Shaft location?

[Fred Brattain]

OK, first, this is going to be brief this AM because I am playing Menifee Lakes with BallTurf this morning, and that HAS to take precedence

The first thing you need to do is find a putter that LOOKS right when you are standing over the ball. There is no substitute for believing you are lined up correctly. If the putter doesn't fit your eye, then you will subconsciously make corrections in your putting stroke and miss the putts.

FWIW I NEVER worry about my putting stroke looking "correct" I worry about whether or not the ball starts on line at the proper speed.

Here are the keys. First, if you are right handed, about 25% of all the nerve endings in your body above the waist are in that fleshy pad next to the life line in your right hand. The only thing that makes sense therefore is to putt with your lifeline on the putter. Claw and cross hand, and all of that, are for people who have had their brains played with too much

The feel for distance is the most important aspect of long putting. If you really pay attention most three putts come from hitting the ball the wrong distance on your first putt than anything else. Don't get so hung up on the line of a long putt that you forget to hit it close to the hole. Therefore, practice 30-40 foot putts and try to make them finish within 3 feet of the hole. Leaving yourself 6-8 footers all day long is no way to get to heaven.

The key to great putting is acceleration through the ball. ONLY that will keep the ball on line. You miss short putts because you decelerate the putter, either by looking up, or by simply quitting on it while trying to guide it into the hole. WISHING The ball into the hole is not the same as WILLING it into the hole.

Your backswing should be no more than half your follow-through on ANY putt you hit, I don't care if it is from 3 inches or 50 feet. You MUST accelerate your putter through the ball, ON the line you want the putt to start on.

Here is how you learn to do this.

Start 2 feet from the hole. Place your putter directly behind the ball. Do NOT take a backswing. PUSH the ball into the hole with the putter. This will require a piston like motion with the right arm (Nicklaus used this motion). There are NO wrists involved in this stroke, nor are you rocking with your shoulders. Think of a steam locomotive and the drive wheels and how the pistons move back and forth. That is the motion you want. I don't care if you stand open, closed, or square, whether you play the ball forward, back or center, you MUST be comfortable over the ball. Take a stance that feels GOOD to you. Do this exercise 20 times, then move back to 3 feet and do it 20 more times. This will get your hands and brain used to accelerating through the ball. Then hit 10-20 three foot putts.
Remember ANY putt under 6' in length you never see go in the hole, you only HEAR it, because you are watching the place where the ball WAS, not where it's going.

So, having done this drill with a putter that fits you, what do you practice next? I never practice putts other than 3' and 30+' long. Why? because the pros (and you can putt as well as they do) make about 99% of their 3 footers. However, they only make slightly more that 52% of 6 footers and less than 25 % of 10 footers. WHY PRACTICE MISSING?

Most of putting is believing the ball is going in the hole,and the rest is keeping your head still and accelerating through the putt. I am GENUINELY surprised when any putt I hit doesn't fall. But I am NOT UPSET by it. Even a 3' putt is subject to a certain level of luck. If you hit enough 6' putts some of them will fall. If you hit enough 30' putts, a couple will go in, but the point is to be present in the process, not the result.

The other drill that I use is the following. I will putt to a tee stuck in the green rather than a hole. This sharpens your focus and makes you concentrate more. I will place a tee in the ground where there is some undulation to the green, and get back 30 feet or so and try to 2 putt from there. When you are standing over a 3 footer and trying to hit the tee instead of that HUGE hole, it really helps sharpen your focus. Then, when you are faced with a tricky short putt to save par, and there is a tendency to get out of focus, I "see" a tee next to the hole on the line that I want to putt and putt to the tee. It may be in the center of the front edge of the cup for a straight putt, or 5 inches outside left, or whatever, but I visualize a tee there and putt to it. Your accuracy will improve and you will have less tendency to start short putts off line.

I am re-learning how to apply the same philosophy to the rest of my game......

I will try, when my girlfriend gets out here, to take a video of what I am talking about and post it for everyone.

Anyway, hope this helps. Remember, as Yogi Berra said about hitting a baseball, and it applies to putting "(90% of this is 80% mental)

Play well,


Obi WunPutt

[EdZ]

Remember ANY putt under 6' in length you never see go in the hole, you only HEAR it, because you are watching the place where the ball WAS, not where it's going.

One of the most over 'looked' parts of puttting - staying down and not looking to see where the putt goes. Something everyone can benefit from!

[Ball Turf]

I played the last day of the year playing golf with a new Friend, (Fred Brattian) we had a great time at Menifee Lakes, golf course location Southern California and we beat the rain if you can imagine that.

I want to give Fred some kudos for his putting technique. I met Fred at Temecula Creek Inn and he gave me a 10 minute lesson in his pro shop when it was slow. I took it to the putting area and worked on it for about 30 minutes. Today I was able to take it to the course and see it in action. First I like to say that my confident level was very high on my short game. Why? Because, I knew I could get it up and down. Some thought what I learned form Fred.

1. Taking the Putter head to the hole. (Before every putt, I set the putter down next to the ball, pushed my putter head to the hole. Practice routine.)
2. Getting the ball to the hole. (Mental thought)
3. Speed ( very important ) My misses were because of bad reads. Came out two putting.
4. Making everything I see. ( This was accomplish because all the practicing I did on the three foot putts)
5. The ball can only go one place, in the hole.

These are my own putting thought that I got out of his putting technique. I would like to say you should try it. You’ll be amazed how fast your confidence will get in practicing those three foot putts then getting the speed down on the 30+ putts. When practicing making putts you instantly forget about missing putts Opps did I day say that word Xxxx. Forget that word! Make them All! and your putting will Improve.

P.S I saved Par more then once with my flat stick even thirty foot down hill par saver!

Enjoy
Ball Turf

[vj]

Guys,guys,guys..........

Since when did not seeing the ball go in the hole from 6 feet become so imperative or essential. I have heard of great putters not seeing the ball go in the hole but I have never SEEN a great putter not see the ball go in the hole from the distance you are speaking of.

For some, I would suggest all, not seeing the ball go in the hole can cause a type of "phobia" and promote steering of the putter head. Your eyes enjoy seeing and while the center of the stroke (left shoulder or spine depending on the stroke involved) cannot move, the eyes have freedom. Freedom to see the plane line, freedom to trace the plane line along with #3 pressure point.

Don't get off the imperatives: Flat left wrist (or equivalent), Lag pressure point (distance control) and a straight plane line. Spend your time working on your hinge, your plane and distance control. Spend your time working on alignment, ball positioning at or near lowpoint, and set-up. Don't go chasing your tail when it is not based on geometry.

Happy New Year

[Fred Brattain]

Guys,guys,guys..........

Since when did not seeing the ball go in the hole from 6 feet become so imperative or essential. I have heard of great putters not seeing the ball go in the hole but I have never SEEN a great putter not see the ball go in the hole from the distance you are speaking of.

For some, I would suggest all, not seeing the ball go in the hole can cause a type of "phobia" and promote steering of the putter head. Your eyes enjoy seeing and while the center of the stroke (left shoulder or spine depending on the stroke involved) cannot move, the eyes have freedom. Freedom to see the plane line, freedom to trace the plane line along with #3 pressure point.

Don't get off the imperatives: Flat left wrist (or equivalent), Lag pressure point (distance control) and a straight plane line. Spend your time working on your hinge, your plane and distance control. Spend your time working on alignment, ball positioning at or near lowpoint, and set-up. Don't go chasing your tail when it is not based on geometry.

Happy New Year

Like every other concept in the game of putting, there is a need for people to hold images in their head. The idea of "hearing" rather than "seeing" won't actually keep most people from seeing the ball go in the hole. What it WILL do and what it is INTENDED to do is to get people to stop moving their heads during the putting stroke. Your mechanics can be otherwise perfect, and if you move your head during the putting stroke, you WILL MISS THE PUTT. That was the point to what I was saying. Moving your head causes you to decelerate, the same as having your head moving in a full swing is something that Mr. Kelley did not want to see. Deceleration causes the putt to wander off line, causes people to jab at the ball, etc. Whether you see the ball go in the hole with a 6 foot putt or simply hear it, the fact is, if you look to see if you made it before the stroke is complete, including a follow through down the line, you will see a missed putt. In that sense it IS an imperative.

ObiWunPutt

[vj]

Thank you for clarifying the difference between truly "hearing" it go in the hole and "kinda" hearing it go in the hole. As players and instructors we have an obligation to all golfers to keep our language very easy to understand and implement.

[Fred Brattain]

Thank you for clarifying the difference between truly "hearing" it go in the hole and "kinda" hearing it go in the hole. As players and instructors we have an obligation to all golfers to keep our language very easy to understand and implement.

Hi VJ,
I spent about 8 years training people to be instructors, which, as you know, is not the same as being an instructor . Your point about clarity is absolutely right on. One of the things that I always try to emphasize is that, as the instructor, the burden of communication is on YOU. One of the great difficulties with the written word when trying to communicate a concept that is "image and feel" is that you are not standing there looking at the person when you say something, so you don't always know whether what you just said is what was heard.

Take care, and I hope we can smack the spheroid together sometime,

Obi WunPutt

[Yoda]

YODA,

Are you hitting or swinging? What is your power accumulator? #4?

My Putting Stroke is Right Arm Powered, and that use of the #1 Power Accumulator makes the Stroke a 'Hit.' However, it is a very smooth Acceleration, not a 'pop.'

Despite the Right Arm Power (and Right Forearm and #3 Pressure Point Plane Line Tracing), I also have a strong sense of 'Left Hand' control during the Stroke. But this Left Hand Feel is strictly the execution of the Angled Hinge Action (Clubface Alignment per 1-L #4) and not Clubhead Power.

I've done some photos and will put them up later today in The Golfing Machine -- Basic Forum.

[The Hawk]

Fred,

If I constantly aim my Cameron Bullseye (minimal offset) to the left, what type of putter should I be looking for? One with more offset or one without any (or slight onset)?? Thanks,

[vj]

The quickest way to change your aim is to change the Head! Try different head types first.