Putting checklist needed - if there is one

[metallion]

My putting is by far the worst part of my game. A Putting Arc MKIII landed in the mail today and I am about to have a serious go at it.

The other day someone told me about a putting checklist that one of his friends use. It was said to be organized in a way that you need to make sure that each requirement is met before you should spend time working on the next.

Something like this:

1. Stationary head
If your head is not stationary during the entire putt stroke you need not to worry about anything else until that is established.

2. Weight on heels
If your weight is not on the heels during the entire putt stroke you need not to worry about anything else until that is established.

3. Eyes above plane line
If your eyes are not on the plane line during the entire putt stroke you need not to worry about anything else until that is established.

etc

Or would you rather refer to 12-3-0?

In short: Would be great if a putting requirements could be expressed as a prioritized list. I'd love to hear VJ's thoughts on that. Would it be feasible to compile a "putting checklist as prioritized requiremements" or would you say that putting does not work that way?

[vj]

A checklist for putting?

The player's set up- Gaze on plane, forearms on plane, ball position correct, grip correct, weight distribution correct.

The putter's set up- Loft, Lie, Length- All three should accomodate your set up.

The hinge and the plane line- Trace the line and select a hinge.

Understand the HIT!- Every putting stroke should hit the ball.

That is my list!!!

[birdie_man]

vj....

What do you mean about "Every putting stroke should hit the ball."

I don't get it man.

[vj]

Go to your post on Nicklaus. "He actually SEEMS to break down alignments tho." Beware of lean in putting. The shaft will be vertical at low point. This gives the sensation of a "HIT" to the better player.

The higher handicap player feels all kinds of things I must say. So the shaft may feel more lean forward to get to vertical at low point for them. This would give them a sensation of "STROKE."

[metallion]

Sounds all good, VJ. The problem is - as always - interpretation, absorbation and application.

Ever considered taking in videos of putt strokes and looking at them. If that service was offered I'd use it in a heartbeat.

[birdie_man]

Are you saying the shaft should be vertical at impact?

I thought it was supposed to lean forward and reduce loft slightly.

Set me straight VJ....I'm confused now.

[vj]

Birdie Man,

In full golf stroke I have no problem (in fact I like) to see loets of shaft lean, even if it means a little "arch" in the left wrist. So your understanding of having the shaft lean forward a bit to take loft off works on 90 percent of the shots you hit.

In putting, the loft/roll relationship cannont be overlooked. If you have zero loft on your putter, then you had better have a malet type head that is very deep in length and not deep in face. This head type will move the center of gravity far enough back to give some "effective loft."

Standard loft is roughly four degrees. This number was created by R&D departments of manufactureres. They find that four degrees of loft rolls the ball "better" than other lofts. Now again this is not uniform because of the design characteristics of the putter head but it is a good "standard" to go by because most all putters I see come in here are 2 ball, answer types, and traditional blades.

So, by leaning the shaft forward you are taking off loft. Just the other day I gave a lesson to a teaching pro and he needed 8 DEGREES of loft on his putter to continue and putt the way he was. Now that is a lot of loft to look at down there. So he changed his "hit" instead.