How to "build" my putting stroke?

[hanger129]

I bought a basket about 2 weeks ago so that I could practice building a consistent putting stroke. In that 2 weeks, I've failed to make 9 putts in a row from 15 feet despite my attempts to be consistent. I know the kind of putting stroke I want, but I'm struggling with specific aspects of it.

I prefer to have a forward stance that rocks back to forward. I also prefer spin putting, but I struggle to get a consistent amount of spin. I also have trouble with a consistent vertical release point and distance control. I don't want a lofty putt, but instead one that drills nicely into the basket.

Are there any resources out there that address these specific aspects? Most everything I read simply harps on "consistency is key". Obviously that's true, but I'm looking for something other than repetition to improve.

 

[klodkrawler05]

I know it's common for driving practice but it may be worth video taping yourself so you can see the putt. Try to identify differences between what you do on a putt that you make vs one you miss. Maybe also look at how you miss from that range. Do you tend to hit high/low left/right etc. might simply be a matter of adjusting your aim a bit.
Personally on close distances I know my common misses from up close tend to be due to not using my entire putting motion. I.E. not following through with my hand or not pushing off my back leg. Once I figured that out and started making sure I use the same motions I do for 20-25' putts my accuracy up close got better.

 

[lines]

Bend your knees.

 

[ru4por]

"Just tap it in. Just tap it in. Give it a little tappy. Tap Tap Taparoo."

— Happy Gilmore

 

[wolfhaley]

Bend your knees.

This is good advice.

 

[ray1970]

While there seems to be some things common with a standard throw sort of across the board with a majority of players, putting strokes seem to really be a personal thing and you might just have to figure out what works best for you.

I started out pretty much push putting and then kind of went to a spush putt (part lush, part spin) and lately I've been really working on being more of a spin putter.

There are a bunch of videos on YouTube from many of the pro players explaining how they putt and why they use their particular style. You might watch some of them and see if there is anything you can pick up on that helps you out.

My only advice is don't focus on the basket. People say to focus on one of the chain links but I don't have that kind of vision anymore. I focus on the pole and it works okay for me. Aim small, miss small.

 

[BeRReGoN]

I think from 15 feet, it takes very little power to get to the basket but you need to be relax and smooth. It start with grip pressure, if you hold it toot tight you will feel you need to putt unnecessary energy even for a putt that you want to drill in.

I did a short video a while ago for someone else, I'm about 17-18' from the basket, it's not really my putting routine I was just trying to show that it doesn't take much to putt from 15 feet even 25 feet and that big arm bending or unbending movement isn't necessary.

 

[BeRReGoN]

Messed up the link: https://imgur.com/a/7KseQ8f

Maybe it could help.

 

[Jovomagic]

I think Scott Stokely has a nice short video about what points to pay attention to:



In my opinion, the Ricky Wysocki & Paige Pierce Putting Clinic series from Dynamic Discs is one of the best content available. They truly describe key points to develop a consistent putt, no matter what the type.

Spoiler

Part 1:


Part 2:


Part 3:

I also had a little journey to find my putting stroke. And for me, an important thing to mention is, that I came to the point, where I don't anymore do(or try to do) the putt I prefered to have instead of doing the putt which works best for me. Believe me, this doesn't have to be the same.

I also started out with a picture in my head of how the perfect putt has to fly and how I would execute that. In the beginning that was some kind of spin putt. But in the end it never became a consistend putt.
At some point not too long ago I started mimicing putting motions from the players on tour and found the McBeth way of putting would be the right way for me. It felt really good and I hit many putts with it.
In the last months with more time at home to practice, I realized, that this kind of putting works really good for me with shorter distances inside 25ft. But when it got over this barrier, there was a significant drop in the hit rate. (Sure, putting indoors, at home has a distance limit anyway, at least at my home. Walls an doorframes come into play and at a certain point theres no repeatable line to putt.) Fortunately, you can take the basket outside...
So I remembered that I got some good speed on the disc when I tested the Ricky motion, bringing more lower body power into the game. Tested it out again and for the putts inside this barrier there where no differences to the McBeth style. But outside that, I had much better putts and much better control over the speed of the disc and the length of my putts. So for now this is the way I putt but who knows if this is the end of the journey.

To make a long story short: What comes to your mind at the beginning may not be the best way for you to consistently make putts.

...and in my opinion it's even more important not to get stuck on it just because you "want" to, but to keep an open mind and even if you end up putting backwards through your legs, if you sink over 80% with it...who cares.

 

[Rastnav]

As a fellow noob, I think I know the thing that prevented me from being accurate at all was a very nose up angle, and the thing that prevents me from being consistent at close distance is losing focus, or not focusing to being with.

But, that said, one of the things I think can be hard is to actually correctly execute your "max" distance form when putting from closer. If I'm putting from 10 feet and try and putt like I do from 25 (about the edge of where I feel comfortable that I "should" make a putt, right now), that may end up hilariously bad. I won't get any weight transfer, or I won't actually follow through, or I will early release the disc with no power, etc.

It's interesting to see the pros go through their full routine from 10 or 15 feet, and the putt goes screaming into the basket about an inch over the rim. I imagine because putting that much power in the putt from that close will spit the disc out if you hit middle of chains.

Sorry if this isn't applicable to you, OP. Or if I'm speaking out of turn. And of course, I could be totally barking up the wrong tree.

 

[Rastnav]

Oh, and if you aren't practicing from longer distances than 15, that is what improved my short putts the most. If you are just trying to "perfect" 15 foot before moving on, I think that leads to some bad habits. Again, just my $0.02.

 

[BuzzzChief]

I was a crappy putter for years. I now consider myself a halfway decent putter. What changed it for me was seeing myself on video. I realized that my putting motion had way too many moving pieces. The disc was going down, around, back up, forward, all over the place. No surprise that the release was inconsistent. It's probably the case for you too.

I re-built my whole stroke to focus on just a couple moving pieces. Elbow angle relatively locked. The arm swings down and back up, keeping the disc in a straight line to the basket. No other weird side-to-side motions. When it swings back up I push with my back leg. Pop the disc off my fingers at the end of the stroke. Try to stay relaxed. If you want a spin putt then just use a little more pre-loading of the wrist and spin it off your fingers at the end. Don't whip it around to generate spin.

Watch Eagle's putt, it's a similar motion to what I'm describing. Not a lot of elbow movement. Arm goes down and back up, with a back leg push at the end. He really flicks it with his wrist & fingers at the end of the stroke to get it spinning.

 

[BillFleming]

A couple of issues I found in my putting that are causing misses....

1. lack of focus. I will line up my putt and focus on a chain, but as I release the disc, I look "away". I might drop my eyes or look to the side. That causes a miss. I'm working on keeping my point of focus until the disc is in the basket.

2. not taking every putt seriously. If I'm practicing and making multiple throws, sometimes I figure I've got it and just throw without thinking about it - I figure the throw will be same as the previous ones that went in. Nope. I'm working on making every putt as though a tournament was on the line. It doesn't matter if it is my 100th putt from the same spot (practicing) or a 'drop/tap in' putt. Every single one needs treated as though it is utterly important to make it.

 

[mostlynorwegian]

I bought a basket about 2 weeks ago so that I could practice building a consistent putting stroke. In that 2 weeks, I've failed to make 9 putts in a row from 15 feet despite my attempts to be consistent. I know the kind of putting stroke I want, but I'm struggling with specific aspects of it.

I prefer to have a forward stance that rocks back to forward. I also prefer spin putting, but I struggle to get a consistent amount of spin. I also have trouble with a consistent vertical release point and distance control. I don't want a lofty putt, but instead one that drills nicely into the basket.

Are there any resources out there that address these specific aspects? Most everything I read simply harps on "consistency is key". Obviously that's true, but I'm looking for something other than repetition to improve.

Just gonna pick through a few pieces and give you a blast of suggestions that worked for my putting when I got a basket a couple years ago.
If you haven't, Get a stack of f2 putters or raid your local PIAS for used ones and get 10 of them you like.
The kind of muscle memory you want to achieve so that you can hit that drilling spin putt and it doesn't loft excessively only happens with repetition. As well, Putts are going to change a bit with different distances, and this is where sticking to one distance might get a bad idea in your head for what will work at 25', or at 45'. Because you have to develop a muscle memory for what works, and how the angles you need to throw at and what kind of wind play does with your discs. You might need that lofty putt at 45', or you might need that one that dives in on a hyzer.
I tend to default back to a more lofty putt the further I am from the basket, but I enjoy using the spin putt coming out from my belly on the shorter distances.
At distances, It's really rewarding (for me at least) that I am getting confident enough that I can spend more time looking at where I want the disc to hit the peak of its arc than focusing on the basket itself.