L.A.B. Putter

A new technology in putters hit the market in 2019.  It is from an American company called L.A.B. Golf.  The patented technology of the putter, Lie Angle Balance, is designed to keep the putter face square to the swing path automatically without any manipulation by the golfer.  The technology does work.

Click here to learn more about the L.A.B. putters.

Traditional putters require the golfer to consciously manipulate the putter to keep the putter face parallel to the swing path (putting drills, left hand low grip, claw grip, armlock, broom stick putter).  The golfer is searching for the putter or technique, the “touch,” that rolls the ball the desired distance and direction and into the hole.  This is the “magic” that all golfers are looking for in a technique or putter.  The “magic” is the manipulation of the putter face during the swing to be square to the swing path.  When the “magic” disappears, the search begins for the next putter or technique.  The L.A.B. putter does remove the need to manipulate the putter.  The L.A.B. putter simplifies the putting motion.  Just swing the hands and arms and allow the putter to swing instead of making the putter swing.

The L.A.B. putter is not for everyone.  In order to obtain the benefits of the putter, it requires the golfer to change the putting technique to do less, to let the club swing without the any manipulations that have become ingrained in the golfer’s putting stroke.  This is easy to say but hard to do.

This is why I think the tour pros that use this putter use either a broomstick or armlock shaft length.  With a conventional shaft length, the stroke is too similar to the stroke using a conventional putter, but need to do less.  That may be hard for some golfers to do.  Since the putter requires a different stroke, then going to a broomstick or armlock stroke is different enough to be easier to repeat without to doing the subconscious manipulation

How I use the L.A.B. Putter

I have the Mezz.1 Max Custom putter with the following specifications: Length: 35”, Lie Angle: 63 degrees, Shaft: L.A.B. Golf x TPT, Grip: Press II 1.5 degree textured, Alignment Mark: Dot.

My fitting determined that my lie angle should be 63 degrees.  I did a fitting using the virtual fitting and also did a fitting at the PGA Superstore.  The virtual fitting recommended 63 degrees and the PGA Superstore fitting recommended 62.5.  I went with 63 degrees, the flattest lie angle L.A.B. provides.  All my conventional putters I had to fit to the more upright lie angle.  With the L.A.B. fitting, I got fit to what felt comfortable to me, an amazing concept.

I do not use my hands to manipulate the putter head to swing square to the swing path.  My focus is to have my shoulders swing back and forth and feel the butt end of the putter swing back and forth in my hands.  The L.A.B. putter automatically swings square to the swing path.  I feel the shoulders swing back and forth and I allow the butt of the putter to swing back and forth in my hands.  I feel two separate swing motions: my shoulders and the putter.

The L.A.B. putter is an expensive putter, but it cost as much as my driver with the AutoFlex shaft.  I use my driver 14 times a round while I use my putter more than twice that number of times a round.  I want my scores to improve so it is worth it to me to invest in a club that gives me the best chance to lower my scores with fewer three-putts and more one-putts.

 

 

 

Subtle and Hidden Actions in the Golf Swing

There are actions that the best golfers do that are invisible to the observer and instinctive to the best golfers.  Most golfers try to do the obvious motions that they see when watching the best players swing.  What is seen by the naked eye is the result of these subtle actions.  The best golfers learn their swing as children where all they do is “swing” but cannot describe the details of the motion.  The motions have become a habit or the motions are instinctive.  To these golfers, what they feel or what they see on video is usually a reaction to what they do instinctively.

Unfortunately, trying to do the obvious motions creates inconsistent and inefficient results.  Most golf instruction is focused on doing the resulting motion instead of the actual, but subtle, motion.  The average golfer must learn and commit to focus to do the subtle and hidden actions in order improve the chance for a consistent golf swing.  That is easy to say but extremely hard to do because the subtle actions are not “natural” or logical.   “Action vs Reaction”

My blog, Effortless Golf Blog, attempts to describe these subtle actions.  The best golfers “just do” what is natural for them and can’t explain what they do.  I believe golfers, like me, who are not natural golfers can still incorporate these subtle actions to improve their golf game.

The following describes the subtle motions that will create a consistent golf swing.

Setup

Tilt the spine to the right about 15 degrees to enable the right hand to be lower than the left hand.

Look at the ball over the bottom of the lower eye lid to raise the chin away from the body.  https://www.youtube.com/embed/cjpoBJn8FWw

Full Swing

Do not try to hit the ball.  Instead, commit to do the subtle motions.

The point at the top inside of the right thigh remaining fixed in space during the back swing creates a pivot point for the back swing.

The vertical motion of the right pectoral creates the coil of the upper body.

The “flick” up of the bottom of the front right hip bone keeps the head behind the ball, starts the weight shift to the left, and causes the lower body to “leverage the ground.”

Leveraging the ground using the lower body to create vertical motion adds the power in the down swing.

The “slot” is not a fixed area to the right of the body.  The “slot” is created by the upward vertical energy from the right latissimus dorsi and the downward energy from the right upper arm.  The two parallel vertical energies define the “slot” that the right elbow falls into. “Feel an Efficient Swing”

Using the Fingers

The little fingers have a great influence in the golf shot.  Gripping too tight with the little fingers creates a tight swing.  Feeling the stretch of the little fingers engages the hands correctly and minimizes erratic hand movement.  The action of the little fingers can influence the curve of the ball. “How to Use the Fingers”

Rhythm

Rhythm is the most important element of an efficient golf swing.  The slight pause at the top of the swing creates rhythm.  Patience to feel the pause is a must for creating the pause and subsequent rhythm. Automatic pause is created by the stretch of the hands and the outside of the ball of the left foot. “How to Feel Rhythm”

Chipping

The chipping motion uses vertical motion to create horizontal motion.   Using the hands during the swing controls the amount of spin and trajectory.    “Chipping”

Putting

Putting is about confidence.  Discovering the combination of the putter, setup, routine, and putting action that creates absolute confidence is the most elusive and subtle part of golf.    “Putting”

Eccentric Motion

Eccentric motion is an efficient way to create power.  Eccentric motion is the stretch felt during the swing and sets up the snap in the motion to efficiently release the power.   “Chain Action Using Eccentric Motion”

Basic Bunker Shot

The subtle and untold issue about the bunker shot is that the bunker motion is very different from the full swing motion.  The action of the upper body, the arms, and the hands are different in the bunker technique.  The right arm and the hands do a lot of action to snap the club into the sand.  During the down swing, the left hand stops at the left side and stops the forward motion of the handle to let the right hand accelerate the club head past the handle.  This motion is totally different from the full swing but the difference is never mentioned.    “Basic Bunker Shot”

How to Curve the Ball

There are multiple ways to make the ball curve.  The subtle way is to have the action of the fingers cause the club head to be open or closed at contact.  The subtle action of the palm pad of the right index finger causes the body, hands, and arms to hold the weight back or release the lower body.  “How to Curve the Ball”

Chipping

Chipping is an important skill in the short game.  It is just as precise as putting in that it requires precise distance and direction control.  In addition, chipping adds the requirement to control trajectory and spin.  Engaging the fingers can be used to influence trajectory and spin.

Club Selection

I prefer to choose one club for chipping.  Just like choosing a putter, the goal is to find a club that you have complete confidence in being able to deliver the desired shot.  This means the club must be able to produce the desired distance, direction, trajectory, and spin.  The reason to choose only one chipping club is the fact that the chip shot needs to be just a precise as a putt.  So, developing the feel for chipping requires a lot of practice.  To use more than one club for chipping requires more practice time to develop the feel for chipping using multiple clubs.  Professional golfers have the practice time to devote to chipping using multiple clubs.  The average golfer does not.

I prefer to use a 56-degree wedge as my chipping club.  The wedge provides the flexibility to create shots with a variety of trajectories and spin.  I also prefer to treat my chip shots as mini pitch shots: more air time than ground time.  The wedge allows the flexibility to control spin and trajectory.  Lower lofted clubs like the nine, eight, or seven iron are less flexible and are treated more like a putter.  I find it more difficult to get consistent and precise distance control if I just get the ball on the green and let the ball roll to the hole.

Method

The key to using the wedge to chip is to use the bounce of the wedge.  The bounce is the lower, rear portion of the club head.  The bounce is lower than the leading edge and is used to hit the ground behind the ball in the descending path of the chip shot.  Using the leading edge in a descending blow causes the club head to dig into the ground.  The bounce will not dig into the ground, but it will compress the ground behind the ball and allow the leading edge to go under the ball without digging into the ground.  Opening the club face at least ten degrees will allow the bounce to hit the ground before the leading edge.

I focus on where I want the ball to land on the green and then roll to the hole.  Depending on the trajectory and the amount of spin the landing; closer to the hole with more trajectory and spin and farther from the hole with less trajectory and spin.

The motion that I use is mainly in the hands.  I use the hands to provide control of the distance, trajectory, and spin.  The grip is mainly in the fingers and the grip pressure is very light in order to feel the swing motion of the club head.  The rhythm of the stroke is the same as the full swing and putting rhythm.  The motion is initiated by the hands, but I allow the arms and body to react to the swing of the club.  I try to keep the right elbow stretching down.    

Controlling Trajectory

For a low trajectory chip that runs out the most, use the arms instead of the hands.  Position the ball opposite the big toe of the right foot, stand closer to the ball so that the heel of the club is raised off the ground, and open the face of the club a little.  Feel the right upper arm stretch up.  The amount of the stretch felt in the right upper arm determines the distance of the shot.  Feel the right upper arm “flick” up to release the club toward the target.

For a medium trajectory chip, position the ball one-half inch in front of the center of the stance.  Stand a little away from the ball, position the feet slightly closed, and open the face of the club at least 15 degrees.  Feel the top of the palm pad of the right index finger stretch up and feel the inside of the palm pad of the right index finger stretch down.  The amount of stretch felt in the right hand determines the length of the shot.  When the appropriate amount of stretch is felt, feel a “flick” up of the top of the palm pad to release the club toward the target.

For a higher trajectory shot, position the ball a little more forward, stand the normal distance from the ball, and open the body a little bit.  Use the same back swing as the medium trajectory chip but during the down swing, feel the palm pad of the left index finger pulling to the left and feel the “flick” up of the top of the palm pad of the right index finger to release the club toward the target.

Another method for a higher trajectory shot is to feel the stretch used in the medium trajectory shot, but add the stretch up of the inside of the right wrist and the feel the inside of the right wrist “flick” up.

Spin

Spin is created with an open club face and club head speed.  Position the ball off the left toe, stand the normal distance from the ball, and open the stance.  During the down swing, feel the left upper arm pull strongly back to the left and feel the fingers of the left hand pull quickly to the left.  This causes the club head to quickly cut across the back of the ball with an open club face to generate the spin.  The quicker the snap on the down swing, the more spin is generated.  Using a ball with a soft cover can also help to create spin.  Having a new wedge with sharp grooves is the best way to create the maximum amount of spin.  That is why tour pros change wedges every two weeks!!!  They get their wedges for free from the golf club companies.  The average golfer is not that fortunate.  As the grooves lose their sharpness, less spin is generated.  Do not expect to get the spin the tour pros get unless you change your wedge frequently.  It is easier to add trajectory to minimize the amount of roll in the chip shot.

Just as in putting, experiment to discover a technique that will result on a method that gives the player the best chance to chip the ball close to the hole.

Chipping from Greenside Long Rough

One technique to experiment with is the chip from the long rough around the green.  This technique involves using only the left wrist to move the club.  This means keeping the arms and upper body fixed with no movement.  Set up with the ball forward in the stance, inside the forward foot.  Open the club face and position the hands so that the shaft is vertical, not tilted to the left.

Feel the palm pad of the left index finger stretch up to make the left wrist cock up and let the right wrist cock up.  Feel the right index finger keep the shaft moving vertically.  The amount of wrist cock will determine the distance of the chip shot.  When the desired amount of wrist cock is achieved, feel the palm pad of the left index finger snap down to snap the club head down.  Because the wrists are the only moving parts of the body, this action brings the club back down behind the ball to pop it up out of the rough.  This technique demonstrates how much power there is in the left wrist.  Experiment with varying amount of wrist cock to control the distance of the shot.

Here is a link to a Lee Trevino video showing how to play various chipping situations:

Lee Trevino Chipping Situations

Here is a link to a Tiger Woods chipping lesson:

Tiger Woods chipping lesson

Here is a link to a video of Tiger Woods during a short game practice session:

Tiger Woods short game practice

What You Must Know About the Golf Swing

Having written over fifty blog articles describing what must be done in order to play a consistent round of golf, I am writing this article as my “golf swing manifesto” trying to summarize the most important aspects of my blog about learning how to make a consistent golf swing.

My golf journey has shown me that there are a lot of fundamental things that are ignored when golfers are trying to learn to develop a consistent golf swing.  This makes developing a consistent swing much more difficult than it should be.

Most golf instruction is given by instructors who have golf swings that are very accomplished.   Most have learned their swings when they were young.  Learning the golf swing is much easier as a child versus learning the golf swing as an adult.  My blog article, “It is a Challenge for Adults to Learn the Golf Swing,” describes those challenges.  When the child learns the golf swing, their path to learning is different than when adults try to learn the golf swing.  Young golfers “just swing” until they discover, by feel, what works and they can repeat the motion that works.  Adults have lost the ability feel the swing and to repeat what works.  When adults hit a good golf shot they say “I don’t know what I did.”  This is why golf touring professionals, who learned the golf swing as a child and who decide to go through a swing change, can become “lost” if the swing change does not work.  They learned to “just swing” and now, as adults, they do not know how to go back to the old swing they learned as a child.

A lot of what is taught about the golf swing is derived from visual observations.  It has been shown that the eyes are the least reliable in determining what is happening in the golf swing.  This is one reason there are so many different golf “tips” to try to teach the golf swing.  One person’s interpretation of what is seen is different from another person’s interpretation.

Having said that, I have created my High Percentage Golf method over the years based on what I have seen in others’ golf swing and what I have felt in learning my golf swing.  I have settled on the following, rarely taught, fundamentals about the golf swing.  If I had learned the following fundamentals when I first started almost 40 years ago, I believe I would have significantly shortened my learning curve.

Golf is a Mental Game

People say golf is a really hard game.  That is true because golf is a mental game.  It is about developing a consistent mental focus to execute the same golf swing.  It takes a lot of mental strength to only focus on the motion and to not focus on trying to hit the golf ball.  My blog articles, “The Mental Game” and “One Plus One Equals Three,” describe how to develop a focused mind and how to adopt the correct attitude in order to achieve a consistent golf swing.

Do Not Try to Hit the Ball

Most golf instruction is focused on hitting the ball.  The golf tips and drills emphasize what to do with the arms and hands at impact.  Actually, when arms and hands arrive at the ball, the arms and hands are moving so fast that very few golfers, have the skill to do anything consistently.  The focus should be on what the arms and hands do while they are on the right side of the body during the back swing and the down swing.

If the objective of golf is to develop a consistent golf swing and not about hitting the ball, my blog article, “The Most Important Focus in the Golf Swing,” describes what to focus on during the golf swing.  It is about five or six things to focus on.  Committing to focus on five or six things during the golf swing is a good way to block out thoughts about hitting the ball.

Do vs Feel

As stated above, what most golfers think they should do is wrong.  Golfers watch videos and read golf instructions that describe what to do in the golf swing.  The reality is that there is no need to do what traditional golf instruction teaches because most of the recommended actions are actually reactions.  The majority of instruction tries to teach the reaction instead of teaching the motion that causes the reaction.  My blog article, “Action vs Reaction,” describes the action that causes the reaction.  Do the action instead of trying to do the reaction.

Rhythm

The most important feature of a consistent golf swing is the rhythm of the swing.  The rhythm of the swing is unique to each golfer, but it must be the same for every golf shot.  My blog article, “How to Feel Rhythm,” describes how to create a rhythmic swing.

Patience

The key component of creating a repeatable rhythmic swing is the patience used during the transition between the back swing and the down swing.  I describe in my blog article, “Patience in the Golf Swing,” that the right amount of patience is the key to a good shot.  If the down swing is started even a millisecond too soon, the result will be a bad shot.  When the touring pros say that their swing was too quick, it means they were impatient.  Patience makes the golf swing a binary action.  A bad shot means not enough patience.  A good shot means the right amount of patience.

Vertical Motion Creates Horizontal Motion

The most efficient way to move the club away from the target on the back swing and move the club toward the target on the down swing is to use vertical motion.  Most golfers try to use horizontal motion, especially on the down swing, which is a very inefficient and a very inconsistent motion.  This is described in my blog article, “Feel an Efficient Swing.”

Most golfers think they need to move the club toward the ball instead of feeling the club move toward the ball.

Tension vs Tightness

Some golf instruction says that tension is bad in the golf swing.  What is really meant is that tightness is bad in the golf swing.  Tension is feeling the stretching of loose muscles.  Tightness is the stiffening of the muscles.  Feel the tension caused by stretching the muscles to build and release energy.  Stiff muscles are like cement and cannot build and release energy.  My blog article, “Feel an Efficient Swing,” describes what stretches to feel in the back swing and especially during the down swing.

Eccentric Motion is an Efficient Motion

Eccentric motion is the muscle resisting a primary motion to create a stretch in the muscle.  Eccentric motion is used to efficiently produce power in the golf swing.  This is why having loose muscles is better than having tight muscles.  My golf blog article, “Chain Action Using Eccentric Motion,” describes how to use eccentric motion effectively, in the body, arms, and fingers in the golf swing.

How to Use the Fingers

One area of the golf swing that I believe has the greatest affect on the golf shot is how the fingers are used during the golf swing, especially the little fingers.  My blog article, “How to Use the Fingers,” describes how to use the fingers to reduce tightness in the arms and what they should do in the back swing and down swing.  My blog article, “How to Curve the Ball,” describes how the little fingers can be used to hit a fade or draw.  My blog article, “Chain Action Using Eccentric Motion,” describes how the little fingers create eccentric motion to create lag in the down swing.

Swing Thoughts

Golf instruction encourages golfers to adopt a swing thought during the golf swing that produces a successful golf shot.  The swing thought should be a feel-based thought instead of a swing mechanic thought.  But why only one swing thought?   Do golf instructors believe we can only handle one swing thought?  Jack Nicklaus said “most golfers can think of one, maybe two, things during the golf swing.  I can think of five or six and do them.

Is Jack Nicklaus saying that to imply that only Jack Nicklaus can have that many swing thoughts or is Jack Nicklaus telling us how to be a better golfer?

I believe Jack Nicklaus is telling us how to be better golfers.  It does not mean five or six thoughts at once but five or six swing thoughts in sequence.  Some may say that is too many thoughts, but in fact, there are at least six thoughts that are used when you back your car out of the garage.  My blog article, “The Most Important Focus in the Golf Swing,” describes more than one swing thought that are used to develop a consistent golf swing.

Bunker Technique

I have tried to develop a consistent bunker swing for a long time and I finally realized that the bunker swing is not like a regular full swing.  Once I realized I needed a different swing, my bunker shots became more consistent.  I realized that the bunker swing is what most golfers do when they hit a fat shot; they only use their arms and hands!  My blog article, “Basic Bunker Shot,” describes how to use the arms and hands in the bunker shot.

Basic Bunker Shot

The majority of the bunker technique that is described in books, tv, or the internet use concepts that is foreign to most golfers.  The various phrases are “hit a dollar bill out of the bunker,” slide the club under the ball,” “knocking the sand from under the ball,” etc.  These analogies are the what accomplished bunker players “feel” when they execute a good bunker shot.  But this does not tell the average golfer how to create those feelings.  This blog article describes how to create those feelings using the hands.

The basic bunker shot is all about using the correct technique.  It must be noted that the basic bunker technique has nothing in common with the efficient full swing technique because the objective is to splash the sand and not about ball contact.  The full swing’s objective is to swing the club down from the top of the back swing and up to the finish using the chain sequence of the lower body, upper body, arms and hands.  The bunker technique’s objective is to focus on swinging the club to splash the sand using the hands and allowing the body to react to the hand action. The swing is hands oriented in the same way a “fat” shot occurs in the full swing when using only the hands and arms to swing the club.

The bunker swing is very steep and forceful in order to use the speed of the club head to “splash” the sand.    The focus is to splash sand out of the bunker by controlling the speed of the club head.  The ball is just another grain of sand.  The sand comes out first, followed by the ball.

Grip

Position the left hand in a normal grip.  Open the club face by rotating the left forearm clockwise so the first two knuckles of the left hand are visible.  The right hand is a little weaker so that the right thumb is just to the left of the top of the grip.  Splashing the sand requires using the bounce of the club. This grip allows the club to maintain the angle of the bounce into the sand and to automatically swing the club on an outside-in swing path.  The grip pressure should be light enough to feel a stretch in the arms and hands in order to allow the wrists and fingers to move the club head freely in the back swing and the down swing.

Setup

Aim the body a little left of the target and position the ball one-inch left of center.  Take a wider stance, dig the feet into sand, and lower the body to align the hands just above the knees.  Keep the weight on the left foot with the belt buckle in front of the ball and the sternum behind the ball.  Lower the hands to counter the open club face.  Aim the leading edge of the club perpendicular to the target line and hover the club above the sand one-quarter inch behind the ball.  Align the hands even with the front edge of the tip of the shaft to tilt the shaft a tiny bit toward the target.

Back Swing

To initiate the back swing, feel the top inside of the right latissimus dorsi stretch up, feel the outside of the palm pad of the right index finger stretch down as the top of the palm pad resists up, and feel the top of the palm pad of the left index finger resist down to the left.  Maintain this stretch between the hands throughout the swing.  The pressure of the hands is light to allow the grip to move in the hands and to feel the stretch in the arms and hands.  This makes the club swing up steeply.

Down Swing

The focus in the down swing is to be very aggressive in order to create club head speed to snap the club head past the hands in the down swing.  As the hands reach the appropriate back swing length, feel the top of the palm pad of the left index finger pull down to the left and hold, feel the top of the palm pad of the right index finger lightly stretch up, and feel the outside of the palm pad of the right index finger “flick” down.  This motion snaps the club head down into the sand and up to the finish with the palm of the right hand facing up.  The “holding” left hand causes the club head to snap past the hands and finish with a vertical club shaft in front of the left upper arm.  The length of the back swing determines the speed of the club head into the sand.

Light the Match

Gary Player describes the motion of the swing as “Light the Match.”  The video below is Gary Player showing the “Light the Match” motion.  Notice the stretch up of the right hand as if getting ready to strike the match and then the snap down of the hands to “light the match.”  The body reacts to the action of the right hand.

This demonstrates how the bunker technique is very different from the full swing motion.  This arm and hand action in the bunker shot is different than the action in the full swing.

Learn how varying the ball position, how much the face of the club is opened, and the amount of stretch up of the right wrist affects the distance and trajectory of the shot. The swing does not necessarily need to be rhythmic; after all, sand is being splashed.

The basic bunker shot requires practice in order to learn the unique bunker technique.  This technique gets the ball out of the bunker, but there are a variety of other techniques that need to be learned in order to become an accomplished bunker player.  There are many books and YouTube videos that discuss the various techniques of the bunker game.  Learn the basic bunker shot and move on from there.

This video of Lee Trevino discussing the various situations is very helpful:

Developing Feel in Putting

Sinking a putt requires that the ball roll the precise direction and speed.  Of the two putting categories, direction and speed, speed is more important.  The direction of the putt may be one or two degrees off, but if the distance is correct, the next putt will be a one or two foot putt.  When the focus is on direction, the putt is usually left short.  A putt that goes past the hole has a chance of going in.  A putt that is left short has no chance of going in.

I am not saying that determining the proper direction is not important.  It is, but this blog article is focused on how I make the ball travel the proper distance.  A future blog article will cover how to determine the proper direction.

The correct distance of a putt should roll about one foot past the cup if the ball misses the hole.  The circumference of the golf ball is approximately 5.25 inches.  So a correctly struck putt will go past the hole by a little over two revolutions.  That shows that putting is an extremely precise activity.

Spend the Time

The best way to develop feel in putting is to adopt the proper attitude that elevates the priority of improving your putting.  Lower scores are a result of reducing the number of putts per round.   When I play a hole, I would rather make a one-putt instead of hitting a 300 yard drive.  I know I do not have a chance to drive the ball 300 yards, but I do have a chance to make a one-putt.  Most golfers spend a vast majority of their practice time trying to improve their driving rather than spending their practice time trying to improve their putting.  It is a mental challenge to make  it a priority to spend the time to improve putting skills, but the time must be dedicated in order to develop the proper feel in putting.

Feel the Force

The objective of developing feel in putting is to discover the proper amount of force that is required to roll the ball a distance where the ball will stop approximately one foot beyond the hole. The first requirement is to determine how to generate the force to roll the ball.  There are various ways you can use to generate force:  use the wrist, use the shoulder, or use the upper body.  I have tried all of the methods and I find that using the upper body provides the best way for me to apply the precise amount of force.  I use the bottom rear of the right arm pit to stretch up the precise amount in the back swing.  In the down swing, I feel the bottom rear of the right arm pit snap down with the force that I feel will create the desired acceleration of the ball.  I also feel the tip of the left little finger snap up with the force that I feel will create the desired acceleration.  For me, the snap of the tip of the left little finger “validates” the snap of the bottom rear of the right arm pit.

Whichever method you use, it must provide you with complete confidence that the proper amount of force will be generated.  It takes a lot of trial and error to finally settle on a method that will work consistently to generate the proper amount of force.

I define the proper amount of force as the force needed to accelerate the ball to so that the ball rolls the precise distance.  I divide the distance that the putt travels into two parts: acceleration distance and deceleration distance.  Developing feel in putting is about producing the precise acceleration distance.  The distance of acceleration can be thought of as an absolute distance in inches, feet, or yards.  The distance of the acceleration can also be thought of as a percentage of the total distance.  I focus on creating an acceleration distance that is a specific percentage of the total distance.  For example, I want to accelerate the ball one-third of the total distance.

Developing the Feel

The speed of the putting greens varies from course to course.  When I am putting on the practice green before a round of golf, I am trying to determine the percentage of acceleration distance I need to create in order to putt the ball a foot past the hole.  I find a level part of the green and stroke putts of six feet.  I feel how much force it takes to make a putt of six feet.  I am aware of how much force I am using to create acceleration.  Am I creating two feet of acceleration or one and one-half feet of acceleration?  When I create a specific acceleration distance, then I make a note of how much deceleration distance is created.  For example, if I create two feet of acceleration and the ball rolls a total of six feet, then I know the base line percentage for a level putt is one-third of the total distance is for acceleration and the remaining two-thirds of the total distance is used for deceleration.

I try putts of different lengths to eventually settle on the percentage of acceleration distance versus deceleration distance.  Establishing this base line is the objective when I am on the practice putting green.  I also hit putts uphill and downhill to get a feel for the ratio in those situations.  This will help me make the proper adjustments when I am on the course.  I will use less force on downhill putts and more force on uphill putts.

The key is to be able to precisely create the acceleration distance that I decide is needed to roll the ball the required distance.  That ability is what I am looking for when I am trying to develop a feel for the green.

The Putter

Another component of developing feel is to use a putter that will translate the force that you use to create a precise acceleration distance.  You will have to try a lot of different putters before you find a putter that provides the precise feel.  This is the magic that you need to feel in choosing a putter.  The current putter that I am using provided that magic when I was trying different putters at a golf store.  For me, this putter is able to create the acceleration distance that I decide is needed and the ball will consistently travel the precise distance to the hole.  I tried other putters that were the same length and same model but they did not have the same magic.  So even though putters may look the same, they do not perform the same.  This magic is not permanent.  When the magic is gone for my current putter, I will need to find another putter.  Sometimes the “new” putter will be a putter I already own and is stored in my garage with other putters I have used in the past.

I hope this post will give you an idea on how you can develop the feel that will help you make more one-putts and eliminate three-putts.

Putting

There is an old saying in golf:  Drive for show, putt for dough.  It means that most golfers are attracted to the long drive but golf is really about making a putt.  Look at which club brings the most revenue to the club manufacturers:  the driver.   People will pay hundreds of dollars to buy a new driver and will spend countless hours on the driving range trying to hit the ball farther.  Most amateurs would rather drive the ball farther, but all the professional golfers make their living by being great putters.

Very few amateur golfers embrace the fact that if they want to score better, they must putt better. When you go to the driving range, the range is crowded with golfers banging away with their full swings.  The practice putting green is usually uncrowded.  This is why golf is such a hard game. Most golfers would rather drive the ball 300 yards instead of making more one-putts.

Why is putting so important?  You will become a better golfer if you eliminate three-putts and make more one-putts.  The “old” Tiger Woods was an amazing putter.  When the old Tiger Woods needed to make a putt to save par or make a needed birdie, he would make the putt.  It got to the point where we would expect him to make a crucial putt.  Tiger Woods can dominate again if he regains his putting skills.  If he does not, he is like the rest of the professional golfers, we hope that he will be able to make the crucial putt!  Tiger lost his dominance when he lost his dominant putting.  Jack Nicklaus is the only other professional golfer that I know of who would always make a putt that mattered.  When you look at the wining Ryder Cup teams, the one common trait is that the winning team made the most putts that mattered.  When you look at the dominance of the Korean LPGA golfers, they are all great putters.  I believe that in Korea they choose the golfers who can putt and then they teach them to develop consistent full swings.

The goal of putting is to get the ball into the hole.  But that is not the focus of all great putters.  All great putters do not focus on the outcome.  The focus of great putters is to read the green correctly, start the ball on the desired line, make the ball travel the precise distance.  They focus on the process of precise read, line, and distance.  That is the only thing that the golfer can control.  There is a story that after Jack Nicklaus missed a crucial putt in a tournament a reporter asked Jack how he missed the putt.  Jack looked at the reporter and said “I made the putt. The ball didn’t go into the hole”.  That shows you where Jack’s focus was; the process, not the outcome.  It also shows the confident attitude that Jack has in his putting.

Putting is all about creating confidence and belief.  You need to take the time to experiment and to be open to try anything to develop a technique that gives you absolute confidence and belief that the ball will travel the precise direction and distance and fall into the hole.  There is no right or wrong way to develop confidence and belief.  Whatever method is used does not have to be pretty or logical.  It just has to make putts.  It is very personal and you are the only one who can say what works and what doesn’t.

PUTTER

You must take the time to find a putter and a putting technique that gives you confidence.  The putter must look good to you and must also feel good to you.  When the putter is placed behind the ball, the putter must be square to the target and look like it will roll the ball on the desired line.  The putter should feel that is a natural extension of the hands and that the face of the putter will be remain square to the swing arc.  The putter must also feel that it will transmit the appropriate force to roll the ball the desired distance.  The appropriate force is the force needed to make the ball roll twelve inches past the hole if it does not go into the hole.

The look and feel of a putter that inspires confidence is almost like a magic wand.  This “magic” putter should immediately start to make putts and also provide a sense of confidence that every putt will go the desired distance and direction and into the hole.

All putters have torque when the putter is swung.  This means the face will open and close as the putter swings.  The “magic” in a putter is one that allows the golfer to confidently manipulate the putter head during the swing so that the face stays square to the swing arc.  This is the “feel” and the “magic” that differentiates one putter from the next and is what the golfer is looking for in a putter.

Over time, this “magic” will go away.  Then you must either find another magic wand or find another technique that will make putts.  Usually, it is better to find another putter than to try to change the putting technique, but nothing is immune to being changed.

One putter technology that has the potential to change the putting landscape is the Lie Angle Balanced (L.A.B or LAB) technology.  This technology is designed to automatically keep the face of the putter square to the swing arc.  With the LAB putters, it is no longer necessary to manipulate the putter to keep the face square.  In order to use the LAB putters, it requires the golfer to abandon the manipulations that were used with the conventional putters and just let the grip rest in the hands and feel the putter just swing.  This concept of “letting the putter swing itself” may be too challenging for some golfers to change.

Here is a link that demonstrates the L.A.B. technology:

https://labgolf.com/

The L.A.B. technology shows that when using conventional putters, manipulating the putter, however slight, is required to putt well.

TECHNIQUE

The putting technique should also evoke complete confidence.  A confidence that you believe that the putt will travel the correct direction and distance.  The goal of an effective putting technique is to have the putter face strike the ball with the face of the putter pointing down the target line.  Experiment with different putting techniques until a technique is found that provides complete belief.  A technique that creates belief produces a confident stroke that makes solid contact with the ball to roll the ball the desired distance and direction.

The putting technique should be simple.  It needs to be simple in order to be precise.  A complex technique is not precise.  The technique should take the putter back and forth in a rhythmic motion.

Whether the putter moves straight back and forward, inside to inside, or inside to straight, the putter head should be square to the target line at impact and accelerating through impact.

Jack Nicklaus said “Acceleration through impact is a must, both to reach the hole and to keep the ball online.”

Golfers have used many different putters and techniques to keep the putter face square: left hand low, claw, saw, arm lock, long putter, etc.

Just as in the full swing, you must use a pre-shot routine in putting.  The pre-shot routine must include an effective green reading technique.  Green reading is crucial in putting because you may have the best putting stroke, but it does not matter if you cannot determine the correct distance and direction to putt the ball.

The basic green reading technique uses the bottom of the feet to feel the slope of the green as you walk around the green.  The bottom of your feet will tell you if you are walking uphill, downhill, or on a side hill.  You should start by looking at the putt from below the hole, the low part of the green, to determine if the putt is uphill or downhill.  Look at the putt from the side to determine the distance of the putt.  Stand half the distance to the hole and look at the last half of the putt.  Look from behind the ball to determine if the putt will break left or right.

MIND SET

Once you have determined the direction and distance the ball should roll, you must confidently make a pure stroke.  The attitude to adopt before making the stroke is the belief that the ball will go into the hole.  No worry or doubt.  Here is a drill to feel no fear:

  1. Place a ball six inches from hole. While using your rhythm, stroke the ball into the hole. Be aware of what it feels like to confidently accelerate the putter so that the ball travels the precise distance and direction.  It is this confident feeling that is needed for every putt regardless of the length of the putt.
  2. Keep moving back one foot at a time and see if you can keep the same confident mind set.
  3. When you get to a distance where you begin to worry or doubt, go back to six inches from the hole and start over.
  4. The objective is to learn what it feels like to adopt a confident mind set for every putt and believe that the ball will go into the hole.

It is better to use a confident mind set than to use a fearful or doubtful mind set.  Using your rhythmic stroke helps to maintain the confident mind set.  No worry or doubt.

For short putts, from three feet or less, confidence is the key.  This means the focus is to confidently roll the ball so it bounces off the back of the cup or hits the flag stick if you leave the flag in the hole.  When you tap the ball into the hole from six inches, you have complete confidence.  Tap a putt over a virtual hole on the green six inches in front of the ball and notice how far the ball rolls.  The ball will roll two to three feet.  So, on short putts, just aim at a virtual hole six inches in front of the ball in line with the cup and confidently tap the ball into the virtual hole.  Nine times out of ten the ball will roll two or three feet and into the hole.

Another way of creating a confident mind set is to use mind games.  Good putters use mind games.  The objective of using mind games is to create confidence and to take pressure off of the putt.  When Stuart Appleby shot a 59 at the 2010 Greenbrier Classic, he said that when he was putting, he knew the putt was going in the hole before he made the stroke.  When Vijay Singh won the FedEx Cup, he told himself that he was the best putter in the world.  When Tiger Woods needed to make a six-foot putt to tie Bob May in the PGA Championship, he told himself that the putt was so easy his mother could make it.  When Tiger Woods needed to make a twelve-foot putt to tie Rocco Mediate in the US Open, he said he did not care if he made the putt or missed the putt; he only cared about making a pure stroke.  Another mind game is to pretend you have just missed the putt.  When you actually execute the putt, you pretend you are practicing the putt you missed.  The pressure is off because you “know” this is just a “practice” putt.  If professional golfers can use mind games, you can use mind games.

Even though you are not on the PGA tour, you must adopt a confident mind set, have an effective routine, and just execute a confident stroke.  You must TRUST your stroke and BELIEVE the ball will go in the hole.

MY TECHNIQUE

I focus to always make a putt with the precise amount of acceleration.  Even on a one-foot putt, my focus is the appropriate length of the back swing and making a stroke that will produce a stroke that accelerates through impact to eliminate any chance of deceleration.  I am aware of the length of my back swing so I can feel the buildup of the appropriate amount of force that is required for that particular putt.  The feel is one of being rhythmic and continuous.

My current putter is the red L.A.B. Mezz.1 Max Custom.  The specifications are:

Length: 35”, Lie Angle: 63 degrees, Shaft: L.A.B. Golf x TPT, Grip: Press II 1.5 degree textured, Alignment Mark: Dot.

I place the back of the grip across the palm pad of the left index finger with the fingers of the left hand wrapping around the grip at the butt end of the putter.  The left thumb is stretched to the left and down off of the grip and the tip of the left little finger is stretching down on the grip.  I use the “saw” putting grip.  Below the left index finger, I place the area between the right thumb and index finger against the right side of the grip.  I lay the fingers across the front of the grip.  The grip pressure is just enough so that I can feel the club swing in the fingers.

I position the ball opposite the left big toe.  I stand so that my eyes are positioned inside the ball about two inches.  I place the putter so that the ball is at the center of the putter face, the face is square to the target line, and the right foot is placed a couple of inches inside to create a slightly closed stance.  I keep the shoulders square to the target line with the butt of the putter on top of my left thigh.

To determine the direction of the putt, I visualize the curve of the putt and I pick a point on the target line that will give me a straight putt.  I stand so when my head turns 45 degrees, I use the tip of the finger nail of the left thumb and the tip of the left little finger to aim the putter at the point on the target line.  I keep the putter face aimed at the point on the target line throughout the stroke.

Once I have “locked in” the direction, I focus on the distance.  I focus on the amount of force I want to use.  I consider the “appropriate” amount of force to be the amount of force required to make the ball accelerate a specific distance and then roll to the hole.  I divide the distance the ball must travel into two parts: acceleration distance and deceleration distance.  My view is when the ball stops accelerating it is decelerating.

I stand with a little bend at the waist and with the arms fairly straight.  This allows me to look down the target line.  I feel the palm pad of the left index finger push against the back of the grip to act as a fulcrum for the swing of the putter.  I feel the inside of the right elbow swing to the right to make the face of the putter swing to the right.  I feel the putter swing back the required distance to produce the acceleration distance.

When I feel the length of the back swing has reached the desired distance, I feel the inside of the right elbow swing to the left to release the face of the putter down the target line.  I feel that I am using the inside of the right elbow to make the putter face apply the precise amount of force to the ball, similar to using a pool cue to strike the cue ball.  For me, this allows the putter to swing and to trust that the swing of the putter will cause the ball to roll down the target line the desired distance.

I do not use my hands to make the putter stay square to the swing path.  My focus is to feel the inside of the right elbow swing the face of the putter down the target line.  There is no need to use the hands to manipulate the putter to keep the putter square to the swing path because the L.A.B. putter automatically stays square to the swing path.

For me, this technique keeps the ball on the target line and the amount of force I use is very precise.  It takes a lot of practice to create the trust and belief that it will make putts.  The bottom line is that this method currently works for me.  Once it stops working, I will need to find something else that works.  No one ever said golf was easy.