Putting Problems..

[mint]

So I am struggling to make short putts (under 3-6 feet). No problem with longer putts I just seem to be pulling the short birdie making ones.
I am confident in my putting stroke but just have a mental problem with these shorter ones at the moment..

Does anyone have any suggestions, mental techniques or even pre putt routines that I can try becuase it is killing me at the moment!!

[3oneday]

Go the craw.

[popper81]

This is me.... Hahaha, I will watch this thread with interest ;)

[Johnny Canuck]

I was confident in my stroke, but kept pulling everything inside 6 feet. I bought a putting mirror and found that my head position was way out.

I then did the only thing I could, bought a new putter, got it fit properly and the issues are gone.

It was turning mental, but.was really due to poor fundamentals.

[Marto65]

Dude ... watch your grip pressure ..

[popper81]

I was confident in my stroke, but kept pulling everything inside 6 feet. I bought a putting mirror and found that my head position was way out.

I then did the only thing I could, bought a new putter, got it fit properly and the issues are gone.

It was turning mental, but.was really due to poor fundamentals.

This is good advice.... I can putt, but get lazy with routine. The more time I spend 'practicing' set up, alignment etc... the better I putt. If I just practice 'putting' I will have good feel, but not make as many putts.

[Captain Nemo]

Get one of these:
http://www.boomgolf.com.au/
:smt044
(sorry old joke, couldnt help myself...)

[Hatchman]

I find pulling putts tends to come from either of two issues. I'll assume your right handed and grip is normal not cross handed.
1. Too tight a grip making the right hand over active.
2. Moving the head during the stoke. There is a tendency to do this when getting closer to the hole as expectation and desire to hole it becomes more real, so we have a look.

Loosening the grip is fairly simple.
As for keeping the noggin nice and still until after contact, that's a little more difficult and takes mental control. I suggest a couple of drills you could try.
1. Don't look up at the result after contact and listen for the sound of the ball falling into the cup.
2. My favourite. Get a few 5 or 10 cent coins. Sit balls on top of them on the putting green without seeing if it's heads or tails facing upwards. Hit your putts with the focus being checking if the coin is heads or tails and not what the ball does.

Another one to also consider.
I went through a horrendous patch where I was missing a lot of putts from short range.
I turned my putting game around (much to my regular playing partners disgust as I started holing everything) by getting my putter re-griped with one of those huge fat grips. My hands felt much more comfortable as I felt it was hard work trying to get my hands in the right position on the normal skinny ones. The other and most significant one, was changing from a normal putting grip to cross handed. This allowed me to control my stroke with the left arm (I'm right handed). My accuracy improved out of sight and started rarely missing from 3-6 foot as opposed to missing quite a few a round. I found I started to make a lot more putts from 6-20 foot. I've also found to don't end up way wide of the holes now from long range either. Didn't take too long to get my distance/speed under control with the change either.

[Stuartd147]

I had the exact same problem......here is what I got told to do.....once you line up (assume you are right handed) turn your head to the right and look at the ball with your left eye straight down and keep your head in that position until you hear the "kuplunk!"....it takes a little while to trust yourself but give this 3-4 rounds....this stops you (me anyway) following the ball with my head on short putts....Stu!

[virge666]

http://www.amazon.com/DAVE-STOCKTONS-PUTT-WIN-Mastering/dp/0684803704

[Captain Nemo]

Virge, you should have brought that up for you and I to read b4 the final round of the champs....:lol:

[mint]

Really good advice thanks mate.. BUT i will say that you shouldnt assume my grip is normal... ask anyone that has played with me mate! haha ALL my clubs are held cross handed!!


I find pulling putts tends to come from either of two issues. I'll assume your right handed and grip is normal not cross handed.
1. Too tight a grip making the right hand over active.
2. Moving the head during the stoke. There is a tendency to do this when getting closer to the hole as expectation and desire to hole it becomes more real, so we have a look.

Loosening the grip is fairly simple.
As for keeping the noggin nice and still until after contact, that's a little more difficult and takes mental control. I suggest a couple of drills you could try.
1. Don't look up at the result after contact and listen for the sound of the ball falling into the cup.
2. My favourite. Get a few 5 or 10 cent coins. Sit balls on top of them on the putting green without seeing if it's heads or tails facing upwards. Hit your putts with the focus being checking if the coin is heads or tails and not what the ball does.

Another one to also consider.
I went through a horrendous patch where I was missing a lot of putts from short range.
I turned my putting game around (much to my regular playing partners disgust as I started holing everything) by getting my putter re-griped with one of those huge fat grips. My hands felt much more comfortable as I felt it was hard work trying to get my hands in the right position on the normal skinny ones. The other and most significant one, was changing from a normal putting grip to cross handed. This allowed me to control my stroke with the left arm (I'm right handed). My accuracy improved out of sight and started rarely missing from 3-6 foot as opposed to missing quite a few a round. I found I started to make a lot more putts from 6-20 foot. I've also found to don't end up way wide of the holes now from long range either. Didn't take too long to get my distance/speed under control with the change either.

[mint]

I am going to try this tomorrow!!


I had the exact same problem......here is what I got told to do.....once you line up (assume you are right handed) turn your head to the right and look at the ball with your left eye straight down and keep your head in that position until you hear the "kuplunk!"....it takes a little while to trust yourself but give this 3-4 rounds....this stops you (me anyway) following the ball with my head on short putts....Stu!

[mint]

HAHAHA I did laugh a lot at this... have you had a chance to use the Cant Miss or whatever that thing is called yet?


Get one of these:
http://www.boomgolf.com.au/
:smt044
(sorry old joke, couldnt help myself...)

[Webster]

Mint. Just walk up and knock it in. No practice swings. Just knock it in.

[Veefore]

I was confident in my stroke, but kept pulling everything inside 6 feet. I bought a putting mirror and found that my head position was way out.

I then did the only thing I could, bought a new putter, got it fit properly and the issues are gone.

It was turning mental, but.was really due to poor fundamentals.

THIS^^^^

[Toolish]

2. Moving the head during the stoke. There is a tendency to do this when getting closer to the hole as expectation and desire to hole it becomes more real, so we have a look.


That is my issue when I start missing those ones.

[simmsy]

Im awaiting Yoss to chime in with his nugget of advice.

[bergsey]

and hocko...

[simmsy]

Good to see u here again bergs. Uve been quiet.

[bergsey]

working mate, getting pumped for champs

[razaar]

Really good advice thanks mate.. BUT i will say that you shouldnt assume my grip is normal... ask anyone that has played with me mate! haha ALL my clubs are held cross handed!!Do you play golf crosshanded and putt crosshanded?

[razaar]

I had the exact same problem......here is what I got told to do.....once you line up (assume you are right handed) turn your head to the right and look at the ball with your left eye straight down and keep your head in that position until you hear the "kuplunk!"....it takes a little while to trust yourself but give this 3-4 rounds....this stops you (me anyway) following the ball with my head on short putts....Stu!Great advice for putting and for the rest of the game. It is a tilt of the head to the right rather than a turn. It's purpose is to tilt the shoulders in a see-saw movement. The golden rule for makeable putts is the left shoulder moves vertically upwards during the forward stroke. There is an old saying in putting - "left shoulder up, ball in the cup; right shoulder around, ball above ground". It's worth remembering.

[mint]

Do you play golf crosshanded and putt crosshanded?

Yes mate. Crosshanded baseball grip :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uokaYrtZiQ

[razaar]

If you have the same strong grip when putting, then I can see why you have putting problems. Try having both forearms rotated towards the target in the address, The left elbow will be turned in to the body and the right arm straight. The left grip is to the left of the shaft and the right on top of the shaft with the palm facing the target. It is pretty hard to pull with this set-up as it promotes a left shoulder controlled action.

[dc68]

Mate of mine it the same... Plays off scratch. Effed if I know how.

Most of the time with a durry hanging out the side of his gob too.

[mint]

Yeah I know its a not the most conventional grip going around.. I played a few weeks ago in a group of 4 cross handed players and the highest handicapper was off 4
(Two of us on 1 another on 3 and the last on 4)... Gee did we get some looks that day! haha

Thanks Raz. My putting grip is more of a normal grip but you might be onto something with holding it a little strong.. I have a tendancy to grip a little too hard

[Jono]

Yes mate. Crosshanded baseball grip :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uokaYrtZiQ

What a great swing. Great lag and great impact position.

19664

Bet you get it out there too.

As to your putting problem, it's either in your aim or your stroke with short putts, IMO.

[LarryLong]

Have you considered switching to a reverse-reverse grip for short putts? :D

[jmitchell]

At my old club a cross hander won the club championship about 4 times, it seems that they can all play.

[mint]

Have you considered switching to a reverse-reverse grip for short putts? :D

hahaha I might try that next!

[mint]

What a great swing. Great lag and great impact position.

19664

Bet you get it out there too.

As to your putting problem, it's either in your aim or your stroke with short putts, IMO.

Thanks mate. Yeah don't really have a problem in the distance department... Just on the short stuff! haha

Have been trying the left eye on the ball and it was working well during practice yesterday :)

[mrbluu]

Any update on this??