Putting Contest: Calling all frozen golfers!

Hi everyone.  Let me start this off by saying this:  I hate winter golf.  I know you Michigan guys are calling me all sorts of diminutive explicatives under your breath right now, but I've decided I don't care.  I've done all the things you can to do make a round tolerable in winter (besides hot cocoa in one of those beer-drinking helmets that have a straw to your mouth (this may be the key).  I don't like winter golf.

 

That said, I also don't like letting my putting atrophy over the long Wisconsin winter, so here my solution:

 

Host a (indoor) putting contest on DGRUS. If you don't have an indoor basket with 20 feet of space...feel free go outside (we might even give you a bonus putt...okay, no we won't).  All those in Florida and Cali are exempt from this contest.  Okay, you're not, but you have no excuse for your sub-par putting.  :-) 

 

Here are the simple rules. 

 

1...Throw 50 20' putts in one day and record your makes.  It doesn't have to be all at once, it can be broken up.  If you happen to make all 50, then keep going to see how long a streak you can get.

 

2...Once you start your set officially (and just say in your mind, 'okay, now I'm starting' don't start after you've made ten in a row while warming up) you cannot start over, no matter how dismal you're doing.  Stick to it.  It's what you'd have to do in a round...let's make it count.

 

3...Come to this thread and post how many you hit of 50 from the 20' range.

 

4...You can only do one set a day.  (you can practice all you like of course) So if you don't like your score, you cannot start over.  You're on your considerable honor as a disc golfer. 

 

5...We'll have daily winners, weekly winners, and the coveted "Best Session of the 09-10 Winter Season."  The contest will run until April 1, 2010 (last day to putt will be March 31).

 

That's it.  I don't have any prizes for this...just something to keep us motivated to practice and to create the pressure of competition in the off-season.

 

Oh lastly:  are there any vendors out there that would be willing to sponsor such a contest?  I know many of you frequent this forum.  Even a very small weekly prize (like a company mini) to the best score of the week would go a long way in creating a good name on the forum I'm sure. 

 

Again, please be honest about your scores, it does no one (including yourself) a favor if you cheat.  You all know the adage.

 

Let the games begin!

[Brandon Swanson]

Thanks. I say let's both keep up giving the push putt a try. One thing I changed up a little is that I think I was almost hyper-extending my elbow in an attempt to keep it straight. This time I was a little more relaxed. It wasn't bent, but there's a difference I found between tensing the forearm to keep the elbow straight and just keeping it more relaxed and straight. If the forearm is tense, you seem to lose the "touch" when you release the disc. Try tensing your elbow straight and pay attention to what it does to your wrist. I don't know if what I'm saying will make much sense to someone else, but that's what I've found.

What got me to even try the push putt again after so many dismal attempts were Feldberg's words, "[Some days you'll go out with your spin putt and hit everything and then other days you'll go out and struggle]." Well I was happy with my putt when I was hitting everything, but the past couple of days have been a struggle from 20 for me. I hit 35/50 the other day and just felt out of control the whole time and that my mechanics require a lot of strength and stamina... things I don't want to have to rely upon since I don't get out to play as much as I'd like. So I've been trying the push putt every now and then in an attempt at aquiring more consistency and in the process found a way of doing it such that I don't tire out and it takes less effort to get it to the chains. I'm really excited. I'm hoping I can replicate it in the future.

[Brandon Swanson]

3/3/2010... 41/50 push putt. I never imagined radically revamping my putting style, but the revolution has arrived. :-)

[J.D.Guy]

oh 20', that makes me feel better. i only had 22 feet of space, thought i needed 25.

39 of 50

got my basket in the mail today, marked off 22 feet, didn't even warm up, just started counting right away, made my first 8 in a row, thought i wasn't far back enough, so i recounted my steps, yep, i was 22ft again, that's with size 13 shoes, so, maybe a bit further. i'm happy with my putting, happy i finally have a basket, woot!!!

[Brandon Swanson]

3/7/2010... 41/50 push putt, then 41/50 spin putt. Starting to mix in some straddle push putts. They are pretty erratic so far.

[mr ed]

nice putting.push putt is still a work in progress.lefty putting: March 8,9,10> hit 30/50.

[Trae-Bear]

This sounds like fun...

[Brandon Swanson]

3/9/2010... 41/50

3/10/2010... 44/50!

I've gotten to the point that push putting feels more natural than spin putting. I'm curious to see what my range is with it. I can't putt farther out than 23' in my basement.