Art of Putting

[byerxa]

As Pelz says, practice makes permanent. This is why I've been searching long and hard for better mechanics to work on. 2 years ago my putting was driving me nuts. On 4-6 footers (the round makers or breakers for me), my direction was not in control. I was never far off line, but I had no consistent miss pattern. Over last winter I figured out that I had way too many moving parts and compensations. So I picked up Pelz's book and worked with that. My putting did improve and I felt it was becoming more under control. Sparodic on the course but when I applied what I had learned, I was able to putt fairly well. But no matter what I could never get comfortable with the straight back and forth stroke.

This is also the first time I have really noticed face balanced vs. toe heavy putters. I have a CER C-Ray center shafted putter that is face balanced, while my Ody 2-ball DFX blade is slight toe heavy (plus is a traditional blade integrated hosel design). These are the exact designs that Utley notes are better for Pelz vs. Utley respectively. In practicing up to this point I have found my C-Ray was statistically (and felt) better than the Ody with Pelz method. Then when I tried the Utley method last night, the Ody was the better putter for me.

Like was mentioned by a previous poster, going from a Pelz stroke to an Utley screen door stroke is weird at first. You have to let the forearms naturally rotate with the swing such that the putter stays square to the swing path. But it is the first time I have felt a putting stroke where I do not doing anything that feels "contrived". Time to head to GolfTown and see how it works on their putting green!

[Started2k3]

JMO but putting probably has more to do with confidence than mechanics. However, feeling confident with the mechanics of choice would be where these two overlap.

Personally, I think I putt more in line with Pelz (but never read the book). I make sure that my clubface is square to the target throughout the swing. And I find that my best putting is when my left arm & wrist are "rigid" and my right side controls the putting motion. I find that this helps to minimize any confusion as to whether the putter is pulled through or pushed through during the putting motion (tested which side is best for me by putting with only the left hand then only the right hand and determining which produced the most consistent/comfortable results).

[GolfOttawa]

[quote=Started2k3;144567]JMO but putting probably has more to do with confidence than mechanics. However, feeling confident with the mechanics of choice would be where these two overlap.

Could'nt agree more well said, No one will ever be wright but as long as you the player are confident that you are doing everything wright, and the results are satisfactory to you,then what ever you are thinking is the wright way. I beleive the more I practice making putts the better I get I don't enjoy missing putts so I practice making putts even if they are only one footers.

[Kiwi]

I am sure that I am not alone in saying that the tension creeps, no pours, into my arms, and hands, the closer I get to the hole. Especially if there is something riding on it, such as a birdie, par or perhaps a sub-90 round. The further away, the less I think I can make it, the more relaxed I become and the more fluid the swing becomes. I have my putting "green" set up at the foot of my basement stairs with one of those automatic ball return "toys" at the end. I practice daily, basically following my summer routine, puts of 3-4-5-6 feet until I can do it comfortably. If I am ON then I don't spend much time, just enough to try and feel the feel of a putt without thinking. If I am OFF, then the session is shorter, as in all probability my mind is elsewhere and I do myself no good practicing like that.

[BC MIST]

Like was mentioned by a previous poster, going from a Pelz stroke to an Utley screen door stroke is weird at first. You have to let the forearms naturally rotate with the swing such that the putter stays square to the swing path. But it is the first time I have felt a putting stroke where I do not doing anything that feels "contrived". Time to head to GolfTown and see how it works on their putting green!

I can understand why the Utley stroke feels natural and why, with a toe heavy putter, it would feel even more natural. However, it's just a feeling, and just because the feeling is natural, does not mean that the stroke is going to be better for you.

Two things should be considered. The first I mentioned above and that is the ball position must be perfect for the Utely stroke to work. An half inch off either way and you will miss all but the shortest putts. With the Pelz stroke, ball position does not matter. The second is something that came to mind as I was experimenting with both strokes while putting this morning, that I have never heard discussed before. The Utley putter face goes from square to open to square to closed, relative to the line, AND the club head goes from on line to inside to online to inside, on an arc. If I was to attach a club shaft to my forearms, it would aim at the hole at address, aim way right at the end of the backstroke, square at impact and way left at the end of the through stroke. If you get the image of this, you can see that the arms come inside and rotate CW on the backstroke, and going through they go inside and rotate CCW. NOW, the reality is that the SHOULDERS will tend to follow the rotation of the arms, meaning that coming through there will be a huge tendency for the upper body to follow the ball, and PULL THE BALL LEFT.

With the PELZ online stroke, because the face faces the target line both back and through, AND because the centre of the face stays directly over the target line, the shoulders will move up and down. The is an absolute for good putting. A club shaft across the forearms will always be pointing at the hole or vertically above or below the hole during the entire stroke.

Most golfers miss putts because they move, and they move the shoulders "laterally," instead of up and down. The Utley stroke encourages this motion.

Lastly, when initially learning the Pelz stroke, it does feel contrived, a little, however, with sufficient correct practice, it does become subconscious and NOTHING feels more natural than a subconscious stroke. Many golfers will take the easy road and use the Utley stroke because it does not require the work that the Pelz stroke does, but, having used an Utley type stroke for 35 years of golf and a Pelz stroke for the last 10, the results have been astonishing better with the latter.

[Kiwi]

BC - would you agree that your stance will vary depending on which method you choose? A previous writer mentioned that the Pelz method is better suited to a more bent over posture with the arms, and club, swinging in true pendulum fashion. I think that trying to repeat the pendulum motion in a more upright stance would be as tricky as trying to putt the Pelz method with a putter suited for the Utley method - toe weighted I believe.

[BC MIST]

BC - would you agree that your stance will vary depending on which method you choose? A previous writer mentioned that the Pelz method is better suited to a more bent over posture with the arms, and club, swinging in true pendulum fashion. I think that trying to repeat the pendulum motion in a more upright stance would be as tricky as trying to putt the Pelz method with a putter suited for the Utley method - toe weighted I believe.

I am not sure if I have a reasonable answer, but, with a square stance, eyes over the target line, and hands directly beneath the shoulders, both strokes can be made. A setup where the hands are outside the shoulders will result in an opening and closing of the face (Utely) and a setup with the hands inside the shoulders would make it easier to keep the face square to the line(Pelz).

If Utley wants us to have longer putters then to still use a pendulum stroke the golfer would have to stand more upright if the lead arm is to remain reasonably straight. Some would say that this makes it easier to "see" the line, but that depends on how you aim the putter. The more "vertical" one can keep the putter, the easier it would be to achieve a more pendulum stroke and I don't see how a more or less upright setup would prevent that. Maybe I have blinders on.

Most of us would agree that a light grip on the putter is better than a tight one and so a face balanced putter, regardless of method, would achieve this. A toe weighted putter has to be controlled to prevent the face from rolling open and then closed, too much.

[byerxa]

NOW, the reality is that the SHOULDERS will tend to follow the rotation of the arms, meaning that coming through there will be a huge tendency for the upper body to follow the ball, and PULL THE BALL LEFT.

Before I continue, this is not an argument but simply observations of my experiences.

I am finding with the Utley stroke my miss is a push. Typically it is due to "rushing" the stroke hence causing extraneous movement that as you have noted will kill any putt. I tried some putting again last night and I was able to pure putts again right off the bat with the Utley stroke. Set up is more crucial than a Pelz stroke and Utley does elude to the fact that you must be meticulous with your setup (again a good thing for any swing).

I find putts inside of 4 feet not as comfortable with the Utley stroke. The arc unverves me on the shorties and it is something I will have to deal with if I am going to bring this to the course. It may be a matter of fitting a putter better suited to the stroke but with what I have I feel I cannot get a good flow on these length of putts. These are the length of putts the Pelz stroke always felt fine to me as it did not seem to require anything outside of a normal stroke. Maybe a hybrid putting system for me? Pelz for short putts and Utley for everything else? I am dropping a wedge so maybe a second putter instead of a 3 iron back in the bag!

[leftylucas]

A very nice short read. I walked over to Chapters and read the book in less than an hour. I skipped over a lot of the extraneous information but the stroke itself seems very good for me. For me there is a natural arc in a putting stroke and although I have read Pelz and putted this way all year it never felt really comfortable or ingrained. I always seemed to really concentrate to do that type of stroke. I will definitely try Utley's method and I was planning on gtting the putter fitting anyways. I was surprised to see that Ultey mentioned the specifications/weighting of a putter to best compliment his stroke. I am lucky, I own a Guerin Rife 2 bar and I am able to change my toe-heel weight configuration as well as the putter' lie angle. I will work on my set-up and then go in the new year to get the putter fitted at Golfworks.

[Kiwi]

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!

Ordered it on line, used, from Chapters. $6 and change, full price in store $20. Thanks for the tip.

[rhh7]

I am very much enjoying this book, which is free. The exciting part is that the author does not consider the putting stroke and the full swing as different entities, so much here will apply to your entire game. With all due respect, Hogan was wrong, putting is part of the same game, Golf!

http://www.clearkeygolf.com/putting.htm

[Kiwi]

I'll check it out, every $ I save, goes back into the golf account. There are a great many views on the putting stroke and far be it from me to suggest which is best, but I do believe that most of the views have one common thread - pun intended - and that is confidence. Look at some of the weird and wild postures/clubs in play and all those golfers think their way is best. Good for them. For me the "screen door" seems natural, despite the problems others have noted that are inherent to that motion. I agree that the golf swing and the putting swing, for me, are the same "type" of motion, an arc, take away...back to square - hopefully... then finish on the other side. Looking forward to reading Utley over the holidays, in the mean time now that I have committed to the screen door, at least in my mind, I feel very comfortable - in my basement - and when I just let it happen, I really like the results.

[Kiwi]

Heard Kevin Haime mention on his radio program today that there is a "companion" DVD for Utley's "The Art of Putting". Apparently it demonstrates many of the tips discussed in the book. Just checked Golf Town, not in their on-line inventory. Anyone have any idea where to get one?

[Kiwi]

I agree - GO - , although I am only just getting into the writings on putting, the common thread appears to be confidence and repeatability, not necessarily in that order.

I finished Utley this morning and am a little surprised that his "Art of Putting" is so comprehensive. What I mean is that it is not only the "arc" but the grip, club length, lie angle .... I guess I am ok with most of that but I had hoped it would be a little less drastic in terms of revamping my equipment and a grip I've had for 30 years or so. The thing that really go me , and perhaps some of you who have tried and like Utley can comment, is when I got to page 99 and he started with the "plane" issue. Up until that time I pictured the swing as an arc - axis around the spine. Reading his explanation of "plane" where the drill has the putter shaft going straight back and forward has me confused. Is it only the putter face that "arcs" (back/forward - open/closed)? I don't see how you can do both the yard stick drill and the plane drill. If you use the plane approach then is it not the same as Pelz (I've ordered it from the library) but only with the putter face opening and closing? Anybody?

[little brit]

I also was confused on these issues. I was helped by imagining the hands tracing straight back and through. Then you will be on plane. There is something at Golftown. Don't know what it is called, Where two small poles suspend a string. You putt keeping the shaft against the string. Or you could buy the putting arc. It actually feels more straight back and through than you expect. Don't try to manipulate the face. Let it do what it wants naturally. Just let your arms go straight back and through without letting your elbows pop out. He is very concerned about too much stiffness in his stroke and wants you to allow your arms to swing. Not a stiff tension.

These are my thoughts on it since starting with this method at the beginning of the year. My putting has greatly improved. Lots to go though, putting has been hard for me but I feel I am on the right track now. I am offering what I gleaned from the book and seeing him on the Golf Channel. But I could easily be wrong so please take my post with the realization that I am still a beginner

[byerxa]

The thing that really go me , and perhaps some of you who have tried and like Utley can comment, is when I got to page 99 and he started with the "plane" issue. Up until that time I pictured the swing as an arc - axis around the spine. Reading his explanation of "plane" where the drill has the putter shaft going straight back and forward has me confused. Is it only the putter face that "arcs" (back/forward - open/closed)? I don't see how you can do both the yard stick drill and the plane drill. If you use the plane approach then is it not the same as Pelz (I've ordered it from the library) but only with the putter face opening and closing? Anybody?

It is still an arc. He has someone (or something) hold a shaft about a foot or so above the ground parallel to the ground and target line. When you swing the putter, your putter shaft should slide along this shaft consistently. BUT, your putter shaft is at an angle (away from you) so as you swing the putter the point of contact between your shaft and the reference shaft moves down your shaft which is farther away because your are rotating up as well as around. This geometry should offset the fact that you are swinging around. If your putter is not held at a correct lie angle it will not work, e.g., to upright and it will pull off this line towards your. I plan on making up this training aid over the holidays.

As a side note I measured what my preferred lie and length would be for my version of the Utley stroke and the numbers came out to 69* and ~33". A little bit sorter than what Utley recommends but the lie angle was bang on his recommendations. Hopefully the shaft test above will confirm these numbers. I have also really started to notice the difference between face balanced and toe heavy and how each feels better for the different strokes.

[Kiwi]

Thanks guys, but I still don't get the arc vs. the straight back/plane idea. I think I understand both concepts, but I see them as mutually exclusive. Either you go straight back or you arc. Perhaps it is an optical illusion and if I rigged up the drills he outlines in his book on this I'll see that it is possible.

I cannot see how you can do the arc drill pictured on page 96 (yard stick with a 1.5" inch curve- each way off centre) and the plane drill pictured on page 99 at the same time. Sure if you just let the arms move naturally the toe of the putter will "arc" - open - square/contact - closed - but the shaft will not arc and I thought that was the point? Also if it is straight back/straight through then is this not what Pelz is advocating (Still waiting for the library to call). If the only difference between the two is that Utley has the putter face (not the shaft) opening and closing on the putting line, and Pelz has the putter face remaining square then what's the big deal? Hard for me to believe that they could each write books about something so similar. Tow-may-to/tow-mah-to?

The other point that confuses me, is that if the plane is an integral part of this motion then why does he insist that his putting stroke is similar, only shorter, than the full swing, which is a full arc?? What am I missing here???

[sweeper]

IMO the only difference between Utley and Pelz is hinging...
Both Utley's and Pelz's putting strokes are on plane. Utley's method
employs horizontal hinging or angled hinging while Pelz's method employs
vertical hinging... So what is hinging? Hinging is basically the behaviour of the
left arm during the stroke.

Horizontal hinging... Left arm makes a full roll during the stroke. The face
of the putter opens and closes relative to the plane line

Angled hinging....... Left arm makes a half roll during the stroke. The face
of the putter opens and closes(less than horizontal hinging)
relative to the plane line

Vertical hinging.......Left arm does not roll at all. The face of the putter remains
square to the plane line