Hi Geoff or anyone,

What is likely the cause of every so often hitting slighty behind the putt (hitting the ground first)? I notice this happens to me about every once in a while especially under pressure.

What would be a good drill to practice as well as a mental picture for use in pressure situations.

Thanks in advance

Dear David,

There are three usual ways to stub the putter, all of which entail a lowering of the putter head below the bottom of the arc established at setup.

First, the upper torso can dip. More specifically, the pivot in the base of the neck can lower in the forward stroke. I think this comes from rear-hand "effort" thru impact ina "hit" stroke (versus a simple dead-hands rocking of the shoulder frame in a "hitless" stroke) or from a deliberate and artificial effort to keep the putter head low to the ground past impact even though the arms are hanging fully extended (not bolt straight, though), thus sticking the putter low down the line. The putter head stays plenty low in a shoulder stroke in which the dead-hands simply stay down there where they naturall hang heavily. But an effort to extend the putter head low and level thru impact and beyond is unhelpful -- the putter head should rise slightly and naturally going thru impact on a mild radiusing. if the stroke were extended all the way into a giant circle over from top of follow-thru over the head all the way to top of backstroke, the circle would be about 9 feet in diameter and nearly 30 feet in circumference. Thru the critical impact zone, the putter head just won't rise much at all, and a ball positioned as much as six inches in front of the putter face at address will still be impacted solidly with plenty of putter face, since the rising of the putter head over this six inches past the bottom of the stroke is well less than half the total height of the putter face, typically about 1/8th of an inch at most (or thereabouts). So don't get handsy and don't try to stick the putter head low and level thru impact -- just swing easily.

Second, the initial setup can have too much "play" in the elbows (too much crook). During the stroke, especially a handsy stroke or one in which the golfer deliberately strives to keep the putter head low going back, the elbow can straighten out, and this lowers the putter head too low coming forward. The third usual way is for the rear knee to yield a little early, clearing the pelvis out from the rear side of the torso, dipping the right shoulder a little coming into impact.

The cure for all of this is to "putt from the top of the body." By this, I mean establish the pivot height and relaxed arm hang at address, and then move the torso and manage the lower body so that the pivot does not dip.

One thing I do to set the pivot-to-green distance in the setup is to tap the putter a little onto the turf and let the grip move a little lower. Then when I breathe in, this raises the chest just a little so the putter sole is suspended onto the tops of the grass blades and not the turf itself. This maneuver creates a very specific distance from pivot to sole of putter that is easily kept stable in the stroke. It also makes starting the stroke with a push-back of the lead shoulder a more natural way to start than with a tug back of the rear hand.

A second thing I do to stabilize the pivot in elevation is to fix the gaze on a blade of grass right in front of the putter sweetspot and get interested in seeing it clearly. This makes my lens shape itself to focus on precisely that distance below my eyes. By keeping my gaze focused on the grass blade, my head and neck stay still as I rock my shoulders. If my head (and eyes) dip, the grass goes out of focus.

Stabilize the top of the body and then have at it without fear of stubbing the putter.

Cheers!

Geoff Mangum
Putting Theorist and Instructor
Geoff Mangum's PuttingZone
Golf's most advanced and comprehensive putting instruction.

Over 885,000 visits and growing strong ...

518 Woodlawn Ave
Greensboro NC 27401
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Thanks a lot Geoff! If I have forgot to mention this is a great website. Very informative and good place to identify new training aids.

Just to clarify for me the technique you mentioned above about fixing the pivit point. You mentioned tapping the putter on the groud and letting the grip slide lower. I assume you mean that you let your hands slide lower on the grip, thus, reducing the crook in your elbows?

Thanks again

Dear David,

Not quite. yes, the tapping edges the hands lower on the putter handle, but not for the purpose of getting the crook out f the elbow -- that was gone before the hands got onto the putter handle. When you hang the hands and arms in a relaxed way and then "bring the body to the putter handle" as it sits well-soled on the surface, nthe feet walk the hanging arms and hands out to the putter and there is no crooking of the elbows to "lift" the hands onto the handle. Hence, in taking the putter handle into the grip, it is not done by reaching but by walking out to the putter.

In approaching the soled putter for taking the handle into the hanging hands, there is a neat test to check to make sure you haven't gone too close or stayed too far back from the ball, thus altering either the sole's flatness or the height of your hands on the putter. Simply release the rear hand from the grip and watch it drift off the handle sideways. If the rear hand also drifts closer to you, then the ball is too far away or your hands too far out from their natural hang. If the hand drifts away from you, then you are too close to the ball or your hands are closer in to your body than their natural hanging position in gravity. Normally, the hands will hang a little more out from the shoulders than the elbows, so usually your hands meet the handle somewhere above your toes.

So tapping the putter after taking up the grip ("bringing the body out to the putter") subtly slides the hands a tick lower and this elevates the sole of the putter up off the turf and allows it to rest on the cushy grass instead.

Cheers!

Geoff Mangum
Putting Theorist and Instructor
Geoff Mangum's PuttingZone
Golf's most advanced and comprehensive putting instruction.

Over 885,000 visits and growing strong ...

518 Woodlawn Ave
Greensboro NC 27401
(336) 340-9079 cell

What about getting the putter to steep on the backswing (i.e. picking the putter up).

A training aid that extended off the front of the putter face 3" or 4" inches may help to visualize this in the backstroke as the aid would look like it is going to dig into the ground as you come into impact. What do you think?

That sounds to me like a pretty good idea. You would have to make the shape so the furthest edge of the attachment didn't scrape the ground going back in a backstroke not involving any picking up of the putter. But in general the extension would amplify the issue, which is a standard approach to feedback devices.

Cheers!

Geoff Mangum
Putting Theorist and Instructor
Geoff Mangum's PuttingZone
Golf's most advanced and comprehensive putting instruction.

Over 885,000 visits and growing strong ...

518 Woodlawn Ave
Greensboro NC 27401
(336) 340-9079 cell

Geoff,

I think that the simple test for finding your natural arm hang while setting up to a putter is priceless. With a natural arm hang instead of a much higher hand position at address it feels easier to make a pendulum stroke without that little loop ever once in a while and it seems to reduce the closeness I get to touching the ground (stubbing) with the putter. I would say my grip was around 3" inches than my natural arm hang. Do these cause and effects mentioned above make sense?

I do notice that with a 33" putter that I have to bend less from the hips to resonably accomodate gripping the putter....I am 5'6" tall with 23.5" of vertical distance from finger tips to ground level (standing erect). Consequenlty, I have to remind my self of the gaze concepts you have elogantly presented or I find I peer down my cheeks because I am standing taller than normal in my putting address position.