Short game is coming around

Kiwigolfer wrote:

Player wrote:

FamousDavis wrote:

Horseballs wrote:Player, you may be right about the grip pressure thing. I'll try it out next time. I think I'm slicing my putts a little bit, probably because the putter can't release with a death grip. I was missing most to the right, especially the short ones. I may actually put the bat signal mallet back in the bag for awhile.

I know exactly what kind of funk you are in because I've been there myself. I'll try to explain the sensation you should feel when hitting putts as best I can and how to get out of what you have been describing to us.

One of the worst ruts you can get into is when you have completely forgotten what a proper putting stroke is supposed to feel and look like. The worst habit we get into is when we start pushing our putts toward the hole. Another term for this is "willing" them to go in.

There have been times when I've been on the practice green and have literally made almost everything I looked at. It felt so easy. Even 20 footers seemed makeable 3 out of 4 times.

When I have felt this way, it's always because I'm swinging the putter. I'm not pushing it toward the ball. I'm swinging it. Granted, it's a short swing but there is no doubt that the head is swinging down toward the ball and then hitting it, rather than pushing it.

In order to do this, you cannot have a deathgrip on the putter. At the same time, it's not necessary to have an extremely light grip. The sensation you feel should be very slight but it's there - that you are feeling the head of the putter release when it hits the ball. It's as if you can feel the weight of the putter head hitting the ball, rather than pushing at it. The putter head should always release just before impact and just after, almost like it's on a pendulum.

The best putters in the world do this and the ones who do it have courage. Tiger is the very best at putting this way. Watch him putt. He never pushes at the ball and leaves them short on the amateur side like an Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia or Lee Westwood. Instead, his putts bounce off the putter on a true roll toward the hole. It takes courage to putt like that because you are letting go. You aren't trying to control the ball. You put your best stroke on it and the rest is not up to you.

Do this - hold the putter lightly and hit a few putts by just letting the weight of the putter guide it back to the ball. You may need to bring it further back in the backswing to do this but you'll start understanding the sensation of how a putt should feel when you hit the ball. The putter head should release after the ball is hit and be forward of your hands. That doesn't mean your wrists have broken down but it does mean that you haven't shoved your hands and arms forward.

I think you are talking about not steering the putter, which is correct. A good drill to get out of the steering habit and learning to stroke the ball again is the one handed drill Try putting using only your right hand, for right handers. Using one hand you have to grip lightly and swing the putter with a full release. Even when Im playing an d using both hands I try to get the feeling that the right hand is controlling the stroke and the left hand is merely joined and is there for the ride. You need the left hand to tighten the accuracy, but the right hand needs to be doing most of the work to get that pure roll of a nicely struck putt.

I find this interesting advice coming from a guy that advocates the LHL putting grip. I would have thought the LHL grip effectively takes the right hand out of the stroke therefore preventing a wristy stroke that can lead to pushed/pulled putts or worse yet the yips. LHL in my experience is great for putting a nice pure roll on the ball on short to medium length putts but I was never confident on longer lagg putts. Couldn't seem to get the speed right consistently.

Kiwigolfer wrote:

Player wrote:

FamousDavis wrote:

Horseballs wrote:Player, you may be right about the grip pressure thing. I'll try it out next time. I think I'm slicing my putts a little bit, probably because the putter can't release with a death grip. I was missing most to the right, especially the short ones. I may actually put the bat signal mallet back in the bag for awhile.

I know exactly what kind of funk you are in because I've been there myself. I'll try to explain the sensation you should feel when hitting putts as best I can and how to get out of what you have been describing to us.

One of the worst ruts you can get into is when you have completely forgotten what a proper putting stroke is supposed to feel and look like. The worst habit we get into is when we start pushing our putts toward the hole. Another term for this is "willing" them to go in.

There have been times when I've been on the practice green and have literally made almost everything I looked at. It felt so easy. Even 20 footers seemed makeable 3 out of 4 times.

When I have felt this way, it's always because I'm swinging the putter. I'm not pushing it toward the ball. I'm swinging it. Granted, it's a short swing but there is no doubt that the head is swinging down toward the ball and then hitting it, rather than pushing it.

In order to do this, you cannot have a deathgrip on the putter. At the same time, it's not necessary to have an extremely light grip. The sensation you feel should be very slight but it's there - that you are feeling the head of the putter release when it hits the ball. It's as if you can feel the weight of the putter head hitting the ball, rather than pushing at it. The putter head should always release just before impact and just after, almost like it's on a pendulum.

The best putters in the world do this and the ones who do it have courage. Tiger is the very best at putting this way. Watch him putt. He never pushes at the ball and leaves them short on the amateur side like an Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia or Lee Westwood. Instead, his putts bounce off the putter on a true roll toward the hole. It takes courage to putt like that because you are letting go. You aren't trying to control the ball. You put your best stroke on it and the rest is not up to you.

Do this - hold the putter lightly and hit a few putts by just letting the weight of the putter guide it back to the ball. You may need to bring it further back in the backswing to do this but you'll start understanding the sensation of how a putt should feel when you hit the ball. The putter head should release after the ball is hit and be forward of your hands. That doesn't mean your wrists have broken down but it does mean that you haven't shoved your hands and arms forward.

I think you are talking about not steering the putter, which is correct. A good drill to get out of the steering habit and learning to stroke the ball again is the one handed drill Try putting using only your right hand, for right handers. Using one hand you have to grip lightly and swing the putter with a full release. Even when Im playing an d using both hands I try to get the feeling that the right hand is controlling the stroke and the left hand is merely joined and is there for the ride. You need the left hand to tighten the accuracy, but the right hand needs to be doing most of the work to get that pure roll of a nicely struck putt.

I find this interesting advice coming from a guy that advocates the LHL putting grip. I would have thought the LHL grip effectively takes the right hand out of the stroke therefore preventing a wristy stroke that can lead to pushed/pulled putts or worse yet the yips. LHL in my experience is great for putting a nice pure roll on the ball on short to medium length putts but I was never confident on longer lagg putts. Couldn't seem to get the speed right consistently.