The Good Putting Thread

Public Forum—Concepts in Advanced Ball Striking
41

The talk about cue sticks and such on the other thread just set off a lightbulb, maybe.

It kinda goes along with what Bom said about “shaping” a ball on a straight putt…but only backwards

What if we approached it another way…on a right to left breaker, why not “cut” the putt so that we can give the ball more juice to hold an “opposite line” that is then a tighter line almost directly at the hole…give or take some.

Can’t wait to try it out…I’ll try anything! :laughing: Any thoughts out in Lag Land about this. Still waiting for Lag to make a mistake and accidentally reveal his putting secret formula.

42

While you’re at it, maybe you should try to hit a fade on left to right breakers. It works really well for me from time to time.

43

Well speaking of cue sticks…

I was thinking how most good billiards players like a small tip, and chalk on the tip so they can work the ball around with spin or “English”

I was thinking how a good player would feel if suddenly “The Rules People” said you can’t use that anymore and said you now have to use a wide tip the size of a quarter so the average player can make easier contact… that way we can get rid of the side spin that messes up the amateurs. Get rid of the chalk that makes a mess (like golf spikes). The also make the tables huge and the pockets bigger (fairways and greens) so you have to slam everything in because the fans like the sound of that, and it looks better on TV. The wide sticks are easier to make and they will sell more of them.

44

You’re getting worked up for your annual TRGA event in Vegas, aren’t you. :slight_smile: Btw, let us know how it all goes and hope the weather cooperates.

Been thinking about modern sports, and I find it hard to believe that sanity will return to golf. The only thing that might slow modern golf–gear, courses, etc. would be environmental resource concerns/continued economic uncertainty as evidenced in the U.S. Advances in nutrition, exercise/workout routines, technology (Trackman/ HD and 3D instructional video), sports and personalized medicine, agronomy and general field-of-play, seem to demand that society marry the most advanced athletes to the most advanced equipment, setting up potential oversized/spectaclar scenarios. For example, many NFL stadiums have advanced artificial turf that allows players to showcase their speed, agility and strength. When these same players play on bad turf in bad weather (think Soldier Field in December), TV execs, players, coaches and fans cringe.

Golf fans love to see a drive hit and scoot 30-40 yards. Kapalua is a funhouse like that. The next stop, the Sony Open, not so much. It’s always interesting to hear players say how much they like playing Harbor Town and wish there were more shotmaker courses like that. I guarantee you the TV guys in the truck don’t and don’t like everyone teeing off with irons. I think one solution might be for TV to show more ballflight shots from behind the player so viewer can follow the curve (what’s left of it) of the ball. At the very least, fans might begin to appreciate the skill involved with the approach shot. You see that once in awhile at Augusta, it’s really quite striking.

45

One strikes a cue ball above its equator. Many great putters have advised the same with putting…hit the ball above the equator, even on the downbeat …so as to promote topspin and a truer roll. Do you do the same RR?

46

One can strike a cue ball anywhere, above or below center, right or left of center, to impart the needed action on the ball.
Imparting action, also called “tips” will give another action on the struck ball or rail. I don’t know if we have the same liberty in striking a golf ball while putting. Maybe we can though…gonna try it.

I think from a traditional point of view, I have always tried to get the ball to roll true by doing whatever I have to do to get the lettering to blur into a straight line…no sideways wobble. So ball position has something to do with that, and I feel an ever so slight upward motion during impact.

Gonna try imparting some action on a golf ball soon. Maybe instead of “playing the line”, I’m going to “fight the line”. Going to use my Riveria putter…a real, real small head. Will post a picture of it…not sure where I got it, but I’ve had it for a spell.

I gotta stop writing about putting as it gets me ticked off. I used to be a pretty good putter…could lag from anwhere; and had all kinds of confidence within 4 feet. Now…I’m a basket case within 18 inches. I look like Doug Sanders on almost every putt within 3 feet. :blush:

47

I spend hours with a piece of sand paper resizing and shaping my cues tip whenever it needs to be replaced. Those manufacturers really don’t know what they are doing.

Heres a pool tip.
Don’t use side spin to work the cue ball around the table, use either top or bottom spin to either decrease or increase the deflection angle.

48

You play only top to bottom and Pringle Man will take all your cash quickly :laughing:

49

It’s rare you will miss a putt when you reach over the hole and backhand it in. Good reasons for it.

1 Like
50

Bring it on Ratter! :laughing:

51

RR,
I’ve found that bad putters will try absolutely ANYTHING, except NOT trying. I don’t think that’s directly related to Lag’s comment, but it’s connected.

52

I must admit, them did sound like fightin’ words from Mr. Rat. Pay per view?

53

Reminds me of one of our regulars… a good player, around scratch, was in “the business” at one time. He can get pretty liberal in casual rounds with his “reach-over gimmees”… many of them approaching 30 to 36 inches in length and he’ll rarely miss one.

BUT… I’ve also seen him in tournaments when he has to putt them out. Using his “normal” stroke he misses often.

Could be technique, could be attitude, or it could be a little of both. :wink:

robbo

54

Well NRG…if you’ve been playing regularly you may hold an initial advantage because I haven’t been on a table in more than 25 years. In fear of this turning into a pool thread…let me leave you with this: even after a 25 year absence, rat’s still know how to throw their weight around. Like Forest Gump…that’s all I got to say 'bout that. :laughing:

55

Been there too…not trying, or maybe a passive indifference to the whole thing…works for a while then back to the same old goose poop…too many thoughts. It’s funny, my fingers are twitching now just typing about putting :laughing:

I can make more putts backhanding the ball between my legs and not looking at the hole than I can make normally.

I just have too many thoughts on a green…and I can’t slow them down. I think maybe what Lag was referring to was an upward and/or downward approach…taking it up steeply going back instead of moving away low…but maybe not.

I gotta stop…getting too frustrated.

I will say this though. Remember in the movie Bagger Vance when Matt Damon saw a colored image of the path to the hole on the last green? I’ve had that experience twice…actually saw an image of the path to the hole…stroked the putt within that path and bango. Where are my red pills :laughing:

56

This is what I’m talking about! What’s the problem, what’s stopping you? Or is this tongue in cheek?
Have you ever tried putting left handed(or whatever side is the other side)? It’s a whole new perspective, like you’re just beginning the game again.

57

No, I really meant that. Hell, I could even make more putts blading a wedge than using the putter. I could make more putts using the outside toe area…ya know like those putts that are snuggged up against the collar of the green where you gotta chop the toe down on it. Somtimes when chipping close, I’ll keep wedge in hand and blade it in, no problem.

I was thinking during dinner…that from tee to green I’m doing shots, but on the green suddenly the mindset gets into roll. Why does there have to be 2 different mindsets. Maybe I should make a shot on the green instead of a roll…maybe I would be better off thinking that way instead of thinking about all these perfect rolls, strikes. I mean, even in pool, a less than perfect strike can still go in the corner pocket…so maybe I should stop thiking about perfect strikes and rolls on the green and just execute a shot, because even if it isn’t perfect it still can go in. Maybe I just solved the mystery for me. I’m actually excited about getting out and trying to hit some shots on the green to see what happens.

:slight_smile:

58

Best putter I ever met was an 88 year old dude who picked up golf at age 67. He can throw the ball farther than he can hit it with a wood or iron. But putt? Jaw dropping stuff.

At least one other ABS forum member has seen this guy in action. It’s like watching a vacuum cleaner plugged into the cup: he just rolls the rock, and schloop, in it goes.

His approach to golf is simple, he truly does not give a rat’s ass (sorry RR). Every round is bonus. Each swing proves he is not yet dead. Hell, if I can move like that, let alone golf, when I’m 88, I’ll be amazed.

Some of us here have played multiple rounds with him; each one is a treat. I even played nine with him on his 88th birthday.

Wish I could write that he still walks the course, but he gave that up a couple years back Not willingly, of course; the dreaded doctor’s orders.

His putting routine is simple. Ree-lee simple.

He addresses the ball, decides if it will break left or right, estimates how much, then hits it. It took longer to type this sentence than it takes him to line up and stroke any putt he’s ever tried.

Sounds sloppy, but I’ve seen him count 10 puts over nine holes. More than once.

Ask him about anything, and he has a good ol’ story to tell. But ask him to 'splain puttin? He just says “hit the ball where it’s s’posed to go.” I’ve mentioned to hime once or twice how unusual his gift is (bet there are golfers reading this who would actually earn “Valuable Fex Ex Cup Points” if they routinely putted 20 strokes over 18 holes) but he shrugs it off, in that modest, down home way that only modest, down home people use.

But should anyone dare to wager, say, the first round at the 19th hole on the low put total, kindly remember [name deleted, he would FREAK if he knew he someone talked 'bout him on the intarwebz] likes Keith’s, dotcha know.

Regards
hawg1

59

Putting can be very simple if direction is not a factor. If you only have to aim and feel speed… simple. If you are not good at reading greens, have no idea if the ball is going to come off left or right off the face, and your speed control is not top shelf stuff… putting is NOT going to feel simple, but confusing and complicated.

I think that direction can be learned through a technique that allows for a “feel for line” to flow through the hands… but this is more difficult coming from a pendulum stroke. Most golfers buy into the pendulum idea as they do upright golf swings lacking proper clubface rotation.

60

Was doing something completely different the other day and the resultant ability to hold a putting line was something that was quite encouraging.

I was trying a “very miniature” ABS move. Coming into the ball my intention was to get a little left like I was searching out a very low PV5 launch point which probably coincided with a perceived low point…just a big visual intention really. Again, it was a real minature move, but the ball held every line I looked at. I really felt the shoulders moving more level, and left, than normal with a strong R forearm push presence… versus my usual up and down loose hand feel with a more pendulum motion.

That’s really my only bug-a-boo with putting…line and speed aren’t problems…keeping the face from oscillating is, or what I call waving at it. This seemed to help a bunch…we’ll see :sunglasses: