Push putting inconsistency

[Dan Ensor]

Let me begin by saying I've enjoyed the recent lack of prerubing.

I've been trying to push putt for the past several months. I've been trying this because I hear it's far more consistent than spin putting inside the circle. This has not been my experience, however.

My biggest problem is that I'm having trouble controlling the nose angle of the disc, so I miss low due to nose down putts a lot.

Also; however, I miss left and right quite often. I'd say about 2/5 go straight at my target. 2 of the misses go in from 10', but the other one doesn't go in at any distance.

I've switched my stance a lot, which usually changes where my arm is swingin; but most stance changes make some misses less likely, but other misses more likely. (Straight on feldyish nose angles are bad, and left to right is bad; straddle nikko type I miss low a lot more, and to the right quite a bit; swinging my arm in front of my body, I miss left a lot, and low a lot too)

The only thing I've done that adds consistency (and not the consistency I hear people have with it) is to bend my elbow and putt some spin on it. Which I hear is bad.

I putt more upright than I think I see a lot of push putters, but not so upright that I can't push my hips forward. When I try mimicking them, I can't find a comfortable rear position, and everything goes wrong.

I'm really fascinated by the push putt, but I'm having no success with it. If anyone can help me out with this, that would be awesome.

 

[TClayT]

Watch Avery Jenkins "deep in the game." On YouTube. That helped me so much with my putting. He describes the difference and how I do both and may show you what's wrong!

 

[el siege]

I believe there is always some push and spin going on regardless of what type of putt you are emulating.

If you are finding the most consistency with a little arm bend, I say go for it.

 

[ohtobediscing]

Let me begin by saying I've enjoyed the recent lack of prerubing.

Lets you feel like you discovered something first---kinda like Columbus, yes?

Me, I putt like I throw, unless obstacles force a different putt.

 

[bholy08]

Watch Will S. His elbow bends...a pure push putt is not at all accurate. There needs to be a certain amount of spin coming from slight movement in the elbow and from spring in the fingers...none needs to be coming from your wrist. The wrist movement is really what you are trying to to eliminate, along with minimizing the amount of elbow bend.

The other way the disc propels is through the pendulum motion. Your arm swing should start slow and follow through should raise your arm up to at least above the basket.

 

[Dan Ensor]

 

[jeverett]

I believe there is always some push and spin going on regardless of what type of putt you are emulating.

If you are finding the most consistency with a little arm bend, I say go for it.

I agree with this.. I think all putting is more 'spushy' than either 'pure' ideal (push putt vs spin putt). But I do think that the overall goal of the 'push' putt, to reduce the number of (body-mechanical) moving parts in the putting motion, is a good ideal.

 

[Dan Ensor]

Watch Will S. His elbow bends...a pure push putt is not at all accurate. There needs to be a certain amount of spin coming from slight movement in the elbow and from spring in the fingers...none needs to be coming from your wrist. The wrist movement is really what you are trying to to eliminate, along with minimizing the amount of elbow bend.

The other way the disc propels is through the pendulum motion. Your arm swing should start slow and follow through should raise your arm up to at least above the basket.

I might be a little confused about how the hand moves around the disc. If you're pushing it with your palm, the disc has to be in front of the palm, which is not where it starts.



One thing (from feldy's video posted here somewhere recently) is that you should "paint the pole" and I'm having no luck doing that. I feel like I'm only painting one spot on the pole, which I believe would explain my inconsistency?

 

[Dan Ensor]

Lets you feel like you discovered something first---kinda like Columbus, yes?

Me, I putt like I throw, unless obstacles force a different putt.

Right! Like the answers I'm getting are new and directed at me, not some intangible problem.

 

[fusan]

I think bholy nailed it.
Evens Nikko bends his arm to a degree when hes putting from a longer distance.
The only thing to avoid is to use the wrist. It is a little movement with a wide spread.

 

[Pwingles]

2 things Dan;

Where is the disc in relation to your palm when your release? Is there a gap between? If there is, try butting the edge of the disc against it fully. Across your whole palm. This helped me get a more forceful 'eject'. This combined with a 'reach' (follow thru) at the end toward the target (i use the pole), helped me a lot with getting A. The right nose angle, and B. the momentum and small amount of spin necessary to maintain it and prevent early drops.

 

[Dan Ensor]

With the disc fully seated in my palm, a little elbow bend, and a nice reach to the target, 4/5 go towards the basket, 1/5 goes about 20* right of the basket.

 

[Pwingles]

Sounds like a combo wrist hitch and it getting caught on pinky.

Fingers dont need to be super tight. But seated in your palm tightly and held by fingers moderately tight, maybe with the pinky less curled against the rim, Might help *shrugs*

 

[Dan Ensor]

One thing I've noticed is that if my chin is too high, I drop my putts low. Like ... meters low.

 

[araytx]

Let me begin by saying I've enjoyed the recent lack of prerubing.

I've been trying to push putt for the past several months. I've been trying this because I hear it's far more consistent than spin putting inside the circle. This has not been my experience, however.

My biggest problem is that I'm having trouble controlling the nose angle of the disc, so I miss low due to nose down putts a lot.

Also; however, I miss left and right quite often. I'd say about 2/5 go straight at my target. 2 of the misses go in from 10', but the other one doesn't go in at any distance.

I've switched my stance a lot, which usually changes where my arm is swingin; but most stance changes make some misses less likely, but other misses more likely. (Straight on feldyish nose angles are bad, and left to right is bad; straddle nikko type I miss low a lot more, and to the right quite a bit; swinging my arm in front of my body, I miss left a lot, and low a lot too)

The only thing I've done that adds consistency (and not the consistency I hear people have with it) is to bend my elbow and putt some spin on it. Which I hear is bad.

I putt more upright than I think I see a lot of push putters, but not so upright that I can't push my hips forward. When I try mimicking them, I can't find a comfortable rear position, and everything goes wrong.

I'm really fascinated by the push putt, but I'm having no success with it. If anyone can help me out with this, that would be awesome.

Dan ... I could give you some help, but I need to see it. Missing left/right, especially from inside 25should be rare. Push putters will miss up/down much more often.

One simple tip when first starting out push putting to minimize any left/right misses. Learn the push first from the straddle stance and keep it at 15-20-22-ft until you get it. Then, instead of the way Feldy [http://vimeo.com/19847946] teaches the staggered stance (which is correct by the way), move your back foot a little out (left for a right-handed player) so that even in the stagger, the line of back-forward arm swing is on the line to the basket and you can "see it" better, very similar to the straddle. This is just for learning till you get the feel of the line to the basket. It'll be a little harder to keep the disc as flat this way, but you'll be able to see it. Also, the one thing that befuddled me when I was first learning to push putt was the "hit." You still have to hit just like on a drive...which is tougher because you're concentrating on putting right where you want to. But just as you are swinging down then back up on the push putt, the wrist spring is part of the the slow-to-fast motion.

 

[Dan Ensor]

This is a week or so old. Which is ancient history as far as my putting styles go, so I'll get another one up soon.

 

[araytx]

This is a week or so old. Which is ancient history as far as my putting styles go, so I'll get another one up soon.

Straighten that elbow out dude!

First thing I noticed. Then (keeping it locked) rock, bringing the arm down slowly and then HIT with the wrist spring (slow-to-fast) as it comes back up.

Cam Todd is the only real push putter with a totally bent elbow. And he's been doing it so long it's very consistent. Champ and Will also have a slight one, but most are locked out nearly completely.

 

[Dan Ensor]

Is this a Cam Todd push putt?

 

[Magicweed]

I took my current putting style from the Feldberg video on Vimeo and I found a few things helpful with consistency. First, I keep my arm as straight as possible when putting. This ensures that the disc is always traveling the same path. Second, I rock backwards when bending my legs to build power. The motion is always the same. Third, my wrist bends slightly with very little pressure on my thumb and index finger. My other fingers press the disc back into my palm. When aiming, I line up the v between my thumb and index finger with the pole. As my arm moves, I try and keep that v locked on the pole. Lastly, when the disc touches my thigh, I use it as a trigger for the fast part of the motion, trying to build speed for the "hit". When practicing, I'll make 20+ puts in a row if I focus on the arm being straight, lining the v up with the pole and getting the quick hit at the end.

YMMV

 

[Dan Ensor]

I took my current putting style from the Feldberg video on Vimeo and I found a few things helpful with consistency. First, I keep my arm as straight as possible when putting. This ensures that the disc is always traveling the same path. Second, I rock backwards when bending my legs to build power. The motion is always the same. Third, my wrist bends slightly with very little pressure on my thumb and index finger. My other fingers press the disc back into my palm. When aiming, I line up the v between my thumb and index finger with the pole. As my arm moves, I try and keep that v locked on the pole. Lastly, when the disc touches my thigh, I use it as a trigger for the fast part of the motion, trying to build speed for the "hit". When practicing, I'll make 20+ puts in a row if I focus on the arm being straight, lining the v up with the pole and getting the quick hit at the end.

YMMV

I can't keep the v lined up with the pole. And no modification I've made thus far has gotten the nose up.