Hello Geoff,

I am looking bit into the 1-putt school manual. The procedure they suggest to achieve a square stroke seems quite right with me, however there are two things that i wondering over. The first is that they suggest a considerably longer follow through than the backstroke, like 50 % longer- to me that means you have to add more energy than just letting gravitation accelerate the "shoulder-arm-club" pendelum system, I believe you want to add some to ensure acceleration through impact, but 50 % seems a lot ?
The second is the idea of Pushing with Right upper arm and shoulder, to me that again is to some extenet ruining the feeling of a smoth symmetrical pendelum ?

I think that their suggestin for how to use the eyes, and mind in the learning procedure very intressting and i Belive very good !

Best Regrds
Christer

Dear Christer,

I agree with you. I don't thin k the golfer should try to manufacture any specific thru-stroke, and should instead stick to the tempo and complete the stroke's own momentum. This alone avoids and eliminates any issue of deceleration. With respect to pushing down with the right shoulder and upper arm, I think this is flawed advice. Some people want to use the right side to power the thru-stroke, but my advice is that the right side should never be used without coordination with the left side. Especially, if you use the right shoulder to push the thru-stroke, you have to be sure that the left shoulder get pushed correctly upwards. Otherwise, focvusing only on the right shoulder can easily shove the left shoulder out of plane. More generally, it is okay occasionally to "focus" on one side more than the other, but this should only occur when you are pretty much habituated to using both sides together as the normal course of events.

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.

Dear Christer,

I feel the need to explain one special point: For the sake of the tempo, the golfer is "best" served by NOT using muscles on the way down from the top of the backstroke (although after the stroke hits bottom there is a minor up-movement of the whole shoulder frame about a still pivot in the base of the neck). Timing is King and Queen of the putting stroke. Timing gives touch as well as accurate form. While timing can be achieved with voluntary muscles coming down, this to me is not the "best" way to achieve good timing on a repeating basis.

So, more broadly than the point earlier that any use of the right side should be coupled with the left side, the even more general advice is NOT to use ANY side coming down. Just relax. If your setup is good and your shoulders square, the whole "triangle" will drop and swing beneath your neck like a child's swing beneath the top bar of a swing set. From the top of the backstroke, simply "release" your stroke and let it transpire beneath a still neck.

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 very much for your comitment, I think this site is totally awsome and beats any books and similar. I have learned so much from you and your articles, Pelz and Swosh et al has many great ideas, but I belive that you are combining all the parts neccessary to become a great putter. Mechanics, psycology and optometry, in a unique way. Many, many thanks

Christer