If anything ever drives me away from this sport, it will be putting

[Boneman]

You guys are going to have to bear with me on this, because I just have to rant and get it off my chest.

My game has been coming along slowly but steadily over the past months. I'm getting better at shaping shots, my drives are going 250 on a regular basis (which may not sound like much in these parts, but for me is huge considering where I was 6 months ago), and my accuracy is showing me enough to keep me encouraged.

The problems start when I get to the basket. And I'm not talking the edge of the circle here. These are 10 foot putts that I'm missing. And not just on occasion, but at the rate of about 3 of every 4 that either scoot right or left. They don't even have a chance. I seriously have no idea what the disc is going to do once it leaves my hand, so it makes it very difficult to even know what to adjust. I just can't get a feel. It's bordering on embarrassing.

I don't have a practice basket, but I do have a favorite tree in the backyard that I will practice on from time to time. I just pick a spot on the trunk about 5 feet up and try to hit it from about 12 feet. Some days I'll come away from these practice sessions encouraged, but then I get on the course and its like I have a disability. I've watched video after video, and tried every technique I can find, but to no avail. For all the technical aspects of putting, it ultimately comes down to feel, and I have none.

Anyway, I just had to spew that out. Like anything we do for fun, part of the joy of doing these things is tied to how good we can be at it, and for me the putting is sucking a lot of that joy out of the game for me. While I don't expect to ever compete at the tournament level, I don't think it's too much to expect to make the occasional 10-footer, is it?

Somebody throw me a bone here. And thanks for letting me get it off my chest.

P.S. Can you tell I just came off the course?

 

[mattc]

switch to turbo putts

 

[Halcón]

I gaurantee you're overthinking it. Less mind.

 

[tampora]

It sounds like your 5ft putts are no problem.

Do a fair number of putts at close range that don't challenge you at all. Then, instead of moving out to where they do challenge you, move out just a hair, so it feels like you haven't moved.

Repeat ad nauseam.

 

[knettles]

You said you often miss left or right. Oftentimes people who spin putt or "throw" instead of actually putting have a higher chance of missing left or right while push putters have a higher chance of missing up or down. So, how are you putting? Standing sideways, facing the basket, straddle stance, staggered stance, does the disc spin alot, not spin alot?

Putting can be incredibly different from player to player, so there are alot of intricacies to work out. All of these details can be important. But with input from others and practicing different types of putting, you can definitely improve. I'd also say to at least build your own basket. The tree may seem the same, but it isn't. Your mind knows the difference.

 

[banknwank]

10 footers are only a7ft foot shot by the time you lean in and extend your arm......can still be missed, but should only happen every once in a while due to lack of focus or maybe conditions. There has to be some technique issues, as well as the fact that you are mentally defeated at this point. Watch some vids and experiment with different techniques till you find one that feels good. Then , dial it in. Push, spin, hyzer, straddle, lob......... The more motion you take out of your putting stroke, the more consistent it will be. I lob/ straddle putt. And can turbo putt when it's needed. Keep arm straight and don't bend the elbow, minimal wrist action to keep left to right in check. It's kind like lobbing a phone book onto the counter or reaching out for a hand shake. I start missing to the right if I bend elbow and wrist too much. I will kind of jerk the putt to the right.......anyway, find style that feels best and throw a lot of putts. You'll find your tendencies , have a better feel and get confident in ten, fifteen, twenty.........:thmbup:

 

[DiscJunkie]

My son only plays occasionally, so he tends to take shortcuts that are not good long-term solutions, but help him enjoy the game.
One of those shortcuts is to put with the disc in vertical orientation. Again, not a good long-term solution, but he makes most putts inside 10-12ft, and it shouldn't go right or left.

The long-term solution?
Get a practice basket (In-Step baskets can often be found for $70-$80 shipped) and practice. A lot of good advice in previous posts. No magic bullet or technique, just time and repitition.

 

[Cgkdisc]

Putt to a willing person for practice. Something I've found can help is imagining the basket as a person where you are trying to toss the disc to make it easy for them to catch.

 

[pmatt1969]

Pick a specific spot in the basket to aim for. Mine changes the farther back I get. I find the putting is the hardest part of the game, so don't get discouraged. Think about relaxing you arm. The more relaxed my arm is, the more I make.

 

[Smigles]

Practicing on trees is almost useless. There are many factors on baskets that dont come into play on trees at all.

Get to the course early and put in a 30 minutes practice session. Or go to the course just for putting practice.

edit : and yeah. putting is the endless story of the game. everybody has it in the head. all the time. Dont let it get you down

 

[johnnyfoodstamp]

Putting is the one aspect of the game that I refuse to take any advice on. It's all about the mojo man. Just get a routine and do your routine and make the putt. Pick a single chain link and just slam that bastard with the putter like you were Ron Russell.

 

[Magicweed]

The thing that helped me most was making my motion more efficient and practicing on a basket from a very short distance. Go to a practice basket and just putt from a distance where you can make putts constantly. Do that for a few practice sessions and then take a step back. Set a goal of making 20, 30, 50 in a row. Once you make that number in a row, move back a little further and shoot for the same goal. You can't do anything about the basket spitting out a solid putt, but if you're hitting the chains solid every single time it builds confidence. As you're moving back, if you find yourself missing putts from a distance that you would normally hit a bunch from, don't be afraid to move in a little bit until you start smashing chains again. The important thing is to build the repetition of the motion and increase your confidence. I see a lot of people practicing putts from distances where they miss more than they make, even before the tournament, and I never understand why. I can see practicing a circles edge putt, or a jump putt after your main putting practice, just to get familiar with the feel. However, if I'm starting a tourney round the last thing I want to do is start the round after missing 25 of my 30 practice putts because I was outside my comfort zone. That's just asking to mess with your head.

 

[grotto]

over thinking over the putt will kill you. Putt the way you practice. If you hold another disc in your off hand when you practice, do it when it counts. If when you're practicing a putt takes 3 seconds, do the same when you play.

Today I had a 15ft putt for par, no big deal I thought, but I missed it because I had that moment of "calm down and think it through" before I let it fly. I was so pissed that I missed it that one by one I unloaded my bag on the basket, just bent down, picked one after the other and tossed them. I made them all, 13 including my Wraith and Valkyrie!

 

[Nasty Nate]

I 100% agree with what people are saying about over-thinking your putt. Whenever I start thinking about my shot I always mess it up. You must be zen and just do it. To quote Bruce Lee, "Don't think. Feel." The mental part of the game definitely affects your performance. Sometimes I start thinking about things that are stressing me and then my game goes down the toilet. It's hard to keep your mind clear all the time but if you can do it then your shots will greatly improve.

Also keep your arm straight on line with the pole and release the disc straight in front of you

 

[eegor]

Only take your putter(s) to the course. Practice putting through the chains. Before putting (with any style) see the disc flying through the chains and post in your mind. When you can "see it", execute the shot.

Never putt if you're not concentrating. Not even in practice or just BSing with friends. Putting is THE serious part of the game. Be serious about it and you will putt better. Putting is 99.4% mental.

 

[RFrance]

I've only been playing a year but I can clearly remember when I started and getting the "yips" staring at a 6 or 7 footer. I had increased success both with different styles and different putters. Turbo putting seemed to work pretty good (there are videos out there on YouTube) for a while. I also went through a phase of push putting and a variation of the straddle putt. Also, I found the Birdie to be a beginner friendly putter.

Just now I've returned back to a spin putting with a Soft Magnet and my confidence is building with everything pretty solid at 15 feet and 50/50 at 20 feet.

Like everyone is saying practice is the key. I built a "target basket" with PVC and netting and this has helped a lot. Of course a real basket is best but they can be noisy (the neighbors are close by) and heavy to move when you have to mow. Putting is the easiest way to bring your score down so that is where I'll be focusing as I start my second year of DG.

 

[Ace of Fades]

Follow Through

When i practice putting, i go to a local course and find a nice open hole. Throw 3-4 drivers and putt from each and every disc i threw. If i miss an easy putt (8-12 ft) i make myself make that shot 2 times for every miss. I've racked it up to 9 putts needed before i could leave that spot. I tend to go on non-busy days, like weekday mornings, so i don't have to worry about as many other golfers. If they do come through i let them play through.

It sounds like what you need to work on is following through. This is, BY FAR, the most important aspect of ANY sport that uses an object for the game. Baseball, basketball, football, golf, disc golf, etc... following through is vital for success. Paint the pole with your disk when your setting up for your putt and then just follow through. Make sure that putter is parallel to the ground, and your set. They will fall every time from 10 ft out.

Hope this helps!

 

[Anon]

As you can see OP.... you aren't alone in this battle.

There are days where my putting makes me want to throw my entire bag into a river.

There are days where I feel like McBeth (granted... at his worst).

 

[johnnyfoodstamp]

When i practice putting, i go to a local course and find a nice open hole. Throw 3-4 drivers and putt from each and every disc i threw. If i miss an easy putt (8-12 ft) i make myself make that shot 2 times for every miss. I've racked it up to 9 putts needed before i could leave that spot. I tend to go on non-busy days, like weekday mornings, so i don't have to worry about as many other golfers. If they do come through i let them play through.

It sounds like what you need to work on is following through. This is, BY FAR, the most important aspect of ANY sport that uses an object for the game. Baseball, basketball, football, golf, disc golf, etc... following through is vital for success. Paint the pole with your disk when your setting up for your putt and then just follow through. Make sure that putter is parallel to the ground, and your set. They will fall every time from 10 ft out.

Hope this helps!

Sooooo.. you're that guy.... :doh::doh::clap::|

 

[boomerboom]

Everything I've read so far is great advice. The thing that helped me the most and what I should've done early on is to get a practice basket and a stack of putters. In the winter I practice putt 20 minutes or so every night and I can usually always see results on the course. You'll have good days and bad but that's what made the biggest difference for me.