Instinct Putting: The Innovative Science-Based Method to Look Where You Putt with Eric Alpenfels

golf SMARTER

Josh Karp

Sports, Golf

4.3 • 577 Ratings

🗓️ 29 July 2025

⏱️ 54 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

GS#1010 This time on the Golf Smarter Podcast, Eric Alpenfels, Director of Instruction at Pinehurst, discusses the innovative approach of instinct putting, which encourages golfers to focus on the hole rather than the ball. Alpenfels shares insights on how this technique can improve distance control and overall performance on the green, while also discussing the evolution of golf equipment and the importance of trust in the putting process. His latest book, 'Evidence-Based Golf,' contrasts empirical and non-empirical evidence, emphasizing the need for golf instructors to rely on research rather than anecdotal evidence. Please check out this article about Fred's golf and podcast journey called "A Lifetime On The Air" that was published in the NCGA Magazine (Northern California Golf Association) recently! Get more when your visit the refreshed golfsmarter.com! Introduce an Upcoming Episode: Receive free gifts for recording a show opening by clicking on "Record Your Show Open Here!" tab on the right side of golfsmarter.com. Watch Daily Video Highlights from Our Interviews: Follow @golfsmarter on Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube daily to see our highlights and helpful insights from our interviews on the podcast. Post a Review: you'll receive three free gifts when you post an honest review about Golf Smarter the podcast. Fill Out a Listener Survey: It only takes a few minutes to fill out our survey, which helps us to better serve your interests in the podcast. You'll receive a free link to Tony Manzoni's video and Justin Tang’s summary of Tony’s Lost Fundamental on pdf! This episode is brought to you by BreakfastBalls.Golf. Visit BreakfastBalls.Golf for the best quality and pricing on premium used golf balls. Find your favorite brand at half the price of new balls! Use GOLFSMARTER at checkout for 20% off your order!This episode is brought to you by the Tour Striker Golf Academy. Visit tourstriker.com/TSGA and use the code GOLFSMARTER to get your first month of the Tour Striker GolfAcademy Online free, plus instant access to two bonus courses—'The Recipe for Better Golf' and 'Bombs: How to Consistently Smash the Driver”: a $194 value for free.This episode is brought to you by 5Hour Energy. 5-hour ENERGY Transfusion flavor is available online or in stores. Head to 5hourENERGY.com and order yours today!Check out "Invested in the Game", a new original podcast from Charles Schwab. This podcast is their way of sharing the incredible stories behind the game. Listen now at schwab.com/TheGame or wherever you get your podcasts.This episode is sponsored by Indeed. Please visit indeed.com/GOLFSMARTER and get a $75 SPONSORED JOB CREDIT. Terms and conditions apply. For exclusive content and first access check out Corrected Mistakes on Substack: https://substack.com/@correctedmistake Former GolfSmarter host, Fred Greene... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, my name's Daniel from the Netherlands, and I play at Hoversome Golf Club. Welcome to Golf Smarter.
0:09.2	My name is Bob Fairchild, and I'm from San Ansomo, California. My favorite golf course is Royal County Down in Northern Ireland.
0:18.2	This is Golf Smarter, number 110.
0:21.6	We're just trying to gather data on uneven lies. And I'm very guilty of this. I always
0:25.6	thought that if the ball is above your feet, the person is going to hit it to the low side.
0:29.6	Uphill Lye is going to hit it higher and shorter and a downhill lie is going to hit it lower.
0:33.6	Well, it just give people a chance to hit these shots.
0:36.6	We don't really necessarily see the results aren't as simple as we think. Of the people we had today, probably 25% of them hit it higher on an uphill lie than they do off the level lie. So they're on a uphill lie, counterintuitive, but depends on their swing. And we had some people, and we've seen this so far in gathering this data, that if the ball's below their feet, they actually hit it straighter and their cliphead speed increases. But what are they thinking? They're thinking that it's going to go to the right because that's what people like me have told them. And then they hit five shots and they're all going dead straight, but they're aiming left. So they're thinking they're doing something wrong in their technique, but maybe depending on your golf swing, the ball below your feet, you'll hit it pretty straight so you don't have to aim left.
1:17.6	Instinct putting, the revolutionary science-based method at looking where you putt with Eric
1:25.6	Alpenfell's. This is Golf Smarter.
1:29.0	Sharing stories, tips, and insights from great golf minds to help you lower your score and raise your golf IQ.
1:37.1	Here's your host, Fred Green.
1:39.4	Welcome back to the Golf Smarter podcast, Eric.
1:42.5	Thank you. Nice to be here.
1:44.7	It's great to have you back again.
1:46.4	I just, for reference points, I want to say that you were on episodes 47 and 48.
1:52.8	We did two weeks in a row talking about Pinehurst in November of 2006.
2:01.0	Then you came back after Instinct Pudding came out, the book Instinct Pudding, which
2:05.5	we're going to talk a lot about today.
2:08.2	That was episode 138 in August of 2008, August 5th.
2:14.3	We're doing an August 5th episode this year, too.
2:17.3	And then you were on in 2016, episode 5th. We're doing an August 5th episode this year, too. And then you were on in 2016,
	...

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