Recently, I was listening to a broadcast where a putting instructor was describing the reason his client made a recent putter change. I was having a challenging time following the reasoning. With my online work, the first thing I usually do is build a model of the player, this allows me to adjust on the model rather than having to ask the player to experiment. If I make this adjustment to the model how would that influence the stroke? So, I built a model to help me think it through.
Please understand that I offer this as an example of how I analyze a putting stroke and it in no way is intended to contradict or criticize someone else’s take on the situation.
This is the model of the player. The purple line is a reference to balance over the feet from heel to toe. The angle of red line and black line helps me understand how far the player is from the ball. The black line happens to be under the eyes in this case, which is not always true. Each model will differ. The grey arrow helps me understand the plane of motion, defined by the source and sequence of motion. There are three basic source categories and successful examples of each. Core/Shoulder rotation, Shoulder Joints and Arm swing, or hands swing, and body reacts. The coach defined the stroke as a core/shoulder source.
The problem as he described it was an excessive rotation of the putter head, which created an open face at impact and a push miss. So, if you ask, “Why would this model have more rotation than would be required to keep the putter in a consistent position relative to the path?”; the answer would be found in an examination of the shoulder blades relative to the ball or the purple arrow. Anytime the grey arrow is above the red distance angle, and the shoulders activate the motion, we see more rotation than is required, assuming no other manipulation of the putter. You might comment that the shoulder joints could move on a vertical rocking motion, but in that case the head would move forward on the back swing and away from the target on the forward swing. He doesn't move his head. Given this player’s level of success the argument could be made that the putter is doing exactly what it is supposed to do. Tiger Woods has done very well with more rotation than required. The argument for this player could be made that the problem is not as much the extra rotation in the backswing, as it is the lack of release, or forward swing rotation. So why does he block?
For most if not all, of the best strokes we have analyzed, we see a common theme, the base of the neck over the tips of the toes as shown below. The reason this is important is quite simple.
When the player is tilted too far toward the ball,
like the model, they get stuck and can’t finish the stroke.
Now the discussion becomes, does the player push because of too much rotation, or does the push come because he can’t finish the stroke when he leans into the ball?
My solution if I was ever asked would be to keep the putter you have, stop leaning into the tips of your toes and let the putter swing. Your rotation through the ball might be the best part of your putting stroke.
