I've considered the switch to a belly putter.

It's pretty interesting about my putting woes though. I use a line on my ball and I honestly have no issues with starting the ball on the proper line. When I play with my friend (an exceptional putter) in 2-man events, I'll generally ask him to take a look at my line / read the putt for me and I nearly always putt atleast 30-40% better when he's there. My pace is still atrocious though :P

Reading through Rotella's book at the moment and then I have my next Club event in 2 wks.

If nothing else, these new ideas and concepts will give me a fresh approach and less to dwell on.

how much do you actually practice?

UC - have you experimented with a shorter putter? Many times I see a player struggling with distance control is using a putter that is too long. I noticed your putter is 35" - you might try hitting some with a putter that is 33 3/4 or 34 (or even 33") - this will get you closer to the ball and help improve contact and put you in a more bent over postion and let the arms extend.

Another great drill is to hit several 20-40 foot putts looking at the hole (not the ball). This is a great way to develop feel and free up your stroke.

I would definitely experiment with both the shorter putter and looking at the hole for practice.

I don't know about going belly or long as the learning curve for speed is a little bigger for those with the advantage being better line/direction, however sometimes a drastic change works wonders!

Good luck!!

here's an interesting question, how many golfers considered to be the best putters used a conventional putting grip and a short putter? almost all of them, right?

If you're a good putter, you never need to switch to anything else. It doesn't mean conventional putting is better, it just means that everyone starts out that way. If everyone started out with a belly putter, the good putters would stick with that and the bad putters would go try something else.

Honestly -- before April of this year, my practice time was probably cumulatively < 1 hour over the last 5 years (not counting warm-up pre-round).

I was never one to practice and would much rather play than grind range balls or the putting green.

Ironically, this spring I made a concerted effort to spend some time on the putting green / short-game area and have probably done about 10 hours of work...and my putting has regressed. I don't expect my putting to be high-caliber with the erratic amount I play, but it's no less disheartening.

I play about twice every 3 weeks w/o touching a club between those times. Living 400 miles away from your Golf Club isn't the most conducive to practice

Thanks man!

While my putter is 35", I generally grip down a bit so it plays a bit more like 33.5/34.

<1 hour over the last 5 years? Seriously? And while 10 hours since April is obv a huge improvement, I've done close to that this week!

Sorry, but it won't matter what you read or what advice you get, you'll never be a good putter if you don't put in the hours. Spend whatever free time you have on the putting green using training aids and advice you get here and in books and I guarantee you will improve. It is the only way to get good, bottom line.

Isn't there a golf course around you with a putting green?

Not really the same though. The 35's tend to have lighter clubheads and gripping down throws off the headfeel/SW. I would head to GS or wherever and experiment with a true 33" to see how it feels.

Heh -- no putting greens nearby in downtown Chicago!

I don't expect to read a book or read some piece of advice and become an all-world putter, but averaging 36-40 putts per 18 holes is inexcusable and can be improved.

get one of those indoor putting greens that shoots the ball back to you!

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New avatar?

I refuse to use my own face as my avatar :P

I use to study under David Proctor who grew up playing with Bobby Locke and in South Africa. Two things I picked up was using a slight forward press for the top roll on the ball to get a truer roll and less break. Second, was pick a line, focus on a spot, and get in to hit it. Less time thinking is beneficial when playing and you'll lose less confidence in a bad putting round if your focused on your routine.