Putting speed killing me.

[fisher]

9 Holes Tonight. Hit the ball great tee to green. Short game was real good. Putting was atrocious! If I were even a mediocer putter I figure I should have shot no higher than par for this 9 holes. So frustrated right now with my putting. All but one putt out of all of my puts for 9 holes was missed because of speed. First off I right now I can't seem to read the speed of the greens correctly. Second the ball just seems to be coming off the putter a lot faster than I want it to. My miss is hitting the ball way too far past the hole. Typically 4 feet past. Just shoot me!

1. GIR. Miss VERY MAKABLE Strait 8 foot birdie putt. Par.
2. GIR. 15 footer uphill for birdie. Blow it 4 feet past the hole. Miss downhill comebacker. Bogie.
3. Come up short of green but puttable FROM 20 FEET AWAY. 4 putt for double. Again hitting putts too hard.
4. GIR. Very difficult 2-putt from where I left myself on my approach. 3-putt for bogie. Can't be too upset with my putts here as the approach shot left me on the wrong side of a ridge.
5. GIR. Very makable birdie putt from 12 feet. 3-putt bogey.
6. Missed green long. Pitched to 4-feet. Made putt for par.
7. Chipped in from fringe for birdie.
8. Missed green long. Chipped to inside 4 feet missed put for bogie.
9. GIR. Made 10 footer for birdie.

Score = 4 over par. Very frustrated. All but one green in regulation presented me with a makable birdie cahnce. My missed greens were all good misses where I should have easily parred. Its so frustrating to hit it that good and not score. Only missed one fairway.

 

[FATC1TY]

I have the same problem.

I'm blaming it on the heat. The greens are so crusty and started to get heat stress that they aren't as consistent as they have been.

Plus they water the greens all day, and when I'm playing, they are on the greens watering sometimes.

That said.. It's probably not the reason I can't putt.

I can get the line and miss the speed, or get the speed and completely mis-read the breaks. If I hit a green, it means I can par it these days.

If I miss it, I better hope to hell I get it inside a hula hoop to guarantee par or bogey.

I'm so bad, I'm thinking about vanity plates for my truck. 3PUT BOG3Y :1898_:

 

[warbirdlover]

I've found the greens on muni's and county courses (and even many private courses) are not consistent from green to green and this has been driving me nuts also. I get on a really nice course and find them much more similar in speed.

Of course I suck at putting and this is my excuse. :thumbs up:

 

[fisher]

I can't blame the greens. This has been an ongoing problem of mine ever since I started playing the game. I have my handicap down to a 6 right now and that is probably as low as it can go without me resolving my putting issues. If I had the putting abilities of a couple of my friends I'd be no higher than a 2 handicap. I probably 3-putt 6 greens per round on average.

 

[nututhugame]

Do you play to make every putt? I know the manly answer is yes, but seriously just pretend there is 4ft diameter circle around the hole and put the ball in that circle on your 1'st putt. You ought to be able to make 2ft 2'nd putts. Aim to shoot a round with all two putting barring the obvious 6ft uphillers, try to make those of course. I've done this and while I don't have a lot of one putts, my 3&4 putts are way down.

You are better than me, but one other thing that has helped me is when I practice I hit every putt from a different location so that I don't trick myself into thinking i'm a better putter than I am by standing in the same spot. I think that helps train the brain to feel the speed better.

 

[BrandonM7]

Do you play to make every putt? I know the manly answer is yes, but seriously just pretend there is 4ft diameter circle around the hole and put the ball in that circle on your 1'st putt. You ought to be able to make 2ft 2'nd putts. Aim to shoot a round with all two putting barring the obvious 6ft uphillers, try to make those of course. I've done this and while I don't have a lot of one putts, my 3&4 putts are way down.

You are better than me, but one other thing that has helped me is when I practice I hit every putt from a different location so that I don't trick myself into thinking i'm a better putter than I am by standing in the same spot. I think that helps train the brain to feel the speed better.

I still don't understand that. If I'm playing to make every putt, when I miss a long putt it had damn well better still be inside a 4' circle - so why aim for an imaginary 4' circle instead of a very real hole if both end up within a 4' circle anyway?

 

[anonymous golfaholic]

I try to make everything. I just try to make it die in the hole. My putting has -knock on wood- been pretty good this year. I think the biggest thing that is helping me lately, especially 6 feet and in, is keeping my head still and believing in my line. What I mean by believing in my line is, sometimes when I address the ball it looks like it will break more or less than when I read the break from behind the ball. I just trust my original read, commit to it and try to hit it on that line.

As far as getting the speed right, fisher, that just takes a lot of practice. How much time do you spend on the practice green before each round? I will spend every bit of 20 minutes on the practice green before I tee off. If that is not your problem then maybe you need to try a putter with a soft face insert.

 

[CBURKE9]

because when you are looking to make every putt, it is more likely that you blow it five feet past or more (like you said you do) than if you are just trying to get the ball within a small circle to guarantee your second putt is nearly guaranteed.

 

[SilverUberXeno]

I've never understood this; if I'm trying to make a putt, I'm not trying to hit it hard enough to go five feet past. I'm with Nu, if I'm trying to "make" a putt of any significant length whatsoever, I want it to just about die in the hole.

 

[SiberianDVM]

I see a long putter in fisher's future.....................

 

[BrandonM7]

I've never understood this; if I'm trying to make a putt, I'm not trying to hit it hard enough to go five feet past. I'm with Nu, if I'm trying to "make" a putt of any significant length whatsoever, I want it to just about die in the hole.

Exactly my point. If I miss a putt by five feet, changing my focus from a 4" circle to a 4' circle is not going to help me. Maybe that helps some people, but it isn't gonna help me.

 

[Bakemono36]

Sounds like your guys need to spend more time on the practice greens developing a feel for speed.

 

[nututhugame]

Exactly my point. If I miss a putt by five feet, changing my focus from a 4" circle to a 4' circle is not going to help me. Maybe that helps some people, but it isn't gonna help me.

I think when people try to make they say to themselves "don't be short" and don't think about a 4' or a 4" circle at all. A good way to not leave it short is to blow it way past. For a lot of people the hardest shot in golf is the putt that goes 1' past the hole if it don't go in. They just don't have that gray area.

 

[fisher]

I see a long putter in fisher's future.....................

Not a chance. I've tried one and hated it.

My typical putting practice consists of putting on a chalk line and putting a 5 point circle around a hole from varrying distances. When I am on the practice green I actually putt pretty well. On the chalk line its not uncommon for me to sink a dozen in a row from 8 feet. Usually after 5 minutes on the practice green I putt solidly for the remainder of my putting practice session.

The real problem is on the course.....where it counts. My playing partner today suggested my backswing is too long. He also suggested a drill where you putt with no backswing...just pushing the ball more or less to the hole.

Personally I think its tension and mental game that is hurting me the most. Total lack of confidence in my speed read. I can see the correct line and start the ball on my line but I just can't get the speed. One thing I know I should do is think thru what lies beyond the hole. I make a lot of stupid mistakes by being aggressive in a spot where a miss is going to run far from the hole or I miss to where it will leave a tretcherous come backer.

 

[zaphod]

I've found the greens on muni's and county courses (and even many private courses) are not consistent from green to green and this has been driving me nuts also. I get on a really nice course and find them much more similar in speed.

Of course I suck at putting and this is my excuse. :thumbs up:

My son and I played a Robert Trent Jones course---The Legislator----while the Grey Goose Pro Tourney was played. The tourney was played each morning and then use hackers could play in the afternoon. Grey goose is one step under the Nationwide tour.

Anywho the greens were spectacular. Rolled every day--consistent speed---limited spike markers---manicured pitch marks---very fast. I have never made so many 10 foot plus putts in my life. When conditions are right you can sort it out. Your stroke or the green conditions.