Art of Putting

[rhh7]

Art Of Putting
by Stan Utley

"In a welcome change from mechanistic and overly complex putting systems, Utley breaks down the putting stroke to a simple, natural motion"

"A breakthrough approach to putting from the PGA tour's premier short-game guru"

I am a fan of feel, and of keeping it simple. I have read and enjoyed Leadbetter and Pelz for years. But they often make golf too much like physics for my taste. Utley is refreshing.

[BC MIST]

I am a fan of feel, ....

What does this mean?

[rhh7]

What does this mean?

It means that in my opinion golf instruction has gotten way too technical, paralysis by analysis. I know how it feels when I put a good swing on the ball. There is a lot more stuff that I don't want to know.

[Kiwi]

I'm reading "Fearless Golf" by Gio Valiante, but the guys on this Forum suggested that I get it from the library and not waste $39.95 on it. Is this a "borrow" or a "buy"? I just love how the Golf Channel and the magazine ads use the words "breakthrough" for something that was done in the 50's.

[rhh7]

I'm reading "Fearless Golf" by Gio Valiante, but the guys on this Forum suggested that I get it from the library and not waste $39.95 on it. Is this a "borrow" or a "buy"? I just love how the Golf Channel and the magazine ads use the words "breakthrough" for something that was done in the 50's.

There are very few new golf books that I would consider buying. Just a few weeks ago I bought "How To Feel A Real Golf Swing", by Bob Toski and Davis Love, Jr-$6.00 in hardcover, in a used bookstore. Now that's a buy!

[Kiwi]

I'll look for it, thanks. I was told that you should hold your club so that you can feel the weight in the head (no death grip). I have only felt that once, it was the day I shot 81 at my "home" course. I am a 19 hcp. The swing felt so pure and simple that day, but I have not felt it since. Working on the swing this winter and hope that I can learn to repeat it regularly.

[BC MIST]

It means that in my opinion golf instruction has gotten way too technical, paralysis by analysis. I know how it feels when I put a good swing on the ball. There is a lot more stuff that I don't want to know.

Mechanics are essential when you are learning to develop a good swing, of any kind. In putting, having the hands beneath the shoulders, eyes over the target line, hitting the centre of the club face, face square to the target line with an on line path are MECHANICS necessary for good putting. YOU have to find your own “feels” to do this.

The significant difference between Utley and Pelz is that Utley’s stroke is a screen door one where the face is allowed to open and close “naturally,” while Pelz wants the face square to the target line, back and through. Both work, Pelz’s takes more time to perfect, but is better. Common sense says that if the face is square to the target line, any ball position can be used, contact the face squarely and in the centre and your putt will go where you want. It also says that if you open and close the face, the face has to be square at one precise point, (ball position) otherwise the ball will go offline, either way.

Regardless, once you have perfected your stroke and it has become subconscious, all you have to do is “let it go.” My Pelz stroke is “natural” to me. Your Utley stroke is “natural” to you. But mechanically, straight back and straight through has to be better, as the rotation of the club face variable has been removed. Once your stroke is developed, and a good putting stroke is very simple to learn, putting then becomes reading greens.

From my experience, most golfers are much better mechanically than what shows up on the greens on which they play. Two factors render them weaker putters: 1) Most golfers move, particularly on the short putts. Their head/shoulders follow the ball, and the putter head is thrown offline, usually to the pull side. 2) Most golfers have a fear of missing, again, particularly the short putts, and this affects the mechanics of the stroke. Possessing either one or both of these increases the putting average, regardless of whose fundamentals you use.

[byerxa]

Mechanics are essential when you are learning to develop a good swing, of any kind. In putting, having the hands beneath the shoulders, eyes over the target line, hitting the centre of the club face, face square to the target line with an on line path are MECHANICS necessary for good putting. YOU have to find your own “feels” to do this.

Never underestimate the mechanics of putting. I wonder how many people actually have taken a putting lesson? Because putting seems "simple" relative to the full swing, people tend to think they can just work on it as is. But in reality it needs as much "mechanics" as the full swing, if not more. Because putting requires the most precision, it should require the most mechanical work. Training aids, video and such are very important so that you can train your "feel" to what is mechanically "correct" and most reliable. For example, getting everything square and aligned properly cannot be done without this type of help. How do you know where your eyes are relative to the ball line? Are your shoulders square? You simply cannot see stuff like this without aids.

As for Pelz vs. Utley, I am not going to get into a debate because they are both very good. I tend to agree with BC that the square "PILS" method is utlimately more reliable, but I have found it is not initially a "natural" stroke and requires a lot of work with training aids to get a "feel" for it.

[Golfbum]

It's funny, everyone talks about feel, mechanics, technique in putting success.

No one talks about having the RIGHT LENGTH & STYLE of PUTTER for your stroke. Most amateurs putt with a putter that is too long for them.

Without that you will never putt to your full potential. The problem we have as amateurs is the lack of fitting for our flat sticks. If we could all go to a highend putter fitting session we would all be better off. Or if we all the the chance to take 20 different styles of putters to a putting green and spend an afternoon out there we might be able to find the putter that works best for us.

Drive for show, but putt for dough!

[byerxa]

Most amateurs putt with a putter that is too long for them.

For sure. I am 5' 10" and all of my putters are set up for around 31". I fit dead average for length and lie in regular clubs. Whenever I try putters in the 33" range I find I am gripping it right at the bottom of the grip. Look at what the pros are using (obviously not the long putters) and notice how short their putters are.

[BC MIST]

No one talks about having the RIGHT LENGTH & STYLE of PUTTER for your stroke.[/B] Most amateurs putt with a putter that is too long for them.

How true! May I include a couple of additional thoughts?

The average golfer, and all of us here are average golfers, would putt more consistently with a putter that is face balanced. Many status putters (Scotty Camerons, eg., )and others, which are not, require some learned manipulations so as to keep the face from opening on the backswing.

The use of putters with a high Moment of Inertia, results in straighter putts when ball/face contact is a little off centre.

Golfers who play on long, shaggy greens would do better with a couple of more degrees of loft on the face, than those who play on fast, bent grass type greens.

Regardless of any of what has already been written, if the golfer works on nothing other than hitting the centre of the face with the ball, he/she will putt better.

[byerxa]

The average golfer, and all of us here are average golfers, would putt more consistently with a putter that is face balanced.

Some say face balanced vs. not face balanced depends on the putting style (can't remember the combinations). What is interesting is that every Maltby mallet-style putter I have assembled has been face balanced. Every instructor I've seen when doing putting looks at one of the putters I have assembled with a look of skepticism (because it is not OEM) then is mildly shocked when they grab it and it is face balanced.

Face balanced is not the only factor. Some putter designs seem to roll the ball more efficiently than others, and I find that makes a big difference as well.

[dan_670_12]

Is there any website that could provide fitting for a putter or would you have to go and see someone. Ex. Pings iron fitting

[BC MIST]

Some putter designs seem to roll the ball more efficiently than others, and I find that makes a big difference as well.

Would you care to name some?

My original Odyssey 2 Ball apparently has some lift off when I first make contact, whereas the "Two Bar" or the "Yes" putters are advertised to NOT have the initial hop off the putter face because of the milled lines or "C" grooves. Is this advertising BS, or will this feature actually help the initial roll?

I have another "intelligent" question. When the centre of the ball is .81" off the ground, why do most putters have a vertical centre of only .44", which is what the 2 Ball has. It would be a lot easier for golfers to make consistent centre contact with deeper faced putters. Of course, more material means more cost to produce.

[byerxa]

Would you care to name some? My original Odyssey 2 Ball apparently has some lift off when I first make contact, whereas the "Two Bar" or the "Yes" putters are advertised to NOT have the initial hop off the putter face because of the milled lines or "C" grooves. Is this advertising BS, or will this feature actually help the initial roll?

I have another "intelligent" question. When the centre of the ball is .81" off the ground, why do most putters have a vertical centre of only .44", which is what the 2 Ball has. It would be a lot easier for golfers to make consistent centre contact with deeper faced putters. Of course, more material means more cost to produce.

The following is from my experience, so take it for what its worth My Ody 2-ball DFX blade rolls the ball OK. Do not know about the Two Bar or Yes. I have tried the new Ody "3 ball" monster and it seems to roll the ball quite well. However, I assembled a Maltby "One Ball" mallet several years ago (the Maltby XTreme 04 is probably the closest to it now) that seemed to roll the ball very efficiently. It was aluminum and the face was slightly knurled. People were always amazed at how far the ball would roll even though it looked like I did not hit it hard enough. Father in law has it right now - I think I will e-mail him right now and ask for it back!

As for your other questions, I have not really looked into putter design much so I really can't string too much BS about it.

[TourIQ]

Some say face balanced vs. not face balanced depends on the putting style (can't remember the combinations). What is interesting is that every Maltby mallet-style putter I have assembled has been face balanced.

Hi byerxa

General rule of thumb:
> Face Balanced = Pelz method - like the 2-Ball
> Toe Hand putter = Utley method - like a Newport

I putt down the line, my son putts on an arc [Utley method].
His coach is Rob Akins [coach to D. Toms] and Akins is associated with Utley.
He just finished reading the Stan Utley book on putting, and loved the read.
He used a 2-Ball putter for 3 years and never felt it released properly.
Then he got a Mike Weir Master 2003 Newport and fell in love with it, until
he tried the YES Callie - he always wanted a 355 g head wt.,, and not 330.
He has the Pelz book but only read a few pages, lost interest real quick.
His fewest # of putts in 1 round was 23, and he wants to improve on that.

[BC MIST]

He used a 2-Ball putter for 3 years and never felt it released properly.

Would you care to explain what you mean by the bolded words?

[byerxa]

Hi byerxa

General rule of thumb:
> Face Balanced = Pelz method - like the 2-Ball
> Toe Hand putter = Utley method - like a Newport

Interesting - my 2-ball DFX blade is not face balanced but slightly toe heavy. Obvioulsy not an expert here, but I think better golfers who naturally release (or even hold the lag) on a full swing need the feel of a "release" when putting. Especially when using the Utley "screen door" method you need to make sure the putter freely returns to square through the ball.

In reality it is nothing like a full swing release but making sure you freely swing the putter through the ball while smoothly accelerating. Being a reformed OTT swing type I find I am continually fighting to keep my wrists and hands quiet but ensure I still swing through the putt properly. Very tough to quell that stupid "hit" desire, but it is getting there.

[leftylucas]

Is there any website that could provide fitting for a putter or would you have to go and see someone. Ex. Pings iron fitting

Golfworks only charges $15.00 for a putter fitting.

[dan_670_12]

Golfworks only charges $15.00 for a putter fitting.

Thank you

[BC MIST]

but I think better golfers who naturally release (or even hold the lag) on a full swing need the feel of a "release" when putting. Especially when using the Utley "screen door" method you need to make sure the putter freely returns to square through the ball.

In reality it is nothing like a full swing release but making sure you freely swing the putter through the ball while smoothly accelerating. Being a reformed OTT swing type I find I am continually fighting to keep my wrists and hands quiet but ensure I still swing through the putt properly. Very tough to quell that stupid "hit" desire, but it is getting there.

Inertia (centrifugal force?) releases the leverage angles. If the golfer tries to do it consciously, he will do it too soon, power and accuracy will be lost, regardless of whether it is full swing or a putting stroke. To achieve the best release, the golfer should do his best NOT to release. Anyone who says that YOU should release the club is doing you a huge disservice and this will lead you to a long period of frustration and less than your best play.

When golfers say they FEEL the club release, they are feeling the leverage angles of the arms/hands/wrists straighten, not the club. In a full swing the club has gone from flexed one way, rotated 90* and flexed another way, BEFORE the head contacts the ball.

Your comment about the screen door putting stroke shows its inherent weakness. If YOU have to do anything to "make sure the putter freely returns to square through the ball," this conscious thought process will cause diminished results. With the Pelz PILS stroke, the face is always square to the line.

"...making sure you freely swing the putter through the ball while smoothly accelerating," is essential to good putting. Most golfers have a fear of failure and at the moment of truth, their right wrist will flip forward and the putter head generally decelerates and ends up off line, too. With today's smoother putting surfaces and putters with built in varying lofts, there is NO need to have any wrist action in the stroke. Keeping the back of the left hand firm and flat is the key, along with your gentle acceleration THROUGH the ball, and staying still too, of course. The above with a left hand low (cross handed) grip, will give better results

Even though Tiger says he releases the putter, or feels he releases, watch where the face finishes. Facing the hole. Utley's stroke faces left of the hole, exactly where the ball is likely to go.

[TourIQ]

Would you care to explain what you mean by the bolded words?

Sorry BC Mist I cannot explain what he was trying to tell me. His words not mine.
I do know as soon as he got his M Weir 2003 Masters Newport he said he could feel what he was missing while using the 2-Ball.

[Kiwi]

Kevin Haime, one of our local teaching pros has a radio program, 10-1100 on Saturdays, 1200 AM The Team. This week's show is about putting, tips and drills. For you out of towners it can be heard via the internet, go to team1200.com, and click on Schedule > Tee it up with Kevin Haime > Listen Live.

[moochie]

Where does one see Stan Utley's putting technique? I have tried putting ala Pelz but always push my putts to the right. I have to line up with an open stance in order to putt staight. Don't know.

[little brit]

Where does one see Stan Utley's putting technique? I have tried putting ala Pelz but always push my putts to the right. I have to line up with an open stance in order to putt staight. Don't know.

He was on the Golf channel, which was good. Maybe keep an eye open for a repeat. I also have his book. I tried Pelz for quite a while but Stan's method where the clubhead is swinging on plane works best for me. Hands still go back and forth in a straight line so the putter head follows the plane.

[rhh7]

I just finished reading "The Art of Putting", by Stan Utley. He is not only a great teacher, but a truly nice man. I was impressed very much by this book.

Utley's method does work best with toe-hang putters(the toe drops when the shaft is balanced on your fingers). Now I realize why I have never really warmed up to my Odyssey Rossi II, which is face balanced. It is designed for the Pelz-type stroke.

More than 30 years ago, when I was shooting 39-39=78, with 7-11 one putts, I used a battered BullsEye. Guess what I went down to the basement and found last night?

Utley says that most off-the-rack putters are too short, too upright, and have too little loft. He typically fits students at 35", 68 degrees lie angle, and 5 degrees loft. He says a thinner grip enhances your feel for the putterhead.

I highly recommend this book.

[Powerdraw]

funny though how most people today say 35'' is too long for the average golfer...why?

[byerxa]

...and within an evening I feel like Utley's "screen door" method might be the way to go for me. For over a year I have been reading and practicing Pelz's Short Game and Putting bibles. I still swear by Pelz's Short Game Bible, but was never so sure of his putting book. I have tried to work with the straight back and through "PIL" stroke preached by Pelz and could never get natural with it. In theory it makes sense in terms of keeping the putter face square throughout the stroke, but I could never develop a stroke that allowed me to do without some sort of compensation.

Utley's book is fairly cheap and a quick read. At the end of the day these guys are not far apart. Let's face it - successful putters all have the same abilities. Simple, repeatable strokes, ability to read the greens, and confidence. Pelz and Utely teach many more things the same than different, e.g., square setup and flow lines, quiet hands, etc. The big difference is the stroke. As opposed to Pelz, Utley teaches swinging the shoulders around the spine axis, hence the putter remains square to the swing path. For me this is much more natural. Once I learned to eliminate the minute manipulations I was doing with a PIL stroke, I was beginning to become more effective within an hour of practice. It remains to be seen if this continues - I am the king of trying something new and having it work great early but then have it fade as I start to try to control it more!

As for putter lengths and configurations, the stroke type explains the differences. The straight back and through method requires the spine angle to be closer to parallel to the ground hence the hands are closer to the ground and a shorter more upright putter is required. Utley's method has you swinging around your spine angle so when you set up in a more natural position you need a longer putter with a flatter lie. I am going to make up a putter more along the lines of Utley's specs to see how that feels.

I am sure BC will get back on here and debate this, and I will state right now I will not champion either method. My main point here is that it is worth considering both methods if you are searching for some more reliability in your putting. But I will agree with BC on the concept of "feel" vs. "mechanical". I think the two terms are baloney and are used by people to distinguish between what is a natural action and what is a contrived action. You are still feeling the mechanics of both. The trick is to make the mechanically correct action feel natural. In putting you need to do the least possible to minimize the chances of your brain and body botching things, so getting the mechanics right is crucial!

[Kiwi]

I have not gone to the degree of analysis above but I do agree with byerxa as far as the natural "feel" of the Utley method and making "the mechanically correct action feel natural". By the way I checked on-line and his book is available at Chapters/Coles for about $20. Did you note that Santa?

I am comforted to know that my putter and my stroke/style are complimentary. I do tend to stand more errect and never felt that the straight back style worked "naturally" for me. I do understand the concept, and for those that can feel comfortable doing it I suspect that it is the method that has the least chance of causing off line putts. I could never feel confident with the straight back, as I was always thinking (a problem during any swing) about whether I was on line or not. I am now working on the "screen door" swing, around the spine axis, and if I can just let it happen, without thought, then I can hit straight putts (putter face returns to square at point of contact). It is a funny feeling just to let go but the results speak for themselves, so far. How this practice will translate onto the green is yet to be seen. Hopefully after 10,000 or so practice putts this winter in the basement I will just go and hit without thinking next spring.

[GolfOttawa]

I beleive that if you practice putting no matter what the mechanics or methods you use, you will soon learn that putting is about confidence not perfection. Can you honestly say that you practice putting on a daily basis or x amount of minutes a week consistently. If you were to make 10 putts from 2feet on a daily basis for an extented period of time you would improve your putting drastically. Althought I have no stats to back this claim up I do know that most of my playing partners seem to miss this 2foot range alot more than not. I have implemented a daily routine of 10 putts from 1,2,3,4 feet and have written the results down in a log book, I think of nothing other than making the putt. In the summer months I change the putt everyday from uphill to sidehill etc, in the winter i just putt on the rug. I have went from an average of 36 putts per round to 31. My score has droped without alot of devoted practice maybe 15minutes a day i find this routine addictive and fun. Just my view on the feel vs mechanics debate i have improved by doing and not thinking to much.