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Post by rohlio on Mar 7, 2011 23:29:09 GMT -5
So I have never been a good putter.
I am not phobic about putting or anything, but let's just say people love to get me in Match play because coming down the stretch I can't make a 4 footer to put a match away or to get back in it.
I know I can aim my putter pretty well ( a lot of practice with a laser and an aiming board from many distances) and I stroke it pretty good, but man can I pull putts under pressure like nobodies business.
It never occurred to me I might actually have the yips, I just figured man i am nervous when it matters. Hell the reason I like playing golf is learning things like this about myself.
So today on the practice green I was rolling a bunch of putts with just my left hand and I was making a bunch from a 5' circle around the hole. So I put my right hand back on the putter and right at impact I could feel my right hand tighten and roll. Sure enough pull left and way more pace than I needed for the putt ( which is what I typically do when I miss). I had never actually felt this before in my stroke but it mirrored my normal miss.
So then I just decided to stroke a bunch of putts while consciously keeping my right hand relaxed throughout the stroke. My pace was excellent and I was rolling everything on line ( I didn't make everything, but I didn't make any bad putts). So it appears I may have been suffering without realizing it. I am going to focus on this for a few weeks and see what kind of difference it makes.
I honestly just can't believe I had no idea I was doing this, but it sure as hell felt different when I consciously didn't do it.
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Post by walther on Mar 8, 2011 9:53:18 GMT -5
My right hand can dominate the putting stroke as well and also typically rolls the face early and I miss left. I agree that a light grip pressure on your right hand can help quiet everything down.
For me, I like to have put my right finger down the shaft of the putter and concentrate on maintaining a pressure point there through the stroke. If that pressure leaves early the shaft has rolled/twisted and is no longer "on top" of my finger.
w
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Post by aimsmithgolf on Mar 8, 2011 11:48:01 GMT -5
My right hand and arm totally controls my putting stroke. If you want to cure the yips just look at the hole when you putt NOT the ball. Remember the face controls initial direction rule applies to putting also. No backswing on short putts also helps too.
You'll start banging in those short ones just like the pros!
Rand
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Post by rohlio on Mar 8, 2011 12:26:57 GMT -5
My right hand and arm totally controls my putting stroke. If you want to cure the yips just look at the hole when you putt NOT the ball. Remember the face controls initial direction rule applies to putting also. No backswing on short putts also helps too. You'll start banging in those short ones just like the pros! Rand Oh i agree I don't care which arm controls the stroke. I use the no backswing on downhill slick putts. I have looked at the hole instead of the ball...I have looked at a spot in front of the ball. I have closed my eyes and just peed my pants. The fact of the matter is I think it is impossible to putt well if your right hand literally spazzes and grips the putter handle like it is the strut of a helicopter lifting you to safety right at the moment of impact. I am going to fix this the same way I have fixed everything else that I have become aware of in my game, by allowing my awareness to flow through the area and experiencing the alternative. Thanks for the support. This is honestly the first time in years I have been excited about working on putting. |
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Post by Richie3Jack on Mar 8, 2011 12:43:56 GMT -5
Geoff Mangum's video discussed rhythm vs. tempo in the stroke and how to use that in order to let your brain's natural ability to get the right speed/touch on a putt. I think it would help a lot of yippers as well.
Personally, my belief is that the yips typically start off with a mechanical flaw of some sorts in the stroke and then it creates a bad shot and then the golfer continues to do it and that starts to get to their psyche. If a golfer shanks a shot, that may freak them out a bit. If they continue to do it and don't get the remedy then they could be haunted by that shot. But the shank itself started with mechanical flaws in the swing. IMO, you just don't have a brain wired for yips.
I believe the same goes with putting. If you're aimed poorly, then you have to make compensations to get the putterface back to square at impact. If you read greens poorly, then you have to make adjustments or make a mistake in order to get the ball in the hole. If your rhythm is jerky, you're relying on timing and hand-eye coordination more to get the ball in the hole.
I don't believe Mangum agrees with my thoughts on the yips, but from my experience and observation, it starts with flawed mechanics.
A few other things to keep in mind:
1. I find that touch/speed and green reading are the two biggest key factors to putting. Sunday I did some basic AimPoint stuff with trying to feel the fall line and it worked beautifully, my only problem is I didn't trust it enough. As far as speed/touch, as David Orr likes to say, you really need to be obsessive compulsive with speed.
2. People who claim they are bad putters usually wind up having too slow of a downswing. It can't be fast, but if you go too slow it's just as problematic. I really agree with Karlsen and Nilssen's findings there. And I find Mangum's video got me out of that slow downswing stroke as well.
3. *Making* putts is just as much about where you position the ball on the green with your ballstriking as it is about actually making a good read and a good stroke. Some guys are not that bad at putting, they just have ballstriking ability that is good enough to hit greens, but not good enough to hit shots close and they probably are not aware of trying to keep the ball below the cup enough.
3JACK
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Post by mchepp on Mar 8, 2011 15:12:00 GMT -5
I for one appreciate the honest here. It very refreshing to hear.
I thought for a period of time that I had the yips as well. I had one hell of a time bringing the putter back on certain putts. I even notice it with some of my friends on the full swing. I learned from listening to a talk from Goeff Mangum about bouncing the putter head on the ground before starting the stroke. He also suggested taking a deep breath to give yourself a little clearance to move the putter head smoothly. I found the bounce to work great. It is a very small bounce but enough to get me started.
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Post by rohlio on Mar 8, 2011 19:09:07 GMT -5
So here is what I did on the putting green today. I am blessed with a very good practice green to work on with tons of breaks and different types of putts.
I rolled the ball well all day and I was dynamite from 5 feet which is a distance that normally makes me want to quit the game.
So I went through my normal routine:
1. Stand behind the ball perpendicular to the line while swinging the putter to feel the "weight" of the putt I need.
2. Pick the spot on the ground 3 inches in front of the ball I intend to start the ball over.
3. Walk up to ball and take stance
4. One look at hole, trace line back to my ball with eyes.
5. Pull trigger while looking at spot I intend to start ball over
So what did I do different today?
Well during step 4 I squeezed the LIFE out of the grip, literally as hard as I could grip both hands. Then when my eyes got back to my start point I released all tension in my hands and then just maintained that feeling during the stroke.
It was a very different feeling for me. It felt like I had much less control...but I didn't miss my intended start line at all. I think i may be on to something that might work for me.
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Post by rohlio on Mar 16, 2011 17:28:39 GMT -5
Still working on this. I can feel my right hand tense up sometimes and it definitely disturbs my face angle at impact. This has clearly been a source of a lot of my short range putting woes.
Another thing I have found surprising is how much "softer" the putt is based on the length of swing. It is actually wreaking havoc on my long putting as I am leaving things 6-7 feet short from 40' or so. I am thinking I just need to practice through that to realign my minds intention with a proper amount of body movement.
All in all though so much better.
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Post by rohlio on Mar 21, 2011 22:31:22 GMT -5
Actually went and played golf today for the first time since I believe November.
So I have been working on being aware of my right hand and overall hand tension being consistent throughout the stroke.
The Good News: I putted great from 6' and in. In fact I made every putt of 6' or less today which is a rarity for me
The Bad News: The putts roll so much softer for the length of stroke I take I really struggled on very long putts to get them to the hole. I am thinking I may have to work on a firmer grip for longer putts as I don't really want to start swinging the putter up to my waist to get it their from 40'.
All in all I will trade being money on the short ones for good lags any day. Nothing ruins my mood worse than snugging a chip or pitch to 3' and pull yanking it to make a bogey anyway.
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Post by rohlio on Apr 8, 2011 18:35:57 GMT -5
Well I can honestly say that this has been a huge source of improvement in my putting. I have been able to play 4 rounds in the past three weeks and since my discovery of my right hand "clinch and flinch" I have only 3 putted once. My speed has gotten sorted a bit and my ability to start the ball on my intended line has improved dramatically.
I will update this if I get a chance to see it under tournament pressure. Not sure when that will be since my life is killing my ability to play competitively.
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Post by rohlio on Apr 22, 2011 17:41:37 GMT -5
Well I still haven't gotten to play in tournament pressure, but all in all my putting is light years better since I made this realization. I have had 3 three putt in my last 4 rounds, all in the same round too.
I have started using one handed putting drills a lot ( I put left hand low and I have gone to just putting with my left hand a lot during practice), then just letting my right hand stay on the club and go along for the ride.
Really quite a difference for me.
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carland
'88 Apex Redlines
Posts: 152
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Post by carland on Apr 22, 2011 18:45:23 GMT -5
I squeezed the LIFE out of the grip, literally as hard as I could grip both hands. Then when my eyes got back to my start point I released all tension in my hands and then just maintained that feeling during the stroke. It was a very different feeling for me. It felt like I had much less control...but I didn't miss my intended start line at all. I think i may be on to something that might work for me. This sounds like the Tim Galloway approach in the Inner Game of Golf. Great idea. |
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Post by Richie3Jack on Apr 22, 2011 20:26:49 GMT -5
I think that Geoff Mangum believes that golfers tend to grip the club too lightly and with the toe hang on a putter, that's why a lot of them leave the blade open and blame it on 'the yips.' I know when I shot 68 last weekend at North Shore I made sure to grip the putter a little more tightly and it really worked. Had great speed/touch all day long. I tried to feel like my grip was 'sealed air tight.' Not really squeezing it, but a firm grip nonetheless.
3JACK
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Post by rohlio on Apr 22, 2011 20:50:05 GMT -5
I think that Geoff Mangum believes that golfers tend to grip the club too lightly and with the toe hang on a putter, that's why a lot of them leave the blade open and blame it on 'the yips.' I know when I shot 68 last weekend at North Shore I made sure to grip the putter a little more tightly and it really worked. Had great speed/touch all day long. I tried to feel like my grip was 'sealed air tight.' Not really squeezing it, but a firm grip nonetheless. 3JACK What about for face balanced putters? also even when I putted with a putter with 4:30 toe hang my miss was still always left. Once again I am not really advocating a light or firm grip, what I am discovering is how not to alter my pressure during the stroke. That is what I think is helping me make these gains. I find it easier to monitor relative pressure at light levels rather than when squeezing more tightly. |
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Post by rohlio on May 25, 2011 12:00:57 GMT -5
Well after a few months of paying attention to this I can say I have improved dramatically on the greens. I only get to play once a week now so it took me a while to gather enough statistics to be meaningful. I have lowered my three putts drastically (from 2.2 per round to .9 per round). Putts per round is statistically unimportant to me because my ballstriking is certainly not as good right now (did I mention I am playing once a week), but that number is down as well by .9 putts. Most importantly success breeds confidence and vice versa, and I can report that mentally I could not feel more different on the green. I have been noticeably better on birdie putts (as attested by my playing partners) and my match play results from the last several weeks. Thanks for listening to my "yips blog".  |
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