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OT: Any tips for putting better in golf?

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Palatine said:
Simplest, best putting tip ever.

Pretend there is a string from the bottom of you chin connected to a fish hook set in the bottom of you . This will help you keep your head perfectly still, no up and down, no side to side. Keeping you head perfectly still will give you a consistent reliable putting stroke.

Easy to remember. You're welcome.
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Don’t put butter on the putter to putt better.
Say this five times fast and take a deep breath before putting.
 
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FairwayFlyer said:
1. Light grip pressure
2. The length of your backstroke should match the length of your through stroke
3. Consistency in the pace of the stroke. Meaning don't go back fast and decel through, and don't go back slow and then speed through the stroke.
4. Do the above and let the ball get in the way as opposed to striking the ball.
5. Aim small, miss small. Don't listen to people who say to hit it to a 3 foot circle cause if you miss it by 3 feet now you've got 6 feet.
6. Be more athletic. Think about a shooter. He just shoots, he doesn't go through a checklist before shooting. Do all your thinking prior to getting into your stance. Once over the ball, shoot.
7. When trying to read the green don't just look at your line. Look at the entire green. This will let you know if, for example, everything is funneling to the front left of the green.
8. Don't read greens with just your eyes. Use your feet too.
9. If you're over a 15 footer and the line is a ball out to the left, don't aim there. Instead find a spot, imperfection or something on the green about 6 inches in front of the ball and use that mark as your spot. Either over the spot or just left or just right. This also works on the tee shots and approach shots.
10. Practice!
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All good stuff except 5….you should definitely practice lag putting and try to get it within a small circle. If you continue to miss that circle while practicing that won’t translate to the course. The point of that drill is to develop feel

Now if you’re talking about that being an on course scenario, I agree.
 
huskyfan224 said:
All good stuff except 5….you should definitely practice lag putting and try to get it within a small circle. If you continue to miss that circle while practicing that won’t translate to the course. The point of that drill is to develop feel

Now if you’re talking about that being an on course scenario, I agree.
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I'm referring to on the course
 
There's a company called LAB Golf (Directed Force putters) that claims that your thumbs shouldn't be on the putter. I've been doing this for a few years and it's night and day. The thumbs can stay on but very lightly and shouldn't be the driving force of effort. The meat of your thumb pads should be what has most context with the grip.

Overall I like to do this, FWIW:

  • Slightly open stance. Allows eyes to see down target line, helps not get stuck and flip at the ball.
  • Hands closer together than apart. I've seen people have way too much separation between their hands on the grip and it is a death sentence. Too much separation (for a standard grip) completely takes the feel out and sometimes causes a flip motion at the ball.
  • Thumbs off of putter (or slightly/lightly on).
  • Putter grip seams should run parallel to the thumb pad creases of the both hands. When hands are on the putter the seams and creases should match up.
  • Hands set higher than lower at address. The shaft should look to be on the same angle as your forearms, like one long line connecting your forearms and putter shaft.
  • Dominant eye directly over ball. First find your dominant eye. Then take your posture, hold the ball over your dominant eye and drop it on the ground. That's where your ball placement should be when you putt.
  • Shoulders comfortably rolled inward. Takes tension out of lower back and helps to keep shoulders/arms connected.
  • Slight rounding of the lower back. Think "push the belt buckle into stomach". Takes tension out of back.
  • Hover putter slightly before takeaway. It releases tension in forearms and hands and helps to take it back at the right pace.
  • Smooth takeaway that builds in speed from start to finish of stroke. By gripping it lighter you'll be able to feel when the backswing naturally causes your wrists to break very slightly. That's when I know to begin the follow through.

The keys are really all about tempo and relaxed wrists, arms and lower back. Keep a nice, athletic and stable lower body to allow for the upper body to be relaxed and work together.
 
Good advice! What makes most sense to me
is 1) lighter grip, 2) same length back/forward stroke, 3) definitely practice putting before round, 4) head still as possible, 5) shoulders doing the putting, 6) choosing spot 6 inches from ball on putting line and putting through ball in that spot’s direction.

Next, I’ll learn how to hit out of sand trap better!
 
On long puts loosen up a bit, break your wrists a little, gives you more feel and control over the distance.
 
Conndog said:
I've gotten better at golf except for putting. How can I improve? I'm tired of 3 putting so often. Distance seems to be the #1 error- can't get it consistently near the hole, could be way short or way long. Anything over 2 feet and I get really nervous. Help!
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Practice, practice, practice ... practice to the nth degree AND buy used or new Golf My Way by Jack Nicklaus. I read a section at a time and it never failed to improve that part of my game including putting. I gave my copy to a friend struggling with his game. To this day he thanks me. I tell him thank Jack. Seriously, do lots of practice to build your confidence. It is amazing how it WILL translate to your play. Why do you think Geno stresses performance in practice as a requirement to play in a game? Get it right in practice time and again and it will allow you to know you will execute the shot. Hole it every time? No. Get lag putts within 2-3 feet of the hole. Yep! Provide the confidence to firmly stroke a two foot putt directly into the hole. You betcha! My nemesis was 18 inch putts until I practiced 18" putts over and over until the confidence became real. You can do it! But don't sleep on Jack's book. It is the best by the best. As you know he was a really good putter.
 
Played yesterday afternoon … and apparently the only thing I can do consistently anymore is putt. :mad:

It’s really a feel for distance and line, and I’m not sure how to tell you to get that. A lot of the earlier advice is sound. Light grip, soft hands, practice lags for distance from many lengths, be very aware of uphill/downhill, etc.

Putter weight is important. You have to feel like you’re in complete control of the head, and too light a putter head is just as hard to control as too heavy.

Also, the tendency for many is to redirect your swing back toward the hole even during the swing. Once you pick a line, stay on it. Playing a little too much break is usually better than too little.

And, oh yeah, hit your wedges close and below the hole. Now, if only I could do that …
 
I've incorporated some of these suggestions, putting is a little better so I'm optimistic. Keeping the wrists looser helps, also I started gripping putter lower (like choking up on a bat) which is helping. Before lowering my grip, I noticed the golf swing was wristy; now that it is lower, my elbows are locked and the putting stroke is from the shoulders.
 
navery12 said:
Missed a 10 foot putt for what would have been my first ever par, so it could have been better. But the usual 4 and 3 putts became 3 and 2 putts so I'll take it
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Sounds like progress.. Don't beat yourself up on those 10 footers.. PGA pros make only 40% of their putts from 10 ft.
 
navery12 said:
Missed a 10 foot putt for what would have been my first ever par, so it could have been better. But the usual 4 and 3 putts became 3 and 2 putts so I'll take it
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That's progress. Even without being a huge numbers geek start charting that stuff. Get some general informaiton on those three putt holes. About how far away from the hole were you on the first putt? How close did you lag that putt? What was the characteristic of the missed second putt? Was it uphill? Sidehill? Downhill? Again, don't beat yourself up but some introspection and review is needed to make yourself better at golf. Honesty in your assessment is huge. Ego is a massive inhibitor to improving your golf game.

Final thought for today. Even low single digit handicappers usually have one or two three putts a round. If you are at the point where par is a big accompilshment, you will three putt a lot.
So, go for gradual goals. Get to the point where you only three putt half the holes. Then start reducing that number. Challenge yourself to no 3 putts from within 20'. Things like that. Small, simple challenges which are attainable and fairly easy to do.
 
Umami Zen said:
Sounds like progress.. Don't beat yourself up on those 10 footers.. PGA pros make only 40% of their putts from 10 ft.
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Really? Is that true? That is very surprising. I realize every green has different slopes, etc., but I figured the pros would make way more than 40% of their 10 foot putts.
 
HooperScooper said:
Really? Is that true? That is very surprising. I realize every green has different slopes, etc., but I figured the pros would make way more than 40% of their 10 foot putts.
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There's a bunch of different studies out there but they generally have similar info since they are doing the same math.

Here's one article.

On average PGA Tour pros make 99% of 2-foot putts, 96% of 3-foot putts, 88% of 4-foot putts and 77% of 5-foot putts according to strokes gained pioneer, Mark Broadie. From 10 feet their one putt percentage is 40%, 23% from 15 feet, 15% from 20 feet, 7% from 30 feet, 4% from 40 feet, 3% from 50 feet and 2% from 60 feet.

golfingfocus.com

What Percentage of Putts Do Pros Make? TV Does Not Tell the Story

Watch the TV coverage of the PGA Tour for any length of time and you would be forgiven for thinking that the top pros hardly ever miss a putt.
golfingfocus.com golfingfocus.com
 
Chin Diesel said:
There's a bunch of different studies out there but they generally have similar info since they are doing the same math.

Here's one article.

On average PGA Tour pros make 99% of 2-foot putts, 96% of 3-foot putts, 88% of 4-foot putts and 77% of 5-foot putts according to strokes gained pioneer, Mark Broadie. From 10 feet their one putt percentage is 40%, 23% from 15 feet, 15% from 20 feet, 7% from 30 feet, 4% from 40 feet, 3% from 50 feet and 2% from 60 feet.

golfingfocus.com

What Percentage of Putts Do Pros Make? TV Does Not Tell the Story

Watch the TV coverage of the PGA Tour for any length of time and you would be forgiven for thinking that the top pros hardly ever miss a putt.
golfingfocus.com golfingfocus.com
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Makes me feel better about my putting. Lol
 
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