Forums

Hitting the ding

• Sunfyre7896 51 Posts

  Thu, Jan 26 2012 8:29 PM

  I'm new and have had problems hitting the ding line even with the slowest meter speeds. I can't even imagine the fast meter speeds. I think It'll probably miss entirely before I get to click and just make me try again. 

  That being said, on to my question. What are you guys doing specifically that helps you get close. Putting is too precise to miss a little so I want to find something that will get me as close as possible. I've been moving the thing that says "Swing" down to the right of the line and trying to stop it before it gets to that since the "Swing" is bigger and easier to see out of my peripheral. 

   

  Are there any pointers you could give or special tricks that any of you use or is it just hopeless if you don't have ridiculous hand eye coordination. I just don't see myself making any putts over 6 to 8 feet with any kind of break as aiming doesn't help if I can't get really close to the ding or hit it straight up. Any tips would be great.

• MBaggese 15,367 Posts

  Fri, Jan 27 2012 4:21 PM

  There's a few threads on this going, with many different ideas.

  But one thing you might try is not moving the aim as much, and hitting early and late (in regards to the Ding Mark.

  i/e, left to right break, stop before the mark, right to left break stop after the mark.

• Sunfyre7896 51 Posts

  Fri, Jan 27 2012 4:27 PM

  I realized how many threads once I went looking. I thought maybe if it was new people would have new ideas. lol

  But yeah, I do that on my woods and irons though. I usually hit late by varying degrees, so I aim left of straight if the wind is right to left and try to hit it after, but it really sucks on those off times that I actually hit it early. On putts, it's worse because the forgiveness seems less than off the tee for instance. The tip about choosing the longer putter has worked a little because the meter doesn't go as far and is easier to get "closer," I guess because the meter speeds up the further it travels back to the ding line.

  Thanks though.

• DAZZA501 5,972 Posts

  Fri, Jan 27 2012 4:54 PM

  You can buy balls that will slow the meter down a bit. What you need to look for is balls with dots of feel. The more dots there are the slower your meter will be

• StrangeMagic 1,304 Posts

  Fri, Jan 27 2012 5:25 PM

  I like the "Frozen Hand Method"

  SM

• mantis0014 8,946 Posts

  Fri, Jan 27 2012 5:37 PM

  Sunfyre7896:

  I'm new and have had problems hitting the ding line even with the slowest meter speeds. I can't even imagine the fast meter speeds. I think It'll probably miss entirely before I get to click and just make me try again. 

  That being said, on to my question. What are you guys doing specifically that helps you get close. Putting is too precise to miss a little so I want to find something that will get me as close as possible. I've been moving the thing that says "Swing" down to the right of the line and trying to stop it before it gets to that since the "Swing" is bigger and easier to see out of my peripheral. 

   

  Are there any pointers you could give or special tricks that any of you use or is it just hopeless if you don't have ridiculous hand eye coordination. I just don't see myself making any putts over 6 to 8 feet with any kind of break as aiming doesn't help if I can't get really close to the ding or hit it straight up. Any tips would be great.

  What MB said was pretty true... You don't have to hit the ding to play a good shot.

  1/ I have problems dinging when it's a slow meter, because I'm waiting for it. Have you tried a club with a faster meter. Then your not waiting for the green bar to come across.

  I have slow brain waves to me mouse finger...lol... and because of that I have learnt to adjust my aim and try not to click the ding all the time, but have troubles with a slow meter...lol.

  2/ Putting is the key to any good game, doesn't matter how far away from the hole you are..If your a good putter, then the good scores will come in.  The difference between a good score and a bad score is on the green... doesn't matter how far away from the hole you are...if you can sink the 20ft putts you will do alright.

  3/ One way of getting closer to the pin is to play heaps of CTTH's. It's good practice for the real game

  Cheers

     Roger

• strikerseasy 65 Posts

  Fri, Jan 27 2012 5:57 PM

  hitting the ding is something i am unable to due i am 66.  a straight putt gives me the most trouble.  but that said  the putting speed is the important thing to learn imo .  each level has different green speeds.  you can make a meter yourself or find one ready made in the fourms.  it carries marks mine is 15 marks and my putter has 15 increments on it.  for speed i use a formula i found in the forums  as follows  take the distance add 2 to it x .o for a standard speed green  then add or subject the height  example a 20 ft putt - 3 inches downhill figures   20 +2 =22 X 0=22  -3 =19    so putt 19 on your putting scale.  the difference in the green types  are as follows standard  X 0 fast X .10 very fast X.8  tournament X.7  legend X .6 

  so thats 0%   standard  -10% fast  - 20% very fast -30% tournament  and -40% legend 

  i know this is hard to figure so i use a calculator along with the speed gauge.  but for me it works as a master.  then once you got the speed the breaks become easier and i usually wind up 1 or 2 ft away from the hole on any distance if i miss making pars lots easier.  good luck strikerseasy

• LeonDelBosque 1,551 Posts

  Fri, Jan 27 2012 6:39 PM

  I'm pretty terrible at hitting the ding. You have to get really good at scrambling for pars. Learn how to hit out of the rough and master chipping, pitching and flopping and full and less-than-full wedges. If you don't already carry 3 wedges instead of a hybrid, start now.

• Sunfyre7896 51 Posts

  Mon, Jan 30 2012 10:02 AM

  When you say hybrid, are you referring to the 3 Hybrid between the 3 wood and 3 iron? If so, I can't do that at this time. I'm only pro and am hitting around a 77, but that's also on familiar courses. My biggest problems now are the 3 things you listed along with approach shots getting really close. 

   

  I have a P.W., 54 degree, and 60 degree right now. The 54 and 60 are the silks but I have a harder time because of the fast meter speed and I can't afford newer, better feel balls so they're only a bit good up closer.

   

  As to hitting the ding, I've been better of late by not hitting it and missing either early or late depending on what I'm trying to do. As for putting, I play a longer putter so that the meter only travels back about an inch or so or maybe less so it's slower and easier to stop. Trying to stop it from the very back of the meter is a lot harder I've found out.