Stockton short putts tip

[gmbtempe]

So while working on my swing changes I wanted to also work on my putting. Dave Stockton has been in the news a lot lately and I bought his book which came out in 1996. Much of the data is nothing I had not read but it did take me a bit back to when I was a younger player in my early and late teens. I never struck the ball as good as my friends who were all very good players but I almost always out putted them. I had a big forward press and just hit the ball to a spot, I never worried about the stroke or rolling it on a line, just hit it somewhere you are aiming.

Dave's book brought me back to those methods as thats what he teaches, its not about making the perfect mechanical stroke, speed and green reading is so much more important. The mental aspect of putting trumps the physical.


Now for the best short putting tip I have used. Dave said on shorter putts, I would say up to 10 feet but really inside of 5 feet he would pick a spot out in front of the ball and roll the ball over that spot while looking at it with your eyes. You dont even look at the ball, just that spot. Your mind will do whatever it has to with the face of the club to roll it on that spot. I would say its a little bit like bowling, you look at the arrow marker on the lane you are tossing ball at, you dont look at the ball. This helps me mentally because I get too stroke conscious and if I see the club waggle on the way back it ruins the putt usually.

I tried this at a practice session and I was amazed, I never really missed inside of 3 feet and made most of the 5 footers. I hit much higher percentage inside of 10 feet that I normally do.

I took it to the course yesterday and had 26 putts and made all my putts inside of 5 feet.

The only time it gets hard is if you have a perfect green with nothing to use for the line. I mean I can have a spot a ball off the line and just putt it inside that spot but if the green is just perfect in color you just have to roll the ball like a normal putt.

[vjsinger]

Greg,

I discovered this gem last year in July. I remember it like it was yesterday, I was standing on the practice green practicing pointing my blade at the hole in the finish as I watched my blade throughout the stroke. This then somehow led me to practice starting the ball online by putting a dime about 4 inches in front of the ball and while watching the ball stroking the ball over the dime. I actually missed a couple, then I remembered what Johnny miller said he used to practice long putts by watching the hole to get a feel for distance. I figured I'd try that with the short putt and the dime and it worked great, I made everything with 4 feet for the rest of the year. All I have in my minds eye when on the green with a short putt is the picture of that dime and rolling it over the dime(my spot). This upcoming year, I'm going to do more of this on longer putts as well.

[jerryg]

I am wondering if any of you have had any luck with putting while looking at the hole. I first tried it as a drill to have better distance control. I wound up using it most of the time over the past couple years.

[gmbtempe]

Feb 26, 2010 22:02:03 GMT -5 jerryg said:

I am wondering if any of you have had any luck with putting while looking at the hole. I first tried it as a drill to have better distance control. I wound up using it most of the time over the past couple years.

jerry, I would say this is very similar theory execpt on this method you are using an intermediary point. I think why this worked so well for me is I am very good at hitting my lines in say bowling or throwing a dart to a spot on a board. The mind knows it has to get that ball to that line/spot and disregards mechancics to a certain extent and sends the signal to your hands to make it happen.

I mean for example, take a putter and close the face 20 degrees and look at the hole, your mind is going to have you open that face enough to get it on the right line and you surely are not going to make a very good stroke.

I will continue to use this on putts inside of 10 feet to see how I did.

Yesterday not counting tap ins I was 5/6 inside of 5 feet and 1/4 from 5-10 feet (two bad misreads though and one with too much pace, all were good stroked balls).

[jerryg]

I understand. It really is a good idea in any swing to have an intermediate target.
While putting, however, except in putts of probably over 30 feet, I get my line, address, look at the hole and keep my eye on the spot that I want the ball to enter. My distance control is certainly better and I make many more putts than I used to.
I guess it is just a matter of letting the computer take over.

[tball88]

jerryg, I look at the hole while putting. It has helped my lag putting immensely and greatly cut down on my three putts. It took me a while to get used to it, but now it's second nature.

Pelz has done some studies that indicate those who look at the hole are 20% more accurate on putts over 10 feet, however, I think a lot of people struggle sticking with it.