Breaking the 20 foot barrier

[jenb]

I find I can work my putting up in a typical session to basically 100% at 10 feet, 12.5 feet, 15 feet, and 17.5 feet, but as soon as I step back to 20 feet my putting drops to about 50% or maybe 66% on a good day.

What's the best way to break that barrier: putt a lot from 17.5 feet, or putt a lot from 20 feet? Something else?

 

[gdub58]

When you get to that distance where you start to miss, is there a consistency to your misses (low, right, etc.)?

 

[freezermink]

i'm willing to bet that a large part of that is unnecessarily mental. in the case that you're measuring up to 2.5 ft increments, are you aware when you get to the 20ft mark? if so, the mechanics, setup and throw between 17.5 and 20 feet must be so similar that it seems like it would be all in your head. i have the same issue when it comes to uphill putts. level and downhill putts for me even up to 30-40ft are very mechanical for me mentally (even though i'm no good at that distance). i have confidence in that situation and it leads to more aggressive putts and ultimately more successful putts. uphill putts mess with me and i'm usually tentative and all over the place, even at 15-20ft.

my suggestion would be to forget the tape measure for a bit so you're not conscious of that 20ft mark and focus on your setup/form/follow through.

 

[BrotherDave]

Stop practicing putts from specific distances. Every putt during a round is unique so randomize your practice putts.

As far as percentages falling hard at certain distances, making sure your putting motion is natural and you're not exerting or straining. You may have to alter your stance to allow for more weight shift or start playing the fade or whatever. Tinker with it and see what seems most successful. But it's gotta be natural.

 

[General Scales]

Best advice I've ever heard when it comes to making putts from distance is that the putt should feel no different from 10 feet as it should feel at 40 feet. It's the same mechanics just a little more push or spin.

In all honesty to get better at distance putting is to stop thinking about the distance and just focus on the three most important facts of putting. Focus on the target, do your routine, putt through the chains not to them. I swear, soon 20 footers seem like 10 footers if you can just keep those three things consistent in every putt.

 

[timj5304]

I agree, always take all putts serious. I make sure to make my routine pretty fast, never more than 5 seconds, I go up and down sizing the basket up 2 times no matter the distance and then go. I realized the longer I waited the more nervous I would get and miss more.

 

[rocthecourse]

One thing you could try is throwing harder putts in the 10-15' area.

You should look into eye dominance. I am right handed but left eye dominant and it's not a good thing for putting, at least in my opinion.

http://www.wikihow.com/Determine-Your-Dominant-Eye

 

[jenb]

I've suspected there's some mental aspect to it. I always know when I reach the 20 foot mark in my house because it is the farthest distance I can reach inside where I have my skill shot set up. That's how I know when I'm at 20 feet versus any other distance.

Also, when I start missing at 20 feet, I can't just step back in and start making putts again. I usually have to go all the way back to 10 or 12 feet and work it back up.

Outdoors, I have other baskets and I have used the drill Nikko teaches with the line of putters on the ground every couple of feet, starting at 10 feet and going outside the circle. When I miss, I start over. I used to keep going until I could make it to the edge of the circle, and then go to the next station and do four corners that way in the wind, but it takes too long, and I miss out on developing other skills, so I haven't done that drill in a while. With that drill, I find there are times I can just run it, and other times I start missing at 15 feet pretty consistently. It just seems to depend on the day.

 

[DiscGolfMaster]

My best practice for putting is just playing a round. Because each putt is totally different and I learn alot from my misses and makes.

How many different putters have you tried? Putting has always been a struggle for me, but recently I purchased a Disc craft soft banger gt and my putting has improved greatly. That disc feels so good in my hand. I now make most of my putts within 30ft (not magically of course, I practiced alot with it) and I'm working on a good step putt throw for beyond that at the moment.

It sounds dumb, but when I putt, I hold the disc vertical to my target, and as I'm pulling it back I straighten it out and throw it. Somehow it helps me release the disc at a slight anhyzer, so slight it makes the disc look like it flies straighter for longer than it should.

Anyway, thats what helps me. A soft banger gt and a dumb throw haha, you should try it .

 

[craftsman]

Focus on weight shift at the hip and/or keeping your chin up.

 

[Royal Hill]

I'd like to recommend Kyle Crabtrees putting article in a recent back issue of disc golfer magazine. Spring 2012. He's definitely in the weight shift category for style. He talks about how he does the same weight shift motion yet slides his visual target to compensate for distance. Scott Papa also has a putting article coincidentally in the same article to boot.

I've played my share of rounds with both Kyle and Scott, but I'd recommend Kyle's style based on your self description of troubles at the 20 something range, since its so focused on lower body.

 

[jenb]

My best practice for putting is just playing a round. Because each putt is totally different and I learn alot from my misses and makes.

How many different putters have you tried? Putting has always been a struggle for me, but recently I purchased a Disc craft soft banger gt and my putting has improved greatly. That disc feels so good in my hand. I now make most of my putts within 30ft (not magically of course, I practiced alot with it) and I'm working on a good step putt throw for beyond that at the moment.

It sounds dumb, but when I putt, I hold the disc vertical to my target, and as I'm pulling it back I straighten it out and throw it. Somehow it helps me release the disc at a slight anhyzer, so slight it makes the disc look like it flies straighter for longer than it should.

Anyway, thats what helps me. A soft banger gt and a dumb throw haha, you should try it .

I've tried all the innova, discraft, and gateway putters, plus the ion and titanic.

What you're describing about how you putt sounds similar to what I've been doing recently, since I switched to the wizard, but it's more of a 45 degree angle, and the straightening occurs on the forward motion. Basically just copying Doss and Anthon, etc. I like the simplicity of the putting style. There's a lot less agonizing over a million tiny details. I've also been picking a link to aim at lately, instead of just the basket or flight path. Again, it's just simple. And when I'm warming up, I can stand close and just focus on hitting the same link over and over again, before moving out. Seeing as how I've changed my putting style so drastically lately, I guess I need to give it some time. But that 200 foot barrier seems to be there no matter what I do.

 

[knettles]

The tip that made a huge improvement in my putting was to not focus too intently on the putt. When I would focus too much, my putting motion would slow down. When my putting motion slows down, my accuracy is off. I step up, know what I have to do, pull the disc back, and make a quick (not hard) putt. As long as I remember that quick motion, my putts are usually ok.

 

[Monkeypaws]

Lots of good advice here.

Every round is a practice round to me, so I feel no pressure on putts, and make a few good ones. I believe that mental is certainly 80% of that game, and the harder you try, the more you will fail.

It's a game, have fun, i.e. relax and just bang it in.

 

[TalbotTrojan]

For me it is when I move from 20 ft to 25 ft. And there are times when even from 30 ft I will hit 80% or more. I think a large part is mental. I bigger part is comfort. Work on consistency in your form, and know where your aim point is the further back you go. This will take some practice and adjusting as you learn your game. When I get to that putt in a round, I need to know that my form is going to be the same as when I practiced and I need to know that I am aiming at the right point to put the right height and power into the shot so that it will go in. I the round I played today, I started out putting horribly becuase I did practice putts beforehand. But once I got things dialed in, it was hard to miss. If you develop your form and get the feel down for your aim point, the comfort will go up.

To go a bit deeper on form, are you consistently throwing the same shot every putt. I found that when I held my disc out in front of me, then brought it down and back up as my putting motion, I would bring the disc down to slightly different spots every time. So, start with the disc already down in the same spot every time and you eliminate one place for potential error. It is the same basic theory of making sure you set your feet in the exact same way oriented to the basket in exactly the same way every time. If you need to develop your form, work on being consistent with how you throw the disc every time and practice like you would playing a round, set up for every putt, go through the entire routine from feet to head to throw. If putts go in great, if not oh well, but did you do the same thing as last time, if yes, then good.

One last thought for helping make this all work, Body Awareness.

 

[gknmnstr]

For me putting is all mental. What I have found works is just putting the putts that put me off until the become familiar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-FF-0Dwydk

 

[Kp0c]

My best practice for putting is just playing a round. Because each putt is totally different and I learn alot from my misses and makes.

How many different putters have you tried? Putting has always been a struggle for me, but recently I purchased a Disc craft soft banger gt and my putting has improved greatly. That disc feels so good in my hand. I now make most of my putts within 30ft (not magically of course, I practiced alot with it) and I'm working on a good step putt throw for beyond that at the moment.

It sounds dumb, but when I putt, I hold the disc vertical to my target, and as I'm pulling it back I straighten it out and throw it. Somehow it helps me release the disc at a slight anhyzer, so slight it makes the disc look like it flies straighter for longer than it should.

Anyway, thats what helps me. A soft banger gt and a dumb throw haha, you should try it .

Just like Nate Doss?

 

[Kp0c]

I've tried all the innova, discraft, and gateway putters, plus the ion and titanic.

What you're describing about how you putt sounds similar to what I've been doing recently, since I switched to the wizard, but it's more of a 45 degree angle, and the straightening occurs on the forward motion. Basically just copying Doss and Anthon, etc. I like the simplicity of the putting style. There's a lot less agonizing over a million tiny details. I've also been picking a link to aim at lately, instead of just the basket or flight path. Again, it's just simple. And when I'm warming up, I can stand close and just focus on hitting the same link over and over again, before moving out. Seeing as how I've changed my putting style so drastically lately, I guess I need to give it some time. But that 200 foot barrier seems to be there no matter what I do.

When I practice, I see a very pronounce amelioration when I focus on a link too. However, I also never take my eyes off the link until me disc reach the basket. Through my entire putting motion, never do my eyes change target. I don't watch my arm follow through and more importantly, I don't even seem to notice my disc fly, I just watch the link I'm aiming at. I'm pretty much telling my brain to find a way to get the disc there cause there isn't another choice! Not sure if it all makes sense, but it drastically changed my putting game.

 

[Kp0c]

A nice long follow through is absolutly crucial as well. My arm reaches as far as it can to the basket.

 

[notBOB]

paint the pole, eliminating left and right. keep a strict north south, focus on that one link and BAM! nothin but chains