Can't Putt

[lamebums]

So, after a long time of not posting on ST (I have sinned, I beg for forgiveness, Dear Father... LOL) I'm back.

And as usual I can't putt. 44 for nine holes, with 20 putts.

Shot by shot recount (if I recall it correctly...)

1st hole (par 4):
1 - 2 iron like 230 up the right side.
2 - 8 iron like 140 into the wind to 15 feet.
3, 4, 5 - three putt.


2nd hole (par 3):
1 - 8 iron like...180 or something. Either way it was 25 yards over the green. I must've pulled that shot out of my ass. LOL
2 - Chip to 20 feet.
3, 4, 5 - three putt.


3rd hole (par 4):
1 - Tried to go for the green (295 yards) and nubbed it instead.
2 - 2 iron going for the green and hit a tree and bounced sideways.
3 - 8 iron into another tree and landed 30 yards short.
4 - chip to uh...five feet or something.
5, 6 - two putt.


4th hole (par 4):
1 - Drive like...310 down the right side into the wind. Another of those "pulled out of my ass" shots. LOL
2 - Did something wrong with my pitch shot, (blocked, I think?) but either way I missed the green from 60 yards.
3 - chip to 12 feet or so.
4, 5 - two putt.


5th hole (par 3):
1 - 7 iron on the green from 165.
2, 3, 4, 5 - four putted.


6th hole (par 5):
1 - Drive like 290 down the right side.
2 - Choked down on a 3 wood from 230 and put it on the fringe.
3, 4 - two putt birdie. I'll take two putt birdies anyday.


7th hole (par 4):
1 - Drive like 290 into a ditch on the right side.
2 - $hanked the 60 degree wedge sideways. Took an unplayable because it was up against a tree.
4 - Nubbed my pitch shot (but somehow went up the hill, skirted a trap and finished 10 feet from the hole?)
5 - one putt. I know. God forbid I actually got up and down. LOL


8th hole (par 4):
1 - Drive like...320 into the trees on the right side.
2 - Punched out with the 2 iron from like 70 yards because I had no shot whatsoever.
3 - Chipped up to 15 feet.
4, 5 - two putt.


9th hole (par 5):
1 - 2 iron cutting the corner (dog leg left) and went like 240.
2 - 3 wood from at least 250 over the green, again shaving a bit off a second corner.
3 - Chip to like 10 feet.
4 - one putt for birdie. An excellent way to finish I might add, with a birdie...



The four putt and three putts were the end of it though. I had to show that putter who was boss. I had to divorce Victoria, because she's been a complete letdown for the past year or so.

My father, who putts lights out with it though, wanted it. So I was like "Take her! Good riddance!"

So I had to ho another putter. After all, it is the answer to all golf woes.

[SiberianDVM]

Putting Hell. I have been there.

My putting has improved in the last month. It probably won't work for you, but here is what I did.
-put the belly putter in the closet, and put a new grip on the Yes! Tracy.
-practiced with the slowest putter tones on the Tour Tempo.
-firm left wrist, bent right wrist.
-right before the backstroke, I tilt the grip slightly towards the target-this is my "get the backstroke started" move
-did away with that straight back, straight thru Pelz stuff, and started letting the clubhead open and close Utley style

[lamebums]

Originally Posted by SiberianDVM

Putting Hell. I have been there.

My putting has improved in the last month. It probably won't work for you, but here is what I did.
-put the belly putter in the closet, and put a new grip on the Yes! Tracy.
-practiced with the slowest putter tones on the Tour Tempo.
-firm left wrist, bent right wrist.
-right before the backstroke, I tilt the grip slightly towards the target-this is my "get the backstroke started" move
-did away with that straight back, straight thru Pelz stuff, and started letting the clubhead open and close Utley style

I ho'd a Yes! Natalie after trying out a whole lot of them at the golf store. Thing is, I have a hard time lining up shorter putts (6-15 feet) and have speed problems on longer ones (more than 30 feet). The longer white line helps me quite a bit on the shorter putts which is where I lose a ton of shots.

As to the putting, I've gone straight back, straight through for as long as I can remember. I'll try letting it open and close (if it makes me have 60 putts a round I'll have to ask Sling where you live, LOL) though.

[SiberianDVM]

I'm in Augusta, just like my siggy says. Hey, if you make 60 putts a round, that's OK, come on down, you'll fit right in.

Trouble lining up short putts: you do use a black Sharpie line on your ball, and line it up every time you putt, don't you? World's #1 one-legged golfer does.

[lamebums]

Originally Posted by SiberianDVM

I'm in Augusta, just like my siggy says. Hey, if you make 60 putts a round, that's OK, come on down, you'll fit right in.

Trouble lining up short putts: you do use a black Sharpie line on your ball, and line it up every time you putt, don't you? World's #1 one-legged golfer does.

I assume you're at Augusta Golf Course and not Augusta National, right?




Neither of the above. I'm in too damned much of a hurry. LOL

Should I try Sharpieying the ball?

[gwlee7]

I am not trying to be a smart ass here but, what are you thinking about when you are standing over a putt?

[SiberianDVM]

I have been on the grounds of Augusta National for a tourney, but I was wearing a borrowed badge that said Patron.

Augusta Municipal is a goat track; only play there when evertything else is full.

Definitely Sharpie line the ball. It helps a lot.

[lamebums]

Originally Posted by gwlee7

I am not trying to be a smart ass here but, what are you thinking about when you are standing over a putt?

Get the !*$%ing ball to the !&$%ing hole. That's all I'm thinking about. Sometimes I try to visualize how the ball will roll.

[lamebums]

Shot a 42 on the back nine of Fox Run. Driving was excellent - only one wild shot. Iron play was pretty good - I was putting it on the green but not close to the hole. I two-putted from some really long distances today, and had only one three-putt, that being from about 80 feet away.

My problem now, with Natalie, is how I keep leaving the damned ball short of the hole.



10th hole (par 4):
1 - Drive about 310 down the left side to the sound of my father saying "Holy shit..."
2 - Pitching wedge about 80 yards to the right edge.
3 - Used the putter from just off the green to about 15 feet. (Yeah, I was way short.)
4, 5 - left the 4th one short, two putt.


11th hole (par 4):
1 - Drive about 300 cutting the corner and landing in the far rough.
2 - Pitched the ball right at the hole (front edge of green), and then watched in disbelief as it rolled about 80 feet past.
3, 4, 5 - three putt from there. I think the first putt left me 30 feet short. LOL


12th hole (par 3):
1 - Toed the 4 iron a bit but landed safely on the back side just off the green, about 200 yards.
2 - Chipped to 15 feet.
3, 4 - left the damn ball short, two putt.


13th hole (par 4):
1 - Caught it off the heel and pull-sliced it about 250. It rolled forever.
2 - 7 iron from what the yard marker said "144" but I knew it was way more. Had to be at least 170. I went over by a couple yards.
3 - Chip up to four feet.
4 - one putt.


14th hole (par 5):
1 - Drive pull-hooked about 280 into the trees on the left.
2 - 2 iron punched out, advanced it by like a hundred yards.
3 - Squirted a pop fly to second base with the 7 iron from like 160.
4 - Pitched the ball up to 15 feet or so.
5, 6 - left the damn ball short, two putt.


15th hole (par 4):
1 - hit the 2 iron really off the toe and went only like 180 yards.
2 - blind 5 iron shot from 200 that landed about a foot short (over a hill and then at the bottom of the next one.)
3 - Chip up to 20 feet.
4, 5 - two putt. Yes, I left the first one short.


16th hole (par 3):
1 - PW from 120. Way, way too high, and the wind caught it. It buried in a trap just short of the green.
2 - Nubbed it, since it was buried.
3 - Came out. Blind shot to the hole, flew right next to the pin and stopped like the way a tour pro does. LOL
4, 5 - Two putt from six feet. (Short the first time, damnit...)


17th hole (par 4):
1 - 4 iron toed about 180 or so. I meant the cut the corner but still ended up in the fairway, no harm, no foul.
2 - 7 iron from 160-something. Landed about ten feet from the hole.
3, 4 - two putt and yes I was short the first one...


18th hole (par 5):
1 - Drive like 300 cutting the corner of a dog leg right. Landed right next to the "237" marker.
2 - 3 wood from that 237 marker over a huge lake to a green surrounded by four or five sand traps. I stuck it to 10 feet.
3, 4 - two putt birdie. I left the first one short but I won't bicker over a two putt birdie. LOL



The greens were insanely fast whenever I tried to land a full shot on them or even a chip or pitch (they would roll off in a heartbeat!), but when I got on there with a putter it slowed down like it was Velcro or something.

[King Par]

If you're leaving it short why not put some more weight in the head?

[lamebums]

Originally Posted by King Par

If you're leaving it short why not put some more weight in the head?

I just bought her yesterday. I'm adjusting from the Victoria which weighs twice as much. (And the problem I had with that one was how it weighed too much and I blew it way past on fast greens).

If the problems stick around I'll add more but hey, one day, shot a 42 on a pretty penal nine? I'll take it.

[ezra76]

Get on the practice green. I'd recommend practicing putting without looking up until it's at the hole. Best change I've ever made. Dropped 3-4 ppr instantly. Confidence is also a key. I got that through practice as well. No more wondering over putts of any length. I just get the line, stroke it down the line, keeping my eye on where the ball was gets me to release the putter every single time. It's in the hole of a tap in most of the time.

Shame to waste a good striking round. I looked up that Fox Run and it's no easy course. Harder than anything available to me here.

[wirehair]

I can't putt either. Last 2 rounds were agonizing. For some reason I've lost all feel for how hard to hit the ball. Same golfer, same greens, same putter, same ball but I was either "Sally" or in the next county.

38 and 39 putts when my average is about 33.

[gwlee7]

Originally Posted by lamebums

Get the !*$%ing ball to the !&$%ing hole. That's all I'm thinking about. Sometimes I try to visualize how the ball will roll.

I can guarantee that I can get the !*$%ing ball to the hole. But, that is not what we are trying to do. We are trying to make putts. Think about making putts. Thinking about how the ball will roll is part of it, seeing or visualizing the ball rolling into the hole in your mind is most of it.

Look at my post in 2fasts thread about putting in this forum. I wrote out in detail two drills that will help you out a lot.

http://www.shottalk.com/forum/hacker...woe-again.html

[King Par]

Everytime I think of swapping out my Ping Anser 5, it performs. I just know the thing inside and out. I know how it'll feel in certain places on the face, I know the exact weight, and can control distance unlike any other. It's just the odd time my stroke is off that I feel like changing it.

You can't always resort to a new putter, find something you like. Get to know it, love it, caress it, wine and dine it, and it'll perform.