Robot Testing for Putter Accuracy.

Twice in the same day I read where someone used a robot to test the accuracy of putters. I don't know if this post is necessary but it will contribute to my own mental health and so I write.


Using a robot, when a ball is struck on the sweetspot and all other launch conditions are the same,  regardless of putter design the ball will react in a consistent manner as far as direction. So a high moi mallet and bullseye type blade will show the same results as far as direction the ball starts. Whether the robot swings on an arc like the Iron Archie robot developed by The Putting Arc people or on a vertical plane as developed by Dave Pelz's Perfy. Once the robot is calibrated to position the face correctly and each putter is positioned in the same manner the results will be the same. Consistent path direction, face angle and strike location = a consistent start direction. So any claims must start with the qualifier that results are based on your stroke never changing. 


So for testers to assume that putter design is not a factor in a human's ability to start the ball online is not applicable!!!! Why? Because robots make the same motion regardless of the implement attached and the balance has no influence. So once the robot is calibrated to make a stroke it wouldn't matter what you used as long as the face angle at impact remained the same. 


Humans will react to feel. I have miles of measurements that show over a short period of time how humans react to putter balance. The stroke changes based on what the player feels during the motion.


I spent some time recently with a very high level player. He has always struggled with his putting. After spending some time discussing his stroke, I made the suggestion to change putters to match the rotational requirement of his stroke. Feel now matched consistent mechanics. From the last conversation it sounds like it is going to work.

I guess my point is this. Don't let a marketing pitch or "experts opinion" keep you from being the best player you can be. The only testing that truly counts is the testing you do for yourself. 

Every putting stroke has a rotational requirement to control the face of the putter. Every putter has a rotational value. These values are measurable and predictable and when they match it is easier to swing the putter in a consistent manner. 

Every putting stroke as a directional bias that helps the player match the arc of the stroke to the target line at impact in a different manner. This mesh point of path, target line and face position is influenced by the offset of the putter and then fine tuned by the weight. Overall and distribution.

Get them all to match YOUR stroke and you are on your way to success.

Bruce

The Daily Putting Lesson Continued....

Lesson 16 Knowledge is power. Understanding the mechanics of your stroke is how you eliminate the mechanical thoughts during the stroke.

Lesson 17-Use your source of motion as the trigger to start your stroke. It takes the stroke out of your hands and enhances consistency.

Lesson 18-Build your putting routine based on the elements of your mechanics. Use your putter as the yardstick to build a consistent set up.

Lesson 19-You will have more success if you fit the putter to your posture and mechanics. Harder to change your mechanics to match a putter.

Lesson 20-Find the right putter! Fit shaft placement to the size of the arc, offset to release, weight to tempo. #BurntEdgeConsulting

Lesson 21-Easy to show how players react to different styles of putters. Better to find the correct one than mask the feel with "technology"

Lesson 22-Find the putter weight you can control for putts of all lengths. Heavy=slower Lighter=faster. What do you need?

Lesson 23-Match weight to timing and tempo. Looking for even paced stroke and a consistent amount of time. Too slow just as bad as too fast.

Lesson 24-Putter MOI is a function of more than how the weight is distributed in the putter head. Grip weight, shaft weight, all play a role.

Lesson 25-As with all things in putting, too much is as bad as not enough. High MOI putters do not rotate easily. Match MOI to your stroke.

 

Putting Advice continued...

Lesson 6 Poor putters fight their natural tendencies-Great putters use them and learn from them. Perfection comes from consistency!

 

Lesson 7. The putter arcs on a plane. The plane tilts in two directions-upright to flat & left or right. Best way is your way. #consistency

 

Lesson 8-All strokes have some directional bias or stroke plane tilt to the left or the right. Go with it! Swing the putter-don't steer it!

 

Lesson 8-Directional path of your golf stroke is a function of lateral spine tilt and source of motion. Tomorrow-effect of spine tilt.

 

Lesson 9-Spine tilt influences the path direction of your stroke. Spine toward the target-putter goes left-spine away putter swings right.

 

Lesson 10 Source of motion tilts the plane. 4 basic sources-lead arm, rear arm, shoulders rotate around spine, arms swing minimal shoulders.
 

Lesson 11 shoulder driven strokes and arm swing (S. Utley) around the spine strokes are direction neutral-putter should follow shoulder line

Lesson 12-Lead arm dominant (Stockton)tilts the stroke toward the player. Trail arm stroke (TWoods and others) tilts the path away.

Lesson 12-Lessons 7-12 determine path tilt. Inside out, outside in or something in between. All greats have it. Don't try to fix it. USE IT!

Lesson 13- Distance from the ball+spine tilt+source of motion=Your Putting Stroke. Solution to all problems is in that equation.

Lesson 14-Three ways to learn to putt. Copy a forced method. Copy another player or build your own method. The best always built their own.

Lesson 15-Learn your tendency, face position to path. Are you closed or open? Path tilt+/-face to path= square to the target? 

The Daily Lesson

Posting a Lesson a Day on Twitter @burntedgeputts. tell your friends and follow along.


Putting Lesson 1 Let your eyes tell you where to stand. Recommended postures only work if they allow accurate perception of the target line.

Lesson 2. Fit the putter to the player NOT player to the putter. Off the rack rarely fits.

Lesson 3 - Path Shape-Arc or straight? It is not a choice but a function of ball position and posture. Don't fight yourself.

Lesson 4 Learn how the relationship of putter face to path often differs from relationship of putter face to target.

Lesson 5! Every putting stroke has a rotational requirement and every putter has a rotational value. It helps when they match.

Finding the Correct Putter to Improve Ball Roll.

I have spent more time than I should thinking about the concept of the ball rolling "better" or many of the other invented terms to get you to think you have a problem with your putting. 

I once saw an advertisement for a new golf club that stated "we don't swing the golf clubs in the manner they were designed". In a subtle way I think that is true. A perfect example of this would be a player moving to a flatter one plane move with clubs that are bent upright. Sorry but Jack Nicklaus could not use Ben Hogan's clubs.


Bruce Blades by Byron Morgan

In a way, a similar comparison can be made in putting. Anyone who has seen our research sees immediately that the design features of a putter can influence how you swing the putter. In very simple terms if the shaft and position of the putter head relative to the shaft do not fit the plane of the stroke the putter becomes unbalanced in motion. The reaction of the player is to tense up or attempt to steer the putter to make it go where the player wishes. This tug of war, however subtle result in burnt edges at best and the yips at worst. 

As I continue to teach and preach about the mechanics of putting, it is very apparent that when the technique matches the putter the ball leaves the putter in the most efficient manner. Giving the player that good roll impression. When the putter is unbalanced to the stroke and the steers and tension sets in,  the ball no longer comes off the putter cleanly. Example, Ben Crenshaw would not get the "roll" he desires with a face balanced mallet. Neither would Tiger with a heel shaft mallet. The putter does not match the arc plane of the stroke!

When I have a discussion with the manufacturers about this, they readily admit they cannot build putters specifically for each golfers tendencies. Their solution is to create extreme design features of loft and weight to counter the steer. In effect they numb the feel of the stroke to the player and the putter swings the player. Or they create an artificial launch condition based on the most common problems.  Here is an example. The most common problem we see in stroke mechanics is what is called an "add loft" situation. The player increases the loft of the putter at impact -hands behind the ball-to the point the ball jumps up or bounces before it begins to roll. So some smart putter designers build a putter with reduced loft to counter the the added loft situation. It improves speed and how the ball comes off the putter, but did the player get any better? I am not sure that better results from a complicated stroke is a reliable way to improve. It surely limits the ability to improve.  


I understand from a players point of view that this might make the game easier but there is a limit to your success. So much of putting is feel and touch that to numb that feel has to limit your opportunity to find out how good you can be. With good players I call this the wall. 


So my contention is too find a putter that matches your stroke and ENHANCES THE FEEL rather than limiting it and the ball roll will take care of itself.

Marketing or Function in Putter Design?

Over the past month I have done a few seminars with more coming this month as well. The days are much the same. I start with an explanation of my system, how to determine the type of stroke that best fits your body type and set up. Then how to find the best putter to fit that stroke. Te afternoon is then spent doing private sessions for individuals. I have been doing this for a number of years now and the story has not changed much, if at all. In short 


1. Putter path shape is determined by posture.
2. The best golfers in the world use putting strokes where the face of the putter maintains a consistent position relative to the path. Please note I didn't say square to the path, I said consistent position.
3. In order to maintain this relationship, every stroke has a rotational requirement based on shape of the path. The bigger the arc the more rotation required to be consistent to the path. Smaller would require less.
4. Every putter has a rotational value, based on putter design. TOE HANG IS NOT AN ACCURATE MEASUREMENT OF THIS REQUIREMENT! 
5. Success comes when the putter matches the stroke and the stroke remains consistent.


Basically it is a discussion of identifying the difference between a natural rotation and manipulated rotation. We know from the data, followed now over an extended period of time that manipulated strokes do not work over the long haul.The constant argument of low rotation strokes on upright planes being better or worse than high rotation strokes on flatter planes is silly really.  There have been great examples of each. 


The following is an example of how putter design can cause a problem in your stroke. I have been questioned at every seminar about a new visual scheme from one of the big manufacturers. Quite a number of times these putters have been part of the private fittings. The following is an example of what we are seeing in the measurements.


Based on the data compiled from over 2500 players, the following is an illustration of the average path shape of those players. If you are a Putting Arc user the shape might look familiar. Current marketing terms would describe this as a slight to moderate arc depending on technology. We measure the arc, and for my clients this is a 9 degree arc. The actual number is 8.4. The putter design is from my data on the design best balanced for this shape. Byron Morgan's DH89, and most other Anser styles fit this path shape.


On the top you see an example of a consistent position of putter to path. One that we would see if we built a robot designed to swing the putter on this path. Iron Archie from Putter Arc people is an example.

On the bottom you see an example of the reaction caused by the visual effect of the putter design. After the 5th player in a row did the exact same thing, I felt it was safe to comment. Notice how the putter maintains a consistent relationship to the target line but twists in a clockwise rotation moving forward in relation to the path. The player has to manipulate the putter to maintain this position. So his vision fights is body and the consistency of the stroke suffers. Hot and cold at best. The maker of this putter has some that work better for low rotation strokes but at best, the market for very low rotation is about 18% of all golfers. The customer might think they have such a stroke, but the data is clear that many are in conflict. The perception of their putting stroke is different than the mechanical requirements of their posture. Just another example in my opinion of marketing over function. BTW the complaint is they push the short putts and pull the long ones.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR USERS OF ANCHORED PUTTERS

Late last summer after a friend challenged me to find a substitute for his anchored putter -he didn't want to branded as a cheater- so I went to work with my PuttLab to see how the putter swung when anchored and if I could find a mechanical or design substitution that would work in the same manner. Here is what I found.

Those who I interviewed and measured used an anchored putter to solve one or both of two problems.

1. Those who flip the putter at impact. Flipping is most commonly caused by a shoulder driven stroke. The shoulders rotate or turn on the backswing, but quit on the forward swing. In an effort to keep the putter moving, the right hand kicks in to finish the stroke. The lower hand on the club working against the top hand and the putter flips.

2. The other problem comes for those I call the reverse rotators. These players shut the putter or toe it in on the backswing. This is a common problem for players who are mechanically positioned to swing the putter on an arc, but try to keep the putter square to the target line on the backswing. Since the path doesn't match target line in an arcing stroke the putter gets twisted in the motion. To square the face at impact you have to "untwist". Shut to open is the opposite rotation pattern as the body and so more difficult to time.

We know from our research that we can influence the stroke and rotation patterns of a player with putter design and weight. So we went to work to answer this question. Could I find a combination of putter design and weight, that when combined with the proper fit could influence the player in a way that they could get a similar feel in the stroke the get when the putter is attached? The answer is yes.

After a couple of months of experimentation and the preliminary results are in I am really excited about the results. In this case I can't divulge what we do to achieve the results, because it is a combination of fit - most important-weight distribution, and design. Each one is a little different. Once the fit and weighting are determined there is a period of instruction on how to use the putter. The technique and putter build to replace the broom method different than the technique and set up of the putter for the belly guys.

In conjunction with my home club the Plymouth Country Club, Plymouth, Indiana we are offering the putter I have built.

Since the fit is a mandatory part of the putter it is included in the price. Also included is a consulting contract with me. What the consulting contract means is that I will walk you through the process of do's and don'ts in using this putter and make myself available on a personal level for a period of 6 months. If we get the chance to meet in person there will be no charge for the visit. This allows me to help you go through the process of building the stroke that works most efficiently with your new putter.

Those who frequent the site and have signed up for the online courses know how we accomplish this online and I will let them comment on whether the information is of benefit or not.

Cost of the putter from me is $175.00.

At this time I am not retro fitting other models. I can however work with Byron Designs as Byron can and does build putters to my students requirements and recommendations. The price of the Byron is depending on the price from Byron and an up charge to finish the fit and build.

You can pm me for contact information or feel free to call me. My office number 574-540-2309