my putting stinks

[mr fixit]

If I could just putt, I'd be shooting in the 80's.

I can usually get on the green in regulation or one extra. Then, feeling pretty good, A nice 3 putt. WTH?

Either to short, or the accuracy is off. Maybe I should get a new putter?!?!? lol

Is it just practice I need? I'd really like to get out of triple digits.

 

[nututhugame]

Yes, you need to practice. Or start driving the green.

From triple digits to 80's is more than just putting problems too. I'm just sayin, if chips got closer, or drives put a wedge in your hand rather than an iron, etc.... I say this not because i'm good, but I am in that transition now and while disecting my game these are the conclusions i've come to. You will make more putts when the putts are makeable.

 

[RC52]

For me personally when i went to a heavier putter, i must have dropped 4 strokes a round. Not sure what you are using but if you like the head you could put a heavy shaft in it.

 

[mr fixit]

Yes, you need to practice. Or start driving the green.

From triple digits to 80's is more than just putting problems too. I'm just sayin, if chips got closer, or drives put a wedge in your hand rather than an iron, etc.... I say this not because i'm good, but I am in that transition now and while disecting my game these are the conclusions i've come to. You will make more putts when the putts are makeable.

I understand what your saying. What I was saying is that i get on the green, then try a 20 foot put, then a 5 foot, then a 2 foot in the hole. If I cut down one putt per hole, I go from 105 to 87.

And you are right, starting closer to the hole would cut out the 20 foot attempt.

Where are those magic clubs?

Mr Fixit

 

[FATC1TY]

You just have to get your short game working better. If your hitting the GIR, and still putting doubles then yeah, something is seriously off.

I'm doing the same thing right now. I hit the green, or just miss. I'm not getting my short game to get me within tap in and <5 feet each times.

I'm learning it the hard way. I'm stuck around 86-91 at the moment, because of my 40 yards and in game.

It's pretty crappy to have 2 fantastic shots on a good par 5 to score, and walk away with a 3 putt par. Trust me, I'm there.

 

[Youngun5]

i'm guessing you spend 90% of any practice time you have on hitting fullshots/drivers.

putting/short game stuff isn't something that just happens. its a feel that you have to learn/hone with lots of time and practice.

practice practice and then practice some more.

 

[SilverUberXeno]

Learn how the putter works, and what you're actually supposed to do with it. Then practice putting on a flat surface, preferably with a clear line to putt down.

Reading greens won't help you if you can't putt the ball where you want it to go. Using lines and a flat surface will take the variable of the green out until you know where the ball is going. THEN you can read the green and it'll actually mean something to you.

"The Art of Putting" by Stan Utley is a very good read about putting in general, even if you don't adhere to his particular method. You'll learn some valuable stuff, and probably see some major faults in your setup.

 

[cypressperch]

I am pretty sure that no one would want me to go through a lot of stuff on putting because I do tend to get carried away. I will say that putting is like other aspects of golf in that there are a number of different methods and the elements of each method are not necessarily interchangeable. For example, your stroke might be the straight back-straight through style and this works best if you bend foward and have your eyes right over the ball. Or you might have a stroke that allows the club to fan open going back and then closing to square coming back to the ball (This results in an arc rather than a straight line.). That stroke is best achieved with a more upright posture with the eyes not right over the ball. Also, the first-mentioned style is performed best with a face-weighted putter, and the second is best performed with a putter that has more weight at the toe. Each style has had its share of great putters.

Tiger Woods has a stroke that combines the two. Clubface fans open going back and then stays on line in the follow through. (I read this somewhere, but I cannot say that I have been able to see this occur.)

If only it were as simple as just having two styles! There is also the matter of grip, wristy vs quiet wrists, how far the feet should be apart, where is the ball to be positioned in the stance, where do you put your weight, etc, etc, etc.

The biggest point that I think applies to any style is that you NEVER DE-ACCELERATE ON THE THROUGH STROKE.

And as others have said, "Practice, practice, practice." (But be careful, you can hurt your back by too much putting practice perhaps even more easily than practicing anyother shot."

Best of luck to you with your game. CP

 

[floggerrushmd]

I am in the same boat right now. I just played another round with my dad and brother, I had 15 lip outs. That is almost one a hole. I only had one one putt all day. Luckily the 6 3 putt bogeys that I had on the NC shottalk outing weren't present. I feel like I am really close to putting well, but it is hard to look at it that way when you three putt a green and have all three putts hit the hole.