Geoff:I have right to left putting issues . The right to left that starts straight then hits a slope and then turns right causes me no problems it is the putt that is already on a slope that causes me issues . I think it is because the ball is above the feet and this has an effect on the posture and set up. If you grip the putter in your normal position you would have to do one of the following things or a combo of them to fit round the slope .

1) Bend your arms more to reduce the relative distance from shoulders to the ball
2) Stand further from the ball.

If you grip down the putter the balance of the club is altered . So that does not feel totally satisfactory. also on a severe right to left putt there is a tendency for the toe to get in contact with the ground which fosters the idea of standing further from the ball which leads to a more rounded stroke.

I have read that some people place the ball further back in the stance so that you get an inside out stroke to counteract the slope and hitting the ball more out of the toe end of the putter . Both of things are moving you from swinging the putter on plane and hitting out of the sweat spot. Also I think there may be an optical effect that effects perception as the ball is closer to the eyes. Logically a shorter putter would reduce the problems and those with longer putters must be at a disadvantage on right to left putts. Left to right putts are causing me no problems.

What is your strategy on right to left putts.

Dear hue,

What I do is fairly simple. I sole the putter flat to the surface, and this positions the handle in an attitude in space. I then "bring" my body to the handle in its attitude and conform my setup to the slope, taking the cue from the flattened sole of the putter. On a ball-above-the-feet (right to left putt for a right hander), this forces the up-down axis of my setup out of an orientation to gravity (center of earth to zenith of sky) backwards a tad. So my hands don't go down the putter handle the way you describe. The trick is to ignore my inner-ear sense of leaning back off the ball. I focus visual attention to the surface and ignore the inner ear, and then "pretend" I'm setup normally in gravity and am about to make a stroke on a perfectly flat and level surface. The sole of the putter defines how the stroke movement relates to the surface.

The stroke is the same as usual, with the possible exception that the hands "feel" a little out of their normal relationship in gravity. Leaning back off the ball a little results in the hands being out of their usual hanging relationship in gravity, a little more out from the body in a sense (and only in a sense of the gravity, since the hands are not really any further from the legs than usual). This promotes a little firmer grip and muscle tone in the "triangle." But other than that, a stroke is a stroke.

Cheers!

Geoff Mangum
Putting Coach and Theorist
PuttingZone
http://puttingzone.com>
Golf's most advanced putting instruction -- you're either in the PuttingZone, or not.

Thank you Geoff. I tried your advice on the course yesterday and found your advice works. I held a lot more right to left putts than I normally do and felt a lot better over the ball because I now know what I am meant to do.