I have been really struggling with my putting, particularly distance control.

Bearing in mind that I am in Melbourne, can anyone recommend a coach who is really good with putting problems.

Jp_Mel,
Putting is something that we all would like to get better at. I do not know any people in Melbourne who may be able able to help you but what I can say is, putting is all about feel, a good stroke helps and watching video’s or watching some guy at your local club who is a blade is my start for you. It is all about having both of your hands working in unison to get a decent stroke but then it is all about reading a green which is something we all fail at during times.

Subconscious will do wonders if you let it.

Distance control comes form a number of different issues, so you may have to check a number of people and places to narrow the search and solution. Loren may have hit it, but if it does happen to be mechanical, the most likely place to look is at whether you use an “offensive” or “defensive” mental posture when putting.

If you over-extend yourself (“offensive” posture), you get the “broken spring” syndrome and the putt goes too far from over-acceleration. If you restrict yourself (“defensive” posture), you wind up with deceleration and leaving putts short. The remedy is in what I think Loren is referring to, and my approach with other players is to give them a clear key to shut down both offensive and defensive posturing.

You can also give attention to Reverse Pressure in Putting, which is described in my little free putting book, if you think it may be mostly mechanical.

Cheers,
clearkeygolf.com

You can also give attention to Reverse Pressure in Putting, which is described in my little free putting book, if you think it may be mostly mechanical.

Cheers,
clearkeygolf.com

clearkeygolf.com

Heartily agree. I’ve been using this for the last few weeks and am putting well.

the best coach is yourself.. i do a simple distance control drill at home..

3 Balls
4 markers,coins,anything really
1 putter
and yourself

put the first marker on the ground wherever you want to putt from.. in anydirection put the next marker/coin a putter length away from the first and so on (in a straight line).. then what you want to do with the 1st ball try get as close as possible to the last marker approx 4m away.. the 2nd ball on the 2nd last coin.. etc.. add more coins + balls wanted.. try to vary distance but keep the same aprox. distance to each marker..

feel free to change lengths of putts but dont continuously change them..

hope it helps.. good luck..

What helped me is the imagination, especially for putting, but for the whole game.

Read the putt, and envisaged a line that your ball will track. However make the line finish maybe a foot past. Therefore you are not focussed on the hole, you are focused on hitting a point, and can make a clear thoughtout putt, instead of focussed on “holing out”

I dunno if this helps, but it definately helped me (maybe cuz i was a “soft cock” or a “Oh you dropped your purse” putter)
:P

I have been really struggling with my putting, particularly distance control.

Bearing in mind that I am in Melbourne, can anyone recommend a coach who is really good with putting problems.

JP,

Brian Ferguson is in Melbourne. See him, tell him I sent you and read my story on this site.

J.P
bryan is a gun, he’s been my coach for years, Awesome teacher

Distance control comes form a number of different issues, so you may have to check a number of people and places to narrow the search and solution. Loren may have hit it, but if it does happen to be mechanical, the most likely place to look is at whether you use an “offensive” or “defensive” mental posture when putting.

If you over-extend yourself (“offensive” posture), you get the “broken spring” syndrome and the putt goes too far from over-acceleration. If you restrict yourself (“defensive” posture), you wind up with deceleration and leaving putts short. The remedy is in what I think Loren is referring to, and my approach with other players is to give them a clear key to shut down both offensive and defensive posturing.

You can also give attention to Reverse Pressure in Putting, which is described in my little free putting book, if you think it may be mostly mechanical.

Cheers,
clearkeygolf.com

clearkeygolf.com

Hey man…great to see you are back! Was chatting with Guru the other day and we were wondering where ya been? On some tropical island I imagine!!!

I have a question about the reverse pressure for putting. Would you consider that is what TGM calls Extensor Action?

Reverse Pressure Putting is a grip pressure variation in the clamping department rather than extensor action type.

We normally squeeze the putter with a tigtening of the fingers. RPPutting is a pulling from the opposite side of the grip to hold it firmly. Its rather cool and works a treat for those who have jabby motions.

Carey Mumford has a book all about it:)

yeah, I’ve tried it and found it works best with a pendulum type swing.

p.s. Carey, just thought I’d let you know that my Thai juniors are getting a bit better with their English. When they are good enough I’d still love you take you up on your offer to profile them.

Controlling distance is all about the loft of the putterhead at impact

And swing length, contact, pace and judgement of conditions. And yes weather you loft it or bounce it.

I’ll give my endorsement to the “reverse pressure putting” grip. Carey showed it to someone I know, who then showed it to me. Works GREAT. It really takes the wobbles out.

yeah, I’ve tried it and found it works best with a pendulum type swing.

p.s. Carey, just thought I’d let you know that my Thai juniors are getting a bit better with their English. When they are good enough I’d still love you take you up on your offer to profile them.

Hi Spike.
(I’ve been around, but mostly lurking, since there are fewer posts that really give a clear indication of need for mental game stuff. The need is there, but anything I might say would sound like an interruption to the mechanical terms that are most often under discussion. I feel like all I would be doing is repeating over and over, “Don’t forget that there is a mental component or two needing recognition that goes with every mechanical action we can name.”)

Meanwhile, just let me know when you are ready for the next step with the juniors. I’m sure you must be having a blast with them.

Nice to hear from you as well.

In my humble opinion, no one can show you how to be a good putter, you need to use the basics (big muscles not small/not much wrist) and practice, practice and practice.

Concentrate on hitting the ball out of the middle (sweet spot) of the putter to gain consistent feel for distance. Hitting the ball off the toe or heel has a massive impact on the speed the ball comes of the putter with and it is amazing how many people you see hit bad putts for this very reason. It seems to be caused by looking up too quickly to see where the ball is going, thus pulling the putter off line.

I am not a good golfer (off 13) but putting saves me many shots per round and I have won our club putting comp. 3 times averaging around 27 or 28 putts per round each time over 10 rounds so I know what works for me.

Try using 12 balls (3 each at 3,6,9 and 12 o’clock) around a hole at the same distance, (vary the distance after each 12), on a green with a little bit of slope. This is a great way to develop feel for the different speeds required depending on the borrow and the slope.

As you know, being an accurate putter is useless unless you get the speed right as well.

Set yourself some little challenges each time, such as having to hole one ball from each group from 20 feet before you stop practising.

Practice, practice, practice

yeah, I’ve tried it and found it works best with a pendulum type swing.

p.s. Carey, just thought I’d let you know that my Thai juniors are getting a bit better with their English. When they are good enough I’d still love you take you up on your offer to profile them.

Hi Spike.
(I’ve been around, but mostly lurking, since there are fewer posts that really give a clear indication of need for mental game stuff. The need is there, but anything I might say would sound like an interruption to the mechanical terms that are most often under discussion. I feel like all I would be doing is repeating over and over, “Don’t forget that there is a mental component or two needing recognition that goes with every mechanical action we can name.”)

Meanwhile, just let me know when you are ready for the next step with the juniors. I’m sure you must be having a blast with them.

Nice to hear from you as well.

clearkeygolf.com

Thanks Carey, I’m hoping around October time frame for the kids.

“Don’t forget that there is a mental component or two needing recognition that goes with every mechanical action we can name.”

Would that be the knowledge of the purpose of the action and how it works?

Spike71, which course do you teach at in Thailand?

I’m at The Prem International School in Chiang Mai. We have an Academy there but no golf course….yet. :)

yeah, I’ve tried it and found it works best with a pendulum type swing.

p.s. Carey, just thought I’d let you know that my Thai juniors are getting a bit better with their English. When they are good enough I’d still love you take you up on your offer to profile them.

Hi Spike.
(I’ve been around, but mostly lurking, since there are fewer posts that really give a clear indication of need for mental game stuff. The need is there, but anything I might say would sound like an interruption to the mechanical terms that are most often under discussion. I feel like all I would be doing is repeating over and over, “Don’t forget that there is a mental component or two needing recognition that goes with every mechanical action we can name.”)

Meanwhile, just let me know when you are ready for the next step with the juniors. I’m sure you must be having a blast with them.

Nice to hear from you as well.

clearkeygolf.com

Thanks Carey, I’m hoping around October time frame for the kids.

“Don’t forget that there is a mental component or two needing recognition that goes with every mechanical action we can name.”

Would that be the knowledge of the purpose of the action and how it works?

That’s part of it, though I was entertaining the connection between the body trying to follow whatever command we put in and the tendency to hold that thinking through the shot-making process. That would certainly need knowledge of the purpose and the working force of the action so we do not ask for something that isn’t there. That also begs having some sound habits to follow the command. Otherwise we are giving orders to “soldiers” in the field who are still shaving in the barracks.

The rest has to do with the balance between mind and body which is something we get to through the process, (by design) rather than something we start with as a natural reserve. Left to the latter, most players I know will try to go very heavy on manual, rational approaches.

Getting back to the original question, Perhaps the following might help.

There are as many different putting styles as there are putters, but having taken up the game again after a 10 yr absence, I had the same problem. Probably just forgot what ever it was that used to work for me.

I took a logical aproach and researched what was recognised as the basics of putting;
1. Steady head, over the ball
2. Controlled pendulum swing
3. Weight mainly on target side, ball positioned off the front toe, so it is hit with a slight upstroke, which reduces skid and imparts an early roll for more consistent results. This also necessitates a definite follow through on line to avoid pulling.

Then I bought a putter that had markings which allowed me to see exactly where it was pointing, and one of those devices that returns the ball when it goes in. A few hours of practice on the lounge room carpet had me knocking them in 30+ times in a row.

A few other ‘imperatives’ I found were;
1. Intense focus on the point on the back of the ball where impact would occur, seems to help with timing.
2. Firm but passive hands and wrists. The power must come from the shoulders rocking on a centered sternum.
3. A very definite follow through along the line with the upper right arm, not for power, but for direction.

Knocking them in 20-30 times in a row improved my confidence to the point where now I ‘never’ 3 putt, can 2 putt from almost anywhere on the green, and from around 6 mtrs, knock them in maybe 50% of the time.

Wish my long game was as good, but it takes more time and work so maybe when I retire, that will happen as well.

My coach’s instructions are simple – just feel you are the best putter in the world! When I’m confident things just roll in.

My club’s coach (Col Nagel) looks for a steady head. His drill is to take your putting stance with your head resting against a wall and you practice your putting stroke with the putter following and touching the skirting board. This drill sure keeps you steady and your eyes over the ball!

The problem with confidence putting is the times when you have a hangover….or the first green isn’t exactly what you expected so you miss one you thought you should have gotten in…don’t get me wrong, it’s an important part of the game, but a repeatable, easy action is the key.

Thinking properly about your sternum is a huge key to putting well.

Some tips/instruction makes people often take the club away from the ball as what they think is a ‘one piece’, but they move the entire ‘unit’ away from the ball, and end up with an uncontrollable shove despite having perfect grip, setup etc.

It is not emphasised enough that the bit that’s supposed to move the most is the blade, and the bit that’s supposed to move the least is the butt-end, and the hands. That’s how to get a putter swinging.

The butt end should feel as though it is pointing at the middle of your body (chest bone down to belly button) throughout the stroke. Anything from a belly putter to a broom handle does this for you.

On a regular length putter, putting split handed – to an extreme degree e.g. up to a one foot gap between hands – where you keep you left hand centred at the top of the club and putt by moving your right gives you the right sensation.