putting, soft or firm hands.

[tball88]

My putting is pretty bad, I range from a 4-8 index in a typical year, and probably average around 35 putts a round. I've always tried using firm hands with no wrist, however, we have a couple of guys at our club that are lights out putters and definately have soft hands a small amount of wrist action in their putts. Not as much as say old style Gary Player, but more like Crenshaw.

Just wanted to hear from some of the good putters out there what they do?

thx

[Richie3Jack]

I try to keep them pretty firm. I think the older golfers like Arnie and Gary Player used more wrist because of the slower greens and Arnie started to lose his putting once the greens got smoother and faster. I try to keep the #1 PP in tact.

I prefer the firm wrists instead of getting wristy because it allows for a better rhythm of the stroke and Mangum's video with Elk opened my eyes about the role rhythm plays in putting and how important it really is.








3JACK

[cloran]

I too use firm wrists, but it's taken me a lonnnnnng time to find a comfortable (and efficient) set up.

I treid putting with the ball in the middle of my stance, off my left foot, and even off the side of my right foot (side saddle for 1 summer, I'm not kidding either). I've tried standing more erect, more hunched over, open and closed stances. I've tried putters that range in length from 31" to 44", and every style... from heal shafted blades to a Cameron Futura (oofah).

After all this I KNOW I need a face balanced putter, and it has to be 33". I set up square to my target line with the ball just off my left instep and my feet just under my shoulders. Being that my putter is face balanced I find less need to try and close the face in order to have it square at impact. Most people would what I do a SBST with a push force, but I know there's no such thing as an actualy SBST stroke so I don't go there. I always felt like I had to manipulat the head into impact if the putter wasn't face balanced.

Long story short, try different setups, putters, head weights, grip sizes, hosel shapes, shaft insertion points, inserts, milled putters, vintage gear, new space ship looking stuff...

... then go get fit for an Edel.

[Richie3Jack]

I hate to harp on it, but if you want to putt better, you really need to stop worrying about the putting stroke and focus on touch/speed. The better your touch/speed gets, the more putts you will make. If you can take that to heart and then practice that, you'll be a better putter. One case in point is Loren Roberts. He actually doesn't have that great of a stroke according to SAM Puttlab data. He aimes 2* left of the target at address and actually cuts across it.

Dave Orr has some students that were notoriously poor putters that he has put on the SAM Puttlab and their strokes measure out better on the SAM Puttlab than Loren Roberts. The main difference is consistency of the stroke....Loren can make the same aim left at address, cut across stroke over and over again. Orr's students, who technically have a better stroke cannot repeat that stroke nearly as often. That also ties into touch/speed...consistent strokes will have better touch/speed than a mechanically better, but not as consistent putting stroke.






3JACK

[tball88]

Good feedback. I personally have a problem with committing to the putt. One of the guys I play with is a very good putter and is very good about picking a line and committing to it. I have a tendency to pick the line then somewhere in the stroke, I bail out.

[Richie3Jack]

I hate to harp on this as well, but get Geoff Mangum and Steve Elkington's Reality of Putting video at www.therealityofputting.com. It basically goes over how you do all of this stuff naturally. Very simple, but very smart way of doing things.






3JACK

[tball88]

you've sold me richie, I'm going o get the video. It better knock at least two strokes off my putting average:)