Putting

[softwinterwhispers]

I am starting to learn the correct way to putt and want to know if anyone has any tips, tricks or suggestions? I am learning to do a stance with very little space between my feet and making sure my knees are bent in the fighting position. I am trying not to bend my elbow but feel very awkward in my throw. I have watched some videos and been called a geek for it but I still feel I cant quite get the correct way to putt. Anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions! 8)

-Melissa

[geo_ducks]

straight elbow = push putt. dave feldberg is probably the best push putter...a no lack of video of him.
2 important bits of advice: (1) go with a form that feels comfortable...you might need to slightly modify what you learn to personalize your putt, (2) work on being confident in short (<10-12 feet) putts, these are always THE most important. And practice, practice, practice!!!!
good luck!

[Ol' Bob]

I don't have the physical push to get any distance at all. I can spin putt easily as well from the max distance of my push putt and beyond. Therefore, I spin putt. In any event, the more I practice, the better I do. I watched Feldberg's video several times, and I just could not push far enough. Decrepitude said I should give that way up. Dave is right when he says, if you're going to spin putt, then don't think about your putt, just do it.

[softwinterwhispers]

I have been watching those videos but just cant seem to get my stance and throw to line up, I just feel like I am doing it wrong. It is going straighter but to the left, maybe I am not releasing it correctly. It appears most people start by having the throwing hand up, then down to your waist and then back up. I heard from one of my teammates to throw up, when you are putting should you be aiming up? Maybe I am thinking to hard about it, maybe I should require a few beers in me before I start my practice. Thanks for the advice I definitely need to find something comfortable, its probably why I feel awkward and that could be most of my problem.

[Bryon_Harris]

Dave teaches if you prefer not to push putt w a straight arm an alternative is the Cam Todd style putt. Elbow still locked but as Cam says with only a bit of irony "like a terridactyl arm." The video is linked in the video thread on this site. I'll edit this post to include the link in a minute.

Edit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtO3pwFesZ0&NR=1

Even though you've seen it I'll put it here so it's easy to find.

[softwinterwhispers]

I think I have seen that video and have been trying that method. The correlation really seems to help me a lot. Maybe just putting things together is where I am really struggling. That and I am sure there might be some little things I am screwing up on. Maybe I should find a disc golf class....lol. 8)

So far out of all the videos I have seen, that is my favorite and has helped me the most.

[softwinterwhispers]

Thanks Bryon for the video posting, I bet it may help others who might read this thread as well. 8)

Thanks again for posting it and the tips!

[grant]

read. practice. read some more. Great info here.

http://www.discgolfassoc.com/education/putting.html

[HarrisonH]

I find this video kinda funny... almost like there is a little competition between Cam and Dave in terms of whose form is better. I have been practicing the Feldberg push putt for a few months, but the video I learned it from was passworded so I can't link it unfortunately. I find it works really well, unless I am in heavy wind, in which case there is no choice but to spin putt. Both seem to be necessary skills to have, as the push putt is INCREDIBLY reliable from <25 feet, but outside the circle I have needed to incorporate a jump and a bit of elbow action to actually get it to the basket.

[General Scales]

I took a class with Feldberg last April when he was in Spokane to play the Downriver Open. The only thing he changed in my form was my thumb placement on top of the disc. I've always putted with a straight arm motion, just kept having wobbles since I couldn't get consistent thumb release.

I wish I'd take one with Cam Todd. I can't get the pop putt motion down unless I carry past my lie. The closeness of my elbow to my waist just seems to slow my putts down.

I can push about 35 to 40 feet with no carrying over. After that, I do the step through motion as opposed to actually jumping.

My advice, learn ALL putting styles (spin, push, side-arm, pop, etc). I can't tell you how many times being able to putt in so many different styles has saved me from having a terrible round. Also, practice. Especially with the push putts. It gets frustrating when you start losing distance but gaining accuracy. Eventually, however, the distance will come back to you. Last, but not least, have fun. Make a game out of practicing. Find some friends, put down a few bucks and see if you can take their money. That way, if you do end up taking their money from them in a tournament, you will be used to it. :yay:

[REDFIVE]

Just throw at the basket.

[RonTheWhip]

Just throw at the basket.

If I hadn't seen you smash putt after putt in all our competitive rounds I'd call foul on your post, but as it is, you are a nasty putter, so maybe there is some truth to your words.

It is possible to "over think" putting. Simple affirmations and clear singular visualizations seem to work well for me. Like often I tell my self, "up and down" or "on the pole" and imagine my putt going in.

Find a comfortable, easy to duplicate motion and stick with it. I try to warm up and find my rhythm before each round. If I don't, my first few 20 fosters all do different things...

[General Scales]

If I don't, my first few 20 fosters all do different things...

I find after a few Foster's, my putts start doing different things. I couldn't imagine what would happen after 20...

[Ol' Bob]

Just throw at the basket.

Damn, I wish I'd thought of that.

[emmarose]

Just throw at the basket.

... this is actually brilliant advice... obviously there is technique involved and watching videos, taking lessons, etc. can all help the game... but dangit, it is truly a simple thing, especially when a person is at the beginning of their game (to redirect this and make it pertinent to melissa again), and sticking to the basic concept of throwing it at the basket can do no one any harm...

... on a related note, a couple years ago my friends and family got super into the bean bag game (it has an actual name that i refuse to use... but it's the one where you set up tilted boards with a hole cut out like 30 feet apart or something and a scoring system very much like horseshoes)... and i found that i kicked serious ass at the bean bag game... soon i had the epiphany that if i could throw a bean bag at a tiny hole with such accuracy then there was no reason that putting at a basket should be such a problem for me... as soon as this epiphany hit i became a much better putter... throw the bean bag in the hole, throw the disc in the basket... keep it simple...

[Toby Puttzinski]

:chinscratch:Technically, if you throw at the 'basket', it will be too low. I recommend aiming at the orange stripe, or center chains.
I liked Ken Climo's simple tip of pointing your thumb at the target when following through. I'm not a great putter by any means, but thRee things that have really helped my putt: Repetition, Routine, and Rhythm. The sum of these is confidence.

My friend Aaron offered a good tip for changing to a new grip... simply hold a disc with your new grip as often as you can for a few days, and pretty soon it will feel like your 'natural' grip. This helped quite a bit when I was changing my thumb position for putts.

[jdinteg]

My R^3

Right leg forward, left leg back, knees bent and comfortable, thumb on top, fingers flat on bottom, loose clamshell grip, focus my eyes on the center of the post, breathe, calm down, breathe, arm straight, breathe, slight wrist snap. Practice, Practice, Practice. Inside 30' I'm very consistent, Outside of 30' I need lots of work.

Thanks Emma, your quick advise, and watching you consistently nail puts at 40+ feet has helped my putting immensely.

[General Scales]

Just throw at the basket.

Thats how I spin putt. I can think about every style of putt except a spin putt. I found that if I am going to use a spin putt, I have to not have any of my normal pre-putt routines. I just have to walk up, select my disc, close my eyes so I get the visual of retrieving my disc from the basket, open them and launch.

Throw it at the basket....so damn simple it hurts.:pullhair:

[ptld2001]

I am starting to learn the correct way to putt and want to know if anyone has any tips, tricks or suggestions? I am learning to do a stance with very little space between my feet and making sure my knees are bent in the fighting position. I am trying not to bend my elbow but feel very awkward in my throw. I have watched some videos and been called a geek for it but I still feel I cant quite get the correct way to putt. Anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions! 8)

-Melissa

I know it's not for awhile, but if you're having trouble with push putting, Teresa did a great clinic at the chick flick last year (I think she called it advanced putting technique). She started people off by playing catch at a very short distance, to get the pendulum arm motion. Then, as people got the basic motion, then she had the pairs move farther and farther apart. Her main emphasis was having a smooth motion. Distance will come with practice.

As far as aiming, in Dave's clinic, he talked about figuring out whether you're right-eyed or left-eyed. It makes a difference on your aim point. If you're right-eyed (and the majority of people are), then you need to aim to the left, because you're "seeing" the basket as being right of its true position. The longer the putt, the worse the effect. I kept thinking it was my putter that was causing me to always miss on the right, and didn't realize it was my vision.

As others have said, probably the only way to become a good putter is lots of practice. It becomes simply a matter of "throw at the basket" because they've done it so often, and have so much internal feedback about the "right way to do things" that it becomes second nature. Then you don't have to consciously think about a smooth swing, or aiming to the left, or ...

[Ol' Bob]

I'm all for PDGA approving a bean bag for putting.

[LegoRules]

I'm all for PDGA approving a bean bag for putting.

The ACO might have an issue with that. :wink2:

http://www.americancornhole.org/

[Scott]

The ACO might have an issue with that. :wink2:

http://www.americancornhole.org/

Really? Boy, I am sick and tired of these fringe sports having a governing body and acting like they're big time. :whistler:

Kidding of course. But this one was really off my radar. Had to look at some other sites to make sure it wasn't a joke. Of course, I was really afraid to try my luck a Google search.

[Ol' Bob]

I see that the ACO hasn't gotten so big that they've left drinking beer behind, seen as a hindrance to the growing of their sport. I must admit that I have long held errant ideas of what cornholing was all about. I was raised in an atmosphere of fear about cornholers. I see now that they only want to have fun. I wonder if you get a magazine subscription with ACO membership.

[Jonesy]

learn and practice a push putt, a straddle putt, a spin putt, an upside down putt(for inside 15 in massive head winds) and some type of overhand putt(i prefer tomahawk over turbo) and you'll have an answer to all putting situations. use one as your main style. if you ever have one of those days and can not seem to hit your putts using your main style, you can switch to your straddle or whatever to finish the round.

[softwinterwhispers]

I find this video kinda funny... almost like there is a little competition between Cam and Dave in terms of whose form is better. I have been practicing the Feldberg push putt for a few months, but the video I learned it from was passworded so I can't link it unfortunately. I find it works really well, unless I am in heavy wind, in which case there is no choice but to spin putt. Both seem to be necessary skills to have, as the push putt is INCREDIBLY reliable from <25 feet, but outside the circle I have needed to incorporate a jump and a bit of elbow action to actually get it to the basket.

Could you send me the location for where it is?

Thanks 8)

-Melissa

[softwinterwhispers]

I took a class with Feldberg last April when he was in Spokane to play the Downriver Open. The only thing he changed in my form was my thumb placement on top of the disc. I've always putted with a straight arm motion, just kept having wobbles since I couldn't get consistent thumb release.

I wish I'd take one with Cam Todd. I can't get the pop putt motion down unless I carry past my lie. The closeness of my elbow to my waist just seems to slow my putts down.

I can push about 35 to 40 feet with no carrying over. After that, I do the step through motion as opposed to actually jumping.



My advice, learn ALL putting styles (spin, push, side-arm, pop, etc). I can't tell you how many times being able to putt in so many different styles has saved me from having a terrible round. Also, practice. Especially with the push putts. It gets frustrating when you start losing distance but gaining accuracy. Eventually, however, the distance will come back to you. Last, but not least, have fun. Make a game out of practicing. Find some friends, put down a few bucks and see if you can take their money. That way, if you do end up taking their money from them in a tournament, you will be used to it. :yay:

Learning to do all putting styles sounds like my best plan of attack. Looks like there will be a lot of utube videos in my future. My lovely disc golf basket christmas present sounds like its going to get lots of use!

-Melissa

[softwinterwhispers]

If I hadn't seen you smash putt after putt in all our competitive rounds I'd call foul on your post, but as it is, you are a nasty putter, so maybe there is some truth to your words.

It is possible to "over think" putting. Simple affirmations and clear singular visualizations seem to work well for me. Like often I tell my self, "up and down" or "on the pole" and imagine my putt going in.

Find a comfortable, easy to duplicate motion and stick with it. I try to warm up and find my rhythm before each round. If I don't, my first few 20 fosters all do different things...

hahaha overthinking is my specialty...good thing they make beer!

and yes I should of thought to just practice putting!! 8)

[softwinterwhispers]

Wow, thanks everyone for all these tips, I will definitely have to try them all!

8)