Wright Putting Dynamics
The Wright Putting T-Bar
Patent Pending
Putting Instruction
Putting Instruction
An Overview of My Approach
There are five primary elements to the art and skill of putting:
- Alignment
- Stroke Mechanics
- Speed/Distance Control
- Green
- Mental Focus
To experience real improvement, we must teach and guide our students in each of these areas. Alignment As we have learned, misalignment will cause our non-conscious brain to create compensating motions. Compensating motions contribute to timing issues, inaccuracy, mis-hits, and distant control issues. We can improve a student’s alignment through proper setup and intermediate targets. Setup and its effect on alignment will be covered under the next topic, “Stroke Mechanics". Stroke Mechanics As a putting instructor, one of my objectives is to identify and reduce all unnecessary motion in the putting stroke. The putting stroke is a simple motion, and the simpler it becomes the easier it will be to repeat. It is important to note that some of the habitual compensations may take a little time and commitment to correct. We must train the correct motion through repetition and specific practice drills until it sinks into our non-conscious brain. The long-term benefits far outweigh the days or weeks it might take to re-program the brain. Neuroscientists will tell you, the non-conscious brain controls who we are, what we do, and how we behave. Good putting strokes can be programmed to occur without conscious thoughts. The Single-Plane Stroke I consider the primary objective of the putting stroke is to roll the golf ball accurately down the perceived start line. Ideally, the concept of the single-plane stroke is to move the putter on a straight path. The ideal stroke plane can be vsualized by drawing an imaginary line from the upper spine down to the ball. If you were to visualize a large Hula-Hoop position on this plane, with the upper spine as the axis, the arc of the Hoop sitting on the ground would represent the ideal path. As the putter is drawn back, it will slightly lift and move inside the start line. As the putter follows through, it will slightly lift and move back inside the start line.
Putter Fitting In addition to my comprehensive instruction, I incorporate putter fitting into my sessions. A custom fit putter can significantly enhance alignment, setup, motion, and a consistent impact point. The main objective of putter fitting is to match the ideal length and lie angle to compliment setup and posture, loft to compliment ball position and alignment, and grip preference and weighting to compliment feel. One final statement… I prefer to conduct all of my sessions outdoors. I have found that indoor conditions (perfect flat surface, carpet, walls, ceiling, etc.) may impact alignment and perception. The ability to perceive the path and speed of a putt is the final key to improving your students’ putting performance. You can’t sink the putt, if you don’t see it. Although some gifted individuals may have a keener sense of perception, this skill can be learned through the understanding of green characteristics and improved through specific practice and experience. The first step is to identify the basic characteristics of a putting green. For the average golfer, the ability to identify typical green shapes, slope, speed, zero lines, and fall lines will have a significant impact on their development. Fall Lines Most important, is the understanding of the fall line of a particular putt. Gravity, friction, and slope impacts the ball path most significantly as the ball slows. Therefore, most putts are affected by the green characteristics around the hole. The surface of most putting greens are constructed on some degree of slant allowing for drainage. A typical hole on a slant will have two straight putts; from the highest point to the hole, and from the lowest point to the hole. This line through the hole is defined as the fall line. Imagine the hole is surrounded by the numbers on a clock; with 12 o’clock representing the With the exception of the two straight putts, each putt will contain multiple paths to the hole based up speed. The art of putting is matching the correct speed with the line we have perceived to the hole. As our students develop their ability to control speed The intuitive side of putting includes; visualization, perception of speed and slope, experience and feel. If I setup and align my putter down my start line, my intuitiveness will allow me to make a simple, well-timed stroke, resulting in a consistent impact point, resulting in preceise distance control. We can learn to gather data, but nothing will enhance the intuitive side of putting more than strategic practice and experience. Practicing to build our intuitiveness is no picnic. It takes effort to exercise our imagination. The simplest drill is one golf ball, never stroke the same putt twice. On each attempt establish your routine, first take in the green characteristics and visualize your putt, visualize the start line, setup and align, use the imagination and “sense” the speed of the putt. I am a big fan of executing the stroke, holding the finish, and don’t watch the ball off of the face. I want to “feel” the putt with my all of my senses. The more visual I use, the more I sacrifice in the other senses. Practice the way you play on the course. You don’t get a second, third, or even fourth attempt; you get only one.
As mentioned on the Home Page, over 80% of golfers misalign their putter outside of the hole from just 10’, and over 30% misalign over 9” outside of the hole. Although there are always exceptions, I have found the leading cause of misalignment to be poor setup and poor methods of aiming the putter. In most cases, misfit equipment can also contribute to misalignment.
The further away we aim to our target, the further we tend to stray in our putter misalignment. With the exception of downhill putts, the golf ball will roll straight immediately off the face of the putter. The faster the ball rolls, the less gravity and friction will affect its path. As the ball begins to slow, gravity and friction will begin to take its toll. Typically, most putts break more at the end of the roll. The initial roll off the putter face is commonly called the start line. That is the accurate part of the part we should address in our alignment. Therefore, I believe it is essential, during our visualization of the path, that we identify the start line. Finding an intermediate spot 12-18” in front of the golf ball, visualizing the straight line, and properly setting up will improve our ability to align our putter.
There is a direct relationship between a person’s alignment and putting stroke. Misalignment creates compensations and complications in the putting stroke. Although you are probably unaware of your compensation, you have probably seen them in the stroke of your playing partners.
Setup and Posture
A proper setup begins with a balanced stance, feet and toe line square, a comfortable bend at the hips with a straight spine. To align the stroke plane parallel to the start line, the shoulder line must be parallel to the start line. If you were to stand in front of a mirror, with the mirror representing the plane of your start line, your body should appear very square. The position of the shoulder line will typically affect putter alignment and path. As we learned earlier, over 80% of golfers misalign their putter, and over 80% do not set their shoulder line square to the start line and/or they do not set their putter face perpendicular to their shoulder line. The shoulder line; open to the start line will typically influence alignment to the left, closed to the start line will influence alignment to the right. Therefore, by squaring someone's body to the start line, it not only aligns the stroke plane, it also improves an individual's alignment. Through specific practice drills, you can influence your perception of alignment. Although the toe line may not be critical to the actual mechanics of the stroke, it can influence the perception of face alignment. Therefore, I like to set all keys parts of the body square to the start line, including the toe line.
The shoulders should be level, with the arms, hands, and putter forming a perfect "Y". Arms hang uder the shoulder line, symmetrical, with a slight bend in the elbows and a slight connection to the body's core to guard against rolling the arms. Hold the geometric shape of the "Y" back and through the stroke.
The hands should be in a position to create a consistent angle from the forearm down the shaft. In other words, the shaft should be an extension of the forearm. This consistent angle will help quiet the hands and allow them to move in sync with the shoulder motion.
Ball Position
A consistent ball position at address will contribute to a consistent stroke path and impact point on the putter face. It is essential that you determine the ideal distance from the ball to the toe line. Set up too close to the ball and the putter will tend to be pulled outside the start line on the backstroke, resulting in the putter traveling too far inside the line on the forward stroke. Set up too far from the ball and the putter will tend to travel too far inside the target line on the backstroke resulting in the putter traveling too far outside the start line on the forward stroke.
The impact of putter and golf ball should occur at the bottom the the stroke arc, when the putter is ideally square to the start line. The bottom of the stroke arc occurs when the shaft and the spine are in line. This normally occurs in the middle of the stance. Thus, the ball is ideally placed with the back edge touching the center line of the stance.
I use my proprietary adjustable fitting putter to help position my student into the ideal posture. There are several different fitting putters available in the marketplace. Setting up to a static putter that is not the ideal length or lie angle will typicaly contribute to bad posture.
The tools of my trade include my proprietary Ocular Laser Alignment Light (any method of demonstrating alignment will work), an alignment rod, The Putting T-Bar, a fitting putter to determine ideal length and lie angle, a portable putter bending unit, a small chop saw, and a variety of grips. The vast majority of my putter fitting involves retro-fitting the individuals existing putter.
It is normally during the setup phase that we may determine a custom-fit putter is in order. I have equipped myself with a lie/loft bending machine attached to a portable stand, and a small chop saw to make necessary adjustments. Although I maintain a small inventory of full length, ungripped PING Redwood putters, the overwhelming majority of the time I will custom-fit shaft length, lie angle, loft angle, grip preference and backweight my student's existing putter.
Motion
Another secret to moving the key parts in sync is found in tempo and rhythm. Tempo and rhythm provide the brain an inner timing mechanism to make a consistent motion. Whether you are taking a full swing, throwing a baseball, shooting a basketball, swimming, pitching washers, etc.; tempo and rhythm is found in all motion sports. Consistent tempo will also contribute to a balanced stroke. The ideal putting stroke should move like a pendulum, with the distance from the back of the stroke to the bottom of the arc similar to the distance from the bottom of the arc to the front.
Speed/Distance Control
Distance control is a simple function of connecting tempo, stroke balance, and stroke length. Tempo is the timing of the of the motion taking the putter back and through, similar to the swing of a pendulum. Thus, with a constant tempo and stroke balance, the length of the backstroke will determine the speed and length of the putt. I prefer to have my students count their tempo out loud, such as a simple "1-Mississippi-2" count. This will set their inner clock to repeat their motion from back to front.
To help program the nonconscious sense of distance, I will prescribe specific drills to accomplish the task. Setting up to an alignment rod or chalk line, I will put them through a series of different length strokes. I will sometimes use the feet, or markings on the alignment rod as a reference for the stroke length. Several putts with the same length stroke will roll each ball identical lengths. I then have the student pace off the length. Expand the stroke length and repeat the drill, counting the tempo out loud on each stroke. This drill is very analytical, and will reinforce setup, alignment, sound mechanics, and tempo. Commitment to this drill will soon connect the mind"s sense of distance and stroke length. A side benefit of pacing off the length is the student will soon develop the ability to accurately judge the actual length of a putt by sight.
Another drill I will prescribe is setting golf tees at various lengths (10, 20, 30') and have the student putt each length. Rotate through several times and you reinforce the connection of the stroke length and putt length.
If your student plays on variety of golf courses with different green speeds, they can use this drill to calibrate their sense of speed on each particular green. Time spent on the green calibrating the stroke pays big dividends before they tee off.
You can teach your student incredible speed and distance.
Green
and perceive the path, the percentage of putts made will rise.
Mental Focus
What is mental focus? Focus is the ability to turn off our conscious thoughts and allow our nonconscious mind to execute unencumbered. When you hear professionals make a statement like, "if I can just stay out of my way today, I will do well", they are referring to the ability to shut of the disruptive consciousness during a swing or putting stroke. This mental state of the nonconscious mind has also been referred to as "the Zone". A key element to putting is the ability to achieve a certain level of focus.
Try these techniques:
After you have identified your line and set up to the ball, visualize the path of the golf ball rolling to the hole. Find a focal point, such as the back of the ball, single dimple, or blade of grass in front of the ball. With your eyes fixated on the small object, build a mental image of the putt in your mind. Once you have achieved the image; without any conscience thoughts, execute the putting stroke with the intended speed to roll the ball to the hole.
After you have identified your line and set up to the ball, visualize the path of the golf ball rolling to the hole. Relax your eyes and stare intently at the area in surrounding the golf ball, similar to staring at a stereogram. A stereogram is a picture that has a second image buried inside the picture. Intently staring at a stereogram will eventually reveal the secondary image. Stare intently until you visualize the entire putt. Execute the stroke feeling the tempo and motion to produce the precise speed. Do not allow your eyes to depart from this fixation until you hold your finish momentarily.
Develop the habit of holding your finish momentarily. Do not follow the ball with yours eye, but just feel your motion. This awareness of your motion will provide all of the feedback you need in your stroke.
The Intuitive Side of Putting
