The putting Thread.

[h3king]

Ok guys I would like to hear what you have to say about putting any tips, way to read greens, everthing. I heard that if there are mountains or water the slope of the green will natural slope in that direction some, even if the green is sloping in another direction also goes for water as well. Anyone ever heard of this?

[SilverUberXeno]

Yes, if you have a very flat looking break, do consider the possibility of a mountains to water break. But this probably very miniscule...

The best tip I can give you would be to hold the club in some way that eliminates your ability to break the left wrist. Putt like you have no wrists. Hold the grip in your palms, NOT in your fingers, and stand up straight. When I was bending over I thought I could hit a better line, but when I stood up more I started missing 25 footers by inches. Get a much better line with a relaxed arm hang, I think.

Try tilting your wrists so the line of your left thumb is almost in line with your forearm. This keeps the wrists solid for me. Consider a lie adjustment.

[Eracer]

Look at the green as you approach it from the fairway. This will help you judge the overall tilt of the green relative to the horizon. Mountains can screw you up bigtime, since they obscure the horizon.

[zaphod]

Look at the green as you approach it from the fairway. This will help you judge the overall tilt of the green relative to the horizon.

Good advice. The greens are always built to drain water. Look to see where that water is going to go and you've got a good start. I also walk off my puttof 10' or greater to get a feel for the terrain. At this time I'm also feeling the break with my feet. When you are behind the ball look not only to just around the cup but also allow your focus to widen to get an impression of the area arouned your intended line.

Final advice Trust it. Your thought as you putt should be speed control as you already have set your line

[warbirdlover]

I have had the best luck "reading" greens by "plum bobbing" with my putter. you have find the best distance to stand behind the ball. Some say this doesn't work. It works for me. I also have found that you can get a good distance control by the amount you take the putter back (same distance on stroke as you take back). I also take it back slowly making sure to stay on my line and then accelerate on the stroke. I always use the same speed of the stroke. Never changes. But putting is so individual.

[clemsonhacker]

But putting is so individual.

i agree this this 110%. what work for some might not work for you

[Eracer]

I also walk off my puttof 10' or greater to get a feel for the terrain. At this time I'm also feeling the break with my feet.

That's more good advice.

A teacher once told me to pace off every putt over 15 feet. Walk slowly from the ball to the cup, with your eyes closed, feeling the slope with your feet. I've gotten out of the habit, and sometimes it's hard to do, what with the emphasis on speeding up play. But it's a great way to improve your putting.

[lamebums]

Nothing's quite like a knife in the gut than leaving a putt short of the hole that would have gone in if you'd hit it harder.

Get the !&$%ing ball to the !&$%ing hole.

Of course, I can't putt, so I'm not really an authority.

I will when I get a new putter though.

[eclark53520]

Think less...look at the distance and which way the green is leaning and hit the damn ball...

Something that helped me greatly with my distance control is to imagine how hard you would roll the ball with your hand to get to the cup...i stand right over the ball with the putter in position and i take my right hand(since i am right handed) and act like i am holding the ball and i am gonig to roll it to the cup. I take that same feel and i use it to stroke the ball with. Has helped me immensly with my lag putting.

Something else i have learned...leave it below the hole if at all possible while lagging putts. if your 20 feet out just focus onleaving it close, but below the hole. makes that second putt alot easier

[Pa Jayhawk]

Hold your finish until your ball stops when trying to learn speed control on a green. Gives you time to really think about what you just did and ingrain a feel. Same works well for chipping.

edit 1 - same probably hold true for ball striking as most do the whole pose at the end and don't immediately start walking towards their ball (except for maybe Gary Player), but I am not a great ball striker.

[usa1950]

Learn to hit the sweet spot on the putter with every putt..... as it will do wonders for your consistency and lag putts.

Hit putts on the putting green or even on the carpet at home with some type of obstrucions on the face of the putter, leaving only the sweet spot (maybe 3/4 of an inch) available. Kitchen magnets, popsicle sticks you cut down an taped onto your putter face... something like that. Put them on the putter in a way that reveals the sweet spot only (you will know by feel if you hit the putt on the popsicle stick or magnet) , and start hitting putts until you can hit the sweet spot over and over again. You can buy magnets designed for this, (I think Dave Pelz sells one) but making your own works just as well.

Next work on distance and feel..... The best tip I ever got was from Hal Sutton, whom I met at a commercial shoot and had a few beers with at the PGA event at Olympic in San Fancisco in 1994 or 95.

He said to increase your feel and distance control, go to the putting green and pick a 15-20 foot putt. Hold your putter by the CLUBHEAD with the grip pointing down, and close your EYES.

Keep them closed, and WALK towards the hole with your eyes closed. When you think you are at the hole, try to put the grip end of your putter into the hole...... Open you eyes and see where you are.

Repeat and Repeat and Repeat. It sounds crazy, but my lag putting improved big time after I started doing this.

It is VERY tough at first, but when you put the grip end of your putter right in the hole for the first time, you'll be elated.

Every once in a while, when walking back to the car at the mall, or a restaurant, or even walking across the street to the mailbox, I'll shut my eyes and try to open them when I reach my target. I'm pretty good now and can get within a few feet even when starting from 40 feet away.

[eclark53520]

Next work on distance and feel..... The best tip I ever got was from Hal Sutton, whom I met at a commercial shoot and had a few beers with at the PGA event at Olympic in San Fancisco in 1994 or 95.

He said to increase your feel and distance control, go to the putting green and pick a 15-20 foot putt. Hold your putter by the CLUBHEAD with the grip pointing down, and close your EYES.

Keep them closed, and WALK towards the hole with your eyes closed. When you think you are at the hole, try to put the grip end of your putter into the hole...... Open you eyes and see where you are.

Repeat and Repeat and Repeat. It sounds crazy, but my lag putting improved big time after I started doing this.

It is VERY tough at first, but when you put the grip end of your putter right in the hole for the first time, you'll be elated.

Son...he wasnt talkin about golf...you will figure it out soon enough though

[usa1950]

Son...he wasnt talkin about golf...you will figure it out soon enough though

Come to think of it, how the hell did I get those three kids? My wife always told me the bruising around her navel meant that I was doing it all wrong.

[mddubya]

I read somewhere to look at the cup as you hit the ball, not the ball. I did this for a while and was having pretty good luck with it. I got away from it for some reason, but the way I'm putting, maybe I'll give it a go again?

[swingsmooth]

I have had the best luck "reading" greens by "plum bobbing" with my putter. you have find the best distance to stand behind the ball. Some say this doesn't work. It works for me. I also have found that you can get a good distance control by the amount you take the putter back (same distance on stroke as you take back). I also take it back slowly making sure to stay on my line and then accelerate on the stroke. I always use the same speed of the stroke. Never changes. But putting is so individual.

Plumb bobbing works best for me as well. It can be deceptive on putts with a lot of break though. If you plumb bob from a few feet behind the ball, visualizing the line from the ball to the cup, With the bottom of the shaft on that line, usually you can figure the line to start the putt on by the angle the upper part of the shaft creates. On large breaks you may want to start the ball a little higher.