Improve your putting by validating what you "think" you see when you putt!

by makelessnoise under CC BY  with WPSEOPix

 

This past weekend we did some SAM PuttLab testing with golfers at the Centennial Golf Course.  There were two instances that occurred where what the golfers "thought" they were seeing was not the truth.  And helping them to see the truth helped them to start to putt better.

For both of the golfers, we were working on helping them improve the roll of their putts.  To create a true roll, it is necessary for the golfer to create a putter rise angle that is more than the "effective loft" of the putter – the actual putter loft plus any loft the golfer adds in the stroke.  We were using the SAM PuttLab Training mode, where golfers can hit putts and get audio feedback on their performance.

For both of the golfers, it seemed like when they were creating some rise in their stroke they were also adding more loft to the putter – so they were not able to create putting topspin.  However, after hitting some putts with each, we started to look at the putter shaft angle at address.  Here is one of the photos we took of one of the golfers at address:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we asked him if he was setting the shaft straight up and down at address, he said yes.  When we showed him the picture he could not believe it!  What he was doing was adding loft to the putter at address – and so also at impact.  After about 5 minutes of effort, he was able to start feeling getting the shaft vertical at address – and his putting launch results improved significantly.  We achieved the same results with another golfer who was doing the same thing with his putter shaft at address.  Again, he did not "feel" that he was adding loft to his putter at address.

We heard another amazing story this weekend related to a golfer's sight and his putting.  One of the most accomplished Edel putter fitters sent a note about a putter fitting he was doing.  The golfer was aiming left of the hole by 18 inches from 6 feet away.  The fitter was not able to easily find a putter configuration that would help the golfer aim well.  He remembered, though, an approach that he read in the book "The Putting Prescription" by Dr. Craig Farnsworth.  This approach was to see if the golfer could aim his putter by using the trailing edge of the putter – instead of the front of the putter face – to set his aim.  When the fitter asked the golfer to aim using the trailing edge – Perfect Aim.  And when he went back and asked the golfer to use the front of the putter face to aim – 18 inches left.  Absolutely amazing!

What does this mean to you?  There is so much about putting that is Visual – and you may not know what you REALLY do when you do things like aim your putter, set up shaft at address, etc.  If you are not getting the putting performance results that you would like – perhaps it is because what you see is not what is true.  It is worth the effort to either confirm what you think you see – or make changes that can help you putt better.

Have you had a similar experience with your putting? – if so, please provide a comment so that we can all learn more to improve our putting.

 

The Fit Is IT!!

Tony