Putting marker or not?

[yaters]

Feb 4, 2016 21:56:59 GMT -5 Jared said:

Just fyi for anybody who never found the putting thread on HB's forum.

Wherever you set the yellow marker, lets say at 45 feet, it tells the game that this is your intended distance. Now, lets imagine the backswing goes from 0 (putter not moving) all the way back to 100 (the putter at its furthest back). And let's say, for the purposes of this demonstration, that your putter's max distance on a flat, medium speed green is 90 feet. So to achieve 45 feet, you would need to pull the putter back to 50 in that 0-100 scale, right? Well, the yellow marker has told the computer that 50 is your intended power and it smooths the edges around that 50 mark by 1 or 2 on each side. So if you pull back to 48-52, you will get the same results.

Wow....just wow.  Can't believe I've been playing wrong this whole time.

[canthitstraight]

Feb 5, 2016 2:12:20 GMT -5 @swaeromotion said:

Feb 5, 2016 2:08:45 GMT -5 canthitstraight said:

And you'll get worse before you get better. Keep at it though! (that's what i keep telling myself)

I'm starting to sink putts that I know there's no way I would have without the putter. But these holes are counterbalanced by others when I screw it up and end up worse than I would have been without the marker.

Damn green chippers. 

I've gotta start proof reading before I hit reply!

[BillySastard976]

I didn't use the marker at all for distance,having played the game for around three months. Six weeks or so ago I tried it,and found it difficult for the first week.

I putted pretty well without it,BUT,inconsistently,some days finishing constantly short of the hole. With it,I'm a bit more consistent and find it a pretty big help for uphill putts.

It's important to remember that all it does is give a slightly bigger window for error,strength wise,but that still can make quite a difference.

To be honest,I still play a lot without it,just relying on the default setting until I'm faced with an obviously uphill/downhill putt.
Probably that is a mistake.

[jtcurrent]

Feb 5, 2016 2:06:43 GMT -5 yaters said:

Feb 3, 2016 14:29:37 GMT -5 jtcurrent said:

I always use it and I think it helps keep puts from coming up way short or running too far past the hole. In other words it helps with distance control, but not break...for me anyhow. Making them is another issue altogether. I handle it the same way each time. Uphill: Divide slope by 2 and add to original slope. Add that to the distance from the hole and then add 2, to get the putt past the hole. Place the marker at that distance. Ex: 28 foot putt +10 uphill. 10/2=5+10=15+28=43+2=45. Marker placed at 45 feet and hit a 45 foot putt. Downhill: I'm looking for 2 ft past the hole. So if it's a 20 foot putt and -12 slope I subtract 10 (12-2) from 20 and hit a 10 foot putt, still accounting for a bit of slope on that 10 footer. Just be careful because this doesn't guarantee anything...it can run by sometime no matter what you do with the marker. Anyhow, that's how I do it and my lag putting is pretty solid. But it also helps to get used to hitting 4-6 foot putts. I just need to make more of the side hill breakers. Oh, and play better overall.

Good grief.  I've not heard any of this perspective/technique.  That math makes my head hurt a bit first reading it.  Someone sent me a message a bit ago because I was (once again) complaining about my putting being so bad.  I thought I understood but not even close.  So I appreciate you laying it out like this.

I've always just gone by instinct and feel.  And that probably explains why I'm so streaky with putting.  Had a round last night where I couldn't miss a thing.  I played a match-play event tonight and couldn't make anything.   

Gives me something to practice and work on.  I feel like it is going to really slow me down when I play for quite awhile, but maybe that's a good thing.

It is certainly humbling to have the lightbulb moment where you realize you aren't playing the game the way others that have more success do.  I know this information has been accessible, but huge slap in the head to figure out why I'm such an inconsistent player.

Phew....lot of work to do.

There's still a lot of feel involved, but what this will help with is keeping the ball around the hole, and that hopefully gives you just a bit better chance of making it.  I was all feel too until I read this from Doyley and it's made me MUCH better.  Good luck bud.

[yaters]

Thanks jtcurrent. Going to start working on it tonight.

I had a match play event last night and two early crucial holes my ball just went right over the hole like the hole wasn't there. That's happens to me too much. I always blame the game and/or myself for speed, but I had one that went over the hole and stopped 3 feet away...so in theory the speed wasn't the issue. I think if I'd used this technique that would have gone in. At least that's what I think after reading all this.

Going to take awhile to get all this down for sure.

[HeMan1202]

Yep, all you really need to do is look at the first two lines of this poll and it says it all.

[blackaces13]

You use the marker and do some math. Sorry if this isn't the answer that you were looking for, but it's not even debatable IMO.

[AFCTUJacko]

I have what I think is probably a pretty unique putting method.

I use the marker for flat/uphill putts, aim past the hole and try and take some of the break out (this is pretty standard)

But for downhill putts I leave the marker at the level of the hole and rely totally on feel to judge the line/speed.

That might sound dangerous to a lot of people, but it's given me a real feel for how hard to hit putts and I consider myself to be a very good lag putter (it's the shorter ones I struggle with). And my 3 putt percentage is probably as low as anyone else's at my level.

[Morgan-esque]

Why the hell have I not seen this theory!!!

Not sure if it's beginners luck, but just messing around in GNCD I'm trying all different types of putts and they're dead on or close to the hole as Doyley says they'll be. Especially those downhill putts, the amount of pain I've gone through and this has been there all along.

Thanks for this discussion.

[yaters]

Feb 5, 2016 12:28:38 GMT -5 Morgan-esque said:

Why the hell have I not seen this theory!!!

Not sure if it's beginners luck, but just messing around in GNCD I'm trying all different types of putts and they're dead on or close to the hole as Doyley says they'll be. Especially those downhill putts, the amount of pain I've gone through and this has been there all along.

Thanks for this discussion.

No kidding.  I think back to some of the painful experiences I've had in tournaments and now it all makes sense.  I'm not expecting to shave off 10 strokes a round using this technique, but I am expecting to develop a better feel for the greens and stop the dreaded 3-putt bogey that haunts me every single tournament.  
It kinda feels like I've been playing with my putter cover still on, and someone finally told me I should take it off. 

[Morgan-esque]

Feb 5, 2016 12:43:28 GMT -5 yaters said:

Feb 5, 2016 12:28:38 GMT -5 Morgan-esque said:

Why the hell have I not seen this theory!!!

Not sure if it's beginners luck, but just messing around in GNCD I'm trying all different types of putts and they're dead on or close to the hole as Doyley says they'll be. Especially those downhill putts, the amount of pain I've gone through and this has been there all along.

Thanks for this discussion.

No kidding.  I think back to some of the painful experiences I've had in tournaments and now it all makes sense.  I'm not expecting to shave off 10 strokes a round using this technique, but I am expecting to develop a better feel for the greens and stop the dreaded 3-putt bogey that haunts me every single tournament.  
It kinda feels like I've been playing with my putter cover still on, and someone finally told me I should take it off. 

Practicing a bit more it's not helping much with uphill putts. Might keep the same technique for flat and uphill but use this new approach for downhillers

[SweetTeeBag]

WGR from 1-50 has 16 yes votes. No has 0. Pretty good conclusion what people should do

[Driver8]

Well I'm now going to start using the aiming marker having seen this poll.
Think I'll start with left and right...

[Deleted]

I can't believe so many people never used the marker.

[jtcurrent]

Feb 5, 2016 12:54:00 GMT -5 Morgan-esque said:

Feb 5, 2016 12:43:28 GMT -5 yaters said:

No kidding.  I think back to some of the painful experiences I've had in tournaments and now it all makes sense.  I'm not expecting to shave off 10 strokes a round using this technique, but I am expecting to develop a better feel for the greens and stop the dreaded 3-putt bogey that haunts me every single tournament.  
It kinda feels like I've been playing with my putter cover still on, and someone finally told me I should take it off. 

Practicing a bit more it's not helping much with uphill putts. Might keep the same technique for flat and uphill but use this new approach for downhillers

What I found on uphill putts is if you're using this method, making sure to add 2 after the math, the ball will creep slightly and help me out when maybe I just don't quite hit it as hard as I should have.  But hey...you're WGR 18 without it.  Maybe I should listen to you!!!