the face will need to open slightly which creates sidespin - obviously not ideal. The Woods dril above helps get it back straight (Pelz) or even slightly on the inside (natural - Bobby Locke).

I find my right hand can sit too weakly on the grip, ie: I can see two or three knuckles on it. When I strengthen it, turning it more enderneath the grip, closer to the way I grip an iron, and can only see one knuckle, the putter face naturally opens slightly and when you make a stroke you can feel more confident of the ball starting on line rather than going left.

Keeping the putter low to the ground both on the way back and through puts a better roll on the ball.

I find when I do hit a poor short putt I've taken a longer back stroke than required. Short-back and accelerate through just feels more confident.

BeeSee

get yourself a copy of Dr. Bob's book "putting out of your mind"

http://www.amazon.com/Putting-Out-Your-Mind-Rotella/dp/0743212134

helped me immensely i must say. described the way my mind worked standing over putts, was pretty funny reading it in black and white and wondering why anybody would think like that while tryin to hold putts, but i bet most do, i know i did / do sometimes

technique is important but read (i think in the above book) that they cant even build a robot that makes every putt, too many variables with the basic outcome that there's no "perfect" technique for making putts. i personally think the mind is of huge importance when it comes to putting

ShriekingSheet

BeeSee wrote: »

get yourself a copy of Dr. Bob's book "putting out of your mind"

http://www.amazon.com/Putting-Out-Your-Mind-Rotella/dp/0743212134

helped me immensely i must say. described the way my mind worked standing over putts, was pretty funny reading it in black and white and wondering why anybody would think like that while tryin to hold putts, but i bet most do, i know i did / do sometimes

technique is important but read (i think in the above book) that they cant even build a robot that makes every putt, too many variables with the basic outcome that there's no "perfect" technique for making putts. i personally think the mind is of huge importance when it comes to putting

Agreed but Rotella consistantly advocates the development of physical technique along with his mental approach. This is especially the case when there's an obvious and regular physical error - in this case, hitting putts left off the blade.

From the OP's opening sentence I think it's fair to deduce he places high priority on attitude and confidence. I think it's possible to go too much the other way when it comes to putting - completely disregarding technique, or trying to improve how you roll the ball and exclusivley working on mental approach. I disagree with this.

GreeBo

I would say that if you are only missing short ones and you miss them left (and are right handed) its probably as simple as following the fall and thus swinging the club left and pulling them all. On all short putts I stare at a piece of grass between the ball and the putter head and it prevent me from tracking the ball and missing left.

Anther good drill for this is to focus on a piece of grass in front of the ball, that way you will try to sub-consciously hit that spot and not the ball, so by the time you would have looked up, the ball is already gone.

Its frustrating as hell to missing short putts and the more you miss the more frustrated you get and thus miss more.

BeeSee

ShriekingSheet wrote: »

Agreed but Rotella consistantly advocates the development of physical technique along with his mental approach. This is especially the case when there's an obvious and regular physical error - in this case, hitting putts left off the blade.

From the OP's opening sentence I think it's fair to deduce he places high priority on attitude and confidence. I think it's possible to go too much the other way when it comes to putting - completely disregarding technique, or trying to improve how you roll the ball and exclusivley working on mental approach. I disagree with this.

snap. completely forgot about his comment of always missing left by the time i wrote the reply.

in that case i'd say dont move your head when putting, listen for the ball to fall into the cup.

was taking into account myself the fact he plays off 5 so presuming his technique is more than adequate to make short putts. obviously a less skilled golfer would have to spend considerably more time on technique

Fiendybob

If you want to rule out possibility that your coming across the ball - draw a line around a few balls. Next time you're on the practice green watch the line on the ball after you hit it, if it wabbles you're coming across it, if it stays straight you're not...

davgtrek

i was inclined to drag short puts similar to yourself a year or 2 ago. cost me a lot. i had a big break away from golf and went back with a slightly different mindset.( putting was always my weakness though i play off 9 ) i no longer miss 3' or less putts anymore cause i rifle them in.
dragging to left for me was as you say caused by deceleration or the fear of banging them in.

i now adapt the approach that i am not making a living from golf, its a hobby, so having fear or tenseness over putts is silly in myt view.
step up bang em in. if you miss fine, so what. but nursing a 3 footer along a break to end up pulling/missing it is far more annoying than banging it wide of hole due to bad alignment.

you play off 5 for a reason so you must be a good putter. its a mental thing. step up and finish it off like the pro's.

seemingly a staggering percentage of pro's 3 poot from within 6 feet as they bang the ball so hard at hole from that range if they miss its gone as far past again....

good luck.

Mister Sifter

davgtrek wrote: »

Seemingly a staggering percentage of pro's 3 poot from within 6 feet as they bang the ball so hard at hole from that range if they miss its gone as far past again....

good luck.

Isn't that the problem though... the fear of missing and leaving yourself a tricky one back.

As a kid i used to just knock them in no bother, but it seems to be changing as i get older. Now i like to see the ball just die into the hole.

davgtrek

just die the ball into hole needs the 2 ingredients to be perfect. speed & line.
bang it at the hole and the speed need only be 80% right and the line 60% right.
if you get me!

how many times have you blanked a hole to just one handed with back of putter whilst walking off the green drag the ball into the hole from 3 feet whilst laughing with the lads...

i tell ya i no longer want to see the ball grind to a halt 3 inches from hole on a 6 foot putt.

its definately all in the head.

a mate of mine gave me a good tip to gauge how strong to hit a ball on a longer putt. line up for practice putt and close your eyes and make the few swings you feel are strong enough. its amazing how accurate you will be.

try this with a ball some eve. shut eyes and strike ball. you'll leave it under 3 feet no bother.

GreeBo

davgtrek wrote: »

just die the ball into hole needs the 2 ingredients to be perfect. speed & line.
bang it at the hole and the speed need only be 80% right and the line 60% right.
if you get me![/QUOTE[
well technically both the speed and the line have to be 100% correct or by definition they were wrong and you missed
But I think we know what you mean.

A good tip for short putts is to practice with a pencil in front of the hole (across the hole) you then have to hit your putts a little harder to get them over the pencil, this little bit harder is enough to keep them online when on the course.

kagni

http://www.puttingzone.com/
I was looking for some help with my putting recently and came across this site, there is a huge amount of information on putting there.

The website looks like it was designed by a 4-year old but but as a source of information on all aspects of putting I think it's excellent.
It's fantastic that a well renowned putting instructor is willing to give all this information away for free.

Go to the "How to putt your best" section on the first page and see if you can find what you are looking for from there.

george67

hi, one simple point that tends to get over looked is to get aligned right you have to have the ball positioned under your nose. helps stop the push/ pull . your hands tend to hang straight down ,more of a shoulder stroke than a wristy stroke ,:(
you prob know this already , but sometimes bad habits need a complete reset to get rid of ,:)

golf_caddy

Here's a tip which might work for you.... tell your playing partners you'll give them a euro each if you miss a putt within 6 feet... you'll learn pretty quickly to hold them