Putting mad (the way I've been doing it)

[jubuttib]

Hi there, not entirely sure if this is the right place for this, but had to make a decision.

So I've been working on my putts and compared to last year at least they have been dope. The main thing I've focused on is just sinking putts. Many sources have said that putting is mostly mental and if you really believe you can make, you make it. So here's what I've been doing:

I've set up a basket (first a DIY basket, now temporarily a SkillShot, to be replaced by a regulation sized DIY) in my living room and have been practicing pretty much whenever I feel like it, many times a day. With the limited space I have I can only do around 14 footers, but that's fine, since the point is to just get you in the mindset that you can make putts.

I usually take 5 putters, and the goal is to sink 4 sets of 5 discs in a row. If even one misses (be it a spit-out or a blowthrough) I start again. When I sink the 20th shot, I continue as long as I can (this can lead to sinking close to a hundred putts). When I finally miss one, I pick up the five discs, do one more set of five, and call it quits for a while. If I can't get 5 in a row (which can be more difficult than you'd think, it's hard to keep up concentration at that point) I keep at it until I do. Mind you, that's a full set of 5 discs, if you miss your second putt of the last set, the final three don't matter squat.

To keep it from getting too monotonous and to work on different styles (which are always needed on the wooded courses I play at) I sometimes switch between pitch and straddle putting between every throw.

My short putts have been no-brainers when I've been practicing, and it's also helped me get my form settled to the point where I no longer try "too much" on longer throws, and can get easy D out of my normal putting stroke. This in turn has lead to much more long putts going in, and I don't need to jump putt until I get pretty far out.

Just thought I'd share this with you.

[Thatdirtykid]

This sounds pretty similar to what I was doing when I still owned a basket (and lived alone). Worked pretty well for my last competitive season.

[n3tw0rkn3rd]

Hah. I temporarily have your basket TDK :-p Got it from Eric while he's on vacation. Been working on my putting too. I've been working on the short arm technique, and it can be so very frustrating. I get to a spot where I feel comfortable putting, sink 9/10 from 15' or so, then I'll suddenly miss 8 of the next 10 putts. It's very annoying.

From reading the games and practice techniques, part of me wonders if I need to stick to 10' putting for a bit longer (I usually warm up there and move back after I sink 20/20, which is typically easy). I'm thinking this would allow myself to get used to that specific repetitive motion before moving back. I know what feels right after the disc leaves my hand, and I can almost instantly tell based on feeling whether I'll make it or not, sometimes it's just hard to figure out what I did wrong, when I'm going through the same mental process (relax legs, weight forward, arm bent, verify aim, putt). I know sometimes it's grip, but I just cannot use the fan grip that Beto talks about (index and pinky finger on rim, and middle and ring fingers fanned out), as when the weather gets at all cold (played a 40 degree round just yesterday with lots of wet sections, so cold wet discs), my release is completely off and my fingers aren't loose enough to make putts with that grip.

[CheeseUs052]

I've got to throw my 2 cents in, but I think I'm able because this is exactly what I did for the entirety of 2010, I would take a few disc out to the basket we keep in our backyard, and I started at ten feet back, worked that for a month, then 15 for a month, then 20 for a couple months, all the way back to where 30 ft was automatic, now that winter has taken away my practice time, I've had to work at it but that year of training has left a mark, and networknerd, my one phrase of advice, look below. 

[Banjar]

This is pretty funny, I just had a thought today during the round when i missed a 20 footer for a birdie (and I normally only make 2 or 3 birdies on a round, so I cant really spare any..) Anyway, have you guys noticed how most of the time when you miss a put, you think to yourself "ah, dammit, I should have done this!", pick up the disc at your feet and then just sink it without problems? Since putting is so mental, I've now decided, from tomorrow, to use that as my mantra before i put! first, imagine missing the put, then go "ah, I should have done this!" and just sink it. We'll see if that works

Sorry if this is slightly of topic, but I'm always putting mad when i missed the first put!