Putting coach / help

Chrispb

First post from a long time lurker of the golf forum . Handicap has drifted from +1 to scr over the last three months

Anybody out there have any recommendations for a golf pro who is particularly good at putting instruction ?

After a long analytical look at my game I've come to the realisation that my putting just is not good enough , I put a huge amount of work into my long game and give myself plenty of chances but rarely take advantage .

After a poor two weekends in the east and the close last weekend I've lost all confidence in my game . No birdies in 72 holes , despite hitting 55 greens and the longest putt holed being about 7 feet. And far too many three putts . Hitting it to 15 feet and walking off with a bogey has become common place .

Of failing a pro , does anybody have any good practise drills to help out a very frustrated golfer .

Norfolk Enchants_

Chrispb wrote: »

First post from a long time lurker of the golf forum . Handicap has drifted from +1 to scr over the last three months

Anybody out there have any recommendations for a golf pro who is particularly good at putting instruction ?

After a long analytical look at my game I've come to the realisation that my putting just is not good enough , I put a huge amount of work into my long game and give myself plenty of chances but rarely take advantage .

After a poor two weekends in the east and the close last weekend I've lost all confidence in my game . No birdies in 72 holes , despite hitting 55 greens and the longest putt holed being about 7 feet. And far too many three putts . Hitting it to 15 feet and walking off with a bogey has become common place .

Of failing a pro , does anybody have any good practise drills to help out a very frustrated golfer .

I think you've hit the nail on the head there, putting is as much about confidence as it is about thechnique, I used this drill before and find it excellent, give it a try and have a look at some of their other videos around putting and chipping drills. Best of luck.

cairny

Chrispb wrote: »

First post from a long time lurker of the golf forum . Handicap has drifted from +1 to scr over the last three months

Anybody out there have any recommendations for a golf pro who is particularly good at putting instruction ?

After a long analytical look at my game I've come to the realisation that my putting just is not good enough , I put a huge amount of work into my long game and give myself plenty of chances but rarely take advantage .

After a poor two weekends in the east and the close last weekend I've lost all confidence in my game . No birdies in 72 holes , despite hitting 55 greens and the longest putt holed being about 7 feet. And far too many three putts . Hitting it to 15 feet and walking off with a bogey has become common place .

Of failing a pro , does anybody have any good practise drills to help out a very frustrated golfer .

I was cutting across putts; club pro gave me a metal metre stick; the idea is you putt along it to a hole, any cut or pull action and the ball won't stay on the stick, roll it straight and it drops off end and rolls to the hole. Takes a bit of practice but when you get it you start holing them all and so builds confidence.

mike12

Have to say the Peltz putting tutor is the best bit of kit you can get to help with your putting. it helps with alingment and it makes sure you are starting it on the correct line if you have both of those correct then you are a long way to impoving. I haven't gone to a pro but i hear Geoff Loughrey who works in Roganstown is a super coach for putting.

Chrispb

Thanks for thatNorfolk Enchants I've spotted those videos before but never watched them, conned myself into thinking I had a good short game and needed to continue on with working on my long game . Clubs are staying put for today and possibly tomorrow , but I'll try that drill after a small (needed ) break from the game

Cairny just a regular meter stick ? I've seen golf specific tapered ones , or just one from a hear ware store ?

cairny

Chrispb wrote: »

Thanks for thatNorfolk Enchants I've spotted those videos before but never watched them, conned myself into thinking I had a good short game and needed to continue on with working on my long game . Clubs are staying put for today and possibly tomorrow , but I'll try that drill after a small (needed ) break from the game

Cairny just a regular meter stick ? I've seen golf specific tapered ones , or just one from a hear ware store ?

The one he gave me was a golf one but it was marked for club lenghts so not a special putting aid or anything, no need for tapered I'd say. Can be frustrating at the start but there's instant feedback, if it falls off right you're probably cutting, left and you're probably pulling.

GreeBo

OP have you ever been analysed on a SAM lab or similar?
Will tell you the same for putting as you get from Trackman.

Might be useful at your level.

Chrispb

I've been looking into it this morning, have you any experience with anyone for Sam lab ? I'm trying to find somewhere in the Leinster area to go . Pure golf seems to keep coming up . Anybody any reviews ?

Dr_Colossus

What part of the country are you based if looking for a possible putting lesson? May influence people's suggestions.

I'm no where near your level but had a lesson with Shane O'Grady 3 months ago where he reviewed my putting at the end and advised I had too much of an in to in arc in my putting stoke. (He has a SAM putting lab in the back of his teaching bay with a few other training aids). I was bringing back the putter face open and turning it over to closed on the follow through unknown to myself.
I did do a half day short game clinic in Carton House the year previous and there was no mention of my putting arc then so perhaps it was something I inadvertently started doing in the interim.

Anyway my putting (and more importantly my confidence with the putter) has improved significantly since. I was always pretty inconsistent with both pull and push shots and generally very weak with lag putting all of which has now improved dramatically. This was something I didn't spot myself despite having previously videoed myself and having worked on my putting with similar drills to that linked by Norfolk Enchants_

Putting if very individualistic and at your level key to low scores but I guess no harm in having a trained eye review and critique your technique before spending vast amounts of time practicing it. If nothing else it should give a confidence boost and assure you you're practicing correctly.

Dtoffee

I am no expert but have listened to many and one of the most valued tips I got was a simple drill. Basically practice 6 - 12ft putts single handedly and only with you weak hand. Its amazing how your naturally strong hand will take over your putts when doubts creep in and this drill will strenghten your weaker hand and give you a more confident even stroke through the ball when you return to using both hands.

A second more obvious tip is to play billiards/bowls, so forget about using the hole. Hit your first putt to 20ft and then repeat the stroke with 4/5 other balls but you must not look up to see the result until all balls have been played. If your sense of pace is good, all balls will be closely grouped and your feel for distance is good.

Russman

Chrispb wrote: »

I've been looking into it this morning, have you any experience with anyone for Sam lab ? I'm trying to find somewhere in the Leinster area to go . Pure golf seems to keep coming up . Anybody any reviews ?

I'm not a member, perhaps Greebo can confirm, but I think the pro in the Grange has the SAM analysis.

GreeBo

Russman wrote: »

I'm not a member, perhaps Greebo can confirm, but I think the pro in the Grange has the SAM analysis.

Yep, full SAM lab (and Trackman!) in Grange.

(01) 493 2889 press the button for pro-shop after the prompt and ask for a SAM lab lesson with Dave Kearney.
I think its usually an hour, switching between the lab indoors and the real putting green outside.

Chrispb

That's for all the replies so far. Helpful bunch on the golf forum!

I'm living in North Dublin , howth. But more than willing to travel to someone good, within reason. My putting is just in such a strange place. From 40 feet I'm threatening the hole and my long range putting is pretty good, but anywhere inside a "holable" range and suddenly I fall to pieces . Now I don't expect too hole everything but not making one putt outside 7 feet in my last four competitive rounds is just soul destroying .

It's totally destroying my game and confidence . Trackman made vast improvement in my long game so my thought process is that sam lab could have similar effects as i found the direct feedback worked well for me .

Any and all advice is appreciated

Chrispb

GreeBo wrote: »

Yep, full SAM lab (and Trackman!) in Grange.

(01) 493 2889 press the button for pro-shop after the prompt and ask for a SAM lab lesson with Dave Kearney.
I think its usually an hour, switching between the lab indoors and the real putting green outside.

Thanks GreeBo

I'm going to make the call now .

ShivasIrons

Learn Aimpoint Express from Donal Scott, will be the best thing you ever did for your putting.

shaneon77

I had awful trouble with my putting and had to act on it. i sought advice on here too and got some useful tips that set me on the road to a better stroke. I'm not at your level but a mid single figure.
What i did was install a metronome on my phone and hit the practice green with my headphones. I worked out my tempo at that time as 85 bpm. This tempo, coupled with my stroke, proved to be short by about 2 foot on a level 10 foot putt so I upped the tempo until I found a match to the length I required (11 1/2 foot) this tempo was 95 bpm.
I went around the green a million times ignoring the holes but focusing on the 95 BPM tempo back and through 1-2 1-2 1-2 using different length backstrokes but the same tempo throughout. I now step up to each putt thinking tick-tock tick-tock whilst looking at the target. Its worked very well for me so far.

Chrispb

Thanks for all the replies folks . I've a session booked on a Sam lab to see if it's a fault with my technique or just a mental fault and or lack of confidence .

I'm going to try some of the mentioned practise drills afterwards. I'll report back after a while and update the progress.

Chrispb

shaneon77 wrote: »

I had awful trouble with my putting and had to act on it. i sought advice on here too and got some useful tips that set me on the road to a better stroke. I'm not at your level but a mid single figure.
What i did was install a metronome on my phone and hit the practice green with my headphones. I worked out my tempo at that time as 85 bpm. This tempo, coupled with my stroke, proved to be short by about 2 foot on a level 10 foot putt so I upped the tempo until I found a match to the length I required (11 1/2 foot) this tempo was 95 bpm.
I went around the green a million times ignoring the holes but focusing on the 95 BPM tempo back and through 1-2 1-2 1-2 using different length backstrokes but the same tempo throughout. I now step up to each putt thinking tick-tock tick-tock whilst looking at the target. Its worked very well for me so far.

I used a metronome years ago and have a pretty good memory of it , thanks for the refresher. Probably just a lack of practise and neglecting my putting , it's very easy to convince yourself that's your putting is good, but the stats don't lie when you sit down and look at them . Hope to put an end to the .1's coming hard and fast this year .

PARlance

Before I head off to google Metronome... Anyone going to shed some light?

OP, hope it goes well at the lab, let us know how you get on.

Chrispb

It's basically just a beat that goes at a constant rhythm . The basic idea is that it helps with tempo and I found it can quiet down the mind if your just concentrating on following a beat , Imagine putting to the tick movement of a clock. Take the putter back on the tick and hit it on the tock. You can change the tempo on a metronome to find a beat that suits you


The basic timing of a putting stroke is: Backswing time = Downswing time. The Backswing time is 2 times the Downswing to Impact time. The metronome being a periodic device, should be set to a timing in which beats occur in sync with putting stroke events (takeaway, top of backswing, impact, finish).

Going into a bit more (maybe ott) detail here's the tempo of some tour pros . So a you can see it's not a one fits all method and you need to find one that works individually

Just to provide an overall perspective, here are some putting tempos FYI:

K.J. Choi 90bpm
Vaughn Taylor 90bpm
David Toms 90bpm
Ernie Els 100bpm
Phil Mickelson 100bpm
Geoff Ogilvy 100bpm
Steve Flesch 100bpm
Trevor Immelman 106bpm
Tiger Woods 112bpm
Davis Love 112bpm
Anthony Kim 120bpm
Aaron Baddeley 129bpm

I hope that doesn't make it sound over complicated as I found its a relatively simple way to practise . Metronome can be got at most music shops and are pretty cheap or you can get a app that does the same thing .

Tin_Cup

ShivasIrons wrote: »

Learn Aimpoint Express from Donal Scott, will be the best thing you ever did for your putting.

Have to 100% recommend Donal Scott in Edmondstown. He has been a massive help and in particular improved my green reading with Aimpoint.

stockdam

My putting is nothing to write home about anymore but it was fairly good when I was younger so all I can say is what I used to do.

Firstly I practiced putting every day and more so than any other part of my game. I also experimented with different types and weights of putters and found ones that gave me confidence. I played matches on the putting green against good putters and that made me concentrate - sometimes aimless practice gets boring.

Are you misreading putts or do you just feel that you can't hole them and this leads to a poor stroke. Rather than beat yourself up, start to note where the ball ends up to see if you are under-reading or just aiming for breaks that aren't there. Sometimes the best policy is to keep the ball inside the hole instead of aiming outside of the hole.

Set up a practice area on a carpet at home and practice hitting 10 feet putts until you hit the ball consistently straight. If you have a long bit of carpet then practice hitting to a line trying to stop the ball on the line (distance control).

The killer for short putts is not having confidence. That creates a jerky stroke where you grip hard and decelerate. Develop a routine. First pick your line and don't proceed until you are convinced that it is correct. Next line up your putter face and then take your grip and stance. Check your alignment. Take several smooth practice strokes and then just tell yourself to repeat it. Just concentrate on making a nice relaxed swing, do not look up until you hear the ball drop into the hole. Always try to get the ball to roll one foot past and if you are confident then 2 feet; do not dolly the ball to the hole unless you are downhill or else you have two putts for the match.

Trust your swing. Hit the ball straight where your aim point is and rattle it in. Tell yourself that you are going to make the best swing possible and if the ball doesn't go in then you have misread the line. It's much better to misread than to make a poor stroke.

Oh and how I wish I had the time to practice again as my game is now pants.

TheDoc

Krishna in Hollywood lakes seems to have a pretty well regarded reputation for the shortgame. Never got lessons of him myself, but when you get into the chats in the likes of Mcguirks and places with staff and you mention Hollywoodlakes, they always seems to give glowing reputations about Krishna and his short game coaching.

There was also a thread doing it rounds on another irish golfing forum few years back where scratch golfers were singing his praises. I'm pretty sure there is a website where you can find PGA coaches in your area and read reviews people have left on them. Unofficial site like.

Chrispb

Just as a follow up to this . Warming it's a long one

I went for A Sam lab analysis , as I suspected there's not any major flaws in my technique . The numbers where actually pretty good . Which in itself did some good for my confidence as I was doing a lot of second guessing and it's always good to have a critical eye tell you some positives without blowing steam up your a**. Not saying my stroke is perfect , there was a few small areas that needed some attention.

I then took an old putter out of storage (I was wisely told never sell a putter that was once successful ) put a new super stroke 3.0 grip on it to slightly deaden my wrists . I put quiet a lot of work In on the putting green, not concentrating on one thing for too long . Just on rolling good putts , and only giving myself one chance from a given location as that's all I have on the course and where I struggle most , everyone can hole a putt after a few tries so I felt this was not beneficial to my woes .

I only live 5 minutes from the course so every time I'm passing I've set myself a challenge to go to the putting green , take a 6-10 ft putt. One ball one chance . Pick a line and commit to it. It makes the putt mean something and can sort of replicate the feeling out on the course . It might sound a bit much but it's only a short trip but when you only have one chance at a putt it really focuses you to hit a good putt.

I also bought a 9ft putting matt and putt it in the living room (after a bit of persuading the other half gave in ) it's only 9inces wide so again necessadity to hit a good putt. Fast forward to last night went out to play 18 after work. First green hit a wedge to about 30 ft. Downhill right to left straight in the back of the hole . Really good feeling after all the heartache . Had a mixed round and my ball striking wasn't great but missed it the right places and really learning How to grind out a score on any given day when things aren't going 100%. But 27 putts helped me on the way to my first sub par round in months , -2 gross and feeling much more positive about golf this morning , after 9 .1's in 12 rounds of golf I feel as I'm about to turn a corner and get back on track to just enjoying my golf more and being more competitive .

Finished work at two and can't wait to go play golf this evening . I havn't said that in about three months . Funny game . But if it was easy nobody would play it

newport2

Chrispb wrote: »

I then took an old putter out of storage (I was wisely told never sell a putter that was once successful ) put a new super stroke 3.0 grip on it to slightly deaden my wrists . I put quiet a lot of work In on the putting green, not concentrating on one thing for too long . Just on rolling good putts , and only giving myself one chance from a given location as that's all I have on the course and where I struggle most , everyone can hole a putt after a few tries so I felt this was not beneficial to my woes .

I went through a bad patch of putting a few months ago, which I am thankfully through now. I was pushing a lot of putts from about 8 feet in. Did 3 things to sort it out.

1 I put the Superstroke 3.0 on my putter. Took a bit of getting used to the distance putts on it, but it has helped a lot.

2 Focused on a slow takeaway of the putter head in the backstroke. I had a friend video me putting. On my longer putts, silky smooth takeaway. Shorter ones, much more "jerky". When I didn't have smooth takeaway, I didn't release the putter head on the follow through, hence missed right a lot. Worked on getting all takeaways smooth.

3 Forced myself to be still looking at the grass below the ball after it has left. This is the oldest rule of putting in the book, but it's also the easiest one to break.

Putting great at the moment. Three months ago I was dreading putts inside a range that I felt I should make. Now I love them.

ArielAtom

ShivasIrons wrote: »

Learn Aimpoint Express from Donal Scott, will be the best thing you ever did for your putting.

I have not got around to it but from others who have attended they say it is superb. He is based in Edmondstown.