Sick n Tired

Im so sick of how bad I am at putting. Today I hit 3 of the first 4 greens in reg and 3 putted all of them (3 putted for a 9 on a missed GIR....). I know I dont practice enough but ive seen 30 caps that putt better than I do. I might be making the switch to a belly putter soon as I mainly choke on the short putts....The feeling of standing over a 2 footer and knowing you are going to miss is not good and it leads me to a manipulative stroke....Not good. Best ballstriking round of my life but probably had 40+ putts...Needless to say the score was not good but I kept it relatively respectable (dont ask). I know we have alot of belly putter haters (myself included at one point) but I need to do something quick. Ive never tried one and can see how it would not be good for long putts but can someone share there experiences on long/short putts with a belly putter vs a traditional putter?
GFF
The Scotty Cameron I thought I loved......piece of she ittttteee

[QUOTE=GrainFlowForged]Im so sick of how bad I am at putting. Today I hit 3 of the first 4 greens in reg and 3 putted all of them (3 putted for a 9 on a missed GIR....). I know I dont practice enough but ive seen 30 caps that putt better than I do. I might be making the switch to a belly putter soon as I mainly choke on the short putts....The feeling of standing over a 2 footer and knowing you are going to miss is not good and it leads me to a manipulative stroke....Not good. Best ballstriking round of my life but probably had 40+ putts...Needless to say the score was not good but I kept it relatively respectable (dont ask). I know we have alot of belly putter haters (myself included at one point) but I need to do something quick. Ive never tried one and can see how it would not be good for long putts but can someone share there experiences on long/short putts with a belly putter vs a traditional putter?
GFF
The Scotty Cameron I thought I loved......piece of she ittttteee[/QUOTE]

there is another solution... PRACTICE!!! i used to be probably worse than you (i had 27 putts in 9 holes my junior yr in one match) but ya know what i spent hours on a putting green (i would practice nothing but putting on friday, sat, and sun for about a year) i am not a good putter still but i work hard on it since its the weakest part of the my game... you need to quit making excuses and complaining and just address the problem...

You are right. I am going to start working at it much harder. Tomorrow im headin to the PGA for a bit then I gotta mow the lawn then I am putting til dark. Monday I am going to focus on inside 10 feet and ill pick a "practice thought" for each day....My putter just feels different than it did 2 weeks ago when I was putting okay, it almost feels lighter but I know it isnt. My stroke is inconsistent and I need to work on it plain and simple
GFF

You need a buddy to putt with. Make it a money game. Pick holes and putt out. Winner of a hole makes a quarter and picks next hole. Until it really hurts... you aren't going to improve as much as when you're losing money. If your buddy sucks too... well making money while practicing is the best practice of all. Sitting there hitting 6 footers all day blows chunks. You need more realistic putts. By varying the holes you go after you'll get better than you'd expect.

I would suggest that before you completely sell out and go for a cheats putter (belly putter), try going left hand low and see how that feels. I was a renowned hacker on the greens for years, and even with practice I only got to streaky at best. About 4 years ago I decided to give reverse grip a go and haven't looked back. I am now a solid putter and don't yip the short ones any more. I have also practiced a hell of alot to get to where I'm at, but I honestly believe that going to left hand low has been the best golfing decision I've ever made. And for you it is especially pertinent, as the biggest advantage on the reverse grip is on short, straight putts as the normal stroke path for reverse grip is straight back and straight through. If you decide to give it a go I suggest you ditch the Scotty and go for a face balanced putter (blade or mallet) and expect it to feel weird for about a week or so, then after about a month it should feel totally natural. As you are thinking of going to a belly putter anyway you have nothing to lose so give it a go.

P.S. Been working ok for Harrington.

Your grip is very important and personal with the putter, as well as your
stroke. You must practice to "find a grip that's comfortable
for you" and always allows you to strike the ball squarely.
Most importantly, wrists locked,(not flippy). No pushes or pulls..
A putting stroke should be equal, the same distance on the follow through
as the distance on the backswing. Your weight should be distributed evenly
on your heels and the balls of your feet for balance.

Hit the practice green before you go play. I'll take 3 balls and go through
my aiming routine. Make the putt and try and repeat the stroke each time.
It doesn't matter if I make the putt(hole-it)but I like to see all three of the balls with-in
two feet of each other. That way you know you're making the same stroke each
time. The closer together the balls the better.

Yah, great advice but I don't agree with using multiple balls. It's great when you are trying to grove a stroke but doesn't do much for training the mind. Personally I'll warm up with three balls, about 18 strokes to varied lengths to get the feel for the speed of the green. Then all of my putting is with one ball. Make the read and stroke like you would on the course. Putt out like you would on the course. If the ball is a tap in I'll pull it back to 3 to 5 feet. I'll carry a second ball and if I make a totally bad shot I'll drop it and stroke a second to verify if it was my read or the stroke. Too me hitting three balls makes about as much since as stroking ball after ball after ball at the range.

[QUOTE=Not a hacker]I would suggest that before you completely sell out and go for a cheats putter (belly putter), try going left hand low and see how that feels.

P.S. Been working ok for Harrington.[/QUOTE]

Funny this thread should come up now. About a month ago, I bought the Pelz book "Putt like the Pros" because my putting is atrocious and I am finally at a point where I am ready to work on the short game extensively. (By the way, GFF if you weed through Pelz' verbose research banter, there are some great drills/games that can make your putting practice much more organized) Pelz highly recommends the left hand low grip and when I played on Saturday, I tried it a few times and it felt terrible. I immediately abandoned it. After watching Paddy drain those clutch putts, and hearing NaH say it was the best change he's made, I tried it at the practice green for an hour and a half today. I almost abandoned it again after a few because it felt so unnatural to me. After a half hour I was making tons more putts than I ever have. I am planning on sticking with it.

[QUOTE=Home-slicer]Funny this thread should come up now. About a month ago, I bought the Pelz book "Putt like the Pros" because my putting is atrocious and I am finally at a point where I am ready to work on the short game extensively. (By the way, GFF if you weed through Pelz' verbose research banter, there are some great drills/games that can make your putting practice much more organized) Pelz highly recommends the left hand low grip and when I played on Saturday, I tried it a few times and it felt terrible. I immediately abandoned it. After watching Paddy drain those clutch putts, and hearing NaH say it was the best change he's made, I tried it at the practice green for an hour and a half today. I almost abandoned it again after a few because it felt so unnatural to me. After a half hour I was making tons more putts than I ever have. I am planning on sticking with it.[/QUOTE]
It does take a bit of getting used to, but after a while it feels totally natural. I feel so confident standing over putts since changing. Now all I have to do is line it up right and I know it's going in every time. My wrists never break or flip with this grip. With the old grip I would consistently miss them on either side through pushes and pulls, and short straight putts always made me nervous. I honestly make every straight putt from inside 6 feet. As I said this grip lends itself well to face baanced mallets, especially cenre shafted putters. I just purchased a BHB12 The Hawk putter for a steal and am looking forward to giving it a run this weekend.

I wouldn't give anyone any other advice on golf swing or other technique, but the reverse grip is a must IMO, it's fool proof.

If left hand low doesn't work, you can always go with my patented flippy technique.

Back on left hand low, I think it has two things going for it. Firstly, it locks the left wrist, eliminating the pushes and pulls that a twitchy left wrist can do under pressure. Secondly it lowers the left shoulder which makes it much easier to keep the arms straight and maintain the triangle as you rock the shoulders back and through.

An interseting aside to this is an article I read, which asked players what they wold change about their game if given the chance. When asked if they could go back and make one change to their game, both Player and Palmer said they would have gone for a left hand low putting grip. Player in particular was adamant he would have been a much better putter if he had used a reverse grip, as he thinks it is fundamentally superior to the traditional grip.

[quote=Not a hacker]Back on left hand low, I think it has two things going for it. Firstly, it locks the left wrist, eliminating the pushes and pulls that a twitchy left wrist can do under pressure. Secondly it lowers the left shoulder which makes it much easier to keep the arms straight and maintain the triangle as you rock the shoulders back and through.

An interseting aside to this is an article I read, which asked players what they wold change about their game if given the chance. When asked if they could go back and make one change to their game, both Player and Palmer said they would have gone for a left hand low putting grip. Player in particular was adamant he would have been a much better putter if he had used a reverse grip, as he thinks it is fundamentally superior to the traditional grip.[/quote]


left hand low is just so consistent for me, i have been using that grip for about a year or so now and i'll never go back


GK

I think after Paddy's success this year, left hand low will suddenly become fashionable. He has proved that it certainly holds up well under the highest pressure on the slickest greens.

[QUOTE=Golf King]left hand low is just so consistent for me, i have been using that grip for about a year or so now and i'll never go back


GK[/QUOTE]
I noticed in your sig you are using a Rossie. I think that is part of the reason why left hand low works well for you. Your putter is a face balanced mallet, and these seem to be the best putters for the reverse grip because the reverse grip produces a rocking of the shoulders straight back and straight through stroke, and a face balanced putter helps keep the putter on line to produce that kind of stroke. I was mucking around in a golf shop yesterday and had a few putts with the new tour version of the rossie and got great results. Wasn't in the market to buy anything til I found a nearly new BHB12 'the hawk' centre shafted 34' walking out the door for $49-01. I had a hit with it and it felt awesome so I bought it. Look forward to giving it a run this weekend.

[quote=Not a hacker]I think after Paddy's success this year, left hand low will suddenly become fashionable. He has proved that it certainly holds up well under the highest pressure on the slickest greens.[/quote]


yea i always thought Paddy was a machine
you will probably disagree withme but i seriously beleive that he can take the #2 from Mickelson and put a gap between himself and #3 (on points average)


GK

Milly Phickelson has NEVER impressed me. He is an average player with a slightly above average short game (for pros of course, way better than 99.99999999% of short games). I dont think Phil is even worthy of top 10.....Just my opinion but im a "Phil hater".

[quote=GrainFlowForged]Milly Phickelson has NEVER impressed me. He is an average player with a slightly above average short game (for pros of course, way better than 99.99999999% of short games). I dont think Phil is even worthy of top 10.....Just my opinion but im a "Phil hater".[/quote]

dude you just bad mouthed one of my idols :eek:

Sorry.....Phil should be the number 1 ranked playa in the world. He is clearly better than Tiger and therefore should overtake Tigers rank of #1....Sorry for the confusion

[quote=GrainFlowForged]Sorry.....Phil should be the number 1 ranked playa in the world. He is clearly better than Tiger and therefore should overtake Tigers rank of #1....Sorry for the confusion[/quote]

dude i dont think he is amazing its just that he was the first player that i started to watch on tv plus i always thought his flop shots were amazing

I just dont like guys that are as fake as him and have bigger breasts than most women.....something about Phil just bothers me and idk what it is

Like him or not, Phil is not average or overrated. 3 majors, all with Tiger in the field, 2nd best short game on tour (2nd only to you know who) and if I had breasts like that I would never leave the house, let alone win majors.

[quote=GrainFlowForged]I just dont like guys that are as fake as him and have bigger breasts than most women.....something about Phil just bothers me and idk what it is[/quote]

yea but when i was 5 i went to the open and i got his autograph and a pic took with him

i dont think he is that fake not nearly as fake as KP

[quote=Home-slicer]Like him or not, Phil is not average or overrated. 3 majors, all with Tiger in the field, 2nd best short game on tour (2nd only to you know who) and if I had breasts like that I would never leave the house, let alone win majors.[/quote]


you never know your wife might end up liking them :D

[QUOTE=Not a hacker]I think after Paddy's success this year, left hand low will suddenly become fashionable. He has proved that it certainly holds up well under the highest pressure on the slickest greens.[/QUOTE]

I think you're right NAH and the Wilson Fybrid Hybrid and cast CB GI irons he has in the bag are also going to be top sellers.

He proved that those clubs certainly hold up well under the highest pressure on the toughest courses from tee to green.

[QUOTE=Kiwi Player]I think you're right NAH and the Wilson Fybrid Hybrid and cast CB GI irons he has in the bag are also going to be top sellers.

He proved that those clubs certainly hold up well under the highest pressure on the toughest courses from tee to green.[/QUOTE]
I think all the majors this year proved that pro's can with any clubs if they are fitted to their specs. The three winners all had different clubs. Tiger had forged blades, Paddy cast players irons and the other guy POS SGI shovels. I think if you put the right shaft in an iron with the right loft and lie angle, a pro will be able to play well with it. But having said all that, Harrington won his majors with his short game more than his long game. His iron play and shot making was respectable, but nowhere near the level Tiger displayed during the US Open. Harrington just had the mental toughness and putted the spots off the ball over the last 2 rounds. And we all know that's something you can't buy no matter what clubs you have in the bag.

I can't get off the tee box, but putting is easy from four feet in. You just need a slave to sit behind the practice hole and toss the ball back out of the hole to you. Put a hundred of these from two feet and I don't care if you hold it with the Vulcan mind meld grip, you'll be deadly with no worries.

[QUOTE=Not a hacker] But having said all that, Harrington won his majors with his short game more than his long game. [/QUOTE]

Yeah but don't forget that fantastic second shot he hit with his hybrid on the 17th at the British Open. I think he had a 2 shot lead at that stage and he could've easily played it safe and laid up and still had a chance at birdie or easy par. Instead he went for the green in two and then nailed the Eagle putt which effectively sealed the deal.

That took balls!

[QUOTE=Kiwi Player]Yeah but don't forget that fantastic second shot he hit with his hybrid on the 17th at the British Open. I think he had a 2 shot lead at that stage and he could've easily played it safe and laid up and still had a chance at birdie or easy par. Instead he went for the green in two and then nailed the Eagle putt which effectively sealed the deal.

That took balls![/QUOTE]
Serious contender for shot of the year right there. Probably didn't have quite as much presuure added to it as some of Tiger's great shots at Torrey Pines, but for sheer execution and level of difficulty Paddy's shot stands out.

How could a Hybrid striking a ball be considered for "shot of the year"? As if....

[QUOTE=neverman]How could a Hybrid striking a ball be considered for "shot of the year"? As if....[/QUOTE]
Maybe 'shot of the year from a gay man' then?

Back to putting. I think that's what this thread was about. Right? Who the fuk knows at this point. Anyways. Tried my second practice session with the left hand low grip yesterday, and a mallet putter. The pro shop had a used Talor Made Rossa Spider that I tried out. That thing is ugly, but I was money with it. 3-4 footers were automatic, but what really impressed me about the new grip/mallet combo was the lags. I made 20 footers like they were tap ins and was rolling 40-50 footers within 2 feet of the cup.( Keep in mind this is a fairly flat, average speed practice green, still though, ALOT better than the right hand low overlap/PING G2i answer combo I've been using. 100% better.)

Are all mallets face balanced?
I really liked the Rife 2bar hybrid that I tried a few weeks ago.(The blade. It's not a blade,BTW) but I need to re-try it with the new grip. Is it face balanced?
Can someone (NaH or Lyle, maybe) explain "face balanced"