Putting is a completely essential skill to master, but it’s not without its challenges. If you are a beginner, there is a lot for you to consider. Here’s more. But mostly these are the lessons that I wish I knew when I started out. I hope you find them helpful.
When my basket arrived in the mail on the last day of February, in my head I already had this post written. The title would be something like “How I Drastically Improved My Putting in 4 Weeks and How You Can Too!”
The next day I put the basket together and took 20 putts from each of the following distances 10 feet, 15′, 20′, 25′, and 30′. I earnestly tried my best, and I was just as earnestly bad. But it didn’t matter if they went in, because that was just room for improvement…
Fast forward to week 6. I was doing my Monday putting test of those distances like I had done every week prior. When I went to write down how many I hit from 20 feet, I also made sure to leave a little note for myself.
“You Suck,” I wrote.
It wasn’t a rageful “YOU SUCK!” It was more matter of fact. An “Oh, by the way, you suck,” sort of thing. This, knowing myself, is even more disturbing…
I remember writing it and thinking, “well, this can’t be good.”
It was after that quick note, that this post took a new direction. I have some hard-earned wisdom that I want to pass along to anyone starting out and looking to improve their putting game.
In my opinion, this is very much a worthwhile endeavor by the way. I have DEFINITELY improved and I am better than I ever was before (I played intermittently for a few years, then took 7 years off and am starting fresh again. Check out my About Page if you are interested in my back story.)
I can already see the positive results when I’m out on the course. It’s just that I thought I would be even better than I am. So, with that in mind, I present some lessons I wish I had known when I started putting. That way you can use them to your advantage as you hone your skills.
Buckle Up! Putting isn’t Easy!
I think I thought that I would quickly get pretty good at putting, because eventually I got to be a good free throw shooter, for example, in basketball.
The key word there is “eventually”.
This isn’t a quick fix, sort of thing. You can’t just get good at putting and then move on to working on your midrange game. Naively, I wasn’t fully aware of this concept and so I pass this knowledge on to you.
And I don’t do it to discourage you. Just the opposite! I tell you so that you DON’T get discouraged so quickly like I did.
That way you won’t be leaving little disparaging notes for yourself like I did (Don’t do that either!).
To start your journey, I highly recommend a disc golf basket for practicing.
Settle in for a long flight. This isn’t Boston to New York. This is Boston to New Zealand (which also has disc golf I’m pleased to report!).
With this in mind, hopefully you’ll have a more reasonable/patient approach to your putting.
Make what you measure reasonable
Because I didn’t know any better, I just figured I’d measure in 5 foot increments back to 35 feet (I added the 35 foot mark in week 1).
No. Just, no.
To illustrate why, here’s an example. In week 8 from 25 feet (not 35) I hit 5/20 putts. Admittedly, that was a bad week. But really, what’s the point of shooting from 30 and 35 feet after that?
Maybe I’d hit a few more or less, but what would I be proving? I’ve already shown that 25 feet is outside of my range. So, after that, it’s just a waste of time. Worse yet, you are probably creating bad habits as you launch poor shot after poor shot from well outside of your range.
When I set those parameters, I didn’t have a clue what I was doing because I was so new to it.
Now, my new plan of attack is to Measure from 15 feet to 22.5 feet in increments of 2.5 feet. This, is the zone where I am right now as a putter. As I get better, and start hitting more consistently from 22.5 feet, I’ll move out.
Looking back, when I was first starting I should have kept my range between 10 and 17.5 feet, for example. Let your putting, dictate your range. Also, I think I stumbled on a pretty good way to find your putting range with a putting drill. Check it out, and let your results dictate your practice zone!
And while you are practicing, here’s some more tips I recommend.
Don’t Putt in the Wind! (yet)
Maybe this post is just a referendum on how I need to up my mental toughness. But there is something highly discouraging about watching your disc get swept off course and miss the basket by a country mile.
Eventually, you are going to have to learn to putt in the wind. There’s no avoiding that. You can’t just summon the disc golf gods to calm the wind for each putt (Unless you can. in which case, just do that. Also, contact me.).
But for now, I would recommend that you take that variable out as much as possible. There are too many other things to consider and I think it’s fair to put that one on the backburner for a spell until you are ready.
You can still experiment a little in the wind and that’s probably a good idea. Just don’t try and break your personal best and then get pissed off/discouraged when you don’t even realize half of it.
Remember, this is a long haul. There will be plenty of time (and plenty of wind!) for you to work on that later.
What I’m keeping
So far, I have a few “non-negotiable” tips that I have gathered along the way. These tips help me putt and I think they’ll help you as well. But, these are far from the only tips one should use. They’re just the only ones I feel good about so far. Here they are…
Follow Through to the Basket (and hold it)
Basically, you’ll hear this a lot, but with your follow through, you want to “shake hands” with the poll in the middle of the chains. This means that your hand is extended out like you are offering a hand shake to the center pole.
Also, like a good shooter in basketball, hold that follow through. Whenever I am off line, left or right, I can look down my arm and see my follow through is also off. This tip is definitely a keeper for me.
Lift the back foot as you release the putter:
As a part of your follow through, your back foot (left, if you putt righty) usually comes off the ground and counterbalances your forward lean. There is a whole rhythm to putting that I have yet to fully get. But I do think this is a good piece of the timing that I can keep in mind a bit more easily…
The rest of the putting tips, are still a work in progress, and I’ll be sure to let you know what else I discover along the way. With that in mind, if you are reading this with some ironclad putting tips, I am ALWAYS open to hearing ideas and letting the teacher (I teach in schools) become the student (I’m very much a student of disc golf). You are welcome to comment below and I’m grateful for your insight!
keep tinkering!
I’m a big fan of tinkering, and I was pleased to read that in his book Atomic Habits, James Clear made a very compelling case for it as well.
I did a post on it which you can review here. If you are a beginner, it’s probably a great book to read as you start your disc golf career (but really at any point in your career as well).
Basically, with practice, tinkering, and time, I believe that you will eventually find that place where it all comes together for you.
I haven’t gotten their yet. Not by a long shot!
But I’m seeing improvements over time. To illustrate this, I can point to my success rate from 20 feet. I just recently hit 17/20 from 20 feet. When I started I hit 5/20. It’s steadily trended up over the weeks.
I believe that watching videos/reading posts, then practicing, tinkering, and revising will ultimately get you where you want to go.
On the flip side, there is one question that I’m still working to figure out that I’ll get to next.
How much tinkering is too much?
I won’t lie, I probably futz around with my form a little too much. I watch these instructional videos and try and triangulate information, but invariably I have questions.
Also, when you watch enough videos, you start to hear this line a lot “Ultimately, putting is unique to each person and you have to find what works best for you…”
For me, this leads to a lot of unknown variables. Should I point my toe at the target like this pro, or slightly askew like that pro? Should I bring the disc down to start it at my left thigh, right thigh, or belly button? Where should I grip it? 1 o’clock or 2 o’clock or other?
You get the idea. It’s endless. Then, one of them starts working for you and you think you have it. The next day, it’s back to the drawing board.
But maybe the next day was windier than normal, or maybe you unknowingly changed a different aspect of putting? How long should I go with it before deciding it does or doesn’t work?
I could say “Ultimately, it’s up to you” to be annoying, but I’d rather say it because it’s true. Like most things, it’s a balancing act that has to fit your personality. It’s also important to remember that you’ll never hit 100% of all your putts all the time.
Personally, I try to take the advice I get in the videos and make adjustments within those frameworks that feel right to me. Try that out and see if it works for you as well.
Know when to Fold em
Putting can be an exercise in patience. And when that putter isn’t clanging chains at the rate that you want (100% should not be the rate you expect), there is a tendency to get frustrated. I’ve had a few times where I felt the compulsion to fly through the air, Ninja Turtle style, kick the basket over and tell it what I think of it. A few times the only thing stopping me was the knowledge that I couldn’t physically do any of that…
I probably don’t have to write this out, but that could be seen as “counterproductive.”
So, one thing I’ve learned is to recognize when it’s not going the way I want and when I’m nearing that frustration threshold. Over time, I’ve been able to “endure” more misses without getting to that place as well. But ultimately, if I’m near that spot, I just want to “live to play another day” and I call it.
At the very end, I always make sure to hit my last shot (even if it’s from 8 feet away and even if I’m pissed off) just so I see the last shot I took go into the basket. When I do this, I always try to make sure that 8 footer has my best form as well.
Understanding when to fold up shop and making sure to use good form and hit my last putt, are little things we can do that will help keep us coming back to the putting green. Over time, those repeated trips to the green are what is going to make us better (vs that extra 10 minutes of putting through frustration).
in summary
Putting is an absolutely essential part of your disc golf game. I’ve chosen to focus on putting first, as I get back into the sport, because I think it’s the most important part of the game (though I’m coming around on consistently straight shots as well (hint: I’m not consistent)).
As a result, I have gotten considerably better at putting and I feel way more confident than I ever have before. This translates to better putting when disc golf’n a round as well.
If you are considering making a considerable attack on your putting game, then you should definitely consider buying a basket (if you haven’t already).
Then, make a habit out of practicing daily if you can.
All the while, keep in mind that this is not something that will change over night. Buckle in for a long and bumpy (at times) ride knowing that the outcome will be well worth it.
To that end, be sure to measure yourself on realistic goals and don’t take putts that are outside your range. Also, avoid wind and other conditions that will only frustrate you at first. There’s enough on your mind as you think about form, and there’s plenty of time to add those other variables in later.
Finally, keep tinkering and revising until you find a style that fills you with confidence from almost any range.
As you find success and gain confidence it will build upon itself and you’ll want to keep at it. Before you know it, you’ll be putting like a boss and enjoying every moment of it.
Until that day comes, keep disc golf’n and I’ll see you around!
Thanks for reading everyone. Please feel free to leave comments below on your experience putting or any “can’t miss” tips you think I should add. Reach out and contact me any time. Also, consider along for the ride as I seek to uncover all the best information and insights so we can all get better together. Subscribe here and get all new posts delivered to your inbox free…
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