After I graduated from high school I played professional baseball. I was still playing class A fast pitch softball into my 40s. I did these things because I was good at hitting a round object traveling at high speed on the nose.

I told you those things because I want you to understand that I can walk and chew gum at the same time.( since I'm over 50 now I have cut back to a half a stick of gum) I have relatively good hand, eye coordination, and I have learned to handle pressure.

Which brings us to putting. I just can't putt. It's a mystery that I have not been able to solve.

I can put the ball from any where on the green to within three feet of the hole. It's that last 36 inches where the mystery starts.

A good putter should be able to make 95 percent of his putts from that distance. I'm in the 60 percent range. That's bad putting. I don't reach 95 percent until the last 12 inches.

After buying ever style, make and price of putter, I know it's not the putter. And another thing. Why is it that a putter can't miss until the cash register drawer shuts?

I've tried putting off the front foot , the back foot, close to me, away from me, cross handed, one handed and with my eyes closed. I get up to 70 percent with my eyes closed but an occasional whiff is to embarrassing for such a small gain.

I can play a putt to break one inch all day and it won't take the break until I decide to play it straight at the hole. THEN, it will take the break! That's part of the mystery.

Do you ever watch the pros on TV? They line up a putt from the front, back and side of the hole. They get the line, I get confused. How can a putt look like it breaks two different directions by looking at it from a few feet in the opposite direction? Another mystery. Maybe there's a slope to my eyes.

Another thing, why can't you eyes and your mind cooperate on anything? Your eyes can say slope but your mind says no slope. If they don't agree, which one do you believe?

Which brings us to the greatest mystery of all. The plum bob. Who in the heck ever came up with this one? It must have been the guy who came up with the game Simon says.

I sure look good doing it. The guys I'm playing with are impressed. But I see nothing. Absolutely nothing. If I know there is a break it disappears with the good old plum bob. Oh sure, I see the shaft and the hole. Once in a while I see one of the guys tromping on my line. They think I'm using the old eyes closed method again. I have way to many other mysteries to solve before I work on this one.

It's a good way to stretch you back and that's the only thing I get out of it .

So if you wasted your time reading this in the hopes of putting better, sorry. You could send me a solution and a dollar. If I get enough I could quit golf and take up fishing. On the other hand, if you read this you probably can't putt either. See, your not alone.

 

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