The Golf Thread

[GAVol]

Originally Posted by BigPapaVol

I hit it well every day, but never really made any putts to speak of. I made most of the 3-5 footers, but couldn't ever seem to get a grip on the speed. It was a mountain course so I know the slopes played tricks on me to some degree, but I just couldn't get it figured out.

I have a tendency to over read the break when I play mountain courses; especially on bent. It's like I have a built in phobia about the ball getting away from me on the low side of the cup. I think a lot of it is that I grew up playing on fairly flat bermuda greens, so when all else failed I could just bang it to the back of the hole.

[BigPapaVol]

Originally Posted by GAVol

I have a tendency to over read the break when I play mountain courses; especially on bent. It's like I have a built in phobia about the ball getting away from me on the low side of the cup. I think a lot of it is that I grew up playing on fairly flat bermuda greens, so when all else failed I could just bang it to the back of the hole.

I could look at some of those putts forever and swear they were sloped up or down and they'd be the opposite. Happened regularly. I know Nicklaus likes subtle greens, but these killed me. Long day when you're guessing at the speed on every putt. By the third trip, I'd gotten a bit better and played well, but never got comfortable with the flat one. Still a great experience on a phenomenal course in a beautiful setting.

[GAVol]

Originally Posted by BigPapaVol

I could look at some of those putts forever and swear they were sloped up or down and they'd be the opposite. Happened regularly. I know Nicklaus likes subtle greens, but these killed me. Long day when you're guessing at the speed on every putt. By the third trip, I'd gotten a bit better and played well, but never got comfortable with the flat one. Still a great experience on a phenomenal course in a beautiful setting.

You know things are getting bad when you resort to holding your putter up to plum the line . . . and then as you stare at the shaft you realize you don't have a clue what people are looking at when they do that.

[BigPapaVol]

Never resorted to the plum, but did consider taking a level with me.

[GAVol]

I fully expect that the next thing in putter technology will be a putter with a transparent top line and a level inside.

[lawgator1]

Putting is all about confidence, IMO. If you make one of the first that you have from 8 feet seems like you make 'em or come close all day. Keep the 3-putts down to one or two a round.

But if you miss a 4 footer on the first hole, you are doomed for the rest of the day.

[Fine Vol]

Originally Posted by lawgator1

Putting is all about confidence, IMO. If you make one of the first that you have from 8 feet seems like you make 'em or come close all day. Keep the 3-putts down to one or two a round.

But if you miss a 4 footer on the first hole, you are doomed for the rest of the day.

A 4 footer is hard.

[lawgator1]

Originally Posted by Fine Vol

A 4 footer is hard.

Not if you are confident. One trick I learned recently that seems to be working is that when I line up I try to block out everything but the hole, imagining that it is bigger than it really is. It seems to stop me from that last moment of doubt before pulling it back. Just seems like it should go in that huge gaping crevasse five feet away.

[BigPapaVol]

Originally Posted by GAVol

I fully expect that the next thing in putter technology will be a putter with a transparent top line and a level inside.

I'm on the waiting list right now.

[BigPapaVol]

Originally Posted by lawgator1

Not if you are confident. One trick I learned recently that seems to be working is that when I line up I try to block out everything but the hole, imagining that it is bigger than it really is. It seems to stop me from that last moment of doubt before pulling it back. Just seems like it should go in that huge gaping crevasse five feet away.

There are lots of touring professionals' bent putter shafts that would like to think it's so simple.

[lawgator1]

Originally Posted by BigPapaVol

There are lots of touring professionals' bent putter shafts that would like to think it's so simple.

Tiger putted like crap yesterday and in an interview said that he couldn;t get the speed down, that the greens were slower than he was used to.

Here's a trick for that.

When lining it up and practicing the speed, put the hole on the same line, but four inches further away. Works every time.

[BigPapaVol]

Originally Posted by lawgator1

Tiger putted like crap yesterday and in an interview said that he couldn;t get the speed down, that the greens were slower than he was used to.

Here's a trick for that.

When lining it up and practicing the speed, put the hole on the same line, but four inches further away. Works every time.

I'm gonna go ahead and stay away from the "give Tiger advice on putting" line. I think I'll get in the "wish I could putt like Tiger" line.

[GAVol]

Originally Posted by lawgator1

When lining it up and practicing the speed, put the hole on the same line, but four inches further away. Works every time.

Stuff like that has never worked for me for some reason. I'm just not wired that way.

[GAVol]

Originally Posted by BigPapaVol

I'm gonna go ahead and stay away from the "give Tiger advice on putting" line. I think I'll get in the "wish I could putt like Tiger" line.

No kidding . . I've never seen anybody who always looked like they were struggling with the putter that made more putts than Tiger. Then you realize that the reason it looks like he's struggling is that most of the time when he misses, he ALMOST makes it. He has more near misses than anybody.

[jwells]

Eh...I played today. I'm still a beginner, really, I've just in the past 2 months learned a proper swing. The year before that was just me guessing how to hit the ball.

It was at the par 3 in Knoxville...I put the first two on the green, but after that I bombed...couldn't do anything. My swing went from smooth to a jerky motion, swaying my hips. I need much much more range time to get a rhythm and some consistency.