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Easy to align putter - what helped you?


wedda

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Hi guys,

I'm struggling to aim the putter where I take aim for.. I usually make one three put every 18 holes or so - I would so I putt very well and I know that I start the ball at where the putter is aiming most of the times..

I've been gaming the Miura KM 006 which I sold to use my KM 007 - I like the putter and as I said I putt well with it.. But I do not find it easy to align with the putter when it come to stance as well as seeing where it is aiming..

What putterroutes did you guys go? There must be some people who have tried tons of putterdesigns to find what suits them - and I want to hear some opinions! :-)

Cheers

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One three putt per round is better than I'll ever be!! :)

Started using TM Daddy Long Legs Plus just recently and I am no longer missing the rather short ones. ( inside 4 feet stuff )

Lag putts are also getting closer than it used to be. So my three putts are definitely decreasing.

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Wedda, I went from being a very ordinary putter to an exceptional one and am fairly clear about how I did it. Last week had four birdies on the back nine, a first for me, and can attribute my 8.x HI achieved in the last few months, mainly due to my putting stats.

The first is I use a Ping Ketch counter-balanced putter. If you three-putt then the feel for your first putt distances are off. I used to three putt 3 to 4 holes a round earlier. Now I have the confidence to look to make that first putt. This putter is an awesome lag putter and I cannot recommend it highly enough. I have had blade putters and they look good etc. but I have never putted better than with a mallet (for my putting style). I use the heavy version but the counter-balance does not make it feel too heavy at all. Whatever back-swing I make it feels like it just gets back on line. I make a LOT of 8 foot putts.

The alignment is very easy on the eye. It has three vivid white lines on a raised matt black surface. I have found this very easy and simple to line up. However, I must state that the Odyssey two ball etc. did not suit me.

The problem with the heavy version of the Ketch is that it requires you to focus a bit more on those 3-foot putts. This is mainly to the face-angle closing on small putts if you don't swing with some purpose or confidence. This I am working on.

I spend time on the practice putting green and I must say I am a little surprised that I rarely see my club mates there. I put down about 20 old balls and putt around the hole for about an hour or sometimes more twice or three times a week. No specific drills, just whatever I am in the mood for doing. Also make sure your putting green is about the same speed as your course green.

Unfortunately, in this game, it really does help to practice - on the green as much as on the range.

Hope this helps.

PS: without seeing your swing it is very hard to recommend any particular equipment to ameliorate any particular tendency or to offer a specific drill. But the above thoughts are based on my experience.

Edited by Staxxx
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Interesting reading. :-)

Well - I do not putt badly - I have great distance control BUT When I think I am at one place I do not.. So I think its more that I have trouble seeing where my putter is aiming..

Here is my putting motion with two different ones:

I can recommend everyone to buy a laserpointer for their puttershaft - put it on - and stand at home and see what happends when you do your stroke.. I did this and boy - my putting improved A LOT!

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The one thing that I found helped me a lot with alignment recently is a reversal of my previous process. I first take general aim, THEN I set up completely neutral and loose-limbed, dominant eye over the ball and make sure I am swinging square. Then I fine tune the whole set up (feet first) to line up my putt to exactly where I want to hit it.

Earlier I used to aim, take my stance and stroke the putt. The difference now is that my putt seems much more repeatable and in fact feels very different to what used to be my earlier normal putt, in my case.

I understand that putting is very personal, but I find that my best puts are made when I am square and well balanced over the ball. Regardless of the alignment aids on my putter or the club my body angles and alignment dictate where that putter face is going to send the ball. I just make better putts when the focus is on my body. I trust my aim.

Regards

PS: I am no putting expert on others' putting strokes, but do you think a little more acceleration may also help with your putting? BTW, do you three putt because you miss the short putts? If so, short putts are all about the face angle, but I don't see that to be a problem with your video.

Edited by Staxxx
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The one thing that I found helped me a lot with alignment recently is a reversal of my previous process. I first take general aim, THEN I set up completely neutral and loose-limbed, dominant eye over the ball and make sure I am swinging square. Then I fine tune the whole set up (feet first) to line up my putt to exactly where I want to hit it.

Earlier I used to aim, take my stance and stroke the putt. The difference now is that my putt seems much more repeatable and in fact feels very different to what used to be my earlier normal putt, in my case.

I understand that putting is very personal, but I find that my best puts are made when I am square and well balanced over the ball. Regardless of the alignment aids on my putter or the club my body angles and alignment dictate where that putter face is going to send the ball. I just make better putts when the focus is on my body. I trust my aim.

Regards

PS: I am no putting expert on others' putting strokes, but do you think a little more acceleration may also help with your putting? BTW, do you three putt because you miss the short putts? If so, short putts are all about the face angle, but I don't see that to be a problem with your video.

When I do three puts maybe I misread the green a little. But my problem is ... I do not start the put where I want it to start.. And that has to do with the aim and not my stroke I'd say.. Maybe I should accelerate more :-) I try to be very calm even during the "follow through".. I never putted better in my life.. But the ones I miss is due to I do not aim where I know I should aim if that make sense? Of course some of them I aim correctly and I see the ball going where I thought it to be.. The shortputts I do not miss often - feel very secure.. If I miss .. I pull it to the left.. But aiming shortputts is easier than the longer ones as you know.. So I think I should try a new putter to see if I have an easier time seeing where I'm aiming.. Thats the reason for this thread - maybe someone went from Blade like you did Sir, and went to something different..

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Wedda, thanks for the input. Yes, of course, do try some other putters. It definitely worked for me.

Some people like to use the method of rolling over a point a few feet (or inches) away from the ball. It really does not work for me.

I actually like to see the whole putt, right into the hole. If I don't see that putt line right into the hole I do not hit the putt. I like to know or feel where that hole is and may glance at the hole before I stroke my putt, so that I am aware of where it is. Many people like to see the apex, it's not much more to see the putt into the hole from there.

Whatever you decide, it will take practice :) All the best !

BTW:

"But the ones I miss is due to I do not aim where I know I should aim if that make sense?"

I think that maybe concentrating on the right body alignment as mentioned in my earlier post will help you with this.

Another thing that I find throws my alignment off is when I don't return my head / eye to over the ball after I take aim or glace at the hole. I catch my head with a slight tilt towards the hole which I have to correct. Hope that helps.

Edited by Staxxx
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I find that the more upright my posture is.. The more square my stroke will be.. So I try to put the weight on my heels and standing as tall as I can.. Works really well =)

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I think you're on the right track. Check this guy out http://bargolfinstruction.blogspot.com/. It may be pretty technical seeming but it seems he really knows his stuff. He says getting the club aligned is only a part of the issue. A lot of people say it is a lot of stuff that influences square alignment - optics, neck, your way of standing, etc, etc.

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I got some easy check ups you can do. Have a friend standing between you when you align your putt and let him check if your head is behind, square or in front of the ball. You want to be square ofcourse,in other words, directely over the ball with your EYES.

Another check is not really for alignment but its a nice thing to check from time to time. You simply take your stance as if you would putt and then hold a ball over your LEFT eye and drop it. It should hit the ball on the ground. Please remove ur putter before dropping the ball so you dont hit it.

This practice is to make sure you hit the ball with top spin.

As I said, its nice to check from time to time.

Cheers lad

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Get one of those putting lasers. Slap it on, put a ball down and address it and aim toward a pretend hole. Then have someone take the ball away and see where the laser is pointed at on the wall. Some of those lasers you push a button to turn the laser on. You could be aimed left or right quite a bit. A lot of that has to do with the type of head u have and hosel type and the way your eyes see things. Theres no offset, half offset, full offset hosels. Eye dominance is a factor. Everyone will see things differently. Some like heel shafted hosels like Phil Mickelson. I feel like i am aiming left with these. Some like anser style like myself. Some like Zach Johnosn prefer center shafted. Some like mallet style. That's only the first part is aim. If you're aimed wrong no matter how straight your path is you're going to have a tougher time.

Then it's your stroke and path. Are you in to out. Out to in. SBST. SBand then arced. This will have an effect on how the ball rolls. The only really really way to know is do a fitting on SAM puttlab. I've done it twice and its an eye opening experience. But I'm of the new school data kind of guy - Trackman/flight scope spin rates and SAM puttlabs. You can tinker and change putters all you want but your money is better spent here and seeing the data.

Edited by 1dirtypanda
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Get one of those putting lasers. Slap it on, put a ball down and address it and aim toward a pretend hole. Then have someone take the ball away and see where the laser is pointed at on the wall. Some of those lasers you push a button to turn the laser on. You could be aimed left or right quite a bit. A lot of that has to do with the type of head u have and hosel type and the way your eyes see things. Theres no offset, half offset, full offset hosels. Eye dominance is a factor. Everyone will see things differently. Some like heel shafted hosels like Phil Mickelson. I feel like i am aiming left with these. Some like anser style like myself. Some like Zach Johnosn prefer center shafted. Some like mallet style. That's only the first part is aim. If you're aimed wrong no matter how straight your path is you're going to have a tougher time.

Then it's your stroke and path. Are you in to out. Out to in. SBST. SBand then arced. This will have an effect on how the ball rolls. The only really really way to know is do a fitting on SAM puttlab. I've done it twice and its an eye opening experience. But I'm of the new school data kind of guy - Trackman/flight scope spin rates and SAM puttlabs. You can tinker and change putters all you want but your money is better spent here and seeing the data.

Yeah my putting improved AMAZINGLY with the laser.. I got a putting mat at home and a mirror.. So I put the laser on the putter to see what kind of stroke will keep the laser at the hole for most of the time.. Keeping it like "stricker?" on the toe make it square throughout the whole stroke.. :)

I'm currently gaming a Miura 006 - nippon heavy flatso 1.0 - keeps the stroke pretty solid. :)

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