putting woe again...

[twofast2s]

so i got a new putter not too long ago, and i'm playing around w/ the counter balance, and i realized that ~100g of counterweight seems to be the key. w/ only ~50g, i did'nt have enough weight to stablize my hand, and was throwing my line off at the same time.

so i finally got the weight distribution the way i wanted to, my stroke is stable and on track. even the ball coming off the putter feels very solid and more and more putts are made in the sweetspot.

so what's the problem? distance control.
my ball is rolling soooo much more, passing by the pin few feet (sometimes more) instead of 1 or 2ft. i think it's mainly from hitting them more pure, but i'm hitting 20ft putt with the putter head not even going past my right foot. i play the ball little forward of the center, and the club head is pretty much at center. i have relatively narrow stance, so i'm taking my putter back not more than a foot. so on 5ft putts, i need to take the putter back about few inches and that's getting difficult to control.

also the green that i'm practicing on is not that fast.

what am i doing wrong? or is this normal?

[ezra76]

IMO you need to develop a better grip. The one I saw you using the other day was not solid at all. You need to be able to release the putterhead every time. Whether it's a 5ft. breaker downhill at Fenner or a 25 footer uphill at Swansea after a 2days of rain and 4 since they mowed them. When you don't release it, it becomes a crapshoot whether you will push/pull it offline. If you take note of guys who putt very well (Brad Faxon for example) they release the putter even on fast shorter putts.

He's going to be at the CVS Charity Classic in a few weeks. We should try to get there and watch him. One of the best putters on the planet.

[twofast2s]

Originally Posted by ezra76

IMO you need to develop a better grip. The one I saw you using the other day was not solid at all. You need to be able to release the putterhead every time. Whether it's a 5ft. breaker downhill at Fenner or a 25 footer uphill at Swansea after a 2days of rain and 4 since they mowed them. When you don't release it, it becomes a crapshoot whether you will push/pull it offline. If you take note of guys who putt very well (Brad Faxon for example) they release the putter even on fast shorter putts.

He's going to be at the CVS Charity Classic in a few weeks. We should try to get there and watch him. One of the best putters on the planet.

my grip has changed. reverse overlap still, but my right thumb is over my left thumb and both pointing straight down. my right index under the shaft. more of tradition overlap grip.

we should def. try to go the cvs thing

[JEFF4i]

IMO...

Putter doesn't make chit, at most 10%...at very very most. Grind it out. Get on that putting green and don't leave for a long time. Grind it out.

To make a point this point with one of my newer playing partners, I played with him 3 days in a row. One with my Scotty, one with the 2Ball, and one with a 10 dollar offbrand I got. Each day was 25-29 putts, ironically the most with the Scotty(most greens as well).

Why does this happen? Well, I'm a little lucky I admit, but I also spend at least an hour on the putting green, not just knocking it around, but doing structured putting drills every time I practice.

Feel, which is a lot of your distance control, comes from talent and practice, coupled with a correct reading of the green. All I'm getting at, is if the real ones are fast, just play it accordingly. Change your stroke, change your grip even, but in the end, the thing that will help with any and all...is grinding it out.

[twofast2s]

Originally Posted by JEFF4i

IMO...

Putter doesn't make chit, at most 10%...at very very most. Grind it out. Get on that putting green and don't leave for a long time. Grind it out.

To make a point this point with one of my newer playing partners, I played with him 3 days in a row. One with my Scotty, one with the 2Ball, and one with a 10 dollar offbrand I got. Each day was 25-29 putts, ironically the most with the Scotty(most greens as well).

Why does this happen? Well, I'm a little lucky I admit, but I also spend at least an hour on the putting green, not just knocking it around, but doing structured putting drills every time I practice.

Feel, which is a lot of your distance control, comes from talent and practice, coupled with a correct reading of the green. All I'm getting at, is if the real ones are fast, just play it accordingly. Change your stroke, change your grip even, but in the end, the thing that will help with any and all...is grinding it out.

that's pretty insperational jeff. thanks.

i've been griding it out, but w/o much structured practice resume. i do distance control drill w/ 3 balls in a line about 5ft apart. also do phil's round the clock drill. but other than that, i go around pin after pin from 10ft to 50ft just putting. i don't even line up my ball.

what kind of drill do you do?

oh and b/c i'm releasing lot better w/ the new grip, i'm hitting it more square and the ball's going further. i think tempo could be a bigger issue.

[JEFF4i]

I do a lot of Phils, but I like to switch it up. I don't just putt at cups, I putt at everything. I'll set up a ball and putt at it with an unimaginably difficult putt, or simple. Now, I will say, the practice green being slower makes this harder.

Honestly, find a practice routine, and spice it up with imagination. Another idea, is ask in the proshop when its later on and no groups are going off, if you can walk out to the first hole and practice putting there, which can help with your speed woes. Do you have carpet? See how fast it is compared to the greens your playing on, and putt on it for hours just getting a feel for speed.

Another big part of speed is reading the green. Is the grain with you, against you, switching? Is the putt going to die out, pick up speed as it goes, etc.

I really don't mean to be on the offense, and if it seemed that way I apologise. I just mean to say, putting is so much feel, that if you can ingrain it to the point of instinct, you'll be ready to rock.

[ezra76]

It is feel but it's also technique. If you practice blocking them down the line for hours it's not going to do much good. I've been getting a lot better by simply picking a line, keeping my head down and stroking it, letting the putter release down the line. Keeping the head down has allowed me to get the release every time. IMO the problem is stemming almost entirely from that release. Distance control is affected but what is "distance control" other than speed? On a putt that breaks the putt has to be struck firmly enough and released down the line to hold that line.

[twofast2s]

Originally Posted by JEFF4i

I do a lot of Phils, but I like to switch it up. I don't just putt at cups, I putt at everything. I'll set up a ball and putt at it with an unimaginably difficult putt, or simple. Now, I will say, the practice green being slower makes this harder.

Honestly, find a practice routine, and spice it up with imagination. Another idea, is ask in the proshop when its later on and no groups are going off, if you can walk out to the first hole and practice putting there, which can help with your speed woes. Do you have carpet? See how fast it is compared to the greens your playing on, and putt on it for hours just getting a feel for speed.

Another big part of speed is reading the green. Is the grain with you, against you, switching? Is the putt going to die out, pick up speed as it goes, etc.

I really don't mean to be on the offense, and if it seemed that way I apologise. I just mean to say, putting is so much feel, that if you can ingrain it to the point of instinct, you'll be ready to rock.

didn't even cross my mind as being offensive. but thanks for the consideration haha..

[gwlee7]

Here are two simple drills that may help you. They are the only two drills I ever use and I putt about like Jeff does. I average 28-29 putts a round. I just don't hit as many greens as he does and that is why he is around scratch and I am a 5 handicap.

Anyways, the drills:

1. The five foot drill: Pick a straight, slightly up hill putt that is approximately5 feet in length. I just pull back my putter two times from the hole and then mark a spot the length of the grip back towrads the hole. Anyhow, make it about 5 feet. Pick a number that you must make in a row before you can quit. For me it is 12 but it can be whatever you feel comfortable with to start. Go through your putting routine for each putt so that you will be practicing like you play. I cannot stress this part enough. After you make your target number in a row, see just how many you can make in a row. I have made 35 in a row before but usually make 16 or 17. This drill will take all of the "nerves" out of short putts because you see so many go in that you feel like you are going to make every one of them and are for damn sure going to make the next one if you happen to miss.

2. Putt to the fringe. Practice long putts by putting across the green and try to lag putts as close to fringe as you can without actually touching it. This is best way to develop feel for speed that I have ever tried. It makes lag putting a snap. Once again, go through your putting routine each time.

Do this for a while and you will be a great putter again.

EDIT: Just got back from the course and practiced the five foot drill before I teed off. I made 8 in a row twice before I missed and then made 12 in a row and missed on the 13th. So that had me seeing 28 of 31 five foot putts holed before I played. I had 27 total putts for the round and shot a stress free 76.