OK, so how do you really get better with putting?

[E_Rock25]

Like I posted before. I do a combo I don't bend at the elbow very much I use the same stance as a push putt but I incorperated my wrist into the putt. Its like a push snake strike putt.

I am glad you are trying other things. Once you find one you really like stay with it don't second guess yourself.

 

[sloppydisc]

Lots of good advice above. Mine will be short and simple. I have putted with a Wizard for probably a year and a half. I am a decent, but not great putter. When I practice a little bit each week I can be pretty darn good inside the circle. Frequently on fire from 30 and in. Just used a Jokeri for a round. I didn't miss a putt. Sank a few long ones. Started using a Swan. Putting pretty darn well.

So here it goes:

Inside of 30' the putter doesn't matter if it feels good to you. Pick one and stick with it.

Practice, practice, practice. They gave you tons of advice above.

Know thyself. As in technique and what your abilities are. What are you good at? Feel/zen or technique and routine? YOU need to know this.

Be confident. If you think you 'might' miss you probably will. Just lay it up and be a wimp. Or throw the damn disc and go for it. Don't be on the fence. Practice will increase your confidence and allow you to go for it more often with better results.

 

[Triflusal]

I have come to the decision that I am done on the push putting. It's to much work to get less consistent distance than spin putting, to much guess work on distance, wears my legs out too much, to dependent on lie for me and many other things I am probably forgetting.

Just spent about 40 minutes in the back yard nailing tons of chains from 10-50 feet trying different spin putting styles. Every one of them seemed better than push putting to me.

I did this recently, but instead of doing pure spin putting, I switched to a sort of cam todd pop putt, I recommend it. Almost the same accuracy as the straight arm feldberg putt, but with tons more power potential IMO

 

[Mr. America]

I never really understood how Cam Todd was putting. There is that one video with him and feldberg, but I didn't get Cam Todd's technique.

 

[Triflusal]

I never really understood how Cam Todd was putting. There is that one video with him and feldberg, but I didn't get Cam Todd's technique.

I think (at least the way I do it) he tries to minimize arm motion and use a ton of body motion. A large weight shift, and a very short, quick motion of the arm forward (much like Blake's short arm pitch putt) to eject the disc. The power is in the speed (or acceleration I guess) and weight shift.

so it is still sort of a push putt, but for me I can use it much more effectively because a straight arm just throws me off. Also, in my experience, it is a lot easier to translate into a jump putt

 

[eegor]

When I putt, the only thing that I think about is... "I'm going to hit that pole inside the chains"... my mind and body comply. Only concentrate on the goal, the rest will "happen".

Your putting style, should by YOUR putting style. Don't be what you aren't... hit the pole with the putter.

 

[Discwrangler]

Drill shorter putts. It makes longer ones easier.

One disc. Make 10 in a row from 5, 6 and 7 paces.

Two discs. Start at 5 paces. If you make both move to 6 paces. If you only make one, stay put until you make both. If you miss both, move forward one pace. Try to get to 12 paces. This will hone in on where your percentages drop off…usually 8-10 paces. You will spend a lot of time at these distances.

You have to make it as real as possible, and it has to be fun or you won't do it.

Work on long putts…50-60-70 footers. Work on straddle and odd foot position putts as well. You have to have ability to make ANY putt that comes your way, not just how you "like" to putt.

I use links instead of the pole...they are small and more definite and it gives you more options for targets.

 

[Hegemony]

I'm not an expert putter (yet,) so take this with an appropriately sized dose of salt.

I see a lot of these types of threads. They're not all about putting. They're not even all about disc golf... I also see a lot of the same kinds of advice (some more frequently than others):

- Practice more
- Practice less
- Practice like you're in a tournament
- Switch styles
- Switch gear
- Only use two putters
- Buy a stack of putters
- Develop a mental technique to clear your mind/help you focus
- Don't think about it. Just do it
- Develop a routine and always follow it

Most of these are the equivalent of treating the symptom and not the disease.

First thing we need to do is take technique out of the equation. Unless you've got a physical limitation preventing it, you can most likely get good at any putting style you choose. All of the widely discussed ones are viable. World Championships have been won with most of them, and most players aren't going to get good enough at any of them to make the error margins of one style eek out the other. Same argument applies to equipment. You could learn/master any putter you want.

Decide what technique(s) you want to master. Then either do it or don't. If you don't, recognize this is why you're putting game is not consistent. If you can make peace with the facts, you'll be a lot less frustrated and be better able to recognize what is needed to address the situation. Sounds obvious, but some times it needs to be said.

Now the $64,000 question is, how do you do it? What I've found is that you need to do two things.

1) Determine and follow a method, or methods, that allows you to focus mentally. Use them when you are putting.

It doesn't matter what it is. Some people have a mental saying. Others lick their finger tips. Some Basketball players spin the ball backwards three times before shooting a free throw. These are all tricks. The goal is ultimately the same: focus on the task at hand without distraction.

For some people, using a stack of putters or standing at the lie too long allows them to more easily lose their focus. Some people can only concentrate like this in 15 minute intervals before becoming mentally fatigued. You may or may not have this problem just because someone else does, so trying the thing that worked for them may not have any effect on your results.

Stick to the goal. After you miss a putt, ask yourself if you were zoned in mentally when you made the throw. If you weren't, that's a big part of your problem. Keep adjusting your tricks and techniques until you can be mentally zoned in each time you attempt a putt regardless of whether you're practicing or playing for cash.

2) Put the time in to develop an acute natural sensitivity to variations in your throw

Including, but not limited to: power, height, release, disc angles, spin, body position, arm movement, etc. If you're thinking about your foot or your pinky finger, that qualifies at acute but it doesn't qualify as 'natural.' This can also be stated as gaining mastery over your muscle memory such that you can make miniscule adjustments to affect the flight of the disc. Hammer pound and other drills are techniques to make this easier/faster to achieve.

Being mentally focused plays a big part of this too. Chances are good if the putt faded out before it got to the basket, you can mentally rewind and determine that you released the disc hyzer or floated it too much (or whatever) IF you were mentally focused when you threw it. Then, you can make a slight adjustment, try again, and examine if that adjustment had the desired effect. Rinse. Repeat.

The adjustments needed to consistently hit the 20ft putt from a 12ft downhill lie vs. the 23ft put in a headwind are only going to come through familiarizing yourself with the scenario.

 

[Mike C]

Two discs. Start at 5 paces. If you make both move to 6 paces. If you only make one, stay put until you make both. If you miss both, move forward one pace. Try to get to 12 paces. This will hone in on where your percentages drop off…usually 8-10 paces. You will spend a lot of time at these distances.

Fun game, I do one similar. Home course has a practice basket with markers at 10, 15, 20 and so on feet. I start at 10 with two discs and work around until I miss one, and then start from the beginning.

Also good point on practicing odd putts. Last round I played I got a birdie by doing a really wide legged, low to the ground stance to get a clear shot around some trees. Flexibility helps

 

[Mike C]

Being mentally focused plays a big part of this too. Chances are good if the putt faded out before it got to the basket, you can mentally rewind and determine that you released the disc hyzer or floated it too much (or whatever) IF you were mentally focused when you threw it. Then, you can make a slight adjustment, try again, and examine if that adjustment had the desired effect. Rinse. Repeat.

I think your whole post was good but this part in particular is very important IMO. Being able to recognize and fix mistakes in your game, whether putting, driving or approaching, is essential for improvement.

 

[Hegemony]

I think your whole post was good but this part in particular is very important IMO. Being able to recognize and fix mistakes in your game, whether putting, driving or approaching, is essential for improvement.

Thanks Mike C.

That is what I think of when someone says "develop a feel for it." It's not a zen thing. It's getting in there and figuring it out. Some people do it faster than others, and some people can teach it better than others. And, the correlation between those two groups is not 100%.

 

[Mike C]

Thanks Mike C.

That is what I think of when someone says "develop a feel for it." It's not a zen thing. It's getting in there and figuring it out. Some people do it faster than others, and some people can teach it better than others. And, the correlation between those two groups is not 100%.

Very true. To obtain your best performance you need to have that familiarity with what you're doing so that you don't have to think about it too much. You can miss a putt short and know "Didn't push off the balls of my feet on my follow through" or screw up a drive and know "released a second too early" without sitting down and analyzing it, you just know it instantly based off how it felt.

 

[tmahan]

Ditto on confidence however how do you get confident when you're sucking?

This helps me: Hopefully you have nailed a tough putt, at least once, when it counts. I like to use those good memories as a quick "egoboost" as I'm walking up to a difficult putt.

This is indeed the problem and one of the solutions. My suggestions are the following;

Get a routine that you are comfortable following for EVERY putt. This can be one you've sen on a video, or a variation of one of these, or one you make up yourself. What it is isn't as important as how comfortable you are with it and how religiously you can follow it.

Start by practicing at short range, say 15'. Walk up to each practice putt the way you would on a putt during a match and follow your routine completely. Try to envision that each putt is to win a match. This will take more time which means less putts during your allotted practice time, but in this case less is more. When you're making 90% (or better) over a period of time (at least a week) move back 5 feet and repeat the process.

The reason for this process is that invariably you will be standing over a putt during a match and get the yips. You can then remind yourself that you own that range of putt, relax, and step up and drain it.

 

[RichMeade]

I mix in repetition (throwing one right after another from one spot) and random spots.

I use repetition just to keep my form familiar so I can know when I let the putt go if it's good or not, and what went wrong.
I mix up my placements in the second half of my regimine just so I don't get too comfortable with the visual cues in my yard.

I also put my basket in different spots each day I practice.

I think if you are having trouble on course that it's all in your head... which then translates in to the technique.
Just do your best to add some spontaneity to your practice...keep it fun and you'll get better without realizing it.

one other thing I try and do, is avoid marking distances at home...
On one hand it's nice to be able to say "I'm money from 32 feet" but unless you are shooting on the exact same basket at the same level and conditions of your practice basket that really does no good.
Not relying on visual distance cues in practice helps BIG TIME when putting during a round.

 

[Aim For The Chains]

Try try again. Throwing the same shot and making adjustments until you can consistantly make the same shot without missing-- then move out and continue. Also check out the Champ on The Ultimate Disc Golf Show/ FGCU Clinic/ The Putt: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw0cKXKkC5E&feature=related

Keep shaking hands with the basket-- "Basket, meet birdie!"

 

[Hegemony]

one other thing I try and do, is avoid marking distances at home...
On one hand it's nice to be able to say "I'm money from 32 feet" but unless you are shooting on the exact same basket at the same level and conditions of your practice basket that really does no good.
Not relying on visual distance cues in practice helps BIG TIME when putting during a round.

Ability to accurately gauge the shot on the first throw is also very important aspect of moving your practice results to the course. It may be OK to measure out the distances at home. However imo, you should only do that if you're using to build a mental catalog of what the basket looks like from different distances and heights and what kind of loft/push it takes to put the disc in the basket from those ranges so that you can use that to help you size up shots on the course.

You're right though, there aren't going to be lazer pointers on the course for you to range your shots. Anything that's keeping you from being able to judge the distance visually should be taken out of the equation.

 

[Shipley]

You're not doing anything wrong, just keep practicing. Making putts on the course is about developing confidence. If you're making putts on your practice basket, you're half way there.

Now you need to start identifying putts on the course with putts that you've easily made hundreds of times at home. Once you're doing this you'll start making putts on the course, & your confidence will increase.

You're at the point where you're about to have a breakthrough in your putting, if you can just learn to associate putts on the course with similar putts in your practice routine.

 

[holyschemp]

I think the comment about nose-up on the putt is dead on. That's my number one problem. Also, I know Feldberg is really explicit in what to do but when I was doing the style he preached, it was pretty inconsistent for me. I am like 85% push, 15% spin putter. I actually like the pressure to be on my index finger's first digit as i feel like i get a cleaner release (this accounts for the 15% spin). This also gives me a bit of a pop. Although I could improve quite a bit in putting also, doing this has made me much more consistent.

My big break through came when i got so overloaded with school that I never thought id be able to play disc golf mjore than a few times a month again. I would just throw the disc at the basket and it was fluid. Right in line with the comment above, that's when I got both confidence and consistency. Also dont beat yourself up over missed putts or tell yourself you have to make the putt. That just ****ed me up. You're out playing disc golf, you dont have to do **** .

 

[tmahan]

I agree that you should practice different looks, and learn from them, like the extra height you need to put on uphill putts. What you're building that's more important than a mental catalog (which IS helpful) is confidence. You don't tell yourself that you got this putt, you know you got it. Then you can be like Hysell

 

[Stud Muffin]

Noob to the forum spilling his 2 cents worth.

I must be one of the lucky few that putting never really was a problem for me. Still, I do get the yips from time to time and can not hit a basket from 10 feet away, and confidence goes to zero.

Having a good form and routine is essential if one wants to take it to the next level of putting, but form doesn't put the disc in the basket, your concentration does.

I was practicing from about 35-40 foot out and making about 2/5, which isn't great, but still I am making them, when all of a sudden I just fell apart. I must have missed about 25 in a row. I changed putters, moved to a Wizard, which actually I find to be an amazing putter, I changed form and styles, even got a great help from a Cameron Todd video explaining his putting grip, that works great for my putting and my putter approach shots. Still, what I know now is I got tired, had been practicing for a while, and my concentration went elsewhere.

A few weeks later, I was tired, mid-round, and missed a 10 foot uphill birdie putt. I was stunned, I mean I wiffed it. My confidence went to pieces, and I couldn't drop anything.

When I realized it was my concentration, I was able to overcome the yips, and that fear when putting after you have missed a few and are desperate to make one. It is the only way I have found to overcome that feeling during a round, you simply have to write it off to a lack of concentration.

Simply zero in on the chain link, or whatever target, then beat that target with your disc like a red headed step child. If your concentration is good, you could putt with a metal trash can lid, and be consistent and good.

Visually focus on the target, smaller the better, like 1 chain link.
Mentally visualize hitting the target.
You may not always make it, but if you really focus and concentrate, I bet it will be close.

*when practicing, you can focus on your grip, balance, delivery, etc. But when you are in game mode, the setup needs to be automatic, while you only focus on your target.