(Premier Login aceputt) Forum Owner Posted Apr 26, 2009 10:22 AM
Dear Frankie C,
I agree with all you say except differ a little about the head. An accurate stroke really requires that the chest and shoulders not change orientation to the line of the putt thru impact, so the "chest" needs to "listen" till the ball drops. Actually, I think the chest should stay squarely oriented at least as long as it takes the putter head to pass the front big toe, but after that is doesn't matter. To keep the chest still thru impact requires in turn not allowing the orientation of the throat line to swing targetward past the middle of the stroke in following the putter head thru impact. Keeping the throat line still does not automatically keep the "head" still unless the head axis ()center of base of neck out top of head where the cap button is located) parallels the surface, and then the button on the cap will not "move" back and forth in a sway, although it will still spin as the axis as a whole rotates with the rocking of the shoulders. The more up-tilted the axis of the head is from the surface, the more the button on the top of the head sways left and right during the shoulder rocking. Even so, the rotation of the head with the button on the cap spinning in place without left-right sway or with left-right swaying when the axis is tilted up away from parallel with the surface, the "face" and eyes will be rotating back and forth anyway. So what good does it do to "hold the head still" in the sense of holding the button on the cap spinning in place? The eyes are moving with the face and the inner ear is sloshing about. It doesn't change this even if the head axis parallels the surface so the button only spins in place. Apparently, this is NOT what you mean by "hold the HEAD still".
People who advocate "holding the head still" don't define what they mean, or understand what they mean, but what they intend to say is "hold the face still". In order to hold the FACE still, the neck muscles that connect the skull to the clavicle bones and upper torso are the ones that are tightened with extra "hold still despite the shoulder rocking motion" tension. This neck tension opposes and fights against the fluidity of the shoulder motion -- not a great idea. So I would suggest you reconsider exactly what you mean to say when you advocate "holding the head still" and then examine the tradeoffs between extra neck muscle tension and a fluid, accurate shoulder rocking with exquisite touch. You might not accept "hold the head still" as sound advice.