Something is wrong with my putting!?

Question

I am a pretty good golfer, but when i lose strokes is my putting. I ussaly always get the ball at least 15 feet of the hole for a chance for birdie, every hole, but my putting is so bad, i ussaly end um making par every time, or some times il even three put 15 feet in for bogie! I dont have the greatest putter in the world, it cost me 80$, but i have been buying new putters non stop, but nothing seems to help. The next step will be buying a 2 ball odesye putter, and if the dosent work out, i will waste at leaste 200$. I have got private lessons on my putting, but nothing works. Maybe i should not worry about it, i end up shooting about 3 over every round, but i could shoot under par easily with better putting, can anyone send me a video clip on the internet on how to be a better putter?

Answer 1

that's hard to answer seeing as though you only said you are a "bad putter".

you never said anything about leaving it short, smoking it past, misreading it pro side, misreading it amateur side, etc.

honestly, it's not that hard to putt.

you're messed up if you can't put it within a foot with a 15 foot putt.  i'm sorry, but it's the brutal truth.

Answer 2

If private lessons aren't helping then a video on the internet won't do much, either I suppose. The only thing you can do is practice. Over and over and over again. Try putting two stakes in the ground only about 1/2cm greater than the width of your putter and do your motions through it. Make sure you don't hit the stakes. Next, try setting up an egg on the ground and putting into the egg trying not to hit it so hard that it breaks. It's significantly more extreme than the touch you need to sink a put normally, but the more extreme the better because if you can do that, then you will have no problem making those puts.

A +3 handicap is nothing to be ashamed of... honestly, my general rule is that if you're hitting under a +5 handicap, you should be trying to play on more difficult courses.

Answer 3

Well, it's easy to blame the putter, but you also might want to work on your short game so that you don't always end up with 15+ footers. Frequently changing putters is a bad idea as it's really the least important club in the bag. What is important is being familiar with your putter. I would suggest finding one that you're comfortable with and working on speed. If you can get the speed right, at worst you should be looking at a 2 putt from 15+ feet.

Answer 4

The rule that I use in practice sessions is that I will spend equal time on the putting green as I do on the range.  If I get there an hour before my tee time, I'm on the range 30 minutes and the green 30 minutes.  If I'm going out to practice with a couple of free hours, I'm on the range an hour and the green an hour.  Doesn't sound too special,  but consider that you are practicing with 13 clubs on the range and 1 club on the green.  

Brand and type of putter make no difference, as long as it's something that you are comfortable with.  Tiger has used the same putter since 1999 - that says something right there.  When you bounce from putter to putter, the changes are so miniscule, they barely matter.  Find a putter that you are comfortable with, even if it's a $20 no name club.  Then practice your butt off with it.  Putt circle drills (Set locations from the same distance all the way around the hole.  Do not move out or in until you make from all locations.  Start at 3 feet, then 5, then 8, then 12, 15, etc.) or other drills that will work out your putting stroke.  Focus on speed for long putts.  If you are 20 feet away, you want your next putt to be just a tap in if it doesn't go in, but you don't want a putt to blow by 10 feet and have a 10-11 footer coming back.  

It's all about practice.  If you put in the time, you'll see results.