Putting Speed Drills for Uphill and Downhill Putts

[coers]

Well guys shot my personal best for the year at a 84. Problem though my putting was terrible with 39 putts today. Issues with my putting is Aim is great but my putts uphill are to short and down hill are to long. My instructor gave me a drill of putting a tee infront of the hole on downhill putts and uphill behind the hole to get good distance. So what all do you guys do on working with these kind of putts???

 

[tequila4kapp]

Downhill ... I have recently been turned on to the beauty of intentionally putting off the toe. It deadens the contact and lets you make a normal stroke without blowing it by the hole.

 

[Oregon Jack]

unless it's dead flat, I always over-do it just a little bit. I can usually make the 2-4 footer comeback putts if I miss, so I always just make sure I get to the hole on uphill putts, even if I go past it a bit, that's okay. and the same for downhillers, just over-do safety and just barely tap it. usually, if it's a true downhiller, it'll roll out a bit.

 

[Tadashi70]

Coers the issue with a tee in front or behind is that it's a smaller target than the hole. If you can hit the hole, then you your not going to gauge the tee. Uphill putts are a green light to be aggressive and you want to putt like the hole is two or three feet behind the real hole. The same holds true for down hill putts. You want to putt as though the hole is 2' closer.

The numbers I threw out are arbitrary because green speeds will predicate the distance you look beyond or short of the hole. You have a speed issue which tells me you either don't spend enough time on the putting green prior to the round or you have absolutely no feel. My guess it's a combination of both.

When you arrive at the course you should spend at least 5 minutes on the putting green getting your speed down. Drop four ball in the middle of the putting green and hit to four different points in four different directions. The goal is to hit your spot, roll over your spot and get a feel for the speed of the green. The goal is not to make putts but just see how much effort will be required on the greens.

I have taught and putted off the toe for damn near 20+ years, for down hill putts with a good bit of speed. You grip a bit firmer (toe hits make the club twist), line up off the toe and take a normal stroke. The toe makes the putt roll dead.

 

[Howzat]

Downhill ... I have recently been turned on to the beauty of intentionally putting off the toe. It deadens the contact and lets you make a normal stroke without blowing it by the hole.

This seems to me like it would bring in other variables that would make putting harder.

 

[Smithfaced]

I like putting off the toe but I only try it on very fast putts.

On uphill putts I tell myself I want the ball to hit the dirt above the cup when it goes in. Downhill putts I want it to just roll over the front edge. It's just a small mental thug by it has helped me with my speed.


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[coers]

Thanks Freddie for the tip there. I usually spend 30-20 minutes on the putting green before I play a round. We only have on range at both courses I belong to and I usually only hit a small bucket. But anyways. I will work with the 2' closer and 2' further. And it seems the last to course I played the green's were real slow so it just did not help my situation. Yesterday morning we teed off at 630am so there was all kinds of dew on the greens which probably didn't help. And I am guessing you want me to continue hitting the ball in the center of the putter face and not do that toe hit?? Thanks Freddie!!

Coers the issue with a tee in front or behind is that it's a smaller target than the hole. If you can hit the hole, then you your not going to gauge the tee. Uphill putts are a green light to be aggressive and you want to putt like the hole is two or three feet behind the real hole. The same holds true for down hill putts. You want to putt as though the hole is 2' closer.

The numbers I threw out are arbitrary because green speeds will predicate the distance you look beyond or short of the hole. You have a speed issue which tells me you either don't spend enough time on the putting green prior to the round or you have absolutely no feel. My guess it's a combination of both.

When you arrive at the course you should spend at least 5 minutes on the putting green getting your speed down. Drop four ball in the middle of the putting green and hit to four different points in four different directions. The goal is to hit your spot, roll over your spot and get a feel for the speed of the green. The goal is not to make putts but just see how much effort will be required on the greens.

I have taught and putted off the toe for damn near 20+ years, for down hill putts with a good bit of speed. You grip a bit firmer (toe hits make the club twist), line up off the toe and take a normal stroke. The toe makes the putt roll dead.

 

[Tadashi70]

Thanks Freddie for the tip there. I usually spend 30-20 minutes on the putting green before I play a round. We only have on range at both courses I belong to and I usually only hit a small bucket. But anyways. I will work with the 2' closer and 2' further. And it seems the last to course I played the green's were real slow so it just did not help my situation. Yesterday morning we teed off at 630am so there was all kinds of dew on the greens which probably didn't help. And I am guessing you want me to continue hitting the ball in the center of the putter face and not do that toe hit?? Thanks Freddie!!

So help me understand how your speed control is so off if you spend that much time on the putting green?

 

[coers]

Good question man, how do I play golf 3 times a week and practice the other days and shoot the scores I do?? Finally shooting in the 80's but obvisouly putting is hurting me right now. I just think It's all in my head and I missread the greens. But now on Freddie my goal will be go long on uphills and short on downhills. Dude I'll get there, just gotta listen to you and get it through my thick skull.

So help me understand how your speed control is so off if you spend that much time on the putting green?

 

[JB]

Thanks Freddie for the tip there. I usually spend 30-20 minutes on the putting green before I play a round. We only have on range at both courses I belong to and I usually only hit a small bucket. But anyways. I will work with the 2' closer and 2' further. And it seems the last to course I played the green's were real slow so it just did not help my situation. Yesterday morning we teed off at 630am so there was all kinds of dew on the greens which probably didn't help. And I am guessing you want me to continue hitting the ball in the center of the putter face and not do that toe hit?? Thanks Freddie!!

If your speed control is that far off, after that much working going in gauging the greens, it is not about speed, but about technique. FWIW, I know a lot of people that switched to that claw grip you use and end up struggling with the same thing.

 

[coers]

Yeah JB a guy I play golf with usually twice a week told me that the claw grip probably works great 10 feet and in but longer putts it's hurting you. Do you really think I need to do a traditional grip on long putts. I know I have tried traditional grip a couple times now when practicing and I do usually hit it further.

If your speed control is that far off, after that much working going in gauging the greens, it is not about speed, but about technique. FWIW, I know a lot of people that switched to that claw grip you use and end up struggling with the same thing.

 

[Tadashi70]

Good question man, how do I play golf 3 times a week and practice the other days and shoot the scores I do?? Finally shooting in the 80's but obvisouly putting is hurting me right now. I just think It's all in my head and I missread the greens. But now on Freddie my goal will be go long on uphills and short on downhills. Dude I'll get there, just gotta listen to you and get it through my thick skull.

You don't have to listen to me if have to pay attention to your tendencies on the putting green. If your speed is off there it will be off on the course. If you Jane issues with a left to right line then that issue will be there on the course.

Use the next 3 weeks and iron this out. TrueBlue and caledonia have very true green and they are grainy. Speed and line is paramount are key. Some course allow for one or the other. You'll see putts that require both or you know make.

 

[Nebgolfer]

So help me understand how your speed control is so off if you spend that much time on the putting green?

I've asked myself this same question on a number of things, and I think it comes back to not focusing on the right things. I think one of the hard things for me is to realize how much a given amount of uphill or downhill will play on the ball. If I have a given putting stroke that I know goes 5', how far will that go uphill or downhill? I know it depends on the slope of the hill and the speed of the green, but those are the variables that I have difficulty with.

 

[coers]

I will get the iron out and fix these issues Freddie. I will work with the putter 30 minutes everyday till the Morgan Cup and get this fixed. Whats you thoughts on the Claw grip on long putts, do you think they might affect my speed?

You don't have to listen to me if have to pay attention to your tendencies on the putting green. If your speed is off there it will be off on the course. If you Jane issues with a left to right line then that issue will be there on the course.

Use the next 3 weeks and iron this out. TrueBlue and caledonia have very true green and they are grainy. Speed and line is paramount are key. Some course allow for one or the other. You'll see putts that require both or you know make.

 

[Tadashi70]

I will get the iron out and fix these issues Freddie. I will work with the putter 30 minutes everyday till the Morgan Cup and get this fixed. Whats you thoughts on the Claw grip on long putts, do you think they might affect my speed?

I'm not a fan of the claw and I'm
Not a fan of changing grips on different putts.

 

[coers]

I'm not a fan of the claw and I'm
Not a fan of changing grips on different putts.

O oh, say I'm sticking with claw especially after Brian and Ted at seemore watched me and said to keep with it. Ill keep on it Freddie and work on what you mentioned above. Thanks Freddie...

 

[coers]

Had one of the hideous rounds of putting last night. Pretty sure it was a fluke. Funny thing is I went 6/7 fairways and had 5/9 GIR. Driver and irons were good. Just wasn't getting close to the pin and had long putts and was just putting terrible. Had 3 putts on every hole which was a record. Tonight will just be on the green and working on speed drills, and putts from 10ft and in.

 

[tequila4kapp]

This seems to me like it would bring in other variables that would make putting harder.

I know it would seem like that, but for me at least it doesn't. It just flat out works. Taking a normal stroke on downhill putts give you a sense of confidence and being aggressive (instead of that tentative, scared jab-stroke).

 

[tequila4kapp]

Had one of the hideous rounds of putting last night. Pretty sure it was a fluke. Funny thing is I went 6/7 fairways and had 5/9 GIR. Driver and irons were good. Just wasn't getting close to the pin and had long putts and was just putting terrible. Had 3 putts on every hole which was a record. Tonight will just be on the green and working on speed drills, and putts from 10ft and in.

Are you reading the putts properly for uphill/downhill and just not rolling it like you need to? Or are you not sure about slope and is that contributing to your issues?

 

[drp3434]

I've been practicing a new putting routine and am loving it in practice so far. I set up to my ball and then lift the putter above the ball. Look at the cup and take 3 strokes back and forth without stopping to get a feel for the stroke I'll need for the distance. Then look at the ball, put the putter on the ground and go. Been trying the look on front of the hole for downhill and behind it for uphill as well to accommodate for extra/less power. Loving all of it.

 

[coers]

I would say most of the time I am usually good with getting the right line. I just either keep it real short or just over think it and blow past the hole. I worked on putting for 30-45 minutes on wednesday night so I was thinking I would be dropping putts like no other. Obivously that wasn't the case, but I am hoping last night was just a fluke.

Are you reading the putts properly for uphill/downhill and just not rolling it like you need to? Or are you not sure about slope and is that contributing to your issues?

 

[tequila4kapp]

Sorry for all the posts in here, but Coers problems resonate with me as I had really struggled with this but have fixed it with a solid putting lesson and some work.

Freddie mentioned the possibility of some technical issues with your stroke, Coers. I was also using the claw - and could practice forever but still have distance problems. Post lesson I went back to the classic, traditional grip. The claw was a band-aid for me, not part of the solution. I guess, just a friendly reminder about Freddie's suggestion.

Re reading the greens, my pro instructed me to walk the putt to / from the green to feel the slope. It really helps with reading the greens.

Re getting the ball to the hole, my instructor advises me - when standing at address - to look the ball to the hole and back 3 times then stroke it. Your brain will see the path / roll of the ball and translate that to your body. It has definitely been part of the solution for me.

Good luck!

 

[tequila4kapp]

I would say most of the time I am usually good with getting the right line. I just either keep it real short or just over think it and blow past the hole. I worked on putting for 30-45 minutes on wednesday night so I was thinking I would be dropping putts like no other. Obivously that wasn't the case, but I am hoping last night was just a fluke.

I don't mean left to right line I mean uphill / downhill for distance control. You feel like you are reading that part properly?

 

[coers]

Hey no problem man I will take all the suggestions I can take. And me and my claw have had up and downs this year there's no doubts about that. But both my instructor and SeeMore reccomended me to keeping with the Claw, so I see that as a, yes I do need to keep with it. And I have had numerous lessons with my instructor on putting, so I think my mind and body need to think alike so I can do what I have been thought. It's one thing to say the issues and how to fix that issue. But if you can't do what you want that's when you have issues.

Sorry for all the posts in here, but Coers problems resonate with me as I had really struggled with this but have fixed it with a solid putting lesson and some work.

Freddie mentioned the possibility of some technical issues with your stroke, Coers. I was also using the claw - and could practice forever but still have distance problems. Post lesson I went back to the classic, traditional grip. The claw was a band-aid for me, not part of the solution. I guess, just a friendly reminder about Freddie's suggestion.

Re reading the greens, my pro instructed me to walk the putt to / from the green to feel the slope. It really helps with reading the greens.

Re getting the ball to the hole, my instructor advises me - when standing at address - to look the ball to the hole and back 3 times then stroke it. Your brain will see the path / roll of the ball and translate that to your body. It has definitely been part of the solution for me.

Good luck!

 

[Supersport]

One thing I did for a while when I was really feeling like I had issues with speed.

The concept was that I can throw a baseball or football and get it very close to the perfect distance to someone who is running away or perpendicular to me or at and angle. The brain has the ability to almost instantly judge speed and can even account for angles in different dimensions and convey that to the muscles and get it there. Usually pretty accurately.

In putting, you should be able to use this same theory, and for speed you only have to worry about one dimension, that is length or speed that you hit it.

I still would look and pick my line and get myself lined up. I would get over the ball and get lined up, take a good longish look at the cup as well as the line to it, look back to the ball, take a quick glance at the hole, look back to the ball and stroke. No practice strokes. To me, this was the same mental action as if someone tossed me a ball and had me throw it to a person on the run.

I was amazed at how this helped my distance control.

I do not regularly do this when playing but use it a lot as I warm up and am getting a feeling for the greens and distance. I do use it on the course when I have a very long put and want to get it as close as possible but at a distance that making anything is highly unlikely and I just need it close.

Just another thing to try, again, this may not be great for actual putting during a round but it really helped train my brain and body to know how hard it needs to be hit