Putting Pictures
I took a few pictures today that show the changes I’m making to my putting stroke. Here’s a shot of what my address position was before.
I drew a line that highlights how far forward my hands were. My putter was pointing almost at the logo on my left chest and was tipped about 3-4 degrees forward. Remember that a putter has 4-4.5 degrees of loft and that this loft should be retained at impact. So, at this point my stroke will require a compensation between address and impact to put the putter in the right position.
Below is a sequence of address, backswing and follow-through with my new, neutral setup.
Notice that my putter now points more toward the center of my chest at address. It stays pointed at the same general spot on my chest throughout the stroke. So, I setup with the putter in a neutral position with about 4 degrees of loft. When I make my normal stroke, I retain this loft throughout the swing without having to make any compensations. The result is that I don’t have to manipulate the putter in order to make solid contact and launch the ball at the proper angle. Since I’m making a natural stroke, it’s easier to control my distance. Also, since I’m launching the ball at the proper angle, it starts online more often and doesn’t have any sidespin.
So, there’s a visual explanation of why I’m so excited about my putting.