correct putting stroke?

ah, suddenly had doubts after experimenting with my putting stroke, please help!

the question is:

are we supposed to contact the ball at the bottom of the stroke or just slightly on the upswing?
The difference is to slightly "skid" the ball at the start or "roll" the ball at the start?

personal preference and opinions welcomed!

sniffydog wrote:

ah, suddenly had doubts after experimenting with my putting stroke, please help!

the question is:

are we supposed to contact the ball at the bottom of the stroke or just slightly on the upswing?
The difference is to slightly "skid" the ball at the start or "roll" the ball at the start?

personal preference and opinions welcomed!

I typically connect it square (or try to anyway). If you have time, come by the Den and ask Eric to take a look at your putter, putter stroke and stance. He has some great tips

First of all, let me declare that I am very loyal to coaching staff....since I took up coach, I have 2 coaches and remain to date....#1 Golf Magazine (title of magazine) which I will buy when I go pump petrol at SPC as it has tips on golfing ....and #2 The Golf channel on TV

As you realized now, I am very limited knowledge and likely very beginnner also.......

But the last episode at EPGA BMW, the commentator mentioned that all putts will skid and then do fwd roll....the key is to minimze the skid....and that is dependent on the putter and stroke...

for me, I am more of a 'Jab' putting....but downside it loses on lagging...

sniffydog wrote:

ah, suddenly had doubts after experimenting with my putting stroke, please help!

the question is:

are we supposed to contact the ball at the bottom of the stroke or just slightly on the upswing?
The difference is to slightly "skid" the ball at the start or "roll" the ball at the start?

personal preference and opinions welcomed!

Hmm... I think the almost all believe that rolling the ball asap will allow the ball to roll more consistently and accurately track on line better. No one really wants to "skid" the ball at the start. That's why the golfing industry comes up with new face designs and inserts, (yes grooves, tm agsi, zen rde, guerin rife, teardrop, etc) list goes on...

Everyone has different putting styles, some more forward press, some less, etc. So that's why you can also adjust the loft of the putter to impart the best roll for your putting stroke.

If you have interest and time; can go google putting sites like Zen Oracle putting, Geoff magnum putting, Stan Utey, Pelz..etc..etc

Duval_S wrote:

First of all, let me declare that I am very loyal to coaching staff....since I took up coach, I have 2 coaches and remain to date....#1 Golf Magazine (title of magazine) which I will buy when I go pump petrol at SPC as it has tips on golfing ....and #2 The Golf channel on TV

As you realized now, I am very limited knowledge and likely very beginnner also.......

But the last episode at EPGA BMW, the commentator mentioned that all putts will skid and then do fwd roll....the key is to minimze the skid....and that is dependent on the putter and stroke...

for me, I am more of a 'Jab' putting....but downside it loses on lagging...

PLEASE ignore what I had mentioned COZ today I had a nightmare on the green in Seletar.....

Key Learning: I need another magazine for tips.....!!!! AHHHH!!!!!

...DS

sniffydog wrote:

ah, suddenly had doubts after experimenting with my putting stroke, please help!

the question is:

are we supposed to contact the ball at the bottom of the stroke or just slightly on the upswing?
The difference is to slightly "skid" the ball at the start or "roll" the ball at the start?

personal preference and opinions welcomed!

All putts will skid regardless of how you try and manipulate your stroke to minimise it.

(DGMan has a couple of lovely slow-mo clips which shows what actually happens at and after impact of a putt with different putters. There is a reason why I'm waiting for 1 particular putter which imparts very little skidding to the ball )

There is also a reason why its called a putting 'stroke' and not a putting 'lift', 'jab', 'hit' etc. Why try and 'lift' the ball when thats what the loft of the putter is meant to do for you?

Most golfers should try and pay attention to other mechanics of the putting stroke.

- Eye position
- Forearm position
- Hands position
- Head still when making the stroke
- Legs, in particular the knees still, when making the stroke
- Holding your finish/follow-through
- Relaxing instead of tensing over the address.

There are different ways to stroke the ball. Stan Utley is a little different as he teaches an extension of arms back and thru in an arc path with very little shoulder movement. Others like Dave Pelz preaches a more orthodox rocking of shoulders but in a straight-back-straight-thru method.

With all these factors to consider, do you still think its important to manipulate your stroke to 'lift' or 'foward roll' the ball?

Duval_S wrote:

PLEASE ignore what I had mentioned COZ today I had a nightmare on the green in Seletar.....

Key Learning: I need another magazine for tips.....!!!! AHHHH!!!!!

...DS

hurhurhur. ur like me, except i do have a coach and coach says my problem is the "6 inches between my ears". he cant help me.

S70B wrote:

All putts will skid regardless of how you try and manipulate your stroke to minimise it.

(DGMan has a couple of lovely slow-mo clips which shows what actually happens at and after impact of a putt with different putters. There is a reason why I'm waiting for 1 particular putter which imparts very little skidding to the ball )

There is also a reason why its called a putting 'stroke' and not a putting 'lift', 'jab', 'hit' etc. Why try and 'lift' the ball when thats what the loft of the putter is meant to do for you?

so instead of adjusting the ball position just very slightly forward in my putting setup to promote the roll, you and ss hints that the trick is in the putter configuration, which sounds all logical. thanks for the enlightenment! I believe that is the right path.

My thought of rolling the ball more was an experimental idea to overcome my home green, and have some fun. The green is the very slow and bumpy kind (newly grown grass yet to trim, but at least finally the grass is there instead of the sandy turf which had been there for months...). So...I was kinda confused that since catching it slightly on the upswing (for my putter) might work well on this scenario, why should'nt that be a consistent setup...just wanted to check if any people out there actually do that.

i think YES putter do self-claimed their tehno can help to roll the ball earlier then all putters...

As mentioned by S70B, the forearm and hand position is crucial to good puting. This is a common mistake I see most amateurs make. Originally his arms were straight and right hand arched onto the grip.



This resulted in loss of control and direction. I changed his grip and arm geometry resulting in a much better stroke.


Notice there is now some bend in his arms and shaft and forearm are in a straight line.
Most golfers use the same grip they use to swing with for putting as well. I recommend more of a palm grip.

Just as in the full swing, the putting stroke has a plane to comply with.
With a "grip" set more in the palms, the right and left forearms will be on the same plane as the putter shaft leading to a more stable and repeatable stroke.

Think about it this way, if you want to push a car, you would want your force perpendicular to the desired direction for maximum efficiency and effectiveness.

Ditto for the putting stroke...

great picture Justin...

now just imagine when the putter is too long or too short.

having the right putting setup and stroke is as important as having the right length and lie.

DGman

DGman wrote:

great picture Justin...

now just imagine when the putter is too long or too short.

having the right putting setup and stroke is as important as having the right length and lie.

DGman

My imagination no good... Got picture?? hahaha

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you blind or i seeing things...ok its technically not a picture but a diagram....

SS....you putt like this and you may putt 180m too...

DGman

I saw the pic Justin posted ;

I was kidding about your
"now just imagine when the putter is too long or too short" and asked if you had pic/diagram for too long or too short putter..

DGman wrote:

great picture Justin...

now just imagine when the putter is too long or too short.

having the right putting setup and stroke is as important as having the right length and lie.

DGman

I believe the right setup is the key. Just realized with my new putter and my original setup, the ball position is more forward (in order for the shaft to setup veritcal). no wonder the ball doesn't roll as much when i position the ball in the center of my stance...

DGman wrote:

great picture Justin...

now just imagine when the putter is too long or too short.

having the right putting setup and stroke is as important as having the right length and lie.

DGman

Precisely..if you two putt every green you hit in regulation, that would account for half of your strokes.
Yet, the sad truth is that most people neglect to get fitted for a club that important!

To me putter fitting is not just about length and lie.
Its also about:

1) Loft - your type of impact determines what loft your putter should have. If you have a more descending blow on your stroke, you should experiment with more loft and vice versa.

2) Face material - here, it is about personal preference as well as the ball you use. Jerky and unrhythmic strokes would be better served with putters with softer faces. If you are using a ball such as the Titleist Pro V1, then perhaps you will get better feedback with a non-insert face.

3) Style - to me you have to like the putter to be able to putt well with it. Having a putter that is unsightly is kinda like marrying a girl whose face you do not like despite her virtues.

4) Balance - putters can generally be classified as face balanced or not. If you have an arcing stroke, then the non-balanced putters will work with your stroke. If you have a putting action that can be described as straight-back and straight-through, then a face-balanced putter tends to aid you in keeping the face pointed more on the target line.

5) Sound - Last but not least and seldom mentioned is sound. Sound provides great feedback and certain sounds of the ball coming off the putter's sweetspot tends to resonate better than others. You will only know if you try.

Mate,

What about swing weight? Does it matter too?

The higher the swingweight, the heavier the head end of the club and vice versa.
You need to experiment to see what works for you.

Experiment? Hm...

Are there any guide lines? Some say a stiffer shaft delivers more power to the ball. The reason I ask is because I have changed my putter to a SUPER large grip. By doing so I understand that it changes the Swing Weight. But how does that affect me? I don't know... I'm just curious that's all.

As to my putter, as the adage goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"

rocky wrote:

Experiment? Hm...

Are there any guide lines? Some say a stiffer shaft delivers more power to the ball. The reason I ask is because I have changed my putter to a SUPER large grip. By doing so I understand that it changes the Swing Weight. But how does that affect me? I don't know... I'm just curious that's all.

As to my putter, as the adage goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"

If your swingweight is on the high end, your normal stroke will send the ball further.
Again, short jabby strokes tend to benefit from a heavier putter.
Go to www.heavyputter.com

Does anyone here putt without resting the putter on the ground (kind of hanging in the air)?

Bro Technospaz and Camilio not sure if you noticed yesterday, but Mr. SYK actually rest the putter on the ground to align and just before swinging, he lifted up the putter slightly (less than 0.5 cm) and proceed with the back swing.

It actually makes a lot of sense to me since there will be no resistance during the back swing i.e. I tried it on the putting matt... as predicted, easy backswing but messed up because my hand started to shake a bit. I gues it will take a little more practice to perfect it.

But, rather than practising the wrong thing, can I check whether this is a correct way of putting or am i doing it wrong all this time by having the putter graze the floor?
Well, I understand that to some it might be correct since they have been practising it for ages, but my question is more to the mechanics of putting swing and which swing is the putter designed for.

rocky wrote:

Experiment? Hm...

Are there any guide lines? Some say a stiffer shaft delivers more power to the ball. The reason I ask is because I have changed my putter to a SUPER large grip. By doing so I understand that it changes the Swing Weight. But how does that affect me? I don't know... I'm just curious that's all.

As to my putter, as the adage goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"

mine is affected.... i change to a bigger grip... putter feels diff(cant feel the head) then i add lead tape to the head, then it feels super heavy, all putts juz fly off the face...

then i reduce a few tape.... now slightly better but still sux...

juz have a 42putts yest......

Golf is a game played side on. All strokes in golf have a path. Because you stand side on you have to putt with an arc. If you try to take the putter back straight you will have to manipulate the face closed on the backswing and open it on the forward swing. Testing of 40 000 tour pro's putting strokes shows us that the majority putt with an arc.
When testing or getting putter fitted these are the things that need to be measured.
Putter face Alignment at address with different offsets. Alighnment at impact. Swing path. Stroke rotation and path. Shaft attack angle. Impact point on putter face. Stroke tempo. ball skid. Back or forwrd spin. Roll. Launch angle. Bounce. Hookn or slice spin. true roll. Lie angle, Loft. Length. grip size. Grip.Posture. Ball position. Eye position. Grip. Weight distribution. body alignment. With out these procedures there is no fitting, only guess work.

watermyforrest wrote:

Does anyone here putt without resting the putter on the ground (kind of hanging in the air)?

Bro Technospaz and Camilio not sure if you noticed yesterday, but Mr. SYK actually rest the putter on the ground to align and just before swinging, he lifted up the putter slightly (less than 0.5 cm) and proceed with the back swing.

It actually makes a lot of sense to me since there will be no resistance during the back swing i.e. I tried it on the putting matt... as predicted, easy backswing but messed up because my hand started to shake a bit. I gues it will take a little more practice to perfect it.

But, rather than practising the wrong thing, can I check whether this is a correct way of putting or am i doing it wrong all this time by having the putter graze the floor?
Well, I understand that to some it might be correct since they have been practising it for ages, but my question is more to the mechanics of putting swing and which swing is the putter designed for.

I do that. It's been a habit i developed when i started playing 4 yrs ago. Then i still can't putt for my life, & sometimes i brush the green a little too much on my forward stroke. So i lift the putter just a couple of mm to prevent that from happening. Now even though my putting has improved (in my own standard lah, around 30 strokes per round), i still hover my putter before my takeaway.