Golf Forums - Low & slow - putting tips please!

I lift my putter on the back swing, its driving me nuts! I've tried all sorts of techniques but just can't get it low and slow. I've fitted a fat boy grip and hold the club very loosely at the moment for best results.
I've tried everything any tips very welcome.

Hi Paul,

Cut 2 inches off your putter - best thing I ever did!
Also, the claw grip like Garcia uses with a wide stance may help

Thanks chaps, I will give these comments a try. I used the claw grip yesterday, but putted very poorly.
I come down far to steeply on the ball.
I had two birdies on Saturday but still felt my putting was average at best.
40 putts yesterday killed my round. Only one single putt and four three putts.
I've bought a Ben Hogan heavy putter which is shorter than my normal one, I hope this will be of help to me.
I intend to practise putting a lot over the winter months. 

kind regards

Paul

 well.it has to be a grip that feels right....the short putter helped me most i think. Kept me lower and head over the ball more which stopped my stab.....also filming a few putts shows you what youre doing.....i was all wrists and swaying like mad!!! The fliming nailed this so quick.....worth a go i reckon

I think Gary is offering some good advice there. Too many golfers use Putters with too long a grips, I think the average on tour is 33.5 inches (based on 6ft height)....and most social goflers buy 35 inch putters.

I'm determined to sort this out, fed up with getting on a par five hole in three and walking off with a bogey. The Bettinardi Big Ben 34" arrived today, its the one Jim Furyk won the 2003 US Open with...so no excuses.
My pro says he can sort my putting stroke for me, he uses left below right hand inside 15 feet.
This feels odd to me, so I use the claw inside 10.
I've been using a Super stroke Flatso grip which feels great but still not nailing the six, eight footers.
The Bettinardi has a Super stroke slim fit on it, so may try and make that work.
I'm playing on Saturday at ten so I will get  an hour on the practise putting green before we go out.
Cheers Gary & Ian, I'll keep the thread going and record my progress!

Buy a cheap putter and cut it to 31" - then try....there's no right or wrong, just need to find what works! If it feels "odd" after a bit then don't do it - you have enough negativity ion your head without adding more!! Don't get held up on grip - just use what feels best...I use a "normal" grip now, but the claw felt better so once I get a fat grip will revert back I think 2 best bit of advise I had from a pro friend.....never see an 8 footer go in - keep head down and hear it drop (hopefully!!) and have a lower / wider stance to stop swaying and chopping down on it... Might not work for you, but it seems we both had (have) the same habits so worth a try

Who said that the key to a good round was effective putting...

There are a couple of things that I incorporated into a putting stroke that keeps the club low enough to the ground.  I've tried all the new grip types and always come back to a traditional left above right. 

Light grasp and a slight forward press with wrists set, swinging from the shoulders seems to work well enough inside 20 feet...  

I looked at some old video of Palmer, Player and Nicklaus and for lots of their earlier putts there was a lot of wrist action (which I sometimes use for distance putts).

First step is to find a club that you are comfortable with, and it need not be the most expensive in the shop..

Then practice - practice - practice...  and remember what works for you.  I also find that with a set routine for each putt I can skew the odds a bit mor in my favour instead of 50/50  more like 60/40 and that does make a difference.

If you miss a lot of 6 feet putts i wouldn't look at the putter I would look at my estimation of speed and line... and possibly the make of ball... as I have found significant differences in putting success when using different makes/types of ball.

Indoor putting over the winter - is also possible - with the right carpet of course..

I went for a putting lesson a few weeks ago with Andy Traynor. He taught me to putt using only my wrists. I was very sceptical but within 10 minutes I was converted. It has made a big difference to my putting.

 putt with your wrists!?!? Was snedeker your teacher? 
I got a new putter and it had its first outing today...not bad 15 putts on a 9 hole but greens had just been spiked....felt good. Ping pickmeup. What i would like to know is is why dont you see many (any) pros with a finger down the shaft? 
I really cant use any grip without my finger down the shaft...it works ok for me but i always think "there must be a reason why most pros dont"

Thanks for the above chaps.
I had a lesson at the golf show with Andy Gorman and his team.  Believe it or not he recommended using a 37inch shaft!!
He also believes the hands should be passive.  As he is Robert Rocks putting coach, I'm not going to argue.
He's got me to dump the claw, and told me to putt with what I am most comfortable with. I'm using his arm brace, to calm my hands.
I've just bought a heavier putter which is getting me past the hole, though direction is erratic.  I hope to spend a couple of hours putting at the weekend.
As an above right knee amputee I have no feeling on my right side, so my left side is dominant.  I need a set up that will allow a putting arc.
Until I master this i will stay a high handicapper I know.  I average between 36 - 40 putts a round which is criminal.
I had one 1 putt last week and about the same the week before.  I won nearest the pin a 168 par three, leaving a down hill six footer...you've guessed it.  Went for the birdie missed and left a four footer coming back on the lip Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!

I tend to agree - passive hands, arms connected to the body and pivot from the shoulders (light and relaxed grip)...

But others have success doing it different ways so it is what suits you...

My philosophy is that the putter is only a stick - it is the person that makes it work and not the other way around.

There are lots of putting tips that may help:

On a ptactice green, a tee peg just on the back edge of the hole can make you focus more.. aim for the tee peg and try not to go too far past... (it helps if you practice stroke dynamics on a flat part of the green)

Consider lagging putts instead of aiming to go 2 feet past - aim to roll up to with a foot or so) and then practice 2 feet putts until you can get them 90% into the hole.

I liked the John Daly book 'My Own Damn Way' where he advises people to be ready to play and there was a pretty good suggested putting warm-up routine - which ensured that when faced with a 4-foot putt on the first hole you had been practising 4 feet putts and had the confidence to sink it 80% of the time (again aim to be in the hole or 1 inch past if not in).

I think that the putting warm up routine helps you take your preferred set-up and stroke to a new green and you get to make the mental adjustment regarding speed/pace of the green on that day..

Hopefully with enough practice the adjustment becomes automatic ... My own PB was 21 putts around Laingdon Hills 18 Holes.

Cheers Steve, my pro Bill Chapman has got me using the Yes practise balls and the Harold Swash putting rail.  This is supposed to get you straight for the first three feet.
I've tried to buy the rail but its out of stock.
If I could putt a round in 21 I'd be playing off 6! 
Rory McIlroy is averaging 29 and he's the best in the world.  I know he's playing on much tougher greens, but I'd like to get within two or three putts of him.
Watching the women last weekend they were mustard inside 15 feet. Anyhow with the bad weather upon us, I shall be practising my putting in earnest.

Only 33 putts on Saturday, a great improvement. Still two 3 putts but I take that a big improvement on last time out.  Andy Gormans devicethe T-stroke and the Yes balls are doing the trick from close range!