Putting mats

Gimme Stitches

Putting stroke is letting me down. I would like to be able to work on it at home. I am thinking of investing in a practice putting mat. Are they worthwhile?

Trampas

which way are you missing putts? left or right?

Are you cutting across the ball and impact?

The_Kew_Tour

My mate has one of these and used it and I would invest in one if I was playing more often at moment.

You might be able to get it cheaper im sure you can so search around. You should be able get one for least 50 quid less if shop around. This lot money of course but worth it if can afford it.

http://www.shopwiki.co.uk/PowaKaddy+True+Putt+-+Putting+Improver

Gimme Stitches

Very inconsistent Trampas. I would say I am very tentative with putts tend to leave them short. Got a lesson and was told to work on feel, I was also told my left shoulder is open so need to square up and get more over the ball. Its frustrating as my ball striking is OK. Just when I reach the green things fall apart!

alxmorgan

I was struggling too and found that copying Mickelsons stroke helped a lot. The forward press he uses helps to ensure a smooth roll and accelerate through the ball

http://www.golfdigest.com/instruction/2009/08/phil_mickelson_putting

Curran

Yeah - the forward press works for me too - been doing it for a few years now!!
Line up the putt, move your hands forward, ever so slightly, and start the putt as normal as soon as you push forward. It really helps steady the stroke!!

ShriekingSheet

Was mucking around in the kitchen the other day and found a good drill. What p*sses me off most about putting technique is how difficult it can be to start the ball on the line you've chosen.

All you need is a varnished wooden floor and one gorilla slipper (or similar). Pick a "plank" of the wooden floor (ensure there's no slope) and putt 8 feet along it, using the slipper to stop the ball going all over the kitchen on the low-friction surface.

The planks are usually more or less with width of a cup. Put the ball in the centre of the plank and use the lines to allign yourself. It makes it very easy to see down the line to the centre of the slipper. If you don't make a positive stroke, rolling the ball forwards and on line, the ball will deviate off the plank. If you feel uncomfortable with the allignment, you're obviously not setting up right on the course. If you're cutting accross the ball with slight side-spin, or being tentative, the ball won't roll straight and steady on the wood. But a pure strike and roll will split the plank right down the centre.

I genuinely think a lot of people just learn to use little pushes and pulls to negotiate breaks on greans, picking one line, and hitting the ball on entirely another. It's no good for consistant putting, at least not if you're playing different courses regularly. But if you can get yourself to roll the ball on a chosen line most times, I find you can get to a stage where the only time your ball doesn't threaten the hole is when you've misread a green.

Russman

A good drill is to get a ball, draw a line around it (effectively an equator), point the line at the target and practise until you can roll a putt keeping this equator in a straight line as the ball rolls. If the line wobbles or looks like a figure of eight as the putt rolls, you're not striking it squarely.

Its a lot harder than you would think BTW

Myksyk

I think the putting mats are a great idea and I have to say I'd love one with variable break in it but my wife would probably kill me if I bought that seeing as I have two different mats already. Basically, home practice on putting allows you to really grind in your pre-shot routine, set up, balance, grip, stroke etc. These days I'm in the 'play' room all the time hitting putts. I've been struggling with getting a grip I like and which I can replicate without change every time. I've gone from kack-handed and back, index finger down, index up and whatever you're having yourself. My wife bought me a Tiger Woods book (oldish - 2001 - How I play Golf) and in it he gives a detailed pictorial description of his putting grip. I tried it and really like it and will be settling on it for the coming season.

At the end of the day you can't practice your putting stroke enough. Get a mat and put in the time. You can practice other aspects of it like green-reading etc when the courses are re-opened.

Mister Sifter

Putting matts are great. Just don't try and iron it.:o

jimbling

adrian280582 wrote: »

My mate has one of these and used it and I would invest in one if I was playing more often at moment.

You might be able to get it cheaper im sure you can so search around. You should be able get one for least 50 quid less if shop around. This lot money of course but worth it if can afford it.

http://www.shopwiki.co.uk/PowaKaddy+True+Putt+-+Putting+Improver

hey, if anyone finds one of these at a decent price let us know, would be interested.

GreeBo

6x1 strip of cheapo carpet stuck to a 6x1 strip of plywood with a corresponding 2x2 bit to stand on....job done.

BigAl>>

GreeBo wrote: »

6x1 strip of cheapo carpet stuck to a 6x1 strip of plywood with a corresponding 2x2 bit to stand on....job done.

Good man! Just cause we have the money doesnt mean we need to spend it on all the fancy "putting mats" :eek: As Greebo points out.... a little enginuity will go a long way:D .


Oh and gimmicks wont bring you perfection..... Only practise will!

Myksyk

I bought the Boomerang putting aid last week and am finding it a bit addictive. There's a catch/release system and a napless 'carnoustie' mat (stimped at 11/11.5) which you buy separately. The aim is to groove stroke and distance control. You have to set the system so that the ball will catch if rolled from less than half way down the 'hole' but will release and fall out if rolled from the middle or above. Once the first ball is caught, you hit a second ball to knock the other ball above centre and therefore release both balls back to you. It's bloody difficult to say the very least - the world record is 12 in a row and I can see why. Notwithstanding the fact that the inventor appears like a bad soap opera character on his own website I'm finding it a good tool, easily transportable and as I said fairly addictive which is a good quality in any practice aid. The system can be set a 6 different levels of slope and the site gives you corresponding distances for normal greens ... so if you're hitting from 12 feet on the system up a level 6 slope the site will tell you that this, say equivalent to a 35 foot putt (or whatever).

Oh, and my wife is happier with this system as it takes up less room and is easy to put away!

GreeBo

Myksyk wrote: »

I bought the Boomerang putting aid last week and am finding it a bit addictive. There's a catch/release system and a napless 'carnoustie' mat (stimped at 11/11.5) which you buy separately. The aim is to groove stroke and distance control. You have to set the system so that the ball will catch if rolled from less than half way down the 'hole' but will release and fall out if rolled from the middle or above. Once the first ball is caught, you hit a second ball to knock the other ball above centre and therefore release both balls back to you. It's bloody difficult to say the very least - the world record is 12 in a row and I can see why. Notwithstanding the fact that the inventor appears like a bad soap opera character on his own website I'm finding it a good tool, easily transportable and as I said fairly addictive which is a good quality in any practice aid. The system can be set a 6 different levels of slope and the site gives you corresponding distances for normal greens ... so if you're hitting from 12 feet on the system up a level 6 slope the site will tell you that this, say equivalent to a 35 foot putt (or whatever).

Oh, and my wife is happier with this system as it takes up less room and is easy to put away!

Im intrigued to say that Ive chatted to the inventor on this one and actually the corresponding distance part of it was my idea

Still waiting on the royalties cheque though!:p

Scottty2Hottty

You don't really need a putting mat per se. Just a bit of carpet will do but working on feel at home is quite difficult because you'll never be able to recreate the exact feel of putting on grass but what I would recommend is working really hard on your set-up (Aim, Stance, Alignment, Posture, ball position) and impact position.

For your set-up try and pick up a putting aid like an eyeline (http://www.eyelinegolf.com/Dual_Plane_Putting_System_Package_p/dppsp.htm) or something. An old mirror(Without a frame) hanging around the house will do too. The difference it makes to be able to see your eye position while your putting is a real 'eye opener'(sorry couldn't help it)

For impact put two cups or the likes just a bit more than the width of your putter either side of the ball and put through them it will give you a good idea whether you're hitting off centre putts or not. Once you start striking your putts out of the sweet spot more consistently your feel and pace control should improve too.

joanierose

Try GersPuttingMat for sale on the website GersPuttingMat.com. Very good value for money and will help to lower your handicap

BoardsMember

joanierose wrote: »

Try GersPuttingMat for sale on the website GersPuttingMat.com. Very good value for money and will help to lower your handicap

Ger......is that you Ger??!!

conno16

a good putting mat is worth its weight in gold my friend.

joanierose

It's not Ger. Have you seen Gers Putting Mat, Ger Spillane that is? http://www.gersputtingmat.com, it's for sale on the website and also in nevada bobs and lee valley pro shop.

BoardsMember

New member.

Two posts.

Each promoting a commercial product.

Sounds a bit fishy to me, but good luck with the mat!

mikeunt

It's best to buy a new putter if you have lost confidence in you old one

redhill

no harm to Ger, but that putting mat looks as amateurish as they come, u could easily makeup a similar one with some cardboard for 50p, never mind 40 quid

DULLAHAN2

Just came across this They will plug anything

BoardsMember

DULLAHAN2 wrote: »

Just came across this They will plug anything

Brilliant - the tagline is putt like a world number one. I'd say Lee wishes he did put like Luke, if he did he might have won a major or two.