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Putting Nightmare

Fri, May 11 2012 5:12 PM (23 replies)
  • DAD111
    582 Posts
    Tue, May 8 2012 9:23 AM

    RUNWME:

    In the qualifying you are playing from legend tees which makes it harder to get close to the pin from the longer approaches.

    If you're missing too many short putts, chances are you aren't hitting the part hard enough. From inside 3.5 ft, Ill  wont take the pointer out of the cup, but will manytimes double the necessary power and ram it in.

    Thank you all for your comments. I do agree with a lot of what's been said and realise that greens and courses in general will be harder form now on.

    What  SweetiePie said is probably what I'm guilty of......trying to get it perfect. Maybe I'll try and trust my instinct more.  (I'll let you know how that works.......lol)  

    Greens are faster and I'll have to judge and compensate for that also.........sheesh.....lot's of work to do yet............but never mind. I've never played "real" golf so I don't have that experience to use on here, if it's even relevant here at all. I know there's no substitute for experience and practice, so I'll do my best to learn as I go.....

    This is a great game and I'll just keep plugging away.....Many thanks everyone and happy hitting..........Bob. 

  • YankeeJim
    25,827 Posts
    Tue, May 8 2012 9:57 AM

    robertbean55:
    I got new for you guys the grn speeds in the open i find to be the same for vry fast

    I totally agree. As an avid avatar move putter I am using the Very Fast numbers that go with the 92 Ghost and the putts are solid, distancewise. 

    This also makes huge sense too because with all the flap about how easy the course is playing, a simple wind increase and real Championship speed greens is going to totally throw the finals onto a very level playing field for those that get there. Nobody will have a clue how the course is going to play. I expect great fun watching the results.  :-)

  • gr8flbob
    592 Posts
    Wed, May 9 2012 4:26 PM

    No break (defined here as grid dots do not move between your ball and the cup): aim right at the hole and putt with enough power so that if hole is missed the ball stops 1 to 2 feet past the hole. Doing this consistently avoids the 'never up, never in' issue. 

    There is a break (the dots are moving):

    1. the ball will take a curved path, and the severity of the curve will increase as the speed of the ball slows down approaching the cup. (this is probably why you're having issues with the shorter putts)

    2. if the putt is uphill the severity of the break is less; if the putt is downhill the severity of the break will increase. If the putt is a side-hill break (cup level with ball), yep - you guessed it - the break will be somewhere in between.

    3. for the same slope, and dot movement, the putt will break less on slower speed greens and more on faster greens.

    4. for severe breaks, the arcing path the ball takes to the cup will be significantly longer than the direct distance to the hole; for this reason you need to add power to the putt. For a 5 footer, it may be only 1/2 foot extra, but for long putts 2 or 3 extra feet of power might be required.

    Since the majority of the break occurs in the last few feet the putt travels (as the ball is slowing down), I always line up the putt using the reverse view. The putt starts off along the aim line, then curves towards the hole ... so the trick is to have that curved path intersect the hole.

    You can lessen the break somewhat in two ways:

    a. miss the ding slightly on the uphill side of the break;

    b. add a bit more power (get the ball into the cup before the break can occur).

    I prefer method 'a' for anything longer than 3 or 4 ft, since if I mis-judge the break the ball won't blaze by the cup.

    With enough practice, you'll get a good feel for relating the speed of grid dot movement to how much break will occur, for given length of putt.

  • thebigeasy707
    5,885 Posts
    Wed, May 9 2012 9:24 PM

    Putting nightmares???

    This'll help you.

  • DAD111
    582 Posts
    Thu, May 10 2012 2:00 PM

    gr8flbob:

    No break (defined here as grid dots do not move between your ball and the cup): aim right at the hole and putt with enough power so that if hole is missed the ball stops 1 to 2 feet past the hole. Doing this consistently avoids the 'never up, never in' issue.

    There is a break (the dots are moving):

    1. the ball will take a curved path, and the severity of the curve will increase as the speed of the ball slows down approaching the cup. (this is probably why you're having issues with the shorter putts)

    2. if the putt is uphill the severity of the break is less; if the putt is downhill the severity of the break will increase. If the putt is a side-hill break (cup level with ball), yep - you guessed it - the break will be somewhere in between.

    3. for the same slope, and dot movement, the putt will break less on slower speed greens and more on faster greens.

    4. for severe breaks, the arcing path the ball takes to the cup will be significantly longer than the direct distance to the hole; for this reason you need to add power to the putt. For a 5 footer, it may be only 1/2 foot extra, but for long putts 2 or 3 extra feet of power might be required.

    Since the majority of the break occurs in the last few feet the putt travels (as the ball is slowing down), I always line up the putt using the reverse view. The putt starts off along the aim line, then curves towards the hole ... so the trick is to have that curved path intersect the hole.

    You can lessen the break somewhat in two ways:

    a. miss the ding slightly on the uphill side of the break;

    b. add a bit more power (get the ball into the cup before the break can occur).

    I prefer method 'a' for anything longer than 3 or 4 ft, since if I mis-judge the break the ball won't blaze by the cup.

    With enough practice, you'll get a good feel for relating the speed of grid dot movement to how much break will occur, for given length of putt.

     Many thanks gr8flbob for taking the time to explain the various scenarios.........it's much appreciated. You're right when you say... "the ball will take a curved path, and the severity of the curve will increase as the speed of the ball slows down approaching the cup"...

    I've missed many short putts because of misreading the curve........I'll get some practice in and see how I go........It can only get better with time.........hopefully...lol.

    My thanks again to all who posted on this.........I'll take on board all suggestions.....

    Bob.

  • easternguy
    301 Posts
    Thu, May 10 2012 6:59 PM

    Dad111,

    I would imagine never playing real golf would be detrimental to your putting. My mind sees the dots as a slope (not that I'm a great putter). I say this because I have trouble putting on the front 9 of KI where a few holes are cut on hills and I have trouble imagining the breaks.

  • YankeeJim
    25,827 Posts
    Fri, May 11 2012 5:36 AM

    easternguy:
    I say this because I have trouble putting on the front 9 of KI where a few holes are cut on hills and I have trouble imagining the breaks.

    Everybody has that same problem there, eguy, don't lose any sleep over it. Kia was WGT's first try at mapping greens and they didn't get it exactly right. Advice has always been, as lame as it sounds, on some of those greens you just have to memorize the putts that work.

  • SeabrookFlash
    463 Posts
    Fri, May 11 2012 7:32 AM

    When I putt, I always putt from the reverse screen.  That way I can see how my ball acts as it comes closer to the hole.  It also gives me a better look at how the green is breaking as the ball approaches the hole. If you aren't doing this, you might try it.  I couldn't putt any other way and it has saved me many strokes.

  • YankeeJim
    25,827 Posts
    Fri, May 11 2012 9:35 AM

    SeabrookFlash:
    When I putt, I always putt from the reverse screen.  That way I can see how my ball acts as it comes closer to the hole.

    This is how I do it too but take it a step further. When you look at the putt from the front, try and visualize what the roll will look like and aim accordingly. THEN go to your reverse look and see where that aimer is. Then do it the way you know. Between the two you will eventually be able to "feel" the line from the front.  :-)

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