Geoff,

Thanks for your latest reply, as informative as ever.

One of the principal problems I'm having with the in-line shoulder stroke is keeping the putter face square to the target line the longer the putt. There is a tendency for the face to open up just a fraction the further the head moves back even though the putterhead is moving on a straight line back from the ball. For me to keep it square I need to feel that the last two fingers(i.e the little finger and the next one) of my left hand along with the accompanying knuckles are staying perpendicular to the target line, this seems to help. Have you got any other suggestions or could this be happening because I'm not tilting the shoulders correctly despite the fact that the putter head seems to be moving a in straight line?

Thanks once again.

Yours,

James

Dear James,

The backstroke is best if straight back, but if it's a problem, then the priority is on staying relaxed with dead hands and don't worry too much about it -- stay focused on the falling back of the putter to the square address position and on timing the casual uplift of the lead shoulder thru impact.

One suggestion to help get the hands back online without fanning open is to feel as if you are pulling a lawn-mower crank cord & handle straight back with your rear palm. Actually, back and up a bit. The trick is to imagine this cord attached to the lead shoulder socket via a pulley between the feet so that pulling the cord back also pulls the lead shoulder down and back in a coordinated way, in which you can't tell whether the hand is pullng back or the shoulder is pushing back.

Another idea is to "drive" the lead shoulder down and back above the balls of the feet.

Another is to imagine pushing the palm of your lead hand with the lead shoulder towards the instep of the rear foot going back, and then reversing this with the other palm going forward.

And you may have to bend the top of the torso a little more over, so that the shoulder frame is cleared out from your chest more. This makes it easier to turn the shoulders a little further in a vertical plane, without the lead forearm wanting to roll open as the elbow comes in conflict with the abdomen.

Cheers!

Geoff Mangum
Putting Theorist and Instructor
Geoff Mangum's PuttingZone
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