Problem with missing short putts in competition

[iutodd]

On 8/9/2022 at 11:18 AM, Roejye said:

Depending on how much practice time you have, I heard of a practice routine/drill that a coach had his players do. You have to hit something like 25 3 footers in a row. Miss, and start over. They couldn't move on to the next part of practice until they did it. 

 

Practice putting under pressure!  Make up any kind of game you want.  Start with making 10 3 footers in a row and if you miss you have to start over.  The pressure you feel on putts 8, 9, 10 is pretty real and it's great practice.  Do this any length for any number of makes.  

[NevinW]

I did a little experiment today, putted all 18 holes left handed (I'm naturally left-handed but play right handed).  While I had 2 3-putts and shot 75, all of the short putts were hit firmly into the hole without any yips at all.  Having your dominant eye in the trailing position seems to make it harder to peek at the hole.  Lag putting is clearly not as good but I may consider a two-sided putter or carrying two putters.  Practice left-handed might improve the longer putting too.  

[Krt22]

17 minutes ago, NevinW said:

I did a little experiment today, putted all 18 holes left handed (I'm naturally left-handed but play right handed).  While I had 2 3-putts and shot 75, all of the short putts were hit firmly into the hole without any yips at all.  Having your dominant eye in the trailing position seems to make it harder to peek at the hole.  Lag putting is clearly not as good but I may consider a two-sided putter or carrying two putters.  Practice left-handed might improve the longer putting too.  

Why not just convert to left handed putting, the speed control will develop over time. A two-sided putter isn't legal

[NevinW]

16 minutes ago, Krt22 said:

Why not just convert to left handed putting, the speed control will develop over time. A two-sided putter isn't legal

Actually, if the two sides are the same on a putter, it is legal.  Notah Begay used to putt that way.  

[RichieHunt]

I wouldn't doubt if you need a better pre-putt routine and need to implement it while playing no-tournament golf and stick to it putt-after-putt.  

 

 

 

 

RH

[northgolf]

I am with ThinkingPlus on this one.  Missing short putts with a pull is typical of peeking: looking to the hole early opens the shoulders which results in a pulled putt.

 

My drill for this is practicing short putts where I keep looking at where the ball was at address until I hear the ball hit the bottom of the hole.  Practice this enough until you are absolutely used to hearing the ball hole out.  The value of this is changing the sense you use to know your short putt dropped.

 

The challenge here is it is important to watch long putts (especially long ones that go past the hole) so you have more information about the break and speed on the green in the case where you miss).  That long putt habit gets accelerated because there is a very short period of time between hitting the putt and it getting to the hole on short putts, so using the long putt philosophy of watching the putt to the hole leads to peeking which causes you to pull the putt. 

 

Short answer is look at long putts and listen to short putts.

[Llortamaisey]

The best short putt advice I ever received is to pick an edge, aim just inside, and pound it. If you’re a right handed golfer suffering from the pulls, would it be a horrible idea to try that with the inside right edge?