Anyone else get White Coat Syndrome when putting?

[Midnightbiker]

I was on my San Antonio trip yesterday and was getting ready to play course I had never played before. I was warming up at the practice basket, with my two putters, and was hitting 95%. I was very happy with that. I got out of the course, and I blew putts on the first 5 holes, missing what should have been easy putts. I don't understand it. It seems like I am getting "White Coat Syndrome" like you get when you go to the doctor and your blood pressure is just a little higher than normal because you are a little nervous. Anyone else have this problem and what did you do to correct it. I shot a 69 yesterday, and it should have been a 63. I also blew several drives which I think might be related to being nervous.

 

[sidewinding]

How far away were the first 5 that you missed?

 

[Midnightbiker]

How far away were the first 5 that you missed?

Between 10 and 20 feet.

 

[gcoghill]

I'm with you man, I can practice putt and hit from a decent distance & consistently, but as soon as I hit the course, I start missing putts that are closer than where I was practicing.

I could easily knock 6-10 points off some rounds if I could get rid of this mental block.

 

[iDisc]

think about the same thing over and over again such as Relax. say relax in your head until you feel relaxed then putt. it helped me, maybe you should give it a shot

 

[trifocal]

The Yips.

Yips, I missed another one.

I try and practice putts on Hole #18 if possible and stay away from the practice basket and other players. I really do not like to practice putting if other guys are banging away..this never happens in a round, so I like quiet putting practice.

Generally, I only practice putts from the 10-18' range. Thats the range that counts for me.Yup, its close, but some day I hope to approach 100% from this range and I am not there yet.

I throw a practice putt and if I make it, I will throw another one from the same spot. Kind of a reward because I already made it and I try and get a groove established. If I miss, I move a few steps left or right and forward/backward. And focus a bit harder. I never get second chances on the course, so I don't practice second chances.

I keep moving around the basket getting a feel for the conditions. 10 minutes before a round will get me 30 reps from 10-18 feet. This has helped my confidence and thats been a key for my puttting improvement on the first couple holes. Making the first putt on # 1 is huge for this newbie.

 

[Fore]

When this happens are you following your putting ritual? After looking back on a round I find that when I do this its because I feel rushed or something and don't do the same routine. If I block everything out and do the same routine I normally nail it. It's a mental thing and I have been trying to work on it.

 

[Usher]

Same thing happened to me, and I get mad that I missed the put so I throw another disc and I always make the second shot. I think that I put too much pressure to make the putt that I mess up, but on my second throw, Its a care-free throw because it doesn't count and it goes it.

Dont think so much, just let the disc do the work.

 

[trifocal]

When this happens are you following your putting ritual? After looking back on a round I find that when I do this its because I feel rushed or something and don't do the same routine. If I block everything out and do the same routine I normally nail it. It's a mental thing and I have been trying to work on it.

Yes.

This is how I approach it. Most 10-18 footers are unubstructed. And those are the ones I'm focusing on now. I practice my ritual, which includes stepping back and taking a breath if something doesn't feel right.

I also practice kneeling putts. I'm pretty certain to have 1 or 2 putts a round, that because my drive or approach were off, leaves me a 12-15 footer from under a bush. Kneeling putts are also good to have in your bag if you have a downhill putt into the wind with a dropoff behind the basket.

Putting is really an art and its a lot of fun to spend the time getting more confident with your particular style. Really. Getting solid on 18 footers is worth 4 strokes to anyones round.

 

[sonny]

Yes.

Getting solid on 18 footers is worth 4 strokes to anyones round.

Maybe even more. I have spent a good bit of time this year on my putting game and I've found my birdie count has really gone up as my putting improved. Whether you realize it or not; if a 20-25 foot putt makes you nervous, you will subconsciously lay up a little on your approach shots. Once you know a 20 foot putt is no problem, you can run for the chains more confidently and you'll find yourself hitting more of those longer shots.

Using a pre-shot routine really helped me. What I would do is get in my stance and pick my aim point. Then I'd measure the distance from my front foot to the pole (I'd estimate the yards). I'd find my aim point again and toss the puppy in. I have no idea why measuring the distance helped, but it did. Probably just an aid to get me in focus. After a few months of this, I found I could leave out measuring the distance. Now I don't usually bother measuring any more; but if I find my putting is off, adding the measurement step syncs me back in quickly.

Building a solid putting game is well worth whatever time it takes.

 

[edge3281]

I never get second chances on the course, so I don't practice second chances.

That is a very good point. I think I will start doing this.

 

[discflinger]

Shit, man, I need a lab coat to wear for tournaments. I can't seem to make a 10' when it's on the line but will bang in 100' during practice rounds.

 

[YonderScott]

Putting

I find that if I walk up to the putt and go...oh yeah, it's in the chains I make it. When I walk up and go, hmmmm....I dunno, I make about 50 percent. When I walk up and go no way I make about 10 percent. So I would have to go with confidence as a huge factor, on my putting ability anyway. I just try to have the same routine on every hole, and if I feel rushed or not comfy I do like Ken Climo says....I step out, take a deep breath before I set again. I'm not the best putter, still working the kinks out, but confidence is the best medicine....if you think it will happen, and think it strong enough...it will. Ain't life grand?

 

[borndasaur]

On one of the public access channels here we get a show called Disc Golf Live and on this month's episode was a clinic on how to practice putting. The emphasis is on confidence building. Practice 30 minutes each and every day on 10' putts. They will become automatic. When they do, move out another 5' or so and get those to be automatic. Once you KNOW it is going in from this distance 2 things happen. First, you are not worried about the short putt. It is going in the basket. Second, on putts from further out, you are not worried about the "lay up factor" because, even if you miss and go 10' or 15' past, you know you will make it from there. This sounded absolutely ridiculous to me until I tried it. LO and BEHOLD, it works!!!

 

[zud00]

I find that if I walk up to the putt and go...oh yeah, it's in the chains I make it. When I walk up and go, hmmmm....I dunno, I make about 50 percent. When I walk up and go no way I make about 10 percent. So I would have to go with confidence as a huge factor, on my putting ability anyway. I just try to have the same routine on every hole, and if I feel rushed or not comfy I do like Ken Climo says....I step out, take a deep breath before I set again. I'm not the best putter, still working the kinks out, but confidence is the best medicine....if you think it will happen, and think it strong enough...it will. Ain't life grand?

Did you participate in the clinic with Mark Ellis????

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq_bh_GtjtQ

 

[Lewis]

For me it's all about tension. If I'm tense, I miss. That's why I usually make the shots that don't count (the second attempt after I just missed one). With practice, I've found that the tension zone is gradually getting farther from the basket, which is good to feel. I still do have a tendency to lay up when I'm not confident, though. I'd rather play for a safe drop-in par than find myself manufacturing a bogey by 3-putting.

 

[discflinger]

Did you participate in the clinic with Mark Ellis????

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq_bh_GtjtQ

ZING!!

 

[valkyriefb11]

One of the problems I have, is if I miss an easy putt early on in a round it throws my whole putting game off. If I can make the easy early putts it generally improves my game. Lately I have been trying to warm up with a putting routine and it has seemed to help. I really like the idea of not allowing myself a second chance when I miss a putt, since like you said you won't get a second chance on the course. So Ill be adopting that into my routine.

 

[zud00]

As others have mentioned, sometimes if I miss a putt, I will pick up my marker disc and effortlessly make the second attempt (in casual play). If anything, it gives me reassurance that I can make those putts.

 

[Donovan]

When this happens I forget about putting (and I just gotta make this one) and just play catch with the chains on the next couple holes. It is funny when you throw it like you are playing catch, because it is so care free mentally. Then after hitting a couple, your confidence is back and you seem to get right back on track. That is what I use anyway.