If I put a thick straight edge parallel to my feet and the line of putt, and place the putter against this straight edge, and then perform a stroke while holding the putter against the straight edge I can observe two different reactions to the putter face.
1. The putter face opens on the back stroke and then closes on the forward stroke
2. If I lower my left shoulder slightly (more) during the back stroke and then lower my right shoulder during the through stroke, the putter face remains straight or at a tangent to the line. This has a feeling of keeping the putter closer to the ground.

My question is - is one of these methods basically better than the other - or are both wrong?

I just have a problem thinking that the putter face should follow an arc in the performance of the stroke. It seems to me that the percentages of performing a straight putt are increased if the putter face does not alter.

Thanks
Jeremy

Jeremy:

I have tried your straight line putting path experiment and get the same effects, but only on the following basis:

1. If the putter faces fans to open and in the backstroke and to squares in the forward stroke on a straight tangential path, my body core is still and my arms flex and unflex with only a slight shoulder movement. This is a fully conscious and arm-hand forced putting action for me ... (i.e. no gravity-sponsored pendulum swinging).

2. When I fully engage my shoulders, this torques the locked, one-piece arm-hand-putter assembly in a rotative straight but rising backstroke. The only way I can consciously flatten to drop the putterhead path is to articulate or flex my elbows ever so slightly as in the above example 1. I just consciously repeat the shoulder torquing to start the forward stroke.

The flatter the putterhead path, the less the pendular effect and the greater the linear movement. Once the initial torque to initiate the start of the forward stroke is finished, the momentum carries the putterhead through the ball. Gravity is not the force to move the putterhead, rather it is the ballistic momentum that is in effect at the bottom of the putting stroke.

I agree with you that putting with an arcing stroke path is complicated because you have to catch the ball on exactly the right spot on the arc path for a tangentially straight ball path, and this is can only be a best guess, unless you are consciuously straightening out the putterhead path as it approaches the ball. An arced path only introduces more variables to be controlled and hence is problematic.

What I would be interested in knowing from you is your body anatomy .... because this can significantly affect how you are able to execute a putting stroke. If you are short, husky a tad inflexible, you may not be able to do a straight stroke and are restricted to an arc stroke to get around your thick body core and solid shoulder structure. If you are thin, small-chested and short or tall, you may have to use the straight stroke to eliminate body instabilities. There are probably more body type combinations that may affect your physical putting style.

Hi Sammy,
Thanks for your response.

I am not really up to speed with the gravity/pendulum type swing that you talk about but will try to find more information on it here on this site. There is so much good information on this site that it is sometimes hard to find exactly what you are looking for.

My stature is as you guessed, stocky. I am medium height, but large in the upper chest arms etc. I am reasonably flexible considering my shape & stature and have no trouble rotating around my spine in the std golf stroke, and find no problems getting the rocking motion of the putting stroke.

The opening and closing of the putter face is what is taught by some advocates, it just does not appeal to me. They even have an aid that the putter shaft rides on and images on the ground showing the "correct" movement of the putter head to open then closed.

Jeremy

Here is a link to Geoff's explanation on the Gravity-sponsored putting stroke that I found useful:

http://www.puttingzone.com/MyTips/flow.html

To get a deeper appreciation of Geoff's research into the subject of putting try this link:

http://www.puttingzone.com/Science/Instincts.html

It's a bit esoteric but worth the study for a better appreciatation of Geoff's reasearch.


As for your own putting situation, I would have thought that you would be a natural arc putter with your body type because I imagine your shoulders are solidly planted on your torso and you may not be able to slide your shoulder scapula around your rib cage because your chest pec muscles are too big and interfere with shoulder sliding around your spinal axis. Loose shoulder structure allows you to slide your shoulder structure around your still torso, while solid shoulders can only be rocked by rotating the torso. This may be the difference between us ... anatomically.

Also I image you have a flatter driver swing plane giving you a lot of distance, but poorer short game because your swing plane is too flat .... whereas I am the opposite ... a weaker driver but a killer short game with my vertical swing plane.

For putting, this makes you a flatter lie putter with an arc path swing, while I have a vertical putting stroke and a straighter putting path. Please correct my assumptions because it is interesting to hear how others interpret their putting styles with their particularily anatomy .... and in putting, anatomy is everything ... !!!

Hi Sammy,
Thanks for the links, I will print them out and read them tonight.

I do have a flattish swing with the driver and hit the ball around 250 metres average, but my short game is my best part of my game. I was in a comp the other day and had to play a lob shot over a tall tree - The ball hit a branch on the way down and one of the guys in the group said, ***** even when he hits a tree he lands next to the hole! I love the pitch and bunker shots. I do not have a flat short iron swing. I play off approx 10 and falling and have been playing for a bit over two years.

I am very interested in putting as I see it as my major weekness and wish to learn more about it. This site seems to be a major facility for learning to putt.

When I putt - I have in the past kept the putter low to the ground, I had a putter with a curved face and if I used a pendulum type putt, the ball tended to jump. The flatter swing put a much better roll on the ball. I have now gone back to a flat faced putter (but this could change at any time!!) and will try the pendulum action as described here.

Thanks for all you help.

When using the pendulum/gravity putting stroke, it is imperitive to have the shoulder perfectly aligned with the target line.
One degree open or closed with a perfect stroke will lip the cup.