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Putter

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  • 25-08-2020 8:18pm
    #1
    gypsy79
    Registered Users Posts: 1,784 ✭✭✭


    My putting has gone to absolute ****

    I am a 36 putts a round man playing off 17

    I have a multiple rounds 40 plus putts lately. Last round I played I had 35 putts but never felt comfortable over even 2 footers. I didn’t miss anything inside 4-5 feet but it is close to y word. And got lucky

    My real problem is that my lag putting from say 20 feet is awful. Often leaving 6 footers usually short

    So, do I get lessons. Obvious answer or a new putter.

    I use a cheap blade. Will a mallet or more sophisticated help?

    Or recommendation good putting coach


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    #2
    Snotty
    Registered Users Posts: 1,298 ✭✭✭Snotty


    Lag putting is all about practice and confidence.
    Good practice is to put a tee about 18inches behind the cup on the putting green and aim to hit it, then imagine the tee is there when putting on the course.

    Mallet putters are a bit easier to line up and a bit more forgiving, they won't make you a great putter overnight but change from a blade putter might give more confidence.


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    #3
    spacecoyote
    Registered Users Posts: 8,436 ✭✭✭spacecoyote


    Get super confident over 3ft putts. Itll give you great confidence to hit positive putts from further away then as you'll be comfortable running the ball past the hole.

    More times you're getting past the hole more times those longer putts will drop


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    #4
    gypsy79
    Registered Users Posts: 1,784 ✭✭✭gypsy79


    I was super confident from 5 feet but have lost confidence in my stroke

    If I could leave myself 3 footers all day I would be delighted

    I think i line up the putts well but my green reading may also be terrible. In fact I know it is

    Had a 63 net a couple of weeks ago becuase I basically got lucky that I never putted first and used the info from those putts


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    #5
    Snotty
    Registered Users Posts: 1,298 ✭✭✭Snotty


    Even good amateur don't need to be great at reading greens, most know the line from putting on their home course green hundreds of times, rather than just "reading" the green.
    But if you are confident on long putts and hit it on the line you aim for even if you miss read the putt by 3ft left or right which is a lot, you still only have a 3ft putt left, if that makes sense


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    #6
    GreeBo
    Registered Users Posts: 27,031 ✭✭✭✭GreeBo


    If you are fecking up lag putts its usually down to a poor technique.
    Try to have your back swing and follow through the same length and also try to use the same effort/force to swing forward as you used to swing back.
    (a good drill for this is to take some putts away from the hole and swing back until the putter is in line with your right big toe and then forward until your left big toe. You should be able to hit 6 balls all to within a foot of each other, if you cant then you are not doing one or both of the above steps.
    Once you have this then try different lengths but always the same distance and effort back as forward. After this its just a matter of getting used to what distance/effort gives you what length of putt and this comes with practice.

    Doing the above will give you a repeatable stroke that you can actually build from, if your stroke/distance isnt repeatable then you are lost.


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    #7
    gypsy79
    Registered Users Posts: 1,784 ✭✭✭gypsy79


    GreeBo wrote: »
    Doing the above will give you a repeatable stroke that you can actually build from, if your stroke/distance isnt repeatable then you are lost.
    This 100%


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    #8
    Wombatman
    Registered Users Posts: 3,337 ✭✭✭Wombatman


    gypsy79 wrote: »
    My putting has gone to absolute ****

    I am a 36 putts a round man playing off 17

    I have a multiple rounds 40 plus putts lately. Last round I played I had 35 putts but never felt comfortable over even 2 footers. I didn’t miss anything inside 4-5 feet but it is close to y word. And got lucky

    My real problem is that my lag putting from say 20 feet is awful. Often leaving 6 footers usually short

    So, do I get lessons. Obvious answer or a new putter.

    I use a cheap blade. Will a mallet or more sophisticated help?

    Or recommendation good putting coach

    Have you given 'left hand low' a try?


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    #9
    blue note
    Registered Users Posts: 4,503 ✭✭✭blue note


    gypsy79 wrote: »
    My putting has gone to absolute ****

    I am a 36 putts a round man playing off 17

    I have a multiple rounds 40 plus putts lately. Last round I played I had 35 putts but never felt comfortable over even 2 footers. I didn’t miss anything inside 4-5 feet but it is close to y word. And got lucky

    My real problem is that my lag putting from say 20 feet is awful. Often leaving 6 footers usually short

    So, do I get lessons. Obvious answer or a new putter.

    I use a cheap blade. Will a mallet or more sophisticated help?

    Or recommendation good putting coach

    I'm usually not a fan of trying to fix a problem with equipment, but I will say that I changed many years ago from a cheap blade to a heavier small mallet. The Taylormade Daytona rossa if you're curious.

    It allowed me to change my technique a bit by allowing the weight of the putter to kind of swing itself. I find it particularly useful on lagging to help control distance and shorter ones to stop me turning the club face when swinging.

    On top of that, when I'm putting badly the most common the I do is turn my head while swinging. If I keep looking at the spot the ball was after impact, my distance and direction will be better.


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    #10
    MarcusP12
    Registered Users Posts: 1,069 ✭✭✭MarcusP12


    OP your struggles on the green sound very familiar and i'm going through something similar myself....i've definitely improved my putting from 5 ft which is good because i'm leaving myself way too many because of my poor lag putting at times. I wouldn't beat yourself up for missing a few 5/6 footers as even the pro's miss more of these than you'd think so the key as you say is to improve the lagging.

    Here's my take on the equipment....if you're playing blade, i'd defo consider trying a mallet style. There's a few models out there which are very good for alignment which in turn will help with those short putts. Also the extra weight of some mallets will possibly help if you're leaving things short....also, next time you're in the pro shop or something, ask them to look at your stroke....i used to use a tow hang ping B60 but changed to a face balance on the advice of the shop who took a look at my stroke and noted that it was very much a back and forward stroke rather than an arc stroke (which suits a toe hang apparently)...felt that my putt outs from inside 5 foot improved significantly after changing so worth taking a look at that...an odyssey 2-ball putter is a great putter to try and they're a classic for a reason. Plenty out there so could pick one up very cheap to give it a go...definitely improved my putting when i changed to it a while ago....

    Few other pointers on helping with lag putts:
    - Look up Harrington's short lockdown tip videos. He deals with lag putting in a few of them and there's some good pointers in it especially with under and over reading the putt. Useful stuff in it so take a look.
    - On the speed thing, i found that i was trying to judge distance by hitting the putts "harder" with the same stroke length rather than using a longer stroke for the longer putts. Was leaving plenty too short. What i've tried doing is to consciously change the width of my stance depending on the length of the putt and judge the back stroke by the width of my stance. I found this encourages me to lengthen the stroke for the longer putts rather than trying just to strike the putt harder.....felt it worked for me....

    Good luck with it anyway!


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    #11
    gypsy79
    Registered Users Posts: 1,784 ✭✭✭gypsy79


    Thanks guys. My stroke is a straight back one that I think would lead to better results using

    New putter might immediately relieve issues from 5 feet in as that is definitely mental. As I said. Didnt miss any in last round but the worry is not enjoyable

    Will look up Harringtons video


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    #12
    MarcusP12
    Registered Users Posts: 1,069 ✭✭✭MarcusP12


    gypsy79 wrote: »
    Thanks guys. My stroke is a straight back one that I think would lead to better results using

    New putter might immediately relieve issues from 5 feet in as that is definitely mental. As I said. Didnt miss any in last round but the worry is not enjoyable

    Will look up Harringtons video

    I don't think there will be many of us that don't dread those 5 footers but if you happen upon a putter that you trust then thats half the battle. I think also if you sink one of two early in the round it makes a huge difference. I also had one of those rounds where i felt i couldnt miss from inside 5 feet and that was down to the confidence that sinking one or two early gave me.

    Another tip i should have mentioned was one i picked up in a dr. bob rotella book (they're interested reads if you're into the whole psychology thing) is to get it into your head that you want to sink every putt, even those 50 footers. Probably sounds stupid when the ultimate objective is to do no worse than a two putt from that kind of range but i think its down to being that bit more aggressive/positive with the putt. I think if you have it in your head that you'll be happy with a 3/4 ft lagged putt to hole out from then you'll be that bit more tentative and end up instead with the 5/6 ft+ short putt that you and many of us, myself included, struggle with.....


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    #13
    finglashoop
    Registered Users Posts: 2,102 ✭✭✭finglashoop


    MarcusP12 wrote: »
    I don't think there will be many of us that don't dread those 5 footers but if you happen upon a putter that you trust then thats half the battle. I think also if you sink one of two early in the round it makes a huge difference. I also had one of those rounds where i felt i couldnt miss from inside 5 feet and that was down to the confidence that sinking one or two early gave me.

    Another tip i should have mentioned was one i picked up in a dr. bob rotella book (they're interested reads if you're into the whole psychology thing) is to get it into your head that you want to sink every putt, even those 50 footers. Probably sounds stupid when the ultimate objective is to do no worse than a two putt from that kind of range but i think its down to being that bit more aggressive/positive with the putt. I think if you have it in your head that you'll be happy with a 3/4 ft lagged putt to hole out from then you'll be that bit more tentative and end up instead with the 5/6 ft+ short putt that you and many of us, myself included, struggle with.....

    That end bit is defo true. I used to want to just get it close for a chance at sinking the second putt. Now i feel like when i miss its not by much. Just as frustrating sometimes but i do have a lot less three putts.

    I also got a putter (odyssey tank) so i could see how straight my stroke was and that has helped a lot. Still a below average putter tbh. But a hell of a lot more consistent now and sink a few that i wouldnt have even 6 months ago


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    #14
    willabur
    Registered Users Posts: 1,603 ✭✭✭willabur


    My putting has come on an awful lot this year. I was terrible, really bad from distance and had no confidence from inside 5 feet. Over lockdown I did two things. I got a new putter, Odyssey Stroke Lab 2ball and I got an indoor matt.

    The putter helps with my alignment. It is face balanced so it is straight up and straight through which suits my putting stroke. The grip is much thicker than before and feels so much better in my hands. For my grip I let my left arm hang down so it acts like a pendulum. Right hand I grip the club with pressure between my thumb and forefinger - this really helps the feel and feedback

    When lockdown finished I got back on the course and started to work on my routine. On the putting green I hit at least 10 if not 20 putts one handed. Different distances each time, trying to get a feel for the greens. I then take two balls, hit one out a distance and then try to hit it with second ball. I work my way around the practice green doing this across, up and down different slopes. Even 5 mins can be enough

    In the round my routine is like this.

    1: One handed practice swing to get a feel for the length and weight of the putt. A couple of those until I am comfortable.
    2: Pick a line, then pick a point on my line withing one foot of the ball. 6 inches is perfect. Aim for that point
    3: Hit the putt

    Results have been really good. I still tweak some things but I have had a round recently where I had 25 putts

    Before lockdown After Lockdown

    1 putt 18% 36%
    2 putt 63% 57%
    3 putt 16% 5%


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    #15
    Davidth88
    Registered Users Posts: 3,181 ✭✭✭Davidth88


    Hi
    Odd , I have been struggling a little .

    I play pitch and putt mainly but since March we are not allowed to move flags etc like everywhere else.

    I found I had a few putts bounce off the pin , since then my confidence has been lowered a little and I have left any number on the lip because I don't hit it into the hole as such.


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    #16
    gypsy79
    Registered Users Posts: 1,784 ✭✭✭gypsy79


    Any recommendations of coaches who specialise on putting?


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    #17
    MarcusP12
    Registered Users Posts: 1,069 ✭✭✭MarcusP12


    willabur wrote: »
    My putting has come on an awful lot this year. I was terrible, really bad from distance and had no confidence from inside 5 feet. Over lockdown I did two things. I got a new putter, Odyssey Stroke Lab 2ball and I got an indoor matt.

    The putter helps with my alignment. It is face balanced so it is straight up and straight through which suits my putting stroke. The grip is much thicker than before and feels so much better in my hands. For my grip I let my left arm hang down so it acts like a pendulum. Right hand I grip the club with pressure between my thumb and forefinger - this really helps the feel and feedback

    When lockdown finished I got back on the course and started to work on my routine. On the putting green I hit at least 10 if not 20 putts one handed. Different distances each time, trying to get a feel for the greens. I then take two balls, hit one out a distance and then try to hit it with second ball. I work my way around the practice green doing this across, up and down different slopes. Even 5 mins can be enough

    In the round my routine is like this.

    1: One handed practice swing to get a feel for the length and weight of the putt. A couple of those until I am comfortable.
    2: Pick a line, then pick a point on my line withing one foot of the ball. 6 inches is perfect. Aim for that point
    3: Hit the putt

    Results have been really good. I still tweak some things but I have had a round recently where I had 25 putts

    Before lockdown After Lockdown

    1 putt 18% 36%
    2 putt 63% 57%
    3 putt 16% 5%

    Couple of good tips in here that anyone who struggles with putting could benefit from, e.g. practice putting green stuff in light of the removal of holes in the putting green on any i've been on. I also like your tips on lining up putts. One thing that i try and do with the more makeable putts is to visualise the path the putt with take based on how i'm reading the green. But you still have to decide on a line or point to aim for to set it off on so i like your tips on that.....


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    #18
    gypsy79
    Registered Users Posts: 1,784 ✭✭✭gypsy79


    Update: SO I putted ok yesterday with spacecoyote lendy 2 ball oddessey (mucho grasias). Had one lazy blow out yesterday at the Boards outing

    Played oday in a Champagne scramble. One 4 put where i got angry after missing second but the lads even commented that I made some clutches and I think it was because i learned so much yesterday

    Didnt record putts as I would normally but well under 36 which is where i am happy

    The mallet stopped me from going badly wrong...the weight makes you commit


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    #19
    gypsy79
    Registered Users Posts: 1,784 ✭✭✭gypsy79


    Booked into foregolf and requested early as I know convinced aaaI am not a bad putter but need an implement to match my f**ked up ness

    Next to drive the ball like Offallymedic


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    #20
    spacecoyote
    Registered Users Posts: 8,436 ✭✭✭spacecoyote


    Glad I could contribute a bit of help Gypsy79.

    We all wish we could drive the ball like OffalyMedic!!!


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    #21
    OffalyMedic
    Registered Users Posts: 1,512 ✭✭✭OffalyMedic


    gypsy79 wrote:
    Next to drive the ball like Offallymedic

    spacecoyote wrote:
    We all wish we could drive the ball like OffalyMedic!!!


    Ye do realise I spent more time in the trees off the tee box on Saturday than both of ye put together???


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    #22
    spacecoyote
    Registered Users Posts: 8,436 ✭✭✭spacecoyote


    OffalyMedic wrote: »
    Ye do realise I spent more time in the trees off the tee box on Saturday than both of ye put together???

    You had a bit of bad luck alright. Probably 3 poor drives realistically.

    Still when it came out the middle your ball was a spec off in the distance down the fairway from us


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