I've been playing disc golf for around a year and a half and was curious as to what you pros do to practice your putting routine.. Is there certain distances you practice at to get your form down? If so what would you recommend me to do? I would say that im about 50% from 30 feet, which i'm not sure if thats good or not. I am just lookin for some help on what routine is best for this type of practice.

I've been playing disc golf for around a year and a half and was curious as to what you pros do to practice your putting routine.. Is there certain distances you practice at to get your form down? If so what would you recommend me to do? I would say that im about 50% from 30 feet, which i'm not sure if thats good or not. I am just lookin for some help on what routine is best for this type of practice.



Well I'm by no means a pro but I'm told by my buddies that I putt pretty well for an intermediate so this is my routine. I always clean off the putter before using it(dusty discs suck), a line up behind my lie right foot in front of left and off the right slightly of left foot with my weight on my front leg and my shoulders are squared with the target. I find my link that I try and focus on and take a deep breath. I go through my motion of moving weight from my front foot onto my back foot all the time moving the disc towards the target and rotating my wrist to where my thumb is pointed towards the target at release. I go through my motion 3 times(muscle memory is the key) and on the forth I let it fly. I catch hell for looking like I'm doing ballet when I putt cause I'm always on one foot on my release and my back foot is in the air but I do pretty well with it so thats what I have stuck with.

The best advice I have gotten is give yourself a chance. I used to always come up short or hit the basket which means you don't even have a chance, now as long as I am chain high on a miss just off to one side or the other I don't feel so bad. It is all about feeling like you can hit the putt at any distance. As I move out to 30ft I obviously lose some accuracy but ultimately I try and give myself a shot and you just have to work on it and practice practice practice. I practice my routine from 10ft all the way out to 40ft.

Practice a routine that you will use everytime you put.
Get 10 Putters same type and weight.
Then 250 putts 3 time a week.

What distances is best for this type of practice? i know its better to be on closer and make for sure putts, rather than make those " I WISH I HAD" putt. Thanks for the info guys, every little bit helps.

set up markers at 10m (33') and 12m (36') at least. i also have one at 15m that is a hyzer putt around a tree. if possible, find another interesting line at about 20'. i use the same tree, going from the other side, and forcing a very flat or slightly annie putt.

depending on how much you are willing to practice, you may find that you do not really need to "practice" from 20 and in. especially if you are already 50% from 30 feet - that aint too shabby. the only time i practice from <20' is when i notice something wrong with my mechanics... or if i miss a <20 footer in a mini. lets face it... a 30' putt that tickles the chains or barely misses is still gonna be in from 20'. spend your time working on the longer putts.

build up your putter collection as large as possible. you cant have too many putters! i currently have 71 in my practice stack, and shoot sets from 10m, 12m, 15m and the real flat 7m. i allow myself to skip two nights each week, but lately have been only skipping one night. (worlds is coming.) i built some permanent racks at each mark to hold the discs. i can putt from either side of each rack, which provides some day-to-day variety and nuances.

finally, dont be mad if you miss high or low. but side-to-side misses must be eliminated!

Thanks sandalman, right now i only have 10 putters and my friends think I am a freak because I have to many putters....frankly the less walk back and forth the better right?



But i will practice that, would you agree with the previous 250 putts 3x a week, or is that to much?

I will start at 15' with the putters I have in the back yard. Then I move back one foot and do it again. I keep going until I get to 25'. Keep count and check your percentage inside 25'. Use a tape measure; I believe most people are not too accurate when guessing distances in golf. :p

250 x 3 times week is a good start. as you acquire more putters you'll reduce the time required to throw 250 putts, and will be able to fit a sessions in more easily. i do not feel 250x3 is enough if you are trying to noticably improve. it is enough to maintain the level you're at.

10 putters is fine but you'll more accurately similate an in-round putt if you realign and reset yourself between putts rather than just keeping the same stance and firing off all your putters at the basket. It also helps build the routine of what you do before each putt like a basketball player shooting free throws.

DEFINITELY! I noticed that just grabbing and throwing was not helping my game whatsoever, that is why im trying to figure out the best way to improve my short game, i've had people tell me that I can putt fairly well.....but to me thats not good enough.

As someone who practices putting alot and was a marginal putter at best (it has changed), I have some suggestions based on my experience. First, I would recommend taking continual breaks from practice. No matter the number of putters you use, a continuous stream of putting is dangerous. I can groove almost any putting style if I am allowed to putt/adjust/putt/adjust/etc. The problem is that most of the styles that can be grooved in practice tend to break down in tournament play.

Whatever technique you are focusing on, I encourage you to periodically step away. Practice something else and come back to putting. With me at least, walking away and coming back helps me to understand my technique better and isolate my flaws.

finally, dont be mad if you miss high or low. but side-to-side misses must be eliminated!



That is even very similar to the advice Ken Climo gives on his site. When he is off on his putts, he is hitting high or low.

For me, I just try to focus on in 6th link down on this inside chain in the 1 o'clock position and hit it with hyzer putts. If I do not hit that area I just try to focus. In between putts, move around so that you do not get in a groove by standing still in the same spot. Also, when I am practicing either in a round or in the backyard, I always imagine that the putt is on the 18th hole for a birdie to win the World Championship. Granted it is only imaginary, but it helps with the tournament mentality that every putt counts.

But even in practice or a tournament, if I am AT LEAST hitting metal from inside 50ft, I am thrilled. Because I will take a drop in par any day.

I have two pieces of advice that I like to give to people looking to improve their putting.

1. Practice from no further than 20 feet away from the basket until you can hit 20 footers consistently and confidently. Then start to stretch your practice routine to include 25-30 footers.

The mistake I see most people make whether they are warming up before a round or just practicing is that they tend to jump right out to 30, 40, 50 feet away from the basket to putt. The mistake is two-fold...one, you'll have far more putts in the 10-20 foot range during a round than a 40-50 footer, so why not practice them. Two, when you run at and miss long putts like that, you often leave yourself further away from the basket than what you'd consider a drop-in (which just means you've got another nerve-racking putt to throw).

So I tell people to work on being 90%+ from inside 20. That way, when you are faced with the 30-, 40-, 50-, 80-, whatever-foot putts, you can go at them a bit more confidently knowing that if you do land 15-20 feet past on a miss, you can hit the come-backer, no problem.

Which brings me to...
2. Throw through the basket, not to it. I see a lot of players who are too tentative with 15-25 footers because they are concerned more about not blowing past than about putting the disc in the basket. So they tend to try to throw the disc just hard enough to reach the basket. The result of that is a lot of putts that bounce off the front or fall short of the basket entirely.

So if a player is to practice 20 footers to a point of being 90%+ from that range, the player will be able to more confidently throw at the basket with more authority and run at the longer putts more often.

The other bit I like to offer is to not use more than 3-4 putters during practice. I read all the advice about getting as many as possible so retrieving is less necessary, and it does make sense. But I sort of fall into the same camp as Parkntwoputt does in that you should vary where you throw from rather than going rapid-fire at the basket. With just 3-4 putters, you can get the best of both worlds. I tend to practice with 2 or 3 putters and occasionally will take a step to the left or right after each putt just to force myself to reset and follow my normal on-course putting routine.

So practice the short ones (20 feet and closer) before you concern yourself with the long ones. Just imagine being able to aim for a 30-40 foot wide circle (with a basket in the center) rather than trying to nestle every upshot within five feet. Your overall game might improve much more just by practicing the 20 footers.

--Josh

any info is helpfull, im going to try this out as soon as i can....



but i do have one additional question, Are any of you pros giving me these tips? just curious. as it is good information from what I ( as an Amateur player) can tell. Again thanks for all the input you have given me, i'll know who to thank once my game is solid.

'Which brings me to...
2. Throw through the basket, not to it. I see a lot of players who are too tentative with 15-25 footers because they are concerned more about not blowing past than about putting the disc in the basket. So they tend to try to throw the disc just hard enough to reach the basket. The result of that is a lot of putts that bounce off the front or fall short of the basket entirely."

Wow, you know my game quite well lol

just because you have a lot of putters does NOT mean you must necessarily stand there and putt like a gatlin gun. putting is about discipline. some people might not have enough to reset on every putt. but others do!

I noticed that just grabbing and throwing was not helping my game


I try to make up pressure situations (must-make putts) like I would have in a tournament, from about 30'. I try to make 5 30' putts in a row (from different positions around the basket), so when I get to my 4th and 5th putts, it really is a must-make, or all the previous putts have to be re-done. Once you hit the 5th a few times, try 6 in a row. $.02

imo, the three most useful tips i preach when it comes to putting:

1) aim (at least left/right) with your body. this promotes a stable and consistent stance (when allowed by the course).

2) putt how you practice. if you take your time lining up your putts when you practice, spend a similar amount of time when the putt counts. if you enjoy rapid fire putting, putt quickly, as spending too much time lining up your putt during a competitive round often leads to mechanics breakdowns.

3) understand pressure is in the mind. a 25' putt to win a playoff in the worlds is still just a 25' putt and "clutch" is being able to view it as something you've done a thousand times before.

I usually practice with 5-8 putters at a time, same mold same weight. I start very close (I'm talking 8-10'). Putt them in and move back 3 feet.I keep progressing back three feet at a time up to about 38 feet and then go back and start at 12-15'(3 feet closer than previous starting point).

While I have to ability to putt up to 50', I prefer to spent most of my time practicing between 15-25'. The main reason is confidence. I want to drain 85% of my putts in practice. This enables me to have confidence during a tournament round. As a pro you shouldn't sweat an 18 footer, right? I believe it's better to be at 97% from 20 feet than 50% from 40 feet.

In my book three putting is not acceptable. If 20' is automatic, then you should be able to run aggressively at those 60 footers and short of a rollaway, never incur a three putt bogey.

blake, how much do you charge to caddie?

blake, how much do you charge to caddie?



15% of winnings + travel expenses/accomodations + compensation for lost wages if i have to miss work

you are not the first one to ask :)

have been told that's fairly reasonble since my depth perception is accurate within 5% under 300' and within 10% under 425' and i can usually judge wind speed within 4 mph of actual and wind direction within about 7 degrees.

On tour are you allowed to have a caddy? just curious blake

yes, you can have a caddy...

as it isn't specifically stated, i wonder if someone's caddy's conduct would be vulnerable to courtesy violations for the player...

I still didnt get an answer to my main question......is anyone who replied to this post a PRO???? sorry to be a pest ;)

Hey Daddy,

I've been competing in the Open division since 1988. While I only have three PDGA sanctioned wins in open (many more top fives) I don't consider myself chopped liver. Or was your question directed at the touring pros who have the luxury of playing all over the country without the burden of a real job?. (no offense to the touring elites)

If you have a sanctioned victory, your opinion matters....any help from any pro is what im looking for.....If you've played since 1988, im sure you have input.

heh...

imo, putting is one of the topics that any sound advice from any caliber of player should probably be considered, assuming that you can differentiate between good and bad advice (or at least fairly quickly after a few trials).

i know a good number of pros that i would consider below average putters, and some are downright awful. you'll find a lot of pros that are bad putters but very few that are bad drivers. putting is a type of shot that you'll find very good and very bad putters in nearly every division, but it is also a shot that is very easy to practice repeatedly and so you'll find the most in depth and varied philosophies on it. every putt outside of your gimme range is technically a "pressure" shot, and everyone has their own way of dealing with that.

overall, there are putting styles that inherently have less weaknesses than other styles. however, the routine and mental approach to putting will be entirely your own based upon how your mind and body respond in key situations.

my advice is not to pigeon-hole the advice you are willing to accept based upon someone's division, especially when it comes to putting. there are other topics, such as course management, that are probably best answered by upper level and more experienced players.

when you break it down, each division generally differs from each other in a few specific ways. keep in mind these are composites and not meant to say any one characteristic is true for any one division.
rec: building basic set of tools
intermediate: has basic tools and some advanced tools and often a lot of D, generally lacks consistency, course management, and the ability to scramble well.
advanced: has consistency and/or d but is generally weaker in decision making and the ability to execute a large variety of shots.
pro: has accuracy and/or d, has consistency, a large variety of shots to scramble with, and a stronger mental game and decision making skills.

my $0.14 coming from someone who is not, and will likely never be pro but has worked with a number of pros on their putting :)

Contrary to popular opinion you can get good help around here /msgboard/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

I still didnt get an answer to my main question......is anyone who replied to this post a PRO???? sorry to be a pest ;)



Didn't know that pro's were the only ones allowed to be good putters /msgboard/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

not like pros are the only ones, just figured they would know best, seeing as they most likely practice more than the average player ( ME ) :D

I have been told that caddy's are subject to all rules and violations at the players expense, if he is called for a warning, it is charged to the player. If said player has already been warned, he gets stroked (not that way).

seeing as they most likely practice more than the average player ( ME ) :D



While quantity is good. Quality of practice time is more important. Grooving the mechanics is key as is making your practice putts and your tournament putts identical. Many players practice putting with two or three discs in their off hand, yet I know of no one who holds two or three discs in their off hand during a tourney putt. (Al Shaack holds a towel in his off hand)
If you take one deep breath and visualize the putt's flight before each tourney putt, then you should take the same identical mental exercise between each practice putt.

50 good practice putts a day will yield greater results than 300 rock-n fire putts while listening to limp bizkit and sippin a beer.

I consider my self as an ok putter (85% inside 20) but I do not have a normal putting routine for practice, but I do have one for tournament putts. In my opinion practice putts can only help you learn mechanics but tournament putting is essential to a good game.

My tournament putting routine:
1) I approach my lie and place my mini.
2) I wipe my driver off with a towel and line up my putt while moving around and putting that disc in my bag.
3) I pull my putter from my bag and walk up to my lie from behind it making sure I'm in line with the basket.
4) I use my right leg which is pointed at the basket to help line up the shot so I have a reference point for my mechanics.
5) I line my putt up with the basket I normally look for a link in the center of the basket and five links form the top.
6) I imagine the line my shot will take once it leaves my hand.
7) I make the shot.

One of the keys to putting is to think of every putt as an opportunity to test out your putting skill, and not to think of them as an obstacle to your game.

I actually do hold a putter or two in my left hand while tournament putting for just that reason.... that's what I'm doing when I practice.

Putting tips from a Pro (and 2001 worlds putting champ)

1. Make practice putting and tournament putting as alike as you can. You tend to putt faster when practicing .. try to slow it down and follow your routine.

2. Speaking of routine.... develop one and stick with it. The routine should start with a trigger. This is an action that tells your brain "I am now starting my routine". For me I make sure I have the disc I wish to use and that the coast is clear for distractions (discussions, traffic, people walking about). Once it looks like the coast is clear I use my trigger. My trigger is simply placing the mini and moving my thrown disc out of the way. Once the trigger is activated you continue on with the routine. Solid stance, still head, hold my arm out in it's finishing position and take aim at a small part of the basket (chain link) or some target on the path to the basket (just over that twig). Next I'll go through a putting motion 3 times at regular speed while counting to 3 and perform the putt on the 3rd cadence. Counting helps to bring your mind into the present task and keep it from wandering about. On the count of 3 I perform my putt while keeping my eyes fixed on the target and exaggerate my exhale breath.

That's just what I do.
There are reasons for each step that are justified to myself and help me to believe in what I'm doing (confidence).

If I am in a putting slump before the tournament starts then I will change a small part of the routine... perhaps count to four... perhaps softly say a word during my exhale such as 'bang!'.

Overall there isn't too much right and wrong about putting. It's more important that your feel comfortable and confident. Some key items should be a strong stable base, little head movement, a small aiming point, reach to the target, exhale.

hope this helps.

[quote
50 good practice putts a day will yield greater results than 300 rock-n fire putts while listening to limp bizkit and sippin a beer.

[/QUOTE]






And it sucked i had to learn this the hard way :(

Listen to the PDGA Radio (http://www.pdga.com/pdgaradio/index.php) for this week. Scott Martin, who just won DGLO, gives a lot of advice on putting and practice.

yah hes a local pro from my area........the best disc golfer you never heard of :p (south paw too)

Use a tape measure; I believe most people are not too accurate when guessing distances in golf. :p



What, so you're saying I can't throw my Orc 900'? ;)

I throw my wizard 900 ........ (cm)

yah hes a local pro from my area........the best disc golfer you never heard of :p (south paw too)



You'd be surprised how many people have heard of him

MAN UNIT!!!

-Scott Lewis

No on the radio show, how they said hes the best NOBODY has ever heard of. Doesnt suprise me....the man can disc!

MAN UNIT!!!

-Scott Lewis



word
We've got hats now

sweet.. sign me up :)

-Scott Lewis