One question that I have not seen you address is: what is the proper method to breathe during your putting stroke? You know the old joke of asking someone who has a crucial putt to make in a match “whether they breathe in or out while they putt.” It seems to me that breathing is pretty important to the whole biomechanical process.

I would opine that you should breathe in the same manner for every putt. Breathe in on the back stroke, pause for the transition, and breathe our on the forward stroke. The breathe should be approximately ½ second long every time to coincide with the time of your putting stroke. Breathing properly frees the mind and body of tension. Concentrating on your breathing frees your mind of other thoughts. If you breathe properly then you end up in the bubblehead state that you describe in your article.

Do you have any thoughts or studies on this subject? Do you have any drills to enhance breathing techniques while putting? It seems to me that if you breathe in a consistent rhythm then you could putt with a consistent rhythm.

Love your website and putting tips! Keep them coming.

Lou

Dear Lou,

I agree with you 100 percent! To make the stroke as natural and non-conscious and as simple as possible, it helps tremendously to coordinate the motion with breathing. Breathing in is effortful, but breathing out does not require any action other than relaxing -- the breath just escapes on its own. the putting stroke should be like that -- a little effort to start the putter back towards the top of the backstroke with an inspiration, and then a patient transition as the breath infuses oxygen into the body while the putter head coasts to a stop at the top of the backstroke and then the stroke starts to fall downward on its own without effort as the breath escapes naturally, the putter now accelerating smoothly into and thru impact.

I think the inspiration is a bit longer than 1/2 second, perhaps a full second in my easy-does-it tempo.

There are plenty of studies of breathing, from a physiological point of view and from a relaxation / meditative point of view. I don't know of any that have been performed in putting, but I could design one.

For your information, I've previously written about the breathing process in putting on this post in the forum.

As I learn more about breathing and putting, I'll make the info available. Thanks for the question and your kind words and insights.

Cheers!

Geoff Mangum
Putting Theorist and Instructor
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