Dr. Sasho Mackenzie returns to the pod for an eye-opening discussion around all things putting with Soly, Neil and Cody. Sasho has developed a Stack Putting app as a companion to his speed training work, and the research into rolling better putts led to a ton of questions from us around what differentiates good putters and bad putters, how different putter types and grips affect success, green reading mistakes, putting while looking at the hole instead of the ball, and a ton more.
Basically what I’ve gotten so far is nothing but speed matters?
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If you want to get more into this, check out Sasho’s appearances on The Sweet Spot with Jon Sherman and Adam Young.
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Can confirm Stack Putting App is freaking awesome, and on course is eye opening too to see the difference between how you perform in practice and on the course
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Speed is, and always has been, king.
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It actually seems like the new kings are reinstated ams…
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Turning every part of the game of golf into paint by numbers?
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Putting heads up might make you more of an artist I think.
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Anyone putt heads up?
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I spent a couple practice sessions doing it and put it into play for 2 rounds
The problem I had with it was that it was really easy to do on the putting green, but when I actually faced a real putt on the course I couldn’t get confident in my alignment. Even whe I used a sharpie line and lined up to that before looking at the hole, I would feel like I was aimed way out to the right. I wasn’t, but it was not a very confidence inspiring feeling. I know for sure it has to do with my eyeline and neck position because the feeling was worse when I could see both the ball and the hole.
I might give it a real try at some point.
The thing he talked about in another pod (I think it was him) that I also did and still do was I stopped making a practice stroke on anything inside 8 feet. I think he had said that it made people statistically better and it seems to have for me. I think the idea is that your brain/body knows how to move a ball 8 feet or less and doing a practice stroke is only going to interrupt your ability to make a natural athletic stroke
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I’m going to give a whirl. I gave up practice strokes sometime early this year, and I’ve putted about the same if not better. I spend a lot of time looking at the hole and seeing the last few feet in my minds eye then I pull the trigger. For chipping and putting the clearer mental image I give myself, the better the results.
Everything he was saying I’ve sort of subconsciously thought at some pt, and I’ve even chipped looking at a spot 6 inches in front of the ball or so.
The good news is it’s tinker season so eff it
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Maybe not the same at all, but I’ve eliminated practice swings from my full swing game and feel like it’s worked really well. I generally get some unstructured movement going before addressing the ball (grip the club, let it swing maybe knee height to knee height just to feel the bottom, get the muscles loose and my hands activated) while I visualize the shot I want to hit, then step into it and make it happen. It’s been pretty cool feeling like an athlete over the ball vs technical or tense.
Going to try something similar in the putting routine now!
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Weird way to spell psychopath but okay.
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No.
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Funny I’ve gone back and forth on this, but there’s 0 correlation between my good shots and bad shots and if I take a full on practice swing
Lately I do a little waggle (it’s from a drill called the Jackknife drill I got from a clinic w Shawn Clement a few years ago) to observe where the blur of the club wants to pass, so basically a half swing into the follow through, then I just bring that blur over to the ball and fire
Less is more I think. React to the target and things of that nature
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I’ve tinkered with heads up on putts under 10 feet, but mainly use that as a warmup now. I eliminated practice strokes a long time ago, and the combination of that and a heads up warmup on the practice green has me trusting my read on green speeds a lot more. (I also eliminated practice swings in favor of spinning the club in my hand without looking as I stand behind the ball to feel the weight and know by feel when it’s facing the right way. As mentioned above, to feel less mechanical.)
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A lot of pros don’t really take “practice swings” anymore. They’ll just rehearse some sort of feel.
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Anyone sharing this type of intel needs to self identify their handicap and if it’s trending.
Signed,
Ted who doesn’t take driver practice swings but is a 9.5 index and you probably shouldn’t listen to
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