How do you get putter face (raised up) to strike equator of ball?

[The Hawk]

I've read that the center of the putter face should strike the equator of the ball at impact fix. The only ways I can figure to do this is either start with putter off ground at same height as impact or move ball forward or backwards in stance to either before or after bottom of arc. What is the best approach?

[dkerby]

Hawk, you might want to look at a previous thread:
Putting Low point 9-08-2006.

Donn

[The Hawk]

Hawk, you might want to look at a previous thread:
Putting Low point 9-08-2006.

Donn

Thanks, but that thread doesn't really answer my question. I understand principle of low point and impact being different. The question is how best to strike the ball at the center line of ball. To do so the putterface has to be either raised up off ground or have significant forward or backward lean (which could change loft too much and change aim)

[dkerby]

Hawk, Dave Stockton talks some about foward press. He mentions
that manufactures put more loft on putters to compenstate for
the forward press. He also says that if you forward presse to the
right that you will most likely leave the putter face open and push
putts. I really do not know how to answere your question but think
that if a putter had no loft and you did not forward press, that it would be on the equator of the ball provided that you had no shaft lean.
Seems to me that you would need to compensate for putter loft
without forcing the putterface inward or outward.

[The Hawk]

Think of it this way....A typical putter soled will impact the ball in the bottom 1/3. To strike the ball at the center (equator) it must be raised up. The putter face of typical putter is not tall enough otherwise! The exception being if the ball is positioned before or after the bottom of the arc. It doesn't matter if there is forward lean on the clubshaft, it still strikes the ball below center point and more importantly misses the sweet spot of the putter. Hopefully this clarifies my original question.

[bond007]

I've read that the center of the putter face should strike the equator of the ball at impact fix. The only ways I can figure to do this is either start with putter off ground at same height as impact or move ball forward or backwards in stance to either before or after bottom of arc. What is the best approach?

What if the putter were moving much like an iron (downward)? Try putting a quarter. If you can putt a quarter, you can strike the ball on it's equator and in the face of the putter.

[The Hawk]

What if the putter were moving much like an iron (downward)? Try putting a quarter. If you can putt a quarter, you can strike the ball on it's equator and in the face of the putter.

How far ahead of ball should the quarter be? If too close then putter face is too low at impact, right?

[Yoda]

Try putting a quarter. If you can putt a quarter, you can strike the ball on it's equator and in the face of the putter.

Brian Gay has used a similar drill. Specifically, I remember the 2007 Honda where he used a stack of quarters -- I think two quarters (but it could have been three) -- and putted the top quarter off the stack.

However tall the stack . . .

He never missed.