Putting games people play.

[blackcatsmith]

It snowed yesterday and it's nasty out so I'm regulated to putting practice. The thing/the problem I have with practicing putting is trying to replicate the tension. I've made up some games that address this, but I was wondering what everyone/anyone else does for their putting practice to recreate what it is like to putt when it matters, when the pressure's on?

 

[DiscgolfStu]

I came up with a game last year that I found to be really valuable for this exact purpose (but you need to be outside ) You throw 5 approach shots, then you putt them all. If you make 5 then you give yourself a -1, if you make 4, that's par, 3 is a bogey, 2 is a double and so on. I guess if you hit it that's an eagle. But If I'm stuck inside it's the Finnish putting game all the way.

 

[Pbmercil]

The thing/the problem I have with practicing putting is trying to replicate the tension.

I think you should strongly consider putting practice strategies that will help you RELAX while you're playing on the course, and make competitive play feel more like practice, instead of trying to find ways to get your practice sessions to feel more intense

 

[Jenga54]

Finnish putting game. Every putt counts for points and the potential points next round.

 

[blackcatsmith]

I think you should strongly consider putting practice strategies that will help you RELAX while you're playing on the course, and make competitive play feel more like practice, instead of trying to find ways to get your practice sessions to feel more intense

Lol I didn't think of this as an option. Good point. Any ideas?

 

[ncbrett92]

Lol I didn't think of this as an option. Good point. Any ideas?

I just go out back when I have some down time and just putt. I don't think to much about distance. Just pick a spot and throw my 4 putters from there and see how I did. If it was't that good I'll try again. If I hit 3 out of 4 then I'll move to somewhere else in the yard. If it is outside of 30 ft-ish (again not measuring just throwing) then I'll shoot for 2 out of 4 then move to another spot. Just have fun with it!

 

[sisyphus]

I've got four nearly identical putters in the practice basket in the corner of the garage (plus three more in the bag). If it's really nasty out & I didn't venture outside, I'll throw some putts over the cars

If the weather's tolerable, but I didn't have time that day to play a round for real, I like to open the garage door and start out on the driveway about 15' feet from the basket. If I hit the putt, I take a big step back & shoot another. if I miss, it's a step closer.

Kind of fun when you're showing off from 45 or 50' and hitting the chains through the open garage door. Kind of frustrating when you realize you had to step in so much you're dropping 'em in. But it relaxes me, which is what I really want to feel in tourneys, so...

 

[HereComesDaBoom]

The setup
I have 10 putters (Daggers) and have the following distances marked off in my yard. 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 ft.
Two locations @ 20, and 25 ft. for straddle putting only

Part 1: I start by playing match or go back.
Start @ 15 ft. and I try to make 10 putts. Discs are laid out in a semi-circle arrangement.
Move to 20 ft. and the goal is to make 10 putts. I consider 20 ft. to be the real start so I may make 8 out of 10.
Move to 25 ft. and the goal is 8. If I do not make 8 or hit less than 80 percent on the next distance I go back to previous distance. Repeat until you hit 80% from all locations.

Part 2: The Ladder
I lay each of my 10 putters in random spots for each distance. If I make the putt I get to re-use that putter. My goal here is to make it to 40 ft. or longer with more than 4 putters. So I hit the first putt @ 15, move onto 20 with the same putter. If I hit my first few spots (ex, 15, 20, and 25) that means I have 3 putters for my longest distance which is around 45 feet. So as you hit them you add them to your furthest putts or location you have yet to make. So I tend to put some @ 35 ft. and 40 ft.

Part 3: Straddle putt
The 20 ft. and 25 ft. locations I have setup for straddle putts forces me to be in that position. I putt from each location with 10 putters, resetting before every attempt. I want to make 80% at the very least. One location has a narrow path and the other has a bush in front of me which requires I go over it. One laser and the other a loft shot.

Part 4: Forehand flick putts
10 Putts from behind a small tree in the yard using a soft forehand flick.

This is my putting routine and has helped my confidence a good deal. I change the order I do these to prevent boredom.

 

[The Last DJ]

Check out Perfect Putt 360 and Scott Papa's "All In" games. I play both and they make practice a bit more fun. They both put a bit of extra pressure on you to make putts due to the way you score and proceed through the game. Good luck shaking that spring fever!

 

[zenbot]

We play a putting game called baseball with 1 basket. You have 9 spots (We mark the stations with a disc before the game begins) ranging from 20-40 feet surrounding the basket. These are the different innings. Each player throws 4 discs an inning (unless they strike out. see below.)

If you hit metal above the top of the basket rim you get a man on base.

If you sink your putt you get a run. If you have men on base they score too.

Below the basket rim or a complete airball counts as a strike.

3 strikes in a row and you're out.

 

[slowplastic]

Simple one for any warm up, but start ~20' with 3 putters. Make 3/3 take one step back so ~23' (change direction from basket too), if 2/3 then same distance new spot, if 1/3 then same spot...0/3 one step in. Or any variation of this (including more discs). Always putt in missed shots, every one that is more than a couple paces from the basket. No 3 putts! Try to get a distance from basket goal and see if you can get out that far after a few rounds.

 

[StevenSeagal]

My cousin and I pay a simple putting game that does a pretty good job of amping up the tension. It's pretty basic. All you do is take four spotters and place them at four point from the basket, just like the marks on a compass showing north, south, east and west. You can set the distance at whatever you like.

Basically all you do is race to see who make three revolutions around the points first. First go around you putt once at each marker. Second go around you must make two consecutive putts at each marker and on the third go around you have to make three. If you and whoever you're playing with are at the same marker you take turns, rotating when the person at the marker misses a putt.

 

[blackcatsmith]

Thanks for these, I intend to try them all just cause I can, and anything to become a better putter- I'm all for.
My game of late is pretty simple. I stack 18 putters(I always practice with 18 and like to imagine I'm in a tourney, silly- I know), stand as far away from the practice basket(Marksman)as I can in my dinky house('round 20') lay down my marker and putt away at a leisurely pace, going through my routine every time, moving my marker in-between and yes, imagining I'm actually playing(I'll even practice my swing in-between as if I was driving off the tee). Here's where the game really begins. After I've putted all 18 I walk to the basket for the *first time and pick up my misses. For every miss I add another and re-putt from 20' again(as if I was saving the par). If I miss any of those, which I do with regularity, I add 2 more putts plus the original miss, and should I miss after the second trip to pick up my misses? add three and so on and so forth...The whole time envisioning that I'm playing fo' real... This I've found really puts an emphasis on staying focused on every putt, and ups my want... because you gotta want it apparently.

 

[flowinowen]

If its just me, I use a version of the Nate Sexton routine. I start at 6 paces out with 4 discs. 2 shots are my normal putt and the other two are straddle. If I make three, I move back a pace, two I stay there and one I move forward. I'll do that up til the circle's edge. From 13-20 paces I just shoot all four shots and move one pace to 20 and back. With more than one person, I like to play DISC - gets the competition edge going.

 

[blackcatsmith]

Yeah, I agree nothing beats playing a game of "disc" before a round, or catch for that matter.

 

[Teamkiller]

I put my practice basket and putters out at parties and get togethers, we play HORSE or PIG just like you would with a basketball. This usually ends with a few people saying they want to go try out actual disc golf next time I go. I imagine you could also play KNOCKOUT just like basketball too, just start with an upshot around 100' and run through to putt.

 

[stubby]

Finnish putting game. Every putt counts for points and the potential points next round.

Great putting game. JYLY has an app to keep score and stats.

 

[Smigles]

It's for outdoors, but its fun and i thought i'd share.

Lay out 20-ish putting positions around a basket. Most should be in the further half of the circle, cause that's what you should practice most, but add in a few spots that go outside the circle from time to time. Also add some spots where you have to straddle, idealy you have a tree or a few inside the circle so you can place some spots behind them.

Anyway, it's a partner game. You need to sink 50 putts. You both putt from the same spot and then go on to the next no matter if you made the putts or not. Every time you dont make a putt, your partner loses a life. That way you have to save your buddy instead of just putting for yourself which IMO kinda simulates tournament pressure once he gets low on life points

 

[PRkilla]

Try wagering with a friend..puts pressure on big time!

Try putting with one eye shut..leaves you with no depth perception.

 

[blackcatsmith]

Try putting with one eye shut..leaves you with no depth perception.

Funny you should say that.... I spent like a month trying to change/control my eye dominance by doing just that... didn't work, plus gave me a headache.