Owner's Manual for Putters - The "Almost" Face Balanced Mallet

Last month we talked about the best stroke pattern for a face balanced mallet. I think I surprised a number of you by recommending a putting stroke that exits left, rather than the traditional thought of straight back and then straight down the target line. In our system, the closest to the vertical plane that would match this perception is represented by Profile 2. For a 10 foot putt, we would see 2 degrees or less rotation in the backswing, on a very slight arc, parallel to the target line. With a mallet, this arc is basically imperceptible and hence the straight back and straight through description.

As we described last month, the down side of a true face balanced putter with a center of gravity deep in the head, is that the toe often lags behind the heel of the putter, causing the face to be open at impact if the putter is swung on a parallel plane to the target line. With a cog farther from the face the slow down is enhanced. While the effect is minimal, a little open is enough to create a push - miss tendency and you Burn the Edge.

There are probably dozens of ways a player could compensate for the push miss, but three come immediately to mind. Swing away from the miss, as we described previously.  Aim away from the miss, is a common reaction for most players. We see it on the tour all the time. This fix requires a ton of practice and is a topic for another time as it is more a strategic fix than a putter fit issue.

From left to right faster rotation to slower rotation through the ball.

With the same neck to face position, face balance will move toward horizontal from left to right. 

The other common reaction is an over-active trail hand to over come the toe drag and square the face at impact. This is an issue we want to fix with putter fit. Given that every putt requires a different speed and length of stroke, trying to time impact of every putting stroke with your hands is a source of grief for countless golfers. Just look at the overwhelming number of grip shapes, grip weighting and hand positions. All in an effort to control impact position. As we continue to evaluate putting strokes and players, the most successful fits are when we find the appropriate shaft location and face balance to match the stroke and eliminate the steer.

Cameron Select Fastback 15 degrees of Toe Hang

While Profile 2 requires a very small rotation and slow rotational speed through the ball, it requires some rotation to maintain a consistent position relative to the path. We found our best success by using Scotty Cameron's concept of "almost" face balanced that you find in many of his models as the best solution. These models balance at approximately 15 degrees of toe hang, just enough to free up the feel of the putter in motion and allow the toe to keep up with the heel without any extra effort.

If you have a perception of straight back and straight through and fight a push, we would highly recommend a putter with the cog closer to the face and a slight amount of toe hang. It might be a simple solution to your problem.
Feel free to contact us at Burnt Edges Consulting for a list of putters featuring this design parameter.

Owner's Manual for Putters - Face Balanced Mallet

Several years ago, I was at a golf show wandering the aisles. There was a company promoting a golf swing technique, along with golf clubs that matched the swing strategy. As I listened to the owner of the company and his sales pitch, he made a comment that I have remembered ever since. He said, “We don’t swing golf clubs the way they were designed to be used.” I am in complete agreement, but between regulation and tradition we have what we use. As I continue to with this series of blogs I keep thinking about the comment and particularly how it applies to putting. After many years of work searching for answers, I have reached the conclusion that more than in full swing, matching design to movement has a critical influence on successful putting.

In our previous discussions we have focused on putters when balanced at a fixed point on the shaft the toe of the putter hangs below the heel. The degree the face angles toward the ground is called toe hang. When the face is parallel to the ground - as shown below left - it is commonly referred to as face balanced. As we continue to measure strokes we find the amount of toe hang a putter has can influence the speed of face rotation at impact. To improve a player’s feel in their stroke we find it beneficial to match this to the amount required by set up. Basically, the more rotation required the more we look for the face to hang toward vertical.

Easily the best-selling putter design of the past 20 years is the face balanced mallet. There are several reasons this appeals to golfers who struggle with their strokes. Face balanced promotes a low rotation pattern. We have been constantly told that rotation is bad so low rotation must be better. In addition, with a mallet, the more you can move the center of gravity away from the face, the more stable the putter is at impact on off center strikes. With this combination two things happen, first, there is less feeling of torque in your hands with an off-center strike. Also, more energy is transferred to the ball when you miss the sweet-spot. Sounds pretty good, right? More forgiving and better feel, what else could a player want? The problem we see with the one style fits all mentality happens when your set up promotes a flatter stroke plane and therefore a bigger arc. 

This pattern requires the toe of the club to move faster than the heel to maintain a consistent position to the arc. This "rotation" is a function of the distance from the ball and the putter moving on a tilted plane, and not a function of your hands! When you have an arc that requires the toe to move faster and it doesn't, this conflict of rotational requirement and rotational putter value produces a twisting feeling in your hands. Typically, a player will fight this feeling by using more grip pressure.  For many this tension can make judging distance more difficult.  When grip pressure doesn’t work, we see players result to more drastic measures. Anchored techniques were common back in the day. With the new rules we see non-traditional hand placement like the claw/pencil grip as the norm. It becomes a vicious cycle as the more the putter twists the harder it is to find the center of the putter and the more you need a “forgiving putter”.  Rather than continue to fight this battle if you prefer a face balanced mallet we suggest you use it with the Profile that best fits.

In the Burnt Edge System, the lowest rotational requirement is found with a Profile 3. This is a player who uses a shorter putter in length, bends more from the hips to get his eyes directly over the ball. They tend to play the ball more forward in their stance and hold the putter square with the back of their left hand at impact. Their shoulder alignment is square to slightly open. The same with their feet. With this type of putter open is preferable to closed or perfectly square. The more the path moves to the right, the more the toe of the putter must release or rotate to find square. Because the putter fights a release we see the lead hand in combination with a shoulder rotation as the source and sequence of movement. No trail hand effort, face balanced mallets do not work well when you try to hit the ball with the trail hand. Speed control is better produced by tempo and shoulder rotation. 

P.S. If you currently use a face balanced mallet and are struggling. Try our suggestion, move closer to it, move the ball forward and open your stance. The results may surprise you.

Owner's Manuals for Putters - Anser/Newport

Over the course of golf history there have been several iconic putter designs. But none have been replicated more than the Ping Anser and Anser 2 model. Every putter maker from boutique to major manufacturer has a version of these designs in their product mix. As more than one industry insider has told me, “You have to have one.” To give credit where credit is due, Thanks to Tiger Woods, I firmly believe this model is the best-selling design type of all time.

Toulon Garage San Diego No lIne

Even with the vast number of different designers offering their version of the design to the public, the basics remain the same. Full offset neck, often referred to a mechanical or “plumbers” neck, moderate 45 degrees of toe hang along with the iconic heel and toe weighting. The toe hang might vary depending on the designer’s choice of neck and blade length, but normally within the parameters of what would be required by a moderate arc.

One of the things we found surprising as we started to match successful strategies to this putter, is that while it is by far the most common choice of design it is in no way the most versatile. The most successful strokes, when measured are specific when you look at the averages. Path one – two degrees right for a right-handed golfer and face less than one degree closed at impact. You might be thinking, these are successful numbers for any putter, but the measurements of the successful users of this model all had these tendencies. In our system this is a Profile 4.

One dominant tendency we saw in the measurements is for the putter to swing in a closed position relative to the path. Two potential reasons. First there is a tendency for right eye dominant players to aim the line in the cavity left. We like to start with no line. Personally, I think it is a function of the plumber’s neck. Byron Morgan has built many putters for my clients with the same offset and toe hang, and we did not see the same closed to the path tendency. Could be look, could be feel, but the stats are straight forward.  In fact, we have seen the same closed to path tendencies in mallets with a plumber’s neck as well.

Top Ten World Ranking Profile 4

When we measured players prior to the Tiger Woods phenomenon, we saw a number of strokes in the Profile 3 and 6 categories. Arc’s that swung straight back on the back-swing and followed the plane to finish left on the follow through. Some used the Anser/Newport but with the ball much farther back in the stance to compensate for the closed face. They found the earlier impact is in the arc the less closed the face to the target line. Then two things happened. Instructors started to recommend a ball forward position to allow you to hit up on the ball, with the hope of producing a better roll. But in my mind, it was Tiger describing his stroke as a high hook that turned the tide. Ball forward, arc tilted right, Newport design. Please remember that even though the arc is tilted to the right, because of the arc in the stroke, the path direction maybe perfect at impact. But the probability of the face being slightly closed to the target line are better than good. So fr many the more you tilt the arc the more likely you are to be sqaure at impact.

Profile 6 Straight Back to Left

In our other reviews, I have given you other Profile options. The Anser/Newport is not that versatile. The putter gets too shut in the back swing for a Profile 1, forcing a block push release. In the Profile 7, it can be hard to rotate enough. Open face at impact. In all the other profiles there are several manipulations required to get it to work. In these instances you see similar head shapes, but with modified necks. Or more common a player who struggles to find consistency. Don’t fight it. Use Profile 4.

Podcasts with BurntEdgesConsulting

Thanks to Tony, Mark and Matt for including me! Please be sure to follow these podcasts. Great information on all aspects of the game.

https://pluggedingolf.com/podcast-episode-25-bruce-rearick-putting-guru/

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-mark-golf-podcast/id1096925460?mt=2&i=1000417106050

http://gameimprovementgolf.com/087-natural-putter-fitting-bruce-rearick-interview/

http://gameimprovementgolf.com/091-putter-design-insights-bruce-rearick-interview/

Owner's Manual for Putters - Toe Hang Mallets

At Burnt Edges, when we consult with a client we use the same time line, regardless of talent level, to define the parameters of their putting stroke. We start with a determination of the posture and distance from the ball where they perceive the target most accurately. Second, we want to know where they play the ball; relative to their stance forward or back, that provides the best visual to aim the putter. If that seems redundant, I understand why you might think that way, but for the sake of today's discussion think of it in terms direct vision (aim) and peripheral vision (target awareness). We then want to understand how these visual decisions, along with body type, influence alignment. Most assume you must be parallel; but historically we have seen great putters open, closed and parallel. We know from interviews this was primarily based on where they "see it" best. So rather than assume there is a best way, why not make every possibility available to us. Based on these findings, we then want to discover how they start and finish the physical movement in their putting stroke. In Burnt Edges terminology, source, sequence and finish. When you add these parameters together and deal with any movement conflicts the system identifies, we find the “defined” putting stroke has a greater than 95% probability to be diagrammed by one of the Nine Profiles to within one standard statistical deviation. CLICK HERE TO SEE THE 9 PROFILES. Armed with this information the task is to find the putter that has the most positive influence on that stroke.

Today’s discussion involves a solution that many tour level players have found for the following definition. A stroke with a small to moderate arc plane, (shown above), parallel to the target line, where the stroke is finished with the trail hand.  “A little hit at the bottom” would be the old school phrase to describe it. This “hit” comes in two forms. First would be players who have a small hinge of the trail wrist that releases the wrist hinge at impact. The second and more common, where they release the toe, and the majority of the required forward swing rotation happens at impact. For today’s example we are looking at helping a rotational hit.

Controlling trail hand rotation at impact might be the most common issue we see. The problem comes from using this movement pattern with the putter moving on a arc parallel and matching the target line at impact. In simple terms, the rotational hit closes the face too much and you get a pull miss. At this point you are probably thinking you might try to eliminate the “hit”. A good idea, except for many players the “hit” or rotation at impact is a critical factor in having a feel for speed. Ask Tiger Woods; it is an ingrained movement.  As we discussed last time, one solution is to tilt the arc plane away from the rotation. But that will not work if all the other parameters lead you to a parallel Profile to target line.

Arc Plane parallel to target line - face closed at impact.

Every week on television you see a variety of ways to try to solve this dilemma. Claw or pencil hand position, left and low, over-sized grips are just a few of the attempted corrections. But as we said, what if they solve the trail hand issue from a directional stand point, but has a negative influence on feel for speed? There are a couple of ways you can slow rotation at impact. One is by weight. I think the trend toward heavier putters has been fueled by this conversation. Personally, I don’t like using weight to cure a problem. It can backfire over time by influencing the player to exaggerate the movement. Not all the time obviously, as there is a head-weight and overall weight that best suits your tempo and rhythm. But as a general rule I prefer to match weight to rhythm and tempo for speed control rather than alter rotation. We think a better alternative for too much rotation at impact was found by moving to a putter-head with a much higher moi. The observation from our measurements that toe hang being equal, blades rotate faster than mallets. Our problem was almost all higher moi putters were also face balanced and this created a situation where the putter influenced the rotation in the stroke to the point where there was not enough back-swing rotation to match the arc. The result being a shut to plane, opening to plane movement. Hands and arms moving the opposite direction of the movement of your body. Disaster! 

Fortunately, we found a solution in the latest design trend. Mallets with toe hang. The cog of the putter is deep enough in the head to slow rotation at impact, but still allow the feel of a hit at the bottom of the stroke. All the while, having enough feel of the toe of the putter, to allow for the necessary rotation to keep the putter on plane. The best part of the trend is that the OEM’s have put the short slant neck they used to create this model on various sizes and types of mallets. Below I have three examples of putters designed by Odyssey / Toulon that we have used with great success. Basic rule of thumb. The shorter and more aggressive your stroke, the farther you want the center of gravity from the face.

From left to right Odyssey OWorks #7SRed - Toulon Atlanta H4 - Odyssey OWorks Two-Ball Fang S
Deep - Deeper - Deepest

All of this to say, if you try to release the putter and miss left, try a mallet with toe hang. As always, if you feel that you fit this scenario and have some questions feel free to contact me at my Burnt Edges email address.

Owner's Manual for Putters-How to use the Designed by Arnold Palmer

As a young golf professional, I had the privilege of working for Arnold Palmer. First at the Bay Hill Club and Resort, and then for 10 years at the Latrobe Country Club. Mondays at Latrobe was always practice day for Mr. Palmer, and each session would always end with a trial of each of the putters he brought with him from the workshop. It was always fascinating to watch him work through the day's selection of putters. Each putter was different, and what was so intriguing was that his stroke, setup, even tempo, would change with each putter. When I asked him why, he was very matter of fact. Each putter has a different feel while in motion and therefore requires a different stroke. Subtle changes to be sure, but after watching thousands of strokes, it was very noticeable.

Those days have stuck with me through the years and has created a huge "what if" in my thinking as I have continued to study the art. What if every putter came with an owner's manual? I don't believe it is effective to think that you can use any putter with any stroke strategy. Can you? Maybe. Any human is certainly strong enough to overcome a putters influence. But while you are overcoming that influence how well can you judge the speed? We have enough data now in the Burnt Edge system to understand how to help match putters to posture, alignment and movement pattern and make your putting stroke a more subconscious effort.

So in honor of Mr. Palmer, to introduce the owner's manual concept, I will start with our favorite type of putter, the heel shafted blade. AP enjoyed most of his success in the late 50's and 60's with a heel shafted blade that evolved over time. Starting with a Wilson flanged blade, then some help from a Tommy Armour Iron Master and finally with a great deal of welding and grinding, the final result was presented to the public as the Wilson Designed by Arnold Palmer. Over the years there have been a number of versions produced, similar to the "Designed by". As you might imagine, one I am very fond of is the Toulon Garage - Latrobe model. Click the link for more information -Toulon Putters It is a versatile combination of old school design and modern technology.

The basic design of this putter is for the toe to have more freedom of movement than the heel and we see the most successful results using this putter when you allow for this freedom. The most common patterns of success are found in our Profiles 1,4 and 7. Profile 1 is the stroke pattern most similar to Mr. Palmer, while Profile 7 is very similar to what we see in Ben Crenshaw's stroke, another famous user of the this blade style and the most common Profile we see associated with this putter.

As you can see in all three Profiles there is a definite tilt of the stroke plane to the right. Inside - down the line is the common description. But what I would suggest is that it is merely a continuous movement on an arc plane tilted to the right, rather than a two part stroke that requires a re-route of the putter to the finish. The other common feature of players who use this style of putter is a combination of a square to closed shoulder alignment and/or a dominant trail hand to finish the stroke. In addition, we almost always see the ball forward in the stance when using these techniques. While release is the common term used to describe the movement, it is really more accurate to explain it as to not block or slow the rotation. The tilt of the plane to the right allows the rotation to continue with less fear of a left miss. In each example the putter is square to the target line at impact, but slightly closed to the arc plane.

Toulon Garage "Latrobe"

Whenever I suggest this putter, I often hear, "I am not good enough to use this style of putter or I need something more forgiving." My return is that it is not that you can't use it, you just don't know how. This is the ultimate feel putter and the positive feedback on the good strokes will help you find the sweet-spot more often. Besides, nothing swings easier than a heel shafted blade or rolls the ball as nicely.  With a little practice, using your appropriate stroke Profile you might be very surprised at the results. For more advice on finding the right putter and the Profile that works best for you, feel free to contact me at bruce@burntedgesconsulting.com

Balance and the Yips

As I continue to study the physical and mental reasons for shaky putting strokes, one of the findings that I found most beneficial to share is the correlation of balance to the smoothness of your stroke. Because it is such a simple motion, at a relatively slow speed, most think you can swing the putter from any position. I suppose you can, but there is a very clear relationship between set up, balance and a reactive stroke. I am convinced if you have to react or steer the putter to impact you are asking for difficulty.

The following drawings shows what we believe to be a balanced set up for putting on the left and a forced posture that becomes unbalanced on the right. Typically the player on the right gets out over the balls of their feet with their head and shoulders more over the ball. Probably in an attempt to get their eyes directly over the ball. If you follow this blog you have read plenty how we feel about that. We know from studies with force plates and pressure sensitive pads when the player on the right goes in motion there is often a subtle shift of balance toward the arches of their feet, often as the head comes up. So as the balance shifts the putter moves as well. Before you tell me not moving your head is a solution, ask yourself why your back hurts when you practice your putting.

The following is an example of what can happen to the putter when this change in balance occurs during the stroke. The following is a screenshot from my BioMech Sensor. What you are seeing is the movement of a point on the shaft of putter and the relative position of the face relative to that movement. My goal for every student, with this technology, is to see a single line where the shaft stays on the same plane through the stroke. Again rotation and shaft plane direction, not the "arc" appearance of the movement of the putter head, we use in other measurements.The line can be a little left or right relative to the target, but if we see loops then we need to see if there is a balance issue. So after this Golf Technology 101 speech, what are we seeing in this picture? In this case we see the shaft changing planes in the back swing and a reaction to that in the follow through.



The back swing is represented by the curved green and red line. You can see the putter move away from the body as it leaves the ball on the back swing. In this case it is caused from a body lean toward the ball as the shoulders engage and rotate. You can see a second line just below the back swing line. This is the start of the forward swing. Notice that this line has moved closer to the player off transition. This happens as the body reacts to the weight forward position by shifting back to the heels to counter the initial movement. Finally, in the follow through,  you see the player shove the putter away from the body again in a reaction to the move under the original plane and get back to the ball located at point 3 black dot. This putt was shoved to the right.

I can imagine it is hard to believe that all this can happen in a simple putting stroke and I am sure there are many of you thinking I am making it too complicated. Maybe I am, but give this some thought. If you are a player making this stroke and continue to find a solution by trying to solve a balance issue with your hands, this movement pattern will only become more dynamic and the results are not likely to get better. Any stroke where the hands react to a balance issue are doomed to struggle.

Yips Project 2018 - Matching Vision with Release Preference

As we discuss “seeing the line” or having a correct perception of target, one of the things we tend to omit is the advantage created by an open or closed alignment to aid visual perception. I am not sure when golf instructors decided that a parallel foot alignment was the optimal set up for putting. My mentors and those before my time, all used whatever alignment that made the task easier. Mr. Palmer and Gary Player used closed alignments, Jack Nicklaus and Ben Crenshaw, a little open. Tom Watson and Bob Charles (maybe the best of the bunch) were perfectly square or parallel. Diagonal stances were the norm rather than the exception. One thing they had in common, they all would tell you that one of the reasons they set up as they did was to position themselves where they best saw the line. So for the sake of this discussion let's assume that alignment is primarily a function of vision.

Open                                  Square                             Closed

Another factor that can influence alignment is how you release the putter through impact. We all have a mechanical preference in how we swing the putter. Some of us hold or block the finish of the stroke, holding the face relatively square to the target. Some of us are more neutral, keeping the face in a consistent position to the arc path of the putter head. Finally, there are those who release the toe of the putter through impact.

Top - Hold Release  Bottom - Toe Release

“So how does all of this relate to shaky putting strokes?” Some release patterns don’t match well with set up preferences. For example, there is a current major championship winner, who tends to block or hold the release and combines that with a tendency to set up closed. This results in a push or right miss tendency. The tour is full of players who like to release the toe from a parallel set up. This, of course, results in a pull. You can see them every week. They are the ones using a claw grip to slow the right hand.

“OK, but how does that have anything to do with the yips?” This is how it starts. Mechanics don’t match vision and instead of trying to find a match we try to correct mid stroke. Hence a flip or a steer or jerk. Fixing the problem is obviously easier said than done. Certainly, no one simple solution. Ask your self three questions. What is the best set up for me to see the line accurately? How do I prefer to move the putter? What is the easiest for me to change? Hold releases work best with open stances, Full release of the toe with closed. If you are comfortable in between try parallel. We would suggest learning to release the putter based on finding an alignment that works visually. Some where is an answer that makes you more consistent and less anxious.

Yips- Let's Define Some Terms

As we continue our conversation about the Yips, and I get feedback from readers of the blog, I think it would help to organize our thinking and define some of the terms. "Yips" has come to describe all aspects of a shaky putting stroke you can't trust. Basically and for the sake of our discussion there are three categories of yips. Ranked by severity they are...


Neurological. Involuntary uncontrolled movement. The medical term is dystonia and as it applies to putting, task based - focal dystonia.

Psychological. In plain sports terms, a choke. Fear of the task, fear of bad result. We often see this in pressure situations or with perfectionists with unreasonable expectations.


Mechanical. I think of this as a reactive putting stroke. Basically you get the club in a bad position and your body reacts to try to correct it. Steering or mid-stroke fixes are hard on your nerves. feels like you have the yips, but an improvement in mechanics and the disappear as quickly as they started.


The term yips has become the "hot take" for golf. To say Tiger Woods or Jordan Spieth have the yips, when they are just dealing with mechanical issues, is a way to draw attention to yourself, I guess.


Why does this matter? Because as you look for a solution it helps to know the cause. I think the best timeline to find a fix is to start with the simplest reasons to deal with, mechanical. So initially, we will evaluate the mechanics, the learn to deal with the fear and trust the feel, finally if that hasn't solved the problem, we will talk about changing the movement pattern and try to rewire the system to complete the task.


The only thing that can stop you is frustration. As a support system I am here for the duration. I may not have the immediate answers, but I have a system to find them.

Vision and the Yips - Part 1

Ten years ago, we implemented a vision test as the initial portion of our fitting and instruction protocol. You can find the test we use by clicking the following link. https://bargolfinstruction.blogspot.com/2018/04/vision-and-putting-finding-your-best.html

This vision test became necessary as we began using technologies to measure different parameters of the putting stroke. Our clients would argue with the calibrated location of the putter relative to the target. “This doesn’t look right,” became a common lament. By using the test, we found that eye position relative to the ball was a bigger contributing factor to aim and stroke path direction than putter appearance. Basically, if your eyes are out of position then nothing “looks right”.

The following analogy would demonstrate a typical example. A right eye dominant player with his eyes directly over the ball, and utilizing a parallel alignment to the target line, will often claim an accurate line to the target appears left. Regardless of how an accurate reference appears, one thing we know to be true is that you will try to hit the ball where you perceive the target to be. Even if you aim the putter accurately, your subconscious will still judge your aim as faulty and try to correct.

So how does this apply to the yips? It manifests itself over time. Putting is easiest when you simply roll the ball where you are looking. Of course, this is only successful when you are looking in the correct direction. Obviously, if your perception of target is different than the actual location some amount of compensation is necessary to get the ball on line. Most of the time this means manipulating the putter face with your hands. And so, it starts. Overtime frayed nerves can’t handle the required compensation and the stroke gets shaky.

A Suggestion for more Accurate Vision

If you try the vision test and find you have a problem seeing the line, try standing taller. This is an photo from the BioMechSports website.

It is very rare when we administer the vision test that we find the posture where the player sees it best to be more crouched than where they see it best without a putter.  I have always said that one of the great advantages of the anchored, broom putter technique is that by standing taller you have a greater area of vision and can see more of the line you have chosen for the putt, without moving your head. This expanded field of vision can have a calming effect. Later on we are going to discuss finding a new third point of connection in putting to replace anchored systems, I like those putters built to allow you to stand taller. We have had a great deal of success in helping pre -yip shakiness using conventional putters by making them longer, with a flatter lie angle. IN NO WAY IS THIS SUGGESTED AS A CURE! Just a piece of the puzzle. As always, make your comments below or send personal questions to my email address.

Next up. Using body alignment to solve the visual puzzle.

Vision and Putting- Finding your Best Posture and Distance from the Ball.

The following is an excerpt from the Burnt Edges Consulting Reference Guide for online clients.

Copyright ©2010 Bruce Rearick . All rights reserved.

Vision is the strongest and most influential of our senses. How we position ourselves relative to the target and the ball on the ground is almost 100% visual. We all have different and varying degrees of eye dominance which makes how we perceive the task of set up unique for each of us.  However, almost every putter fitting protocol insists on an eye location and posture that is the same for all. I call this forcing the posture. But if we are all built differently and we all perceive the target from side on, in different ways, is it logical to think there is one best way?

Finding the best ball position and appropriate set up is difficult in putting because of what we are asking our eyes to do. We align things best when our dominant eye is positioned on the same line as the objects we are trying to line up.  For golf this means behind the ball looking toward the target. But we don’t strike the ball from there, do we? We move to a side on position to strike the putt. Maintaining perspective while moving our dominant eye from down the line, to a side on position, is the problem that has to be addressed. If your perception of the path to the hole changes as you move into the position, the result is a stroke based on an inaccurate perception of the path to the target. Any subsequent miss creates an inconsistent “steering” of the putter in an attempt to find a square face at impact.  We may even eventually find it, but can we use this steering motion consistently? While this sounds silly, it is the life of the average competitive player. On and off, hot and cold as they continuously search for that perfect compensation.

Since the golf ball and the putter head are stationary, in order to insure accuracy you must position your eyes in the proper position relative to the ball. This was the critical discovery. With some help and effort every player can find their individual ball position and distance from the ball where perception of direction, side on is the same as perception down the line. The solution is simply to let your eyes tell you where to stand rather than force your set up to perceived norms. This concept explains the different postures and setups we have observed from successful techniques. Rather than force a position, they found a comfortable set up where they could see the path to the hole accurately.

Finding your Best Set Up.

Place a straight line reference on the ground and point it at a target. A yard stick is perfect. Do not use a continuous line to the target. Try to create the scenario shown in the drawing although your exact positioning will be different than the example. Any straight line reference will work as long as it does not connect to the target. Looking at the reference line, WITHOUT A PUTTER position yourself to the side of the line in a balanced golf stance. From this position, the reference line may point left, right, or directly at the target. Move around a little; as you move closer or farther away you should notice that your perception of where the straight reference line points will change. Your goal is to find the position/stance where the reference line looks like it is pointed to the target. If you have difficulty or feel you need to open or close your stance to find the position, move the ball position in the direction of your dominant eye. Eventually you will find a set up that allows you to see the line accurately. Next do the same exercise with your putter. When you take the photograph do your set ups match? Are your eyes in the same position?
Spend as much time as you need to find this set up, experiment as much as necessary, ask as many questions as you need. We recommend that you do this test from time to time just to make sure you are not letting your current putter fit alter your set up. However, do not do this exercise with putter in your hands until you can find this position with regularity. Then fit the length and lie based on the following recommendations in the next section on balance and hand position. There is no harm in experimenting to see how set up changes influence putter recommendations.

Yips Project 2018

I can't think of anything more frustrating in our game than losing control of your putting stroke. The “yips” come in all forms and in varying degrees. But no matter what you fight, or how you fight it, the frustration is still the same.

So my goal for the coming year is to begin a discussion to see if I can help you understand, hopefully control and for some, maybe overcome this problem. I am not going to pretend I have all or any of the answers. I am going to share my experiences in the hopes that an open conversation will help find a solution. I don’t like the concept, often stated by the golf pundits, that once you have them, you have them. I have seen them overcome and I hope with an organized effort you can find a solution. My line is, "Just because you have them doesn't mean you have to use them." So that is my goal. To organize an effort to help.

Over the next weeks I intend to use this forum to address the problem. Some examples of topics we will discuss:

We will start, as I do all my instruction, with the conflicts caused by visual issues. I have seen instances where the stroke gets jumpy as the player tries to compensate for aiming issues. Or compensate for an inaccurate perception of target. An example of this would be when a player aims a line on the ball and then struggles when the get to a playing position as the line “doesn’t look” correct.

We will discuss how vision defines the shape of your stroke and how you might have more success utilizing the natural arc of your stroke, rather than manipulating the putter to match a personal preference. The manipulation is often referred to as a steer. Basically the putter gets out of position in the stroke and you react at impact to fix it. I think this is the problem I observe most often.

We will talk about conflicts in your source of motion and the sequence of movements you utilize to finish the stroke. A common example is a player who starts the stroke with big muscles in the core or shoulders, then changes the movement source to the hands in transition from backswing to forward swing. Random movement patterns are another reason we see mid stroke corrections that, depending on your level of anxiety, can develop into a jerky motion.

We will also spend some time talking about how putter design can influence movement patterns. We will spend some time talking about alternative methods and finding a third point of contact to stabilize the motion. With the elimination of anchored putting the most popular system is currently the arm lock style as shown in this picture from the BioMech Golf website. Click the picture to link to their site.

We will also spend a great deal of our time working on the concepts we need when nothing else works. Some focus on the mental side. Learning that putting is hard and how important it is not to react to the previous miss. How to be proactive with our putting rather than reactive.

Most of all we want your feed-back. Good, bad or indifferent. I don’t pretend for a minute to have the answers. I do know that the timeline we will create on how to analyze your own issues has had some success. There is no way I can guess what you require so your interaction is crucial. There are a number of ways you can contact me. Through the email listed on the blog, by commenting below, or creating a thread in my forum on Puttertalk.com. I promise to read and respond to every request. I might not go into depth or detail as I still have my clients to serve. But I will do the best I can. If you are interested in finding out how my system might benefit you on a personal level, I am currently taking on some new clients and have some new options of working with clients remotely.

Much More to Come.....

Finding the Correct Toe Hang

One of the most often asked questions I get at Burnt Edges Consulting, is for me to suggest the appropriate "toe hang" or more exactly degree of face balance a player should look for when selecting a new putter. It has taken a long time, but the manufacturers are finally building putters with the understanding of how toe hang fits the stroke, so players have more options than ever before.

At Burnt Edges we like to define the stroke before we measure. I have measured as many strokes as anyone and I have always failed the player when I let the technology define the method. Our success using this method allows us to know exactly what to look for when we do have the opportunity to measure the stroke, instead of comparing to what the technology suggests. It is then much easier then to find optimal for your stroke and the only changes we make are based on the player's preferences and tendencies.

This applies to putter fitting as well. Once the stroke is defined, we can then fit the putter to the definition we have determined is best and easiest to perform for that player. We believe the relationship of shaft axis to putter face and the subsequent toe hang of the putter to be a critical component of the fit. So going back to the introductory paragraph, how do we find the right face balance for your defined stroke.

It is impossible to speak to an individual requirement in this blog. Hence, the online instruction and fitting we offer. However, I can help narrow your choices for those of you just looking more something more than just the concept of arc or straight back and straight through. The following are the 3 basic postures we see in our fitting. Find the model that best matches your set up then start with what suits your set up.

Red look for 0-30 degrees of toe hang.

Blue look for 30-60 degrees.

Purple look for 60-90 degrees.

As always, if you have any questions or difficulty understanding the concepts I am easily reached using the Burnt Edges email address. Or, if your care to look at the problem in depth, we are currently taking a new round of clients in our online discussion.The details of our online offering can be found following this link

 https://bargolfinstruction.blogspot.com/2017/09/ten-years-ago-i-was-part-of-team-that.html

Nine Putting Profiles- which one fits you?

Ten years ago we introduced our concept of Putting Profiles, utilizing known successful stroke patterns and finding the appropriate putter for each. Today the system is in use in 8 different countries with hundreds of users. The fun part has been that while many do not teach or consider all 9, all have used our system to help players use the Profiles they prefer. While originally intended as a putter fitting guide, it has become equally as useful on the instructional side of the discussion. 

But we haven't stopped there, as we continue to accumulate data, we have found how your Profile influences distance control and even how you read greens. If you are interested in learning more about the system and how it can benefit you as a player or your business as an instructor, you can contact us at bruce@burntedgesconsulting.com.

The 9 Profiles - Which one are you?

Leave putts short?

Friday, we talked about the potential influence of negative loft on the direction the ball starts at impact. As an addition to that conversation, we find the effect of the forward lean - negative loft at impact is most noticeable to the player on left to right putts. Players who complain they cannot get the ball started enough left often are leaning the shaft forward during the putt. The combination of the potential negative loft and possible slower than normal rotation through the ball that is normal on left to right (another story for another day) starts the ball to the right of the intended line. The effect is there and noticeable on all putts, but for some reason we tend to blame a misread before we consider a mishit if the putt feels solid off the face. Especially left to right for right handers. It is easy enough to see if you have this problem. Work on hitting left to right or slice putts with a vertical shaft. You might find the ball starting on the chosen line more often. One more point. If you try this and you find you are left of the hole on these breaking putts, it is entirely possible you over read left to righters (slice putts)to compensate for the bad impact position we are discussing.

The other influence of “the pinch” is even more deceiving than the directional influence. Quite simply, when you drive the ball into the turf with negative loft, you slow the initial ball velocity off the putter. For the player this is noticeable as putts continually come up short, even when you feel like you have made a good stroke. The problem is the fine line between deloft and still maintain a positive loft, and shaft lean that creates negative loft. The difference between a forward force vector parallel to the ground and a force vector into the turf. The difference is much more dramatic than you would ever imagine. If you know someone with a Trackman 4 this is easily noticed. In a negative loft situation, the ball velocity graph drops almost vertically during the skid stage of the putt. With a clean launch the initial ball velocity drops off most during the skid stage of the putt, but not nearly as much as with negative loft.

I know there are those out there who are saying that you can negate all this by hitting up on the putt or with a positive angle of attack. NO YOU CAN’T. Sorry, but no face technology is sticky enough to overcome a face tilted toward the ground. Not in theory, and not in application. In a negative loft situation, the force vector is always down. You might be able to learn to compensate for how the ball comes off the putter, but I have a hard time with making the task harder and more complicated. It is already hard enough.

Next - Overcoming a theoretical putter fit.

Ball Roll Part 3.

Over the past couple of days, we have talked about two basic ways a ball can come off the putter at impact. At this point, I want to make clear this is not about right and wrong, only to share some of what we have seen and learned as we develop the Burnt Edge system and Perspective Putting line of products and putting aids. I also want to stress that I know there might be a common ground between the two.

As I become more experienced as a fitter and instructor, I find my best success comes when I look for the path least resistance. This is something to consider as we consider these two stroke/launch strategies. Both models get the ball rolling in the same amount of time. The 2-degree flies forward and lands, while the shaft lean model compresses and rebounds. The skid to roll ratio remains basically the same for both.It is the compress and rebound launch where we have seen some issues other than when the ball rolls that you don't normally hear about. When I compress a round object into an immovable surface, it brings other forces onto the direction the ball leaves the face. I call this the pinch and I have seen many instances where the ball leaves the pinch a little left or right of the target line. This is not a function of the ball bouncing like you might assume from some marketing material or instructor rhetoric.  It leaves the putter in the wrong direction immediately. 

We see this often when using PuttLab with a chalk line. All the numbers will add up to perfect direction, yet the ball leaves the putter a little left or right of the line. After much deliberation we have come to realize it is the interaction of ball and turf with the face of the putter tilted toward the turf that can be a cause. Reasons? First the putter bounces off the ball a little in some of the most drastic shaft lean putts. So the putter face is not stable and can move slightly depending on impact point. More so, the ball bounces off both the face and the turf. Any little flaw in the surface can kick the ball slightly in any direction. The mole hill becomes a mountain. You might say, “on an iron shot the ball is compressed into the turf yet flies where the face is pointed at impact.” You would be right, but with a putt and a negative loft situation the loft is not there to relieve the resistance of the turf. Tomorrow-More on the influence of the pinch and something that might not have occurred to you.