Developing a more effective putting practice regiment

[Pbmercil]

Thread title pretty much says it. Basically I'm looking for feedback on how to create a more EFFECTIVE putting practice regiment. I'm kind of spitballing a bit here, so hopefully you guys follow what I'm talking about.

Some background: I was a dedicated "pure" push putter (low spin, mostly body weight driven) almost from the get go when I started playing disc golf 9 years ago. I got addicted to the sport very early on and started scouring Youtube and the internet for videos of professional disc golfers to figure out how they putt. I spent a long time obsessively watching Ken Climo, Dave Feldberg, and other pros to a lesser extent (I looked a lot like avery, not really by design) in developing my putt, as well as countless hours trying to work it out at the basket. After a few years I developed a pretty consistent, repeatable form that I enjoyed decent success with for many years. However I never really peaked as a highly effective putter. It seemed like the best I could ever do, no matter how much I practiced, was "pretty good"

Disc golf took a big dive off the priority list from about late 2012 to early 2014. I never stopped playing, but I stopped all practice and my disc golf time was about 2 rounds a month of extremely casual play. When I got bit by the disc golf bug again this spring I was shocked to realize my putting had completely fallen apart. That well rehearsed form had slowly atrophied to the point where I was a miserably ineffective putter, and all more practice did was thoroughly confirm how much I sucked at putting now.

So I decided to go the full nuclear option, and do my best to start over completely from scratch and build a brand new putting form from the ground up. I figured if my previous form had peaked out at "pretty good" I might as well try something else that could have a higher ceiling for me potentially. I went back to film study and started grinding it out in the yard. I came up with what I think is a really solid hybrid push putt. More spin, less weight shift, still primarily up and down. Wysocki was a big inspiration, there is some McBeth there as well. I am now back to the point where I feel like I know what I'm doing in putting practice again. The problem is when I go to play a round. My muscle memory is still ingrained into my old putting style, so I have to think about how to throw my new putt. This comes out, generally speaking, looking really awful on the course.

Here's the thing that's got me thinking there should be a better way: After about 10 minutes in the yard I feel completely dialed in with my new putt every day. Slashing very high % of everything inside the circle. Reasonably accurate up to about 50 feet. Giving it a good chance from there out. But I get in my car and go to play a round, and miss a majority of the same shots I was just banging confidently a few hours before. The reason I suspect is this: my practice putting sessions bear very little resemblance to real putting during a round. In practice putting I will throw at least 50-100 attempts in a short period of time. During a round I only have about 10 putts on average (taking away everything inside 10ft, outside 50, and any tap in 2 putts). So I might only throw a legit putt every 10 minutes or so. Its very easy to go as much as 30 minutes without a real putting attempt during a round, especially in tournaments. You don't get any warmup time during a round. You don't get to throw 5 "dial in" attempts before your real putt.

So my question is; how do I get a putting regiment that still allows me to throw a high number of reps, but will be more like real putting situations?

I know lots more reps will help. I need muscle memory, which I don't have yet. But I can't help but feel like the basic plan of just keep grinding it out in the yard twice a day isn't as effective as it could be.

So how do you practice putting, and do you feel like you have a really effective putting regiment? Do you throw locally with any excellent putters and know their routine? Have you ever talked to any pros about their putting practice habits?

 

[InTheTenn]

First off I'll say that I am by no means an expert, but one thing that I have picked up from other sports I have competed in (bowling, shooting sports, baseball, and others) is the importance of a pre-shot routine. Figure out what yours is and repeat it between every shot just as you would on the course. Even if it means getting fewer shots in every session remember it's quality over quantity. People have lied for years, practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.

 

[HyzerUniBomber]

I switched to a spin putt. Getting iced during a round was a torture... And all the extremely long days/months of dialing in a great practice and then crud results in a round were horrible.

Develop the simple movements that requires the least amount of input/feel. Spin Putting with a short arm extension is the easiest and has done a 180 on my in-round performance.

 

[rocthecourse]

Have you ever watched - Discraft Disc Golf Clinic: Putting Confidence Program

 

[TAFL]

Actually, grinding it out in the yard is likely exactly what you need. There's an adage for musicians that goes like this: "Amateurs practice to get it right. Pros practice so they can't get it wrong." That seems to apply to putting, also.

I've always been good at putting. One of the reasons for this, I believe, is that early on I decided to seriously practice putting. You say you putt 50-100 times in the yard and feel dialed in after the first ten minutes. For me, if I'm practicing putting, I putt 60-100 times *at the shortest range I practice* (about 15 feet) before thinking of moving out.

I'm working on repeating the motion exactly for a couple stacks. (I shoot stacks of ten putters.) I'm working on getting each disc in a stack to hit the same link on the chain at the same angle. I'm trying to get every putt I release to fly the same path--the intended path--to the target. I'm working on the visualization and trying to focus on the target link and blur everything in my peripheral vision out, so I'm looking down a "tunnel" to the chain. I'm working on breathing the same way on every release. I want to know that I can make that putt every damn time I set up to throw it.

Then I'll move out. Serious putting practice rounds take me at least 45 minutes, and hour-long rounds aren't uncommon. It's been a long while since I've done any serious putting practice, though I plan to do a lot late winter/early spring.

 

[CreemCheese]

Are you resetting before every putt or throwing without thinking? I've never been a good putter, but I noticed a drastic increase in course accuracy when during my practice I would putt, then stretch, take a few steps and mimic the feel of waking up to a lie.

 

[knettles]

Are you resetting before every putt or throwing without thinking? I've never been a good putter, but I noticed a drastic increase in course accuracy when during my practice I would putt, then stretch, take a few steps and mimic the feel of waking up to a lie.

You know, I heard something related that made alot of sense to me. They basically said the best way is to practice one time doing rapid fire putts. Then the next day mimic putting in a round (putt, walk, pick up your disc, putt again). And just switch back and forth between the two practice styles. That way the motion gets engrained in your muscle memory from the rapid fire putts, and your mental game gets used to the putting style during an actual round.

 

[DiscHurler]

Personally I've found pretending to walk up to a lie to not work for me, just feels fakey. I like to pick two or three short holes that form a loop and play them like crazy. Maybe that's something you could try out as well.

 

[Vibramterraius]

What TAFL has said here is a very good way to practice. I go through almost the same putter training that is stated here, except my stack of pancakes is not a tall as TAFL's. I would add only this: If you can take a few minutes before throwing on the course to practice your putting. I try to get in at least 10 minutes before actually throwing a round and it really helps lower the score.

 

[The Last DJ]

I really like Scott Papa's "All In" putting game. I have my own version of this, but it might work out for you because the game makes you change positions frequently and often has the player alternate to a secondary stance.

 

[Jay Dub]

As far as a pre-putt routine I suggest NOT creating one, those should be something that just comes naturally. I have seen people create a pre-putt routine and all they end up thinking about, as they prepare to putt, is their routine. If that's what you're doing then you are not concentrating on the putt.

My best advice is to not over think this.

 

[TalbotTrojan]

It is really hard to recreate in round putts during practice because you know in your mind that this is not the real thing. So, you may do everything exactly the same as part oF a routine, but mentally you know it is not the same. I have found it is fairly easy to create a game, like Papa's all in, that creates a more competitive practice session. You need to find some way to focus on made putts above the number of putts you make in a certain amount of time. Hope this helps.

 

[garublador]

What really helped me was to start thinking of putts in terms of technique and aiming. If I missed a putt, did I miss it because of a technique error or because of an aiming error. That way you know of a tangible way to fix it for next time. If you only think of it as you being "on" or "off" then you don't really have a way to improve for next shot. How do you be more "on?" Knowing that you have to release earlier or aim higher is a much easier thing to replicate.

 

[grotto]

Practice putts don't count, you're just practicing. When you play a round, the importance of the putt becomes paramount, your focus and thinking changes. When you're nailing all your practice putts, are you just firing them with little thought?

I went through a similar scenario in the beginning of the year and I decided to change how I practiced. I don't practice the rule of thumb 10, then 15 to 20 ft putt theory. Heck, from 20ft I can putt with a Wraith! I practice from 30 and out. The subtle changes in release are magnified at those ranges. A lot of errors are masked at short distance.

I think a routine that is personal is important. I like Mcbeth's routine, it's short and sweet, he doesn't stand there pondering the shot for 20 seconds.he plants, rocks his back foot faces the target and fires, very rarely does he change the pattern.

 

[youdidwell]

I practice with 2 putters, throwing both from one spot and alternating from longer to shorter distances after each retrieval. I do this because after I practiced a lot from 30+ I thought I missed more shorter putts during my round. So that's when I started switching back and forth in practice. I also move around the basket not just along with the same line of sight. Personally I wouldn't throw more than a couple discs from the same spot at a time cause after 2 throws you can dial in from almost anywhere which doesn't simulate play at all.

 

[Jay Dub]

I practice with 2 putters, throwing both from one spot and alternating from longer to shorter distances after each retrieval. I do this because after I practiced a lot from 30+ I thought I missed more shorter putts during my round. So that's when I started switching back and forth in practice. I also move around the basket not just along with the same line of sight. Personally I wouldn't throw more than a couple discs from the same spot at a time cause after 2 throws you can dial in from almost anywhere which doesn't simulate play at all.

Which gives you good muscle memory, that's why I do do it.

 

[scarpfish]

One drill that I sometimes did was incorporate short approaches into my routine. I'd take four putters and do three attempts at parking them from say 100-150' away. The fourth putter was for putting only. After I threw the three approaches, I'd go to the closest lie, pick up that putter and putt with both it and the unthrown putter. I'd collect them both, then go out to the second closest lie, pick that putter up, and putt three times from there, collect the putters again, go out to the furthest lie, pick that putter up and putt four times. Rinse and repeat on a different basket. A little repetition for muscle memory, a little walking to simulate a game situation, a little more practice on more difficult shots.

 

[Pbmercil]

Which gives you good muscle memory, that's why I do do it.

Perfect! Now we are getting to the crux of my internal argument. On the one hand: hundreds of reps from the same spot is great for developing consistent, repeatable, muscle memory . However it doesn't resemble real golf at all. On the other hand, a more randomized approach does a better job of approximating real golf, but lacks the well honed reps that build muscle memory.

Is one better then the other? Is it best to do both? Neither?

The think about really high rep approaches question is how helpful can it be? I mean if I make 99/100 putts from the exact same spot, how helpful are those last 50 or so makes in a row? What if I miss the first one but make the next 99 in a row? In a real golf situation that would just be a miss, plain and simple.

 

[Pbmercil]

I really like Scott Papa's "All In" putting game. I have my own version of this, but it might work out for you because the game makes you change positions frequently and often has the player alternate to a secondary stance.

Can you explain this game? I've never heard of it before.

One drill that I sometimes did was incorporate short approaches into my routine. I'd take four putters and do three attempts at parking them from say 100-150' away. The fourth putter was for putting only. After I threw the three approaches, I'd go to the closest lie, pick up that putter and putt with both it and the unthrown putter. I'd collect them both, then go out to the second closest lie, pick that putter up, and putt three times from there, collect the putters again, go out to the furthest lie, pick that putter up and putt four times. Rinse and repeat on a different basket. A little repetition for muscle memory, a little walking to simulate a game situation, a little more practice on more difficult shots.

I like this idea a lot. I think I'll start incorporating it.

Heck, from 20ft I can putt with a Wraith! I practice from 30 and out

I don't agree with you on this at all. Tournaments are won and lost inside the circle, not outside.


One thing I know for sure from the last 6 months of practice: If I'm not focused and concentrating well on every putt its a waste of time. I don't always have control over if my focus and concentration is there or not. If I loose it and find myself just mindlessly lobbing discs at the target I give myself 3-4 more attempts to try and focus, and if I can't get it I walk away. Some days I loose my focus after 10 minutes, sometimes I can go for over an hour no problem. I know mindlessly lobbing putts without any focus is NOT helpful practice.

 

[Jay Dub]

Perfect! Now we are getting to the crux of my internal argument. On the one hand: hundreds of reps from the same spot is great for developing consistent, repeatable, muscle memory . However it doesn't resemble real golf at all. On the other hand, a more randomized approach does a better job of approximating real golf, but lacks the well honed reps that build muscle memory.

Is one better then the other? Is it best to do both? Neither?

The think about really high rep approaches question is how helpful can it be? I mean if I make 99/100 putts from the exact same spot, how helpful are those last 50 or so makes in a row? What if I miss the first one but make the next 99 in a row? In a real golf situation that would just be a miss, plain and simple.

I think it helps to mix things up. I understand using both methods. There are times I stand in the same spot for ten shots, then move and do ten more in another spot.
Other times I just toss my putters around the yard and putt from where they landed.

I don't think you'll find "one right way" of practicing putting but definitely mix it up so it doesn't get too boring. When it gets boring you'll stop it all together.