How long did it take you to find your putting stroke?

[azplaya25]

Assuming you've found it...how long did it take you to find your stock putting stroke. Say you have a wide open look at the basket from 15 feet away...how long did it take you to dial in that stroke? Just curious...

 

[jakebake91]

I had settled into a comfortable stroke after about 6 months of play. I was an "ok" putter, especially given the lack of practice I would put in. However, a few years later I've totally switched things up. Went from a stagger stance to a straddle. My percentages aren't too much different on regular putts, but my misses aren't as bad, and it's easier for me to keep the disc on a line. And I've also found that obstructed putts are easier now too because my "normal" stance is a straddle.

If I'd actually try to practice more, I feel like I have the ability now to putt as good as I ever have.

 

[ray1970]

Since I'm still sketchy beyond 20' my putting form is still evolving. It's mostly just just small things that I've been trying to dial in at this point.

I would say I really experimented trying to dial it in for about a year when I first started playing before I was somewhat consistent and comfortable.

 

[Horsman]

Probably took me 3-4 years to find my putt

 

[azplaya25]

Probably took me 3-4 years to find my putt

Really appreciate that response. I'm almost a year in, practice all the time, and still don't have a putting stroke I'm super confident in

 

[autocrosscrx]

I was stuffing 15 footers pretty much immediately. But that was really the extent of my range for the first 2-3 years. I changed form to add range and it worked, but a lot of days, I just can't get comfortable with the disc coming out of my hand. So just this weekend, I started trying to build something close to Adam Hammes's putting motion.

 

[aphilso1]

I had settled into a comfortable stroke after about 6 months of play. I was an "ok" putter, especially given the lack of practice I would put in. However, a few years later I've totally switched things up. Went from a stagger stance to a straddle. My percentages aren't too much different on regular putts, but my misses aren't as bad, and it's easier for me to keep the disc on a line. And I've also found that obstructed putts are easier now too because my "normal" stance is a straddle.

If I'd actually try to practice more, I feel like I have the ability now to putt as good as I ever have.

Pretty much the same for me. I started off putting in mostly windy conditions, so learned to putt hard and to control nose angles. And now that I mostly play in calm conditions, I found that my misses were longer than they needed to be, and manipulating nose angles led to at least one infuriating short miss per round. I decided to add a straddle putt for inside 20' this past summer to simplify my motion on the short ones. My comfort zone for straddle putts has expanded to around 35'-40' now.

Result?
I'm about 7% better in C1x, and 2% worse in C2. There's a tradeoff to any putting motion, and the downside is getting less power out of the circle. But overall I'm putting better so I'm OK with that tradeoff.

 

[Horsman]

Really appreciate that response. I'm almost a year in, practice all the time, and still don't have a putting stroke I'm super confident in

Yea, I think the options in the poll are a bit to short in time. I went thru many different putting styles, grips and putters until I settled into what I use now. I still change up what I do slightly every once and a while.

 

[BillFleming]

Almost 2 years and 3 different putters. I had a basket in my backyard and I marked off 20 feet; which was/is my target for consistency. Tried the Innova XT Nova, DiscMania P2, and the Legacy Clutch. I've stuck with the Legacy Clutch. I've also tried different putting styles and have a "splush" style similar to Eagle's where I bring the disc below my waist with the flight plate facing the basket. So far that disc/putt combination has bee the most consistent and accurate for me.

But my BIGGEST issue with putting has been focus. I tend to shift my focus in the middle of my putt and my disc goes where I look. In one of my first tournaments, I missed a "drop in" putt. I was a foot from the basket, all I needed to do was drop the disc in the tray. I held the disc vertically and as I went to drop it, someone said something and I partially turned my body as I let go of the disc. The body turn was just enough to pull my shoulder and arm offline and the disc dropped just outside the tray. I am doing my best to keep my focus on the target until the disc is in the tray.

 

[Moose33]

It took me several years, I didn't really have it down until I did an article for Ultiworld a few years ago breaking down Ricky's putt. Mimicking what I saw from his putt during worlds I was able to find a reliable stroke.

Though I don't think I became a decent putter until switching to a less stable putter about 18 months after that.

 

[Tomphoolery]

Putting came naturally to me. Definitely within 6 months I was reliably making 15 footers. However, I have had to grind my ass off just to get a reliable 300ft drive.

 

[Flick Maniac]

You mean this time?

Honestly, in the ~10 years I have played, I went from putting with a Valkyrie, to spin putting, to Feldberg-eqsue putting, to straddle putting to Ricky style putting (which I guess is kinda back to Feldberg in a way at least in my thinking). This time I think I am set. Bad days and good days and all but I'm not thinking about changing at least.

Even so, I feel like you ought to have your main stroke and have at least a reasonable command of all the other styles too because sometimes the situation calls for them.

 

[BeRReGoN]

I'm quite bored these days, it's cold outside and there's a lot of snow so I didn't play for a month at least and very few outdoor practice. So I practice putting indoor a lot and try new things. Now, I've forgotten how I was putting before!

 

[B The V]

I probably started finding my rhythm with putting after 2 or 3 years, but started building confidence by practicing shorter putts. It's easy to grab a stack and try to will your discs into the basket at 30-35 feet, but I feel that is teaching you to miss. I started practicing shorter putts (15-25 feet) consistently and my confidence at 30+ has improved along with my make percentage. Don't get me wrong, I still think practicing at distance is a good thing, but the shorter inside the circle putts should be mastered first.

 

[raceface59]

Having only been playing since last September, I don't even remotely have everything figured out, but one of the more experienced employees at our local disc store told me that if putts don't seem to be going your way on a particular day, then try putting as if you don't really care whether it goes in or not. The weird thing is, depending on given variables, there's kind of some merit to it. Just walk up and throw the damned thing into the chains.

 

[Ryan P.]

Assuming you've found it...how long did it take you to find your stock putting stroke. Say you have a wide open look at the basket from 15 feet away...how long did it take you to dial in that stroke? Just curious...

I found it pretty quickly, possibly due to my lifelong love of discs before discovering disc golf (within a month?). I'm chipping into the conversation for some other thoughts.

1. I am continually modifying/fixing my putting stroke
2. I've found mistakes that I'm making (either new mistakes or bad habits I fell back into) frequently
3. It took me 13 years to figure out what to do with long putts (ones where I couldn't get the disc to the basket with my normal putting stroke), and I'm still figuring that out 15+ years after starting to play.

So with that said, I think it depends on how much background you have in similar actions. If you have less experience throwing discs/doing similar things, it'd probably take longer.

Also, if you have little experience throwing things like a disc, it might take longer, but you can probably build your form a little better.

 

[Lurp Nuts]

Option 5: I've been playing this game for over a decade and still can't putt.

I've earnestly tried everything in the book, but my newest style is just as inconsistent as the first. Some days it seems like my putter can't touch the ground, then the next week it can't touch the basket.

 

[Casey 1988]

The last one due if you take out the time I stopped after starting in 2003-2009 stop to 2015 then in 2014-2015 not fully playing in 2014 but really 2015 and found 90% of the stroke I use now I took that long 6-7 years. The first I had would be if I used an Aero or a Rubber Putter or similar disc is the straddle putt and using a normal throw with hands as well as tried the Approach Wizard with a more standard putt but the mold ended up for a while my approach disc instead, then second came from using the Putt'r a crap form of Feet together basketball free throw style of putt with no arc but straight forward and used very well when switching to a Magnet in 2006, and last was the working in 2014-2019 on the putt I have now just adding little bits for longer distance and better control.

 

[wellsbranch250]

I'm not sure what's constitutes "find your putting stroke", but my putting ability somewhat plateaued at around year 4 of 7. For the last 3 year's I've only seen mini peaks and valley's in my ability. I went through 4 putting disc changes in the first 3.5 years, finally settling on a classic blend Judge. So anyways, none of those options work for me.

 

[elmexdela]

back when i was practicing indoors and outdoors i could putt lights out from 30ft

now im happy to hit 15fters

it took at least a year of practice to gain it and months of not practicing to lose it