How to putt like Chad Thundercock

[Deleted]

Dec 22, 2018 7:04:07 GMT -5 homerekka said:

I'm not sure that I agree with your point about crosswinds. The physics of real world crosswinds and relative velocities are set out well here and in my view hold true in game.  To my mind, if a sidewind was blowing toward 3 o'clock, or 9 o'clock on a clock face, then the distance drop is negligible.  I agree if it's blowing at 4 o'clock or 8 o'clock then distance drops start to become relevant.  It's a logical fallacy that because you're having to aim left or right of the pin then the ball is travelling further because it overlooks the effect of the wind on the ball as it flies through the air.

Whatever the mechanism, and I think it's mainly down to the first rising part of the ball's arc where the ball is fighting the wind (a headwind obviously affects distance, so this fighting part should do too as the ball is essentially being pushed back a smidge while it's going right against a left wind), within the game it definitely impacts distance. I always deloft a bit from my normal landing point calculation in a crosswind because I'll come up short otherwise, and the effect on distance seems to increase the stronger the crosswind. Same thing (but more pronounced) when using fade or draw to counter the wind, distance of landing point is reduced.

[ABU_Bear]

@larrymalone

You've always been one of the main scores I chase on PC other than Garcia and Big_Smoothie. Sometimes I get close, but most times I suck ass. I just tried your cadence method of counting with less break and had the following stats

short 100%
mid 100%
long 28%

The key stat is the long because I am struggling with my approach shots and routinely leave myself a long 1st putt by the standard(outside of 10ft)..I had 18 long putts in the round...so precisely EVERY hole. I sunk 5 of them using your count method, the others I missed were 5 footers or less coming back. I blew up on one hole but that was my own error so I'm gonna discard that hole and say it was a par. I had a 6 stroke difference using your method. Small sample size, but even if I shave 2-3 strokes a game using your cadence count and a more aggressive stroke..that's 8-12 a tournament...which is HUGE

[Deleted]

That's awesome ABU_Bear

Edit: wooitv said something similar on his stream earlier today, that he saw immediate results, which to be honest I wouldn't have expected as it took me quite a bit of practice both to get the feel for break adjustment and the counting method. But it's a systematic and predictable method which allows you to continually micro-adjust to gain confidence that a particular putt is going to do what you expect.

The main thing to watch out for is different green speeds, my method is to practice on the upcoming TGCT course and make an assessment from there, e.g. if I find that on a particular course's greens a 3-count goes more like 35ft then I'll take a mental note and adjust for the actual round.

Same thing with breaks, there are some greens where I find I consistently under or over-read a break based on my method, so when the event comes I make a little adjustment. It's no magic trick, but it does allow you to reduce the margin of error and a couple of lip-ins that would have been lip-outs before will make dramatic difference to scorecards.

[ABU_Bear]

Dec 22, 2018 8:29:55 GMT -5 @larrymalone said:

That's awesome ABU_Bear

Edit: wooitv said something similar on his stream earlier today, that he saw immediate results, which to be honest I wouldn't have expected as it took me quite a bit of practice both to get the feel for break adjustment and the counting method. But it's a systematic and predictable method which allows you to continually micro-adjust to gain confidence that a particular putt is going to do what you expect.

The main thing to watch out for is different green speeds, my method is to practice on the upcoming TGCT course and make an assessment from there, e.g. if I find that on a particular course's greens a 3-count goes more like 35ft then I'll take a mental note and adjust for the actual round.

Same thing with breaks, there are some greens where I find I consistently under or over-read a break based on my method, so when the event comes I make a little adjustment. It's no magic trick, but it does allow you to reduce the margin of error and a couple of lip-ins that would have been lip-outs before will make dramatic difference to scorecards.

Where my game is right now and my drastic drop off from TGC2 (you know I was not bad as a PGAer in the last game), my main goal is eliminating the bogeys from my rounds. I get erratic...my approach shots are garbage..so I need something that may help narrow the gap a bit. If being more aggressive on the green is the 1st step to lower scores and maybe a 2-3 shot swing per round...its a pretty easy decision to make

[daviddlee]

Dec 22, 2018 23:12:43 GMT -5 daviddlee said:

Id have to agree with Larry on the crosswind affecting your shot initially, but I also think the ball is helped on the way down so it kind of evens out? Whenever science is involved with something I honestly ignore 99% of it.

This game was 100% feel for me for the longest time and that got me on CC-A last year. I didn’t know calculations for elevation changes, clicks against crosswind (which I still don’t use), putting marker placement, etc. Now that I’m well aware of more things, I’m way more consistent. I love the putting in this game and I believe it just comes down to the feel and confidence you have in every putt.


edit: ignoring science bc I’m obviously not a scientist

[Deleted]

Vid below which should prove my point Regarding crosswinds and carry distance, what you guys are saying may well hold true IRL. My theorising (whether postulating that it's because of more distance in the air or more distance fighting the wind than being carried with it) is purely inductive, based on in-game results. I know from experience with playing the game (and watching others' streams) that crosswinds do reduce the distance a bit. So you could show me indisputable maths or IRL data which prove that it shouldn't affect total carry distance, but it doesn't matter because it does within the game.

As Richard Feynman famously said:





Below is a vid of me playing a par 3 hole firstly with zero wind and then with 16mph crosswind, the result is about 3.5 yards' distance loss. Here's the wind meter when lined up with the hole, a perfect 3 o'clock arrow (took me ages to get it exactly right as the wind is temperamental af in this game!):




And here's the video:

[Generic_Casual]

I think you should read audio books for a living.

I agree, though. Heavy crosses take away distance.

[rob4590]

I take it you won't be 'being Chad' on tour this week @larrymalone ? Could produce some interesting return putts if you do 

[Deleted]

Dec 23, 2018 6:22:41 GMT -5 rob4590 said:

I take it you won't be 'being Chad' on tour this week @larrymalone ? Could produce some interesting return putts if you do 

Always thundercocking my putts by default son! Wasn't doing too badly putting-wise at Olympus but every other aspect of my game was a trainwreck, I ragequit after needing 3 attempts just to get out of the bunker of the short par 4 

[Deleted]

Dec 23, 2018 6:53:16 GMT -5 @larrymalone said:

Dec 23, 2018 6:22:41 GMT -5 rob4590 said:

I take it you won't be 'being Chad' on tour this week @larrymalone ? Could produce some interesting return putts if you do 

Always thundercocking my putts by default son! Wasn't doing too badly putting-wise at Olympus but every other aspect of my game was a trainwreck, I ragequit after needing 3 attempts just to get out of the bunker of the short par 4 

Even knowing this I have a feeling that I'll go for it. Only one short par 4 has convinced me to not go for it, and it's on canucks new one

[SkinniePost]

Dec 23, 2018 6:53:16 GMT -5 @larrymalone said:

Dec 23, 2018 6:22:41 GMT -5 rob4590 said:

I take it you won't be 'being Chad' on tour this week @larrymalone ? Could produce some interesting return putts if you do 

Always thundercocking my putts by default son! Wasn't doing too badly putting-wise at Olympus but every other aspect of my game was a trainwreck, I ragequit after needing 3 attempts just to get out of the bunker of the short par 4 

Would look pretty pathetic if Flopwinkle showed up in Chad's pants...

[Deleted]

Dec 23, 2018 8:03:59 GMT -5 ohheycat said:

Dec 23, 2018 6:53:16 GMT -5 @larrymalone said:

Always thundercocking my putts by default son! Wasn't doing too badly putting-wise at Olympus but every other aspect of my game was a trainwreck, I ragequit after needing 3 attempts just to get out of the bunker of the short par 4 

Even knowing this I have a feeling that I'll go for it. Only one short par 4 has convinced me to not go for it, and it's on canucks new one

The one I'm referring to at Olympus is definitely gettable and worth going for, as long as you don't screw up the shot like I did   There's another short par 4 which I don't think is worth going for (but I still tried with a botched fast-fast lol), it's the one with 2 pretty ponds either side of a narrow strip in front of the green. Pre-patch it would be doable with a good fast backswing and a favourable wind, but now I think you'd have to be insane to go for it. 

[Deleted]

Dec 23, 2018 5:15:44 GMT -5 Generic_Casual said:

I think you should read audio books for a living.
. 

I think that's just a US-bias I've got a very mundane standard-issue London accent, but Americans are like, "Well get a load of ole fancy pants Malone, talkin all British and s**t". Conversely, I personally think Terry Grayson has the best speaking voice among TGCT streamers, I realise to yanks he sounds like a toothless pig-wrestling hick, but it sounds cool and exotic to my ears  

[Deleted]

Dec 23, 2018 8:16:27 GMT -5 @larrymalone said:

Dec 23, 2018 8:03:59 GMT -5 ohheycat said:

Even knowing this I have a feeling that I'll go for it. Only one short par 4 has convinced me to not go for it, and it's on canucks new one

The one I'm referring to at Olympus is definitely gettable and worth going for, as long as you don't screw up the shot like I did   There's another short par 4 which I don't think is worth going for (but I still tried with a botched fast-fast lol), it's the one with 2 pretty ponds either side of a narrow strip in front of the green. Pre-patch it would be doable with a good fast backswing and a favourable wind, but now I think you'd have to be insane to go for it. 

I call those water bunkers.. heh. EDIT: Removed something stupid I had here

[Terry Grayson]

Dec 23, 2018 8:26:40 GMT -5 @larrymalone said:

Dec 23, 2018 5:15:44 GMT -5 Generic_Casual said:

I think you should read audio books for a living.
. 

I think that's just a US-bias I've got a very mundane standard-issue London accent, but Americans are like, "Well get a load of ole fancy pants Malone, talkin all British and s**t". Conversely, I personally think Terry Grayson has the best speaking voice among TGCT streamers, I realise to yanks he sounds like a toothless pig-wrestling hick, but it sounds cool and exotic to my ears  

LOL Thanks Larry

I think....  HA HA HA