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azgolfer
USA
17 Posts |
 Posted - August 12 2009 : 11:22:47 AM
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I have gravitated to the symple putting stroke, then away, then back, much like a person on a prescription drug. Once we feel better we stop taking the drug, until we are sick again. Recently I shaved 3 putting strokes on my round using the symple putting stroke, not significant, except that it was the difference in breaking 80 or feeling great or feeling just ok about my round! Anyway, it came to me that the symple putting stroke is more of an inside to square to inside stroke and this requires a more exacting placement of the ball to assure that the club is back to square at impact. My missed putts were mostly pushes that occured because the face alignment was open (slightly) at impact. Try studying the placement of your ball particularly on longer putts and see if a slight adjustment in your set up will help you to get the ball rolling on a straight line, because, predictably, this method of putting will send the ball exactly where you aim it and I wonder what more can one ask of a putting method than that?
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kfarkle
USA
248 Posts |
Posted - August 12 2009 : 1:19:44 PM
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I agree with you, azgolfer. The stroke feels straight back and through to me, like a pendulum, but I usually see a slight arc if I look for it. I think your ball placement tip is vital. Just as Mike states in the video, it will take some time to find your form and you become a speed putter. The line will become a given, the ball goes where you aim it. Through practice and play I've learned to place it in the same spot every time.
Something else I would like to add that may be of help to some, is to check your eye placement. Sorry Coach, I can't remember excactly what you demonstrate on the video, but this is something I found that helped make me a speed putter. I'm right handed and right eye dominant, and used to prefer an open stance.
With SPS I take a narrow, square to the line stance. And I try to put my eyes over the closest weight port on the back flange of the putter. So I would step into my ball placement and set my eyes a bit behind the ball and a bit below the target line, over the port. This lets me feel like I can sight down the line as I used to with the old open stance. Just something you might try if you are working on line.
Best,
kb |
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simpleswing
948 Posts |
Posted - August 12 2009 : 2:48:52 PM
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Hi azgolfer,
First thing you should do is get your ball aimed correct. See http://sympleputter.com/line-up-your-putt.html for pictures and an explanation.
The Symple Putting stroke is an arc. For most people it is a relatively gentle arc. It can feel pretty straight especially if you have an open stance but it is an arc.
There are two keys to mastering Symple Putting:
1. You need a firm anchor point.
2. You hands need to stay balanced.
(When I say balanced I mean that your right hand applies just a slight bit of counter clockwise force and your left hand applies just a slight bit of counter clockwise force. The forces balance each other so the club face stays square to the arc of the stroke. You can balance your hands with different proportions of left and right hand. (See strong right hand example below)
Some people push some putts to the right because their because they actually have too weak a right hand grip and the left hand only stroke and leaves the club face open a bit causing the push. Try some one handed putts with just your left hand. You'll probably find you have to work a little to square the club and keep it from opening up.
WE DON'T WANT A REALLY STRONG RIGHT HAND because ideally we want more of left or front sided stroke although that doesn't mean the right hand doesn't help keep the club face square.
I putted last weekend with kind of a claw grip with my right hand that a student had suggested to me. I put my right hand right behind the shaft (palm forward) and I positioned the grip of the club between my index finger and my middle finger. So the grip was right up my lifeline with my index and middle fingers on opposite sides of the grip. This grip took the fingers out of the stroke about all I could do was a slight push with my right palm. I have to say I was surprised how well this right hand grip worked. My stroke was predominately with my left hand but with this claw version my right hand just provided enough force to keep the club face square yet it didn't cause any pulls. Even on longer putts with a pretty good stoke the club face stayed square. Obviously this grip let my hands stay balanced.
Some folks really have a tough time becoming lead hand dominate putters. I had a lesson with one fellow last week who had been a trail hand hitter type putter for many decades. He really liked the Symple Putter but his right hand kept causing him a lot of pulled putts. What we did was work on balancing his hands. Since he naturally had a strong right hand grip (that he didn't want to change) we had to make his left hand much stronger to balance it. We moved his left hand counter clockwise until his left thumb was over at a 10 o'clock position. That strong left handed position balanced his strong right hand and he just started drilling putts with confidence. (He was most confident with his right thumb over around a 1:30 to 2 o'clock position so he was balanced. That's not the position I'd recommend for everyone but for really dominate right hand (trail hand) putters that position can work wonders.
BTW, he also used the putting track method http://sympleputting.com/puttingtrack.html very nicely on short putts even with that opposing thumbs type grip.
Joe Davidson
Simple Golf
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azgolfer
USA
17 Posts |
Posted - August 12 2009 : 9:28:22 PM
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Joe,
You ALWAYS have the most interesting ideas! I like the power thumb and the two finger overlap grip for chipping! I like the Symple putting method...AND I like the modified "claw" idea and as soon as it gets below 110 degrees I'm going to give it a try! Thanks
quote:
Originally posted by simpleswing
Hi azgolfer,
First thing you should do is get your ball aimed correct. See http://sympleputter.com/line-up-your-putt.html for pictures and an explanation.
The Symple Putting stroke is an arc. For most people it is a relatively gentle arc. It can feel pretty straight especially if you have an open stance but it is an arc.
There are two keys to mastering Symple Putting:
1. You need a firm anchor point.
2. You hands need to stay balanced.
(When I say balanced I mean that your right hand applies just a slight bit of counter clockwise force and your left hand applies just a slight bit of counter clockwise force. The forces balance each other so the club face stays square to the arc of the stroke. You can balance your hands with different proportions of left and right hand. (See strong right hand example below)
Some people push some putts to the right because their because they actually have too weak a right hand grip and the left hand only stroke and leaves the club face open a bit causing the push. Try some one handed putts with just your left hand. You'll probably find you have to work a little to square the club and keep it from opening up.
WE DON'T WANT A REALLY STRONG RIGHT HAND because ideally we want more of left or front sided stroke although that doesn't mean the right hand doesn't help keep the club face square.
I putted last weekend with kind of a claw grip with my right hand that a student had suggested to me. I put my right hand right behind the shaft (palm forward) and I positioned the grip of the club between my index finger and my middle finger. So the grip was right up my lifeline with my index and middle fingers on opposite sides of the grip. This grip took the fingers out of the stroke about all I could do was a slight push with my right palm. I have to say I was surprised how well this right hand grip worked. My stroke was predominately with my left hand but with this claw version my right hand just provided enough force to keep the club face square yet it didn't cause any pulls. Even on longer putts with a pretty good stoke the club face stayed square. Obviously this grip let my hands stay balanced.
Some folks really have a tough time becoming lead hand dominate putters. I had a lesson with one fellow last week who had been a trail hand hitter type putter for many decades. He really liked the Symple Putter but his right hand kept causing him a lot of pulled putts. What we did was work on balancing his hands. Since he naturally had a strong right hand grip (that he didn't want to change) we had to make his left hand much stronger to balance it. We moved his left hand counter clockwise until his left thumb was over at a 10 o'clock position. That strong left handed position balanced his strong right hand and he just started drilling putts with confidence. (He was most confident with his right thumb over around a 1:30 to 2 o'clock position so he was balanced. That's not the position I'd recommend for everyone but for really dominate right hand (trail hand) putters that position can work wonders.
BTW, he also used the putting track method http://sympleputting.com/puttingtrack.html very nicely on short putts even with that opposing thumbs type grip.
Joe Davidson
Simple Golf
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symple putting redeux
