Putting Geometry

[Bagger Lance]

Courtesy of VJ

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[Homerson]

V.J.

Terrific visuals and visual descriptions. I gather your preferred stroke is on the shoulder plane.

What lie angle does your putting arc have?
What is your preferred ball position? Just short of low point?
Do you have any empirical data on the ascending v/s descending debate?
What kind of tempo do you like and why?

Regards,

[bgolfing]

If you could post some comments for the pics that would be very helpful.

[Thom]

looks forward to this

[vj]

Picture #1- There is a lot of discussion concerning the plane angles the putter moves on. The most mis-conceived notion is that during a "shoulder only" motion the putter will move on the shaft plane. This is JUST NOT TRUE. If indeed the shoulders (left shoulder plane angle) are the ONLY moving part during the stroke putter will move in a plane which goes through the THORASIC REGION of the spine.

Moving the putter along a bench with an arm only stroke and then with a shoulder only stroke will both trace a straight plane line, however, the arc of approach and arc of separation will be different. There will be more arc in the arm only stroke than in the shoulder only stroke. The reason is because of the projection of the plane on the ground. The flatter-the more the arc- the more upright the less the arc.

I hope this image clears some of the fog!

[Thom]

How much does the anatomy of the golfer change the arc?

What stroke and golfer size are the Putting Arc constructed out from?

Are you saying that we're better off with a putter-training device that are more like the bench, if we want a device that people with diffent strokes and/or body-builds can use

[vj]

The anatomy of a golfer changes the arc only by thousands of inches. NOW THE ANATOMY OF A GOLFER that sets up to the ball with eyes 8 to 10 inches inside the ball would change the arc considerably. Over the past 4 years we have made 5 custom arcs for variuos people. We have taken the measurements of hundreds of golfers but the difference in their arc isn't enough to matter.

Would you be better off with a bench? No. But if you were not going to use anything else, I would go for the bench. Plane boards are good, the putting arc is good, etc......The major reason we post the pics is for PRECISION. There is maybe more here than you need or can ever use.....but precision is precision.

Simply go this way. Decide on Shoulder Only or Right Arm Only. Then get a device to help you build a visual equivalent of these plane angles. Happy Planar Putting.

[vj]

Picture #2

This is the only way a golfer can go straight back and through. Oooooopppppps....I lied. A player can get their pivot point (upper spine, right elbow) directly over the ball or they can MANIPULATE the putter head to death off plane.

For all the straight back and throughers out there just remember your putter better be short and you had better be bent over.

[neil]

VJ,what is the significance of pics #3&4?

[lagster]

Can a golfer actually putt hook or slice spin on a putt, i.e. the ball is actually spinning across the green with sidespin, or do they all end up rolling over and over? I have heard different things on this... like this glancing blow only takes off power, due to it not being a centered strike. Others say the ball is actually side-spinning along the ground. Maybe this is a factor more with very short putts... causing more spin-outs.