Forward press while putting

[bobblehead]

I noticed my buddy's putting stroke starts with a forward press and he's a pretty good putter. I think I also saw Annika doing this when she won the US Open. Can someone tell me the purpose of this move. It is just a trigger to start the putting stroke?Thanks.

[little brit]

Stan Utley says in his book that "bad putters have the shaft leaning backwards at address, which pretty much guarantees that they will start the wrong end of the putter, the grip, back at the start of the stroke. It also prettymuch guarantees inconsistant contact. At minimum, I like to have the shaft angle at 90 deg. (straight up and down, when looking from a face-on angle) at address, It's even okay to set up with the shaft pressed a little bit forward, toward the target, which is how I putt. Either way it encourages you to swing the putterhead away first on the backswing, which is what we're looking for."

[zoic]

Cool. I hunch over the ball and bend both elbows to create a pendulum type of swing. It seems to have solved my problem of dragging the club, stubbing the ground, and I get better roll than when I put like most other people do. The putter head definitely goes back at the start this way.

[bobblehead]

Interesting...but won't you de-loft the putter by having it lean forward. I thought you want more loft to help the ball get rolling. I'm probably missing something since the forward press seems like a common technique.

[TourIQ]

I noticed my buddy's putting stroke starts with a forward press and he's a pretty good putter. I think I also saw Annika doing this when she won the US Open. Can someone tell me the purpose of this move. It is just a trigger to start the putting stroke?Thanks.

Hi bobblehead

If you use a significant amount of forward press you deloft your putter a lot so you will have to get your putter rebent to ensure the right loft so the ball rolls correctly. Normal putters are in the 3 to 4 degree range for loft. If you press forward you might be delofting the putter to zero. That is why they need like 8 degrees of loft. Individual results will vay based on setup at address.

[BC MIST]

It seems to have solved my problem of dragging the club, stubbing the ground,

If you want to avoid this problem and create a silky smooth, unrushed takeaway, just before you take the putter back, lift it off the putting surface a little.

[little brit]

Yes Stan says that that he has found that for most people the ideal loft for a putter is at least 5 deg. but if you add loft to your putter you will also have to change the lie angle to about 69 deg. If you don't change the lie angle at the same time then you will have problems. If you add loft to a putter with an upright lie then the face will look hooked. This is for a neutral set-up.

I don't think for me I will change it. I have just had my putter made more upright as I needed it. (Due to being vertically challenged). So I don't know what would happen to the face if I started messing around with that as well. But I am more conscious of trying to get the club shaft at 90 deg at impact. It gives a much cleaner hit on the ball.

[BC MIST]

Yes Stan says that that he has found that for most people the ideal loft for a putter is at least 5 deg..... but if you add loft to your putter you will also have to change the lie angle to about 69 deg. If you don't change the lie angle at the same time then you will have problems. If you add loft to a putter with an upright lie then the face will look hooked. This is for a neutral set-up.

I don't understand this. Changing the LENGTH of the putter may necessitate a change in lie angle but how will adding or subtracting a degree or two of loft change the lie angle?

[little brit]

He doesn't say it changes the lie angle but says that if you add loft to a putter with an upright lie then it will look hooked.

[Frewcrew]

He doesn't say it changes the lie angle but says that if you add loft to a putter with an upright lie then it will look hooked.

His 5 iron must really look hooked