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Fast Downhill Putts

• alanti 10,564 Posts

  Mon, Feb 25 2013 7:10 PM

  Tekoma:

  Nike has a strange acceleration tendency on short downhill putts for the 1st foot

  This is where I think I am having the problem (for me the Nike is soft for all putts under 10 feet) and the more I think about it, the more this method makes sense for these fast downhill putts of 5-7 feet. I actually putt the 10 feet and over downhill putts better - once again I think it is the "strange acceleration tendency", so will give this a try.

  Great advice from all - Mainz, I agree most players miss below the hole - so never has any chance. And Scott - very true, always be wary of the elevation change on the line of the putt, but also below the hole - an indication it is faster than what the elevation change is telling you.And Bhoese, yep I use a home made putter pal for those reasons.

  Also best advice to myself and others, take notes where NOT to play the ball to, A 10 foot putt uphill is easier than the 5 foot downhill putt!.

• ApexPC 3,164 Posts

  Wed, Feb 27 2013 9:16 PM

  I am about to change my putting procedure:

  from moving the aiming point and dinging the putt stroke,

  to move the aiming point less and early/late hit the putt depending on a left or right break as a final adjustment. That seems to lessen the break.

  Another tip is to use a wedge and the chip or pitch stroke to read the break by moving the green grid so that when it;s possible to the hole/ball is in the middle of a grid column.

• JBaldoni 892 Posts

  Sun, Mar 3 2013 7:03 PM

  Not that it would help anyone else a lot, but I've had a dozen different putters and have always come back to the beginner's putter because of the ease of dinging every putt. The accuracy of the beginner's putter leaves something to be desired, but all in all, gets the ball close from almost any putting distance. I've used it at all levels (except tour legend) and it hasn't let me down yet (and I can throw it further than I can my Nike putter!!!).  It may not be the solution for your putting problems, but I meet a lot of players out there using the free putters.

   

   

   

• DrussTheLegend 1,043 Posts

  Sun, Mar 3 2013 11:30 PM

  Alanti - one of the reasons your putts started missing is because WGT have tweaked the break on downhill putts.  Before Jan - the break close to the ball would have a small effect on the ball movement and you needed to concentrate on reading the break closer to the hole.  Now, you need to be looking very close to the ball too - you will notice that the when the break is fast and the green is downhill, the ball will move immediately off your putting line.

  Net result is you need to allow much more than before for downhill putts.  So in the past - an overpowered putt on a downhill lie would not get much of the effect of the break, but the new WGT tweak - gets the break effect on the ball right off the putter, so I am guessing that putts suddenly started missing low or lipping out on the low side for you.

• alanti 10,564 Posts

  Mon, Mar 4 2013 12:02 AM

  Thanks JB and Druss, The beginners putter is easy to ding but I find the precsiom iffy. And yes it is only this year the downhillers have been an issue so makes perfect sense. Lipped putts have been a plenty, speed obviously is one reason but the immediate break has been new (probably more realistic). I have found myself scouring the line using chip to find that immediate break with some success, Work in progress and thanks for the help.

• alosso 21,072 Posts

  Mon, Mar 4 2013 12:48 AM

  I'd like to try the Beginners putter but I started too late. In Oct. 2011 it was no longer available to noobs.

  The Starter putter ain't that bad (and it has a slow meter), but it lacks some precision and the 15 + 90 ft scales of my Rossa.

• courteneyfish 15,796 Posts

  Mon, Mar 4 2013 2:40 AM

  Strangely enough I find downhill putts tougher on the slower speeds. If all else fails put with your driver.

• TracyMax 2,361 Posts

  Tue, Sep 8 2015 4:59 PM

  interesting to read old post and see problems haven't changed in years. the biggest problem with putts, esp. short ones under 5 ft, is I don't think these programmers have a clue about RG. Putts just , except in rare occasions, break like they do on WGT.  Going to tell you now, WGT doesn't give a crap either! They got your money!

• Joshnosh 548 Posts

  Thu, Sep 10 2015 10:51 AM

  I use to be soo scared of downhill putts, now i like them, on tourny 12 n fast i dont add any distance past the hole, if its -3 or more.

  and i normally do JC method of 15 foot one box, if you do it too fast the break dont work and u go miles past