A new tip

[ezra76]

Figured I'd start this thread for any new tips that have been working for me and see if they can help anyone else. Feel free to comment or add your tips.

My putting has been improving vastly throughout the year. Yesterday I had a scant 12putts on the front 9 and something really dawned on me. Make the putt with the through-stroke. I do this on short putts and long, lags. I keep the ball postion basically on my left instep, weight forward, shaft on an angle and use a "forward press". The forward press was a great tip I got from one of you guys.

To go along with this I will recommend something similar to my short but effective preround warm up. I take 3 balls onto the practice green and hit about 15-18 putts, uphill, downhill and level to get the speed of the green. I then just make a dozen putts from about 2feet back to 4 or 5 at the most. This just gets me going back and through, instilling confidence by seeing and hearing them drop. Now on the first green I'm ready to go, no shaky nerves, just the smooth stroke that usually takes a few holes to show up.

Thanks for reading.

[Davebud]

That is pretty good, I get 12 puttsper 5 holes on average.

[JEFF4i]

Before a tournament, my putting regiment is:

5 balls place around the hole at 1 feet, and I don't move out until I make them all consecutively, but I don't leave them in the same spots, just different areas around one foot.

I do the same moving out 1 foot at a time to 6 or 7 feet. Good for short putts, anything outside of 10 feet I will putt to make, but I just like to know from 10 and in I know I will make it.

[HighTopFade]

I think I should really start recording my putting stats.

[bames]

Originally Posted by stuck@16

I think I should really start recording my putting stats.

I started recording all of my stats - Fairways, GIR, and Putts and have been impressed by what I thought I did well/poorly compared to what I actually did well/poorly. It also gives me more direction for range time. Last Saturday I didn't shoot too well (47) and thought it had something to do with my new driver and mediocre putting. Looking at my card after the round I actually hit 6/7 Fairways and had one 3-putt and 3-one putts. I realized my GIR were way down and it was my iron play that needed work at the range this week, not my new driver!

[demon]

I never get the feel of the greens from the practice greens since they are almost never the same as the holes. 12 putts are pretty good for nine holes, what did you score for those nine? I usually never putt more than 31 putts per 18 unless I had a real bad day.

[ezra76]

Originally Posted by demon

I never get the feel of the greens from the practice greens since they are almost never the same as the holes. 12 putts are pretty good for nine holes, what did you score for those nine? I usually never putt more than 31 putts per 18 unless I had a real bad day.

Not too great, 4 over 40. Would have been a lot worse if not for the putting. It was a good # but I'd have to say I judge it more on the putts of distance I made as well as a couple tap ins after 20ft. + putts. I keep track of stats and am at 1.7 per hole, that sounds good but at only about 5 or 6 GIR it should be that low. I'm not the greatest but it's far from my worst attribute. This course has pretty easy greens though too. Usually only one break and slow enough you can just send it to the back of the cup. The other course I play is tough. Fast, sloping and lots of holes cut against the grain. Nothing like seeing one just dive 6inches left when it gets to 4inches away.

[Fourputt]

The trouble for me is, if have fewer putts for a round, then it generally means that I'm chipping well. That's better than chipping poorly, but it still doesn't always lead to good score, because it usually means I'm having to chip too often....

My putting is usually pretty good, but I'm not as precise with my approach shots as I'd like, leading to more chips and fewer putts.

Here's a pre-round warmup routine to try. Go to the range, take an 8I and hit several balls with it using just a 1/2 backswing and a 1/2 follow through. After a few balls (6 - 10 for me) go to a 3/4 swing and follow. Then to a full swing. Try to use the same tempo for all shots. Avoid the natural tendency to try to swing harder to compensate for the short backswing. This should help groove your tempo, timing and swing plane.

[demon]

Originally Posted by ezra76

Not too great, 4 over 40. Would have been a lot worse if not for the putting. It was a good # but I'd have to say I judge it more on the putts of distance I made as well as a couple tap ins after 20ft. + putts. I keep track of stats and am at 1.7 per hole, that sounds good but at only about 5 or 6 GIR it should be that low. I'm not the greatest but it's far from my worst attribute. This course has pretty easy greens though too. Usually only one break and slow enough you can just send it to the back of the cup. The other course I play is tough. Fast, sloping and lots of holes cut against the grain. Nothing like seeing one just dive 6inches left when it gets to 4inches away.

Reason I asked is even though the putting strokes were a nice low number, if you are not on in GIR then that just means you are chipping it somewhat close. Get it on the green and then have that low number of putting strokes and you will have a nice low round. Try going for the center fo the green (if you are not already), some people aim for the flags and it adds strokes to there round.

[ezra76]

Come on guys, I need some tips, input, let's go.

Here's another one. To help work on a bigger turn, massive coil and still stay on the inside right heel... I stand on a ball, board, a book... whatever, on the outside of my right foot. This forces my weight onto the instep and allows me to feel a fuller turn. Try this for a dozen swings, I usually just swing through the rubber range tee. Then hit one without the prop under the foot and you'll be amazed. I had much more power with the big turn and coil I produced after.

[golfman2760]

with putting i've been trying to adopt the quiet eye technique

it works for me about 25% of the time when im more than 3 metres away from the hole (if I don't sink the putt it doesn't end up far from the hole), all you do is imagine a line you're going to use when putting, then after you've visualised what you're going to do you then focus on striking the ball in the middle and make sure the ball is going to take the path you have already visualised.

Thats my technique, don't know if it will work for anyone else

[JEFF4i]

Aye, whenever putting keep your head down, even well after you hit it.

[demon]

Imagine the line and speed if you were to roll the ball towards the hole with your hand. I do this with my wedges and cant count the numerous times that I have sunk some greenside wedges.

[ezra76]

Originally Posted by demon

Imagine the line and speed if you were to roll the ball towards the hole with your hand. I do this with my wedges and cant count the numerous times that I have sunk some greenside wedges.

Same here. I can't believe the # of guys I play with who seem to take no consideration of making a "chip read". I probably hole more than average and would much rather have a long chip than a long putt. I get a lot of comments on my chipping from fellow players and a few even ask about my technique.... so without futher adieu...

My key for chipping is to let the hands lead, "hinge and hold". I also chip from an open stance with my feet close together. This keeps the weight on my front foot, combine these two and never chunk one again. Then comes the read. Find a landing spot and drop the ball on it. On a breaking chip I try to land the ball just before the apex of the break. Uphill, be agressive. Up and down should be pretty much automatic on an uphill chip, don't be afraid the get agressive and try to hole it. For a shorter chip, open the face and cut across out to in. For a longer running chip go more in to out and turn the toe over and point at the target, this is the one to hole the uphill chips.

[demon]

Originally Posted by ezra76

Same here. I can't believe the # of guys I play with who seem to take no consideration of making a "chip read". I probably hole more than average and would much rather have a long chip than a long putt. I get a lot of comments on my chipping from fellow players and a few even ask about my technique.... so without futher adieu...

My key for chipping is to let the hands lead, "hinge and hold". I also chip from an open stance with my feet close together. This keeps the weight on my front foot, combine these two and never chunk one again. Then comes the read. Find a landing spot and drop the ball on it. On a breaking chip I try to land the ball just before the apex of the break. Uphill, be agressive. Up and down should be pretty much automatic on an uphill chip, don't be afraid the get agressive and try to hole it. For a shorter chip, open the face and cut across out to in. For a longer running chip go more in to out and turn the toe over and point at the target, this is the one to hole the uphill chips.

I totally agree with you, I sink quite a few chips and most people celebrate too much like it was unbeleivable. If they would just practice more with those types of conditions they would sink them more often. After all most people hit the rough then the greens.