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How much arc should you have in your putting stroke? Well, it depends…

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Much has been written over the years regarding putting and the benefits of using a square-to-square putting stroke versus having some arc in the stroke. Personally, I’ve always gravitated toward what I call an “on-plane” putting stroke where the shaft of the club works back and thorough with minimal face rotation. In my opinion, this makes the stroke more natural and requires fewer manipulations from the player.

In order to train players to use this stroke, I first use the SAM Puttlab to help them understand their arc and rotation tendencies. From there, I begin to tighten up any loose motions using a simple on-plane putting stroke trainer I have called the Perfectstroke Putting Aid. Most people have trouble with too much face rotation and this aid tends to help keep it under control.

Here’s what the training aid look like from address.

StickneyPerfectStrokeGolfWRX

There’s a rail that the putter shaft rides back and forth along keeping it on plane, while the clear white line helps to show face rotation. While I make my backstroke you will notice a few things…

StickneyArcOnPlanePutting

  • The shaft remains on the rail and has remained “on-plane.”
  • The head has shifted inward on a very slight arc.
  • The face has rotated open slightly.

So how can you apply this to your stroke?

When you move the putter back and through, you’ll always see some type of arcing unless you train yourself to NOT have this motion. This is because the shaft lies on an inclined plane, naturally making the putter head move in the manner shown above.

Note: The more upright your putter, the easier it is to make a straight-back, straight-through stroke.

As the putter moves, you will also see a touch of face rotation; this is normal as long as it’s not forced. We want the stroke to be as natural as possible. Putters with different toe hangs allow for different amounts of rotation. Whether you prefer less or more arc will determine what style of putter you should use. Mallets tend to not open up as much, while putters with more toe hang tend to open much more.

SAM Putt lab can help immensely by not only identifying your stroke proportions, but also helping to fit you into the putter you prefer.

puttlab-rise (1)

I try to train the stroke on the Perfectstroke and then see how this affects putter head rotation. Using the SAM I can fine tune the face rotation and from there the stroke is much simpler to repeat.

Here are my keys to making a more “on-plane” putting stroke:

  • Practice with a training aid such as the Perfectstroke, other arc trainers, or using a bench — anything with a straight edge that the shaft can follow to train yourself to keep your stroke more “on-plane.”
  • Focus on how to make this stroke and what you feel in order to do so.
  • Try to curb excessive face rotation by experimenting with putters that have less toe hang, face-balanced putters and/or by using larger grips.
  • If doing this does not seem to help, practice putting with your left hand only and you will learn to curb your overactive face rotation.

As always, enjoy the experimenting process; it’s part of the fun!

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Tom F. Stickney II, is a specialist in Biomechanics for Golf, Physiology, and 3d Motion Analysis. He has a degree in Exercise and Fitness and has been a Director of Instruction for almost 30 years at resorts and clubs such as- The Four Seasons Punta Mita, BIGHORN Golf Club, The Club at Cordillera, The Promontory Club, and the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. His past and present instructional awards include the following: Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher, Golf Digest Top 50 International Instructor, Golf Tips Top 25 Instructor, Best in State (Florida, Colorado, and California,) Top 20 Teachers Under 40, Best Young Teachers and many more. Tom is a Trackman University Master/Partner, a distinction held by less than 25 people in the world. Tom is TPI Certified- Level 1, Golf Level 2, Level 2- Power, and Level 2- Fitness and believes that you cannot reach your maximum potential as a player with out some focus on your physiology. You can reach him at [email protected] and he welcomes any questions you may have.

7 Comments

7 Comments

  1. Zinger Pinger

    Apr 15, 2017 at 2:03 am

    I thought that the most expensive, exotic, studio-designed putters machined from a solid block of sooft virgin 303 SS and proper heel-toe weighting design shapes would automatically bring itself to square at impact…. and even control distance …. after all, shouldn’t a $750 custom putter do all that for you …?!!

  2. PGFREE

    Apr 4, 2017 at 7:02 pm

    Ian NAILED IT!!

  3. Dill Pickelson

    Mar 30, 2017 at 10:59 pm

    i would characterize it differently. my data shows it’s not that people arc too much as tiger arc’d more than almost every tour pro. the issue is people don’t square the face at impact. the average is 2 degrees open at impact (e.g. 50/50 from 7ft or so). it’s rare for someone to over rotate to closed at impact. it’s pretty impossible to have people restrict the arc on the backswing and then somehow naturally square it. let it open, let it close and just put the ball in the right place. the key is in the shoulders moving naturally (no rocking!) and the elbows also arcing’, bottoming BEHIND the ball not at it, etc…

  4. Ian

    Mar 28, 2017 at 8:52 am

    When my putting is off I try focus only on distance control. When my putting is on I try focus only on distance control.

    • Kevin

      Mar 28, 2017 at 1:01 pm

      Excessive Face Rotation is the biggest culprit in solid contact for most players. Arc, is a function of length of putt/backstroke. I do believe on longer putts the stroke has a tendency to move toward the inside. Although, a 3 time winner on PGA Tour told me his coaches said he was taking the putter slightly outside. Whatever you do hit solid putts and concentrate on square and center contact!!

    • Mat

      Mar 28, 2017 at 2:24 pm

      Right on, Ian.

      First putt is all distance control. Sometimes it’ll go in. The skill is ensuring the second putt goes in. If putt two is difficult, putt one failed. And of course, solid contact is the best way to get consistency in face response for distance control.

      For whatever it’s worth, I’ve found for myself that I putt best with my right hand on top, like moving a computer mouse. Left hand stabilises under. Try things, but base your findings on how that distance control works!

    • Hans

      Mar 29, 2017 at 1:37 pm

      For a lot of players, distance control is the last thing to work on. Telling someone that can’t make a consistent stroke to worry about distance control first is waste of time. I used to be a bad putter. I learned to fix my alignment and get my stroke consistent and within no time my distance control improved tremendously. That’s because if you have problems with stroke you don’t get the consistent feedback needed to get the feel for distance control. Fix your stroke and distance control is easy. Once you are already a good consistent putter, sure work on distance control to refine your feel. Work on distance control is good advice for those that already good at putting. But for many with putting issues, fix the stroke first and distance control will follow.

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Instruction

Clement: Stop ripping off your swing with this drill!

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Not the dreaded headcover under the armpit drill! As if your body is defective and can’t function by itself! Have you seen how incredible the human machine is with all the incredible feats of agility all kinds of athletes are accomplishing? You think your body is so defective (the good Lord is laughing his head off at you) that it needs a headcover tucked under the armpit so you can swing like T-Rex?

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How a towel can fix your golf swing

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This is a classic drill that has been used for decades. However, the world of marketed training aids has grown so much during that time that this simple practice has been virtually forgotten. Because why teach people how to play golf using everyday items when you can create and sell a product that reinforces the same thing? Nevertheless, I am here to give you helpful advice without running to the nearest Edwin Watts or adding something to your Amazon cart.

For the “scoring clubs,” having a solid connection between the arms and body during the swing, especially through impact, is paramount to creating long-lasting consistency. And keeping that connection throughout the swing helps rotate the shoulders more to generate more power to help you hit it farther. So, how does this drill work, and what will your game benefit from it? Well, let’s get into it.

Setup

You can use this for basic chip shots up to complete swings. I use this with every club in my bag, up to a 9 or 8-iron. It’s natural to create incrementally more separation between the arms and body as you progress up the set. So doing this with a high iron or a wood is not recommended.

While you set up to hit a ball, simply tuck the towel underneath both armpits. The length of the towel will determine how tight it will be across your chest but don’t make it so loose that it gets in the way of your vision. After both sides are tucked, make some focused swings, keeping both arms firmly connected to the body during the backswing and follow through. (Note: It’s normal to lose connection on your lead arm during your finishing pose.) When you’re ready, put a ball in the way of those swings and get to work.

Get a Better Shoulder Turn

Many of us struggle to have proper shoulder rotation in our golf swing, especially during long layoffs. Making a swing that is all arms and no shoulders is a surefire way to have less control with wedges and less distance with full swings. Notice how I can get in a similar-looking position in both 60° wedge photos. However, one is weak and uncontrollable, while the other is strong and connected. One allows me to use my larger muscles to create my swing, and one doesn’t. The follow-through is another critical point where having a good connection, as well as solid shoulder rotation, is a must. This drill is great for those who tend to have a “chicken wing” form in their lead arm, which happens when it becomes separated from the body through impact.

In full swings, getting your shoulders to rotate in your golf swing is a great way to reinforce proper weight distribution. If your swing is all arms, it’s much harder to get your weight to naturally shift to the inside part of your trail foot in the backswing. Sure, you could make the mistake of “sliding” to get weight on your back foot, but that doesn’t fix the issue. You must turn into your trial leg to generate power. Additionally, look at the difference in separation between my hands and my head in the 8-iron examples. The green picture has more separation and has my hands lower. This will help me lessen my angle of attack and make it easier to hit the inside part of the golf ball, rather than the over-the-top move that the other picture produces.

Stay Better Connected in the Backswing

When you don’t keep everything in your upper body working as one, getting to a good spot at the top of your swing is very hard to do. It would take impeccable timing along with great hand-eye coordination to hit quality shots with any sort of regularity if the arms are working separately from the body.

Notice in the red pictures of both my 60-degree wedge and 8-iron how high my hands are and the fact you can clearly see my shoulder through the gap in my arms. That has happened because the right arm, just above my elbow, has become totally disconnected from my body. That separation causes me to lift my hands as well as lose some of the extension in my left arm. This has been corrected in the green pictures by using this drill to reinforce that connection. It will also make you focus on keeping the lead arm close to your body as well. Because the moment either one loses that relationship, the towel falls.

Conclusion

I have been diligent this year in finding a few drills that target some of the issues that plague my golf game; either by simply forgetting fundamental things or by coming to terms with the faults that have bitten me my whole career. I have found that having a few drills to fall back on to reinforce certain feelings helps me find my game a little easier, and the “towel drill” is most definitely one of them.

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Instruction

Clement: Why your practice swing never sucks

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You hear that one all the time; I wish I could put my practice swing on the ball! We explain the huge importance of what to focus on to allow the ball to be perfectly in the way of your practice swing. Enjoy!

 

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