Mark Ellis Putting Confidence Program

Started Jan 02, 2011

What do you need:

Watch the Mark Ellis Putting Confidence Program Video

Two putters.

A basket or Target to Putt at

about 30 minuets a day

Motivation/ Patience

 

Post every day that you did your putting so that you can track your progress and see others progress as well.  This is not my program I owe all credit to Discraft and Mark Ellis. 

Anyone is welcome to join me in this program

 

Mark's Assignments:

1.  Unbalanced.  The assignment is to work on balance by purposely placing yourself in unbalanced positions while you putt.  Think about where you naturally place your feet for a staggered or straddle putt and change your stance to uncomfortable positions.  I putted in my basement and used a bunch of props to create odd positions, chairs, stairs, ping pong table, skateboard, walls, etc.

  During a round you find yourself in many weird putting positions.  So in your practice you should recreate weird positions: under, over, around, stretching out, kneeling, etc.  This should be a regular part of putting practice anyway but tomorrow, focus on unbalanced positions

2.  STRADDLES.  Most players throw a straddle putt only when obstacles or the terrain require it.  When you straddle you need to square your body and shoulders as much as you can and focus on hitting the post.  So the line is critical.  Once you can hit the line, adjusting up or down is relatively easy.

 All good players need to be able to straddle putt with (almost) equal competence to a staggered putt.  That only happens with practice

3.  5th Putt.  In this game you will take 6 putts, keeping track of how many you make.  Pick a spot to putt from within your comfort zone but outside your gimme range (so for me about 25 feet).  Since this game is about dealing with pressure, the penalty for failure is severe (you can make it up to suit your imagination, so losing means death or some other horrible result).  Winning means reward, the reward based on the degree of success.  In order to win you must make your 5th putt.

    If you miss #5 then you lose, no matter if you make some or all the others.  If you make the 5th putt then you win, even if you miss the rest.  If you make the 5th putt, then the higher total you make the greater your reward.  Again, you can allow your imagination to create any kinds of rewards, up to the ultimate reward based on making all 6 putts.

      So you win if you make the 5th putt.  You lose if you miss the 5th putt.  The 5th One Counts.

If you find yourself missing the 5th putt, then the next time you play the game, pick a closer spot.

4.   Make two to finish: The wind was up enough that putted in a circle until I found the two angles where the wind made the putts the hardest to cash ( sideways wind blowing from my right to left and a predominately headwind  with a slight right to left slant).  Then I concentrated on these two lines.  To finish my session I decided to keep putting until I made 2 in a row form each of the two spots from about 32 feet out.

     It is amazing how close you can come to making putts but still miss in bad winds (not even counting the good putts which came back off the post).  It took me longer to finish my session than I would have guessed

 

 

Here are some other videos on putting that might help

Ken Climo putting video

Discraft Putting Basics

Cameron Todd and Dave Feldburg

Dave Dunipace wrist action

[Ghost]

I liked the game Mark,  It is always good to have a new game to challenge yourself and keep your mind focused during putting practice.

[mark ellis]

I putted today.

In my 5th One Counts games I won my first 3 and lost my last, using progressively more difficult spots.

I am wondering how the new game was received.  It can mess with your mind or help you head, depending.

 

If it is counterproductive then go back to basic putting until you feel up to it again.

[Ghost]

Did my confidence putting 16Jan. 

x=made    about 25ft out

1    x   x     x                             

2    x   x     x      x             

3    x   x     x      x       

4    x   x     x      x   

5    x   x     x               

6         x                     

[mark ellis]

Putting in practice is very different than putting in competition, that difference being PRESSURE.

Putting in practice becomes rote, we just do it without thinking about it, it is all muscle memory.  So how do we transfer the skills we learn in practice to real rounds?  By introducing pressure to our practice.

 

For a few fortunate players, pressure is not that big a deal and the transfer of skills happens naturally.  But for the vast majority of players it is a slow process of learning to first COPE with pressure then eventually learning to THRIVE under pressure.  Performance under pressure is a develop-able skill.  It requires practice and it requires a psyche that is not afraid of failure.  Everybody fails from time to time.  That failure (and the fear of failure) must be psychologically handled or it becomes crippling.  The best competitors ( in every field or endeavor) are BETTER because of the added pressures of intense situations.

 

The start of this long journey of transferring practice competence to competitive competence starts now with the introduction of a practice game named, The Fifth One Counts.  For tomorrow's putting  you will play it twice during each session (so 4 times for the day).  The first time will be early in your session, once you have warmed up and found a rhythm and the 2nd time at the very end of each session.

 

 In this game you will take 6 putts, keeping track of how many you make.  Pick a spot to putt from within your comfort zone but outside your gimme range (so for me about 25 feet).  Since this game is about dealing with pressure, the penalty for failure is severe (you can make it up to suit your imagination, so losing means death or some other horrible result).  Winning means reward, the reward based on the degree of success.  In order to win you must make your 5th putt.

 

If you miss #5 then you lose, no matter if you make some or all the others.  If you make the 5th putt then you win, even if you miss the rest.  If you make the 5th putt, then the higher total you make the greater your reward.  Again, you can allow your imagination to create any kinds of rewards, up to the ultimate reward based on making all 6 putts.

 

So you win if you make the 5th putt.  You lose if you miss the 5th putt.  The 5th One Counts.

If you find yourself missing the 5th putt, then the next time you play the game, pick a closer spot. 

 

Good luck, tell us how it works out.

 

 

[mr ed]

I did straddle putts today.Game for any directions you have Mark.

[Ghost]

I did my straddle putting today 15Jan.

[Ghost]

Did unbalanced putting today 14Jan.  I do unbalanced and straddle putts in my everyday routine but it was nice to have an entire day dedicated to it.

[mark ellis]

I putted today.

 

Based on mr ed's feedback, the chance to putt in strong winds is a rare and valuable opportunity, which trumps anything I would suggest for a lesson.  Certain situations cannot be faked ( winds, elevation, blizzards, etc) but are invaluable for what they teach you.  You can't just imagine there are strong winds and go out to practice them, so when the opportunity presents itself (or any unique weather conditions), go for it.

 

Oh, btw, mr ed, a wind chill of 25 is not even considered a little bit cold in my region.  :)  It was a high of 20 today so only light layers were needed.  Easily could have played in shorts, had I been able to get out for a round.

 

IF the Putting Team is looking for the next assignment (let me know if you want this much direction), it is a day of...STRADDLES.  Most players throw a straddle putt only when obstacles or the terrain require it.  When you straddle you need to square your body and shoulders as much as you can and focus on hitting the post.  So the line is critical.  Once you can hit the line, adjusting up or down is relatively easy.

 

All good players need to be able to straddle putt with (almost) equal competence to a staggered putt.  That only happens with practice.

 

 

[mr ed]

So, 15 min of putting on the 13th  with the weather dropping to 30's.Wind chill was around 25 according to weather channel.Strong wind blowing from the north west.No snow,SWFL,but damn cold the last two nights of putting.

Putting from 20 ft out and was very challenging due to the wind.Every other putt was either put down,blow thru or just off the chain.Threw behind,under,left & right of tangerine tree.Frustrating to the point of missing more hits then usual.Throwing with two putters,one mid last night.Practice tonight{14} with change of stance/obstacles.

[mark ellis]

Putting Team:  I am happy to see that the group has basic competence and is not fearful of pressure.  Keep in mind that the primary goal of the clinic is to build confidence and the way to build confidence is to make short putts.  So if any of my assignments (suggestions) causes you to miss too many putts then move in closer and/or modify the challenges to make them easier.

 

Today I did my putting and tested out tomorrow's assignment.  The assignment is to work on balance by purposely placing yourself in unbalanced positions while you putt.  Think about where you naturally place your feet for a staggered or straddle putt and change your stance to uncomfortable positions.  I putted in my basement and used a bunch of props to create odd positions, chairs, stairs, ping pong table, skateboard, walls, etc.

 

During a round you find yourself in many weird putting positions.  So in your practice you should recreate weird positions: under, over, around, stretching out, kneeling, etc.  This should be a regular part of putting practice anyway but tomorrow, focus on unbalanced positions.

 

Let me know how it works out.