Played today for the first time in a couple of weeks...fired a 74 and didn't make a putt all day...had nine birdie putts from inside of 15 feet, made only one from about four feet...lipped-out three other birdie putts and missed two more putts from less than three feet (just went brain-dead on both). My buddy hacked it all over the course, shot about 82, but made EVERY putt he had. He laughed about making all those putts and still shooting 82 saying it could have easily been 90+...I hate people that can putt...

Had a tee time last Sunday, but the weather was bad. Probably won't get to play this weekend. Planning to play some the week of Memorial Day.

Hoke, I hate those guys who drain everything while generally scraping it all around the course!

I'm sure you've tried everything, but that being said, here's a method that helps me with putts in the 5-15 foot range:

After judging the line to the hole, I extend that line to an imaginary spot about 1-1/2 ft. beyond the hole-- this becomes my target, and I try to hit a putt to die right on my imaginary spot. I do not "see" the hole, only the small spot.

I could give the many reasons-- mechanical and psychological-- why this helps, but you probably can anticipate all of them.

In pistol shooting, we say "see the dot [front sight], be the dot." Here, see the spot, be the spot. The hole isn't there. As Mel said in The Patriot: "aim small, miss small."

Your game is much better than mine, so pardon my presumption in offering this tip.

I've tried everything. I'm just hopeless/helpless when it comes to putting...LOL...

quote:

Originally posted by ShortFatHokie:
Played today for the first time in a couple of weeks...fired a 74 and didn't make a putt all day...

Haven't you figured it out by now?...it's the freakin' putter...everyone knows that!

I've tried them all and none of them have ever improved my putting. The only thing that's ever helped me is spending time on the practice green working on mechanics and my putting routine. I know the routine part sounds odd, but I swear that's incredibly important for me. I won't go into the details, although my routine is fairly simple. But when i get Lazy or tired and leave something out or change it a little...it costs me putts.

Just curious SFH, how far do you hit your 5-iron and 9-iron? Avg tee shot?

quote:

Originally posted by Ruger:

quote:

Originally posted by ShortFatHokie:
Played today for the first time in a couple of weeks...fired a 74 and didn't make a putt all day...

Haven't you figured it out by now?...it's the freakin' putter...everyone knows that!

I've tried them all and none of them have ever improved my putting. The only thing that's ever helped me is spending time on the practice green working on mechanics and my putting routine. I know the routine part sounds odd, but I swear that's incredibly important for me. I won't go into the details, although my routine is fairly simple. But when i get Lazy or tired and leave something out or change it a little...it costs me putts.

Just curious SFH, how far do you hit your 5-iron and 9-iron? Avg tee shot?

I've tried them all too! LOL The only ones that came close to "working" for more than a few weeks were a Ping Pal 6, an Original Ram Zebra putter, and the Odyssey 2-Ball. I've tried standard length putters (34"-36"), short putters (29"-30"), and long putters (46"-48"). I've tried blades, I've tried mallets, I've tried heel-shafted, I've tried center-shafted. I've tried right-handed, right-handed left hand low, left handed, left-handed right hand low, the claw, the seperated grip. I've tried both eyes open, one eye open, both eyes closed (interesting results...use the force, Luke). I'm just a basket case...

I'm not a long hitter by any means, my strength is keeping the ball in play. I would guess I hit my average drives probably 250-260...maybe a little longer if I go after it and catch it good...most players like to over-exaggerate this number...I laugh at most guys that think they can hit it 300 yards. I hit my 5-iron about 165-170, 7-iron about 145-150, 9-iron about 125-130.

Have never been a good putter then last year i started to develop this twitch in the stroke and i had no idea where the ball was going to go. Now I changed my grip to a left hand low....smooth as silk.

I think I can call myself a good putter. I have made several long puts before, and I can almost hole anything under 10 feet if I'm in the right mode. But sometimes you just feel your hands are not complying, they're just rock solid and will either make too short or too long putts.

I can usually 2 putt any hole (unless in the unfortunate event of hitting the putter fat, I HATE WHEN THAT HAPPENS!!) I just lose my tempo and make 4 putts.

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Originally posted by LuckyBreak:I can usually 2 putt any hole (unless in the unfortunate event of hitting the putter fat, I HATE WHEN THAT HAPPENS!!)

I thought I was the only one who has ever hit a putt fat...LOL!!! You made my day Lucky!!!

Dude, I make it regularly, at least once every 2-3 rounds.
That last match I teed off the 175 yards par 3 7th hole with a 4 iron and I made it to the green across a lake, something which I do not regularly do (for some reason most of my shots on that hole end in the waste area to the right of the hole) and I had hopes of making par.

I took out my putter, set up my stance, took my aim, started my backswing and I just hit it fat, it went like 3 feet infront of me.

I finished that hole double bogey!!

quote:

Originally posted by ShortFatHokie:

I've tried them all [putters] too!

I would guess I hit my average drives probably 250-260...maybe a little longer if I go after it and catch it good...most players like to over-exaggerate this number...I laugh at most guys that think they can hit it 300 yards.

I hit my 5-iron about 165-170, 7-iron about 145-150, 9-iron about 125-130.

Have you ever tried a built up jumbo grip on a putter? I putted with one for a couple years...worked great for a while.

OMG...no S&%$. It kills me when guys talk about hitting the ball 300 yards. The average golfer has never hit a legit 300yd Tees shot. I, on the otherhand, can hit it 300 yards once or twice a round...unlike the PGA guys who average 300+ off the tee. My average is more like 270ish...if I had to guess. I hit a lot of 3W and 3i off the tee. I need to put a 3-hybrid in the bag.

I was just curious how we matched up lengthwise (strictly talking golf). I hit 5i 195, 9i 150ish. Length has never cost me strokes...it's always "yer towards"...as my father says. Give me a 240-250 tee shot in the middle of the fairway everytime, and I'd be happy.

I just expect to add 5-6 stokes to my round if I'm playing a course with a lot of OB, because I'm going to hit one or two into someone's backyard.

Yes, I've tried the jumbo grips on the putter...didn't do much for me.

Don't get me wrong, I too have hit it 300 yards...downhill, down-wind, on a hard fairway. LOL I just shake my head when I hear 18-handicappers say "Man, you should have seen that tee shot I hit, flew it 300 yards!" Ummm, yeh.

Your father sounds like a gentleman I've played golf with on many ocassions. He would say "my goes was good buy my t'wards was off" after he "crushed" one into an adjoining fairway or woods.

I can play most courses hitting it 250-260 off the tee...the longer courses give me trouble if my "t'wards" is off though...

Shot 9 with my son this morning. He took me out for my birthday. Shot well off the tees, but my second and third shot were horrible. Shot a 54 and I'm usually in the mid 40's. We'll do it again next week.