Where to look when putting?

[Darcy Tucker]

Putting seems to be the easiest part of golf but if you want to be good it sure isn't.

Anyways here is my dilema. I don't know where to look when putting. I don't feel comfortable just looking at the ball and trusting my alignment and then hitting the ball and hoping I'm on the right line. Even if I have a marked line on my ball.

WHere are you supposed to look?

In billiards....you are supposed to look at the cueball until you are in your backswing and then suddenly look at the object ball and release your cue. You do this because you already know you are going to hit the cue ball no matter what.

Is this the same in golf? I have no idea what the norm for putting is. Does anybody here look at their ball until they are in there backswing and then look at the hole as they hit the ball. (eyes on hole and not the ball as they make contact with the ball)? I desperately need help as putting is my nemesis in golf.

[em69]

I always trust my alignment and and look at the ball.
If your missing putts it may just be misreading the break.

[JimmyW]

IMO that doesn't work for me (looking at ball). I've tried looking at the ball on long putts and either end up ridiculously short or blowing it WAY by the hole. Then I tried looking at the hole on my foreswing (and practice swing too, to "see" the distance) and it worked quite well for distance. The only problem with that is now my alignment is off.

Solution for me: look half -way between ball and hole. If I'm not mistaken the object of the game is to make your long putts end up close to the hole, anything else is bonus.

JW
(Any instruction is to be used at your own risk!)

[faldo]

That MARKED LINE on your ball is an excellent start to a successful putt. Lining up that with the line that we find on 90% of all the various putters out there gets the ball & the putter lined up together. Of course, remember to line it up where you want the putt to go after "reading the green". Rarely is it directly at the back of the cup.

Now you try to line your-self up along the same line. BUT, do it by alinging yourself to the putter without moving it from the correct spot on the ball.

That classic tip about dropping a ball from your eye closest to the hole is still very, very correct. It should fall directly onto the ball on the green. When it does, you can be sure that your eye is actually "Seeing" what your mind is.

Keep that head down & try to resisting looking where the ball went as long as possible. Watch Tiger not even look-up on 30 footers. Go to a local practice green & listen for the sound of ten-footers hitting the bottom of the cup. It's awesome "seeing something with your ears".

The bottom line is the fewer moving parts is the ultimate goal. Rotating/lifting/moving your head/eyes/shoulders is to be avoided.

Hey, you got five cents worth.
Good luck

[nice_lag]

The higher your handicap, the better you deem yourself as an instructor. I'd have tons of advice for you () but I'll just say, good luck in your tribulations. Keep practicing. Steve gave me advice and that helped me a fair bit. It has already been put on this thread.

Good luck

[Darcy Tucker]

The higher your handicap, the better you deem yourself as an instructor. I'd have tons of advice for you () but I'll just say, good luck in your tribulations.

I don't understand what you are trying to say.

[nice_lag]

All I'm saying is that as a higher handicapper (14 and cents), I received tons of advice and could give you the same quantity. But I don't want to be responsible for future problems with your putting so I'm only going to wish you luck with you trying to fix your problem.

That's all

[el tigre]

nice lag:

I believe a handicap of 14 and change puts you squarely in the mid-handicapper range, my friend. IMHO, anyone who consistantly scores in the 80's is not a high handicapper.

As a TRUE high-handicapper (22 and cents), I hereby deem you EMINENTLY QUALIFIED to offer me all the advice I can possibly handle. Of course, I will problably ignore or forget 40% and do another 40% totally wrong, but hey - that's still a 20% improvement!!

[NoBack]

Only 2 things I really try to do while putting.

1) Read the putt first, and line the ball (or the line on the ball) with your intended line of putt. This will keep you square.

2) Now here's the key. Keep your eyes on the ball for at least 5 feet of roll. Then look at it. If you have a 4 foot putt, you should HEAR it before you see it.

Why do you have to watch your ball roll into the hole? Are you affraid of loosing it while on the green?

Thats the way I learned and I have shown many others this and it does work. Example is a buddy who tried it at the end of last year (a 22 handicap) and has been out twice this year and shot 86's both times, mostly because of his better putting.

This post will self destruct in 10 seconds. (as not to help anyone else that may take some of my $$$).

[Darcy Tucker]

Obviously steve's advice is good. You can even tell that that's what all the pros do. But this morning I went golfing and tried my new putting stroke. (Look at the ball until in the backswing and then look at the hole). It seemed very good for short putts and decent for longer ones. I don't know...obviously this might be a method I
probably should avoid but it kind of feels good. I agree with steve's statement about not looking at the ball once it's rolling but doesn't it make sense to not look at the ball as you are hitting it. Just like billiards?

[NoBack]

IMHO (I am NOT a golf teacher by any means)

If you tend to look at where the ball is going and you turn your head (and small parts of your neck, through your shoulders, down your arms, and to your hands) ....... would'nt that tend to make you pull / push putts out of line as your hands/arms never come back to where they were lined up???

I was tought to swing my putter like a pendulum. Not using my hands but mostly my shoulders. My arms are virtually stiff and used and extension to the club. Now getting the right feel is enetirely up to you. Distance and accruracy are something you get better with more rounds played.


(Remember one thing......... this works for me. It may not work for everyone.)

[JimmyW]

Or....
You could go like Se Ri Pak (I believe it's her) and close your eyes when putting. Says it's less distraction.

Why do you have to watch your ball roll into the hole? Are you affraid of losing it while on the green?

If that's the case you don't have to look at your ball your hitting either
Long story short: There's no real wrong way to hit a ball. IMO. If you want to tape a putter to your leg and waltz it across the green then be my guest

[em69]

Originally posted by Darcy Tucker
doesn't it make sense to not look at the ball as you are hitting it. Just like billiards?

I've played a lot (I mean a lot) of billiards in my time and the two cannot be compared.

In billiards you are essentially looking down your target line at the same level as the playing field while the cue call in yourline os site.

In golf, while putting, you have to turn your head (significantly in some cases) in order to see the hole or your target. And in fact your are not looking down your target line, you're actually looking at it and you end up losing track of your target line. It's a completely different perspective.

Hope that makes sense.

[mpare]

For what it's worth, here are my two cents. When lining up the ball, your eyes ought to be directly above the ball. This will improve your chances of seeing the line correctly. Once the line has been identified, trust your mechanics to effect a smooth and consistent stroke of the ball. A decelerating move will sound the death knell of any real chance to sink your putts with consistency. To cure the tendency to steer the putts along the intended line, inside 6 feet or so I personally prefer to close my eyes once I have taken my stance, identified the correct line and gotten a sense of the distance. Surprisingly, this works very nicely if your mechanics are reasonably good. Have fun!

[Andy4Par]

I too stand with eyes directly above ball, mark and line up ball along intended line, then I pick out a spot or mark on the green about a foot ahead of the ball and concentrate on this mark. Knowing that if I am aimed at this mark and judged the correct line, then its just a matter of speed. Speed = feel + practice divided by patience.

[Clutch]

Ok Stand Back!! My turn....

I was taught at the OAC to practise putting the ball by looking at your target, NOT the ball. This will give you a sense of feel and distance. Practise this often ... practise as well with your eyes closed for distance and feel (Tigre Woods)...(Of course you may want to adhere to all the fundamentals of putting, square to the target, no braking of the wrists...pendulum swing, etc).

Once you have established a sense of distance and feel, your practise swing will incorporate this techinique (i.e., your practise swing will be taken when you are looking at the target ). Then once you are set up over the ball, you will swing (while looking at the ball) with the same weight as you did with your practise swing.

Bottom line..... There is no one way to putt! What it boils down to is what works for you. If you are sinking them by looking down the target line or standing on your head, stick to it. Soon your buddies will start changing the way they putt. Just look at the variety of techniques on tour. You have cross handed, claw grip, long putters, belly putters, short putters, players that stand tall, players that hunch over.
Do what works best for YOU!

[em69]

Originally posted by Clutch
Bottom line..... There is no one way to putt! What it boils down to is what works for you. If you are sinking them by looking down the target line or standing on your head, stick to it. Soon your buddies will start changing the way they putt. Just look at the variety of techniques on tour. You have cross handed, claw grip, long putters, belly putters, short putters, players that stand tall, players that hunch over.
Do what works best for YOU!

Different styles yes...but all the pros look at the ball when they putt.

[NoBack]

I was taught at the OAC to practise putting the ball by looking at your target, NOT the ball. This will give you a sense of feel and distance

what happens when you have a 40 ft on a side hill and have to look 20 feet left or right of the hole????

Do what works best for YOU!

This I agree with 100 % on the grip and the set up.

[Clutch]

what happens when you have a 40 ft on a side hill and have to look 20 feet left or right of the hole????

Dunno Steve. . perhaps use the "close your eye's technique".
Never had to aim 20 ft left or right of a 40 ft putt. I'm sure Dave Pelz would know.

Perhaps I should have said "practise putting the ball by looking down your target line" .

Anyway...that's the way I was taught DT. I'm not advocating that it's right . It's just one technique out of many. The technique has improved my putting.

[Andru]

Look where ever you like. As long as it helps you get the ball in the hole!

[fireice]

Look where ever you like. As long as it helps you get the ball in the hole!

No kidding
For me I just pick my line, get proper alignment, look at the ball then my line, then back to the ball and let it go.