Putting is just like a Normal Swing

[railsroad]

I'm still trying to decipher the teachings from TGM.

I understand that the putting stroke should be just like a full swing except with no body motion.

So does that mean that the putter should be brought straight back along the Target lie, or should it travel in a slight arc on the Plane Line as in a normal swing?

I'm a swinger, but it seems that putting is more a hitting motion.
So I'm trying to use my left hand for alignment and my right hand for thrust.
Is this correct?

This would have the side benefit of turning putting into another club face alignment exercise, which sound like a great idea to me.

It also seems that I should switch my putter back to a more normal golf grip, I've currently got a Enlarged Putter grip.

Sorry for the mass of questions, but there's a lot of details to sort out.

thanks
Bryan
p.s. There seems to be a myriad of different putting methods out there, but I like the idea of the One Swing.

[lagster]

I think you have some interesting points. One can view the Putting stroke as a mini- golf stroke, which it really is.

Probably most players use a form of ANGLED HINGING when putting. A true Horizontal Hinge Action would be tough, but the FEELING of IT could probably be gotten by some, especially the ARC type putters.

Putting on an ARC is actually putting on an INCLINED PLANE. Straight back and through putting, would be off the inclined plane, and would be like putting against a baseboard, but many do use some version of this(Loren Roberts).

Bobby Locke, moved his body when he putted... so he technically, probably had a PIVOT when he putted. He may have been the best ever.

If someone today started making everything, and winning tournaments while putting with a little PIVOT, I'm sure we would see others doing it also. Twenty years ago or less, we would not have dreamed that we would see tour players using belly putters, long putters, claw grips, and almost anything that will work. Why not a little PIVOT?

[6bmike]

Doesn't Utley have a pivot in his stroke? The shoulders turn.

[lagster]

Doesn't Utley have a pivot in his stroke? The shoulders turn.

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I think you are correct. David Tom's has a fairly obvious pivot with his shoulders in putting, although he is not Utley trained, as far as I know.

One can even putt with a subtle turn of the left hip, with the weight on the left heel. This would be a form of ARC PUTTING. Try it...but keep your Rhythm.

[Hennybogan]

Just a question. A little confused.

What does Homer mean when he writes in 7-13 (7th ed), "Being part of the Power Package, as well as the Pivot, the Shoulder motion does not necessarily violate a Zero Pivot requirement."?

In a putting stroke, if I feel like PP#4 (shoulder movement) drives the motion while I monitor the hands, am I making a pivot stroke? If the shoulders were responding to moving my hands would I not be making a pivot?

Last night, on the British Open highlights, I saw Daly hit a putt from something like 60 yards on one of the huge doudle greens at St. Andrews. He said it was the hardest he swung the whole day. Other than such extreme lengths, wouldn't we want to minimize factors that increase force and concentrate on factors that increase precision?

[Daz]

Henny what hes saying is that moving the shoulders does NOT mean you are pivoting. You can have a stroke with no pivot at all but you could still move the shoulders.

The shoulders are part of the power package ie they form the second side of the triangle (6-A-1).

This is why the page (7-13) is titled dual agent as the shoulders are part of the power package (Zone #2 (9-2)) and part of the pivot (Zone #1 (9-1)).

Take a look at pictures 10-12-C#1, 10-12-C#2 this is a zero pivot and look how much Diane has turned her shoulders.!

Acquired motion (12-5-2) "...zero to minimal pivot...and any needed shoulder turn"

Sounds to me like youre talking about using a shoulder only stroke for your putting as is common on tour. Take a look at this thread for more discussion.

http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/forum/s...ead.php?t=1291

[6bmike]

I was referring to the rotation of Utley's stroke- although it might not be a pivot, it does more than rock.

[Hennybogan]

Henny what hes saying is that moving the shoulders does NOT mean you are pivoting. You can have a stroke with no pivot at all but you could still move the shoulders.

The shoulders are part of the power package ie they form the second side of the triangle (6-A-1).

This is why the page (7-13) is titled dual agent as the shoulders are part of the power package (Zone #2 (9-2)) and part of the pivot (Zone #1 (9-1)).

Take a look at pictures 10-12-C#1, 10-12-C#2 this is a zero pivot and look how much Diane has turned her shoulders.!

Acquired motion (12-5-2) "...zero to minimal pivot...and any needed shoulder turn"

Sounds to me like youre talking about using a shoulder only stroke for your putting as is common on tour. Take a look at this thread for more discussion.

http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/forum/s...ead.php?t=1291

Daz,

Your post confirms how I read it. I do putt with a tour-style action, but I definitely feel lag. The linked thread is out of my depth, so I'm going back to my hole on this one.

[Hennybogan]

Doesn't Utley have a pivot in his stroke? The shoulders turn.

6bmike,

I do think Utley's stoke mirrors much of a normal swing. Wrist hinge, right elbow bend, some turn and roll, forward leaning shaft, compression. Don't have pictures with me now to speak of shoulder motion.

HB