Help w/ stroke; keep butt pointing at midsection
 

Really need some help w/ my stroke, in particular how do you manage to keep the butt of the putter pointing at your mid section in the backswing and thru swing? The hole putter moves away when I putt, leading to very inconsistent distance control. I can only get the putter to stay pointing at my midsection when I break my wrists, obviously not ideal. Any tips/drills, etc.?

I'm guessing it points at it in the backswing and not the downswing? Same deal with my stroke.

You don't want to Bend your left wrist thru the ball.

"I'm guessing it points at it in the backswing and not the downswing? "

Not really. The whole putter tends to move back/away in my backstroke and then moves through together as well.

Two thoughts that may prove useful to you....

imagine the grip end and clubhead move back and through together (almost a 'lagging clubhead takeaway')

More importantly - use your shoulders only - to power your stroke, ball positioned in the center of a square stance for this option of putting technique.

A great image that might help is to imagine you've been cut in half at the belt, and your upper body is resting on a table. Your lower body has NO MOVEMENT AT ALL, and your shoulders 'rock' under a stationary head.

The triangle of your shoulderline and arms stays perfectly in place during the entire motion.

That can get a little tricky if you don't know what you are looking for. For instance.......instead of just looking at the handle of the putter, place a rod (driveway reflector etc...) down the hole in the grip. The putter (if center shafted) will have the rod touching your sternum....now just move the shoulders and everything will stay at the sternum.

If you are using an offset putter the grip in will point slightly forward of you sternum. Please don't confuse yourself on this point.

vj,

Might this be a difference between a shoulder-only stroke vs. an arm-only stroke?

To me, it seems that with shoulder-only (as you seemed to describe above) the shaft points at the sternum always.....and the Low Point of the stroke is at the sternum....as you stated before with shoulder-only strokes (and to use a middle ball position with this stroke).

With my stroke.....(I use my right forearm for putting)...the shaft doesn't point to my sternum really in the Down Stroke....Low Point is at left shoulder....it resembles any other normal golf sroke in that way.

What do you think?

Arm only vs. shoulder only...?

You are exactly correct. With an arm only stroke throw all the sternum stuff out the door. The radius of the circle is now the left shoulder and alignments are kept with it.

Great Insight Pro!!!!

"Please don't confuse yourself on this point."

SO are you saying that I should not really worry about where it points? I have just heard a lot of pros and others talk about it.

COnfused now about arm only. WHere should it point to?

Haha ever cool. Thanks vj.

...

I guess that would explain why I putted so much better when I switched to a right forearm driven stroke....:) ;)

The stroke was essentially the same in its alignments.....everything.....just used to use my shoulders (and inevitably some right arm in there too).