"Secret Weapon of the Putting Game"

[Patrick_Mucci]

Jerry,

I may try it.

With the short putter I didn't have a smooth stroke from close range.

While the long putter is far from perfect, I don't tremble over 1, 2 and 3 footers, I just get up and stroke them with much better results and no fear.

[A.G._Crockett]

Patrick,
Another possible anti-yip method if you have to go back to a conventional putter is the two-thumb grip; the thumbs are side by side on the top of the grip, and you press hard against the grip with the lifelines of each palm.  You have to install a particular type of grip on your putter; there are several on the market that are either designed specifially for that grip or are workable with it.

I've used the two-thumb grip for several years now, and it essentially eliminates not the yip itself, but the bad result.  I still yip on the 2-3 footers from time to time, but the ball goes straight. 

I've used the claw/saw and overall I prefer the two-thumb, but it's a close call.  The two-thumb is a little easier for lag putting and is a little better anti-yip; the claw/saw is probably a bit better at getting the ball on line. The belly putter never did a thing for my yips, though I think it did help my conventional stroke quite a bit.  I've never tried the long putter, and I guess now I'm glad I haven't gotten attached.  As to the face-on method, I may fiddle with that a bit over the wiinter; it makes too much sense not to.

[Patrick_Mucci]

AG,

I tried placing my thumbs on opposite sides of the grip, large and extra large grips.

My putting outside six feet is good and the further from the hole, the better it is.

The long putter is more difficult from long range.

At one point I carried two putters, then went to the long putter as my long putting got better

I tried closing my eyes on short putts, but that only worked well  for a short time,

So, I'm open to all suggestions as my irons are decent and my driving is better.

I used to be rock solid from 5 feet and in, now I'm rocky at those distances without the long putter

[Dan Kelly]

I used to be rock solid from 5 feet and in, now I'm rocky at those distances without the long putter

Patrick --

As someone who (knock on wood) has never had the yips (except with a lob wedge), I'm curious to hear (from you and others similarly afflicted):

What happens from 5 feet and in, when you're having problems with the short putter?

Always right? Always left? Always short? Always long? Or a combination of all of those?

Dan

[David_Tepper]

"What happens from 5 feet and in, when you're having problems with the short putter?"

Dan K. -

My usual yip miss (putting right-handed) is for my right hand to overpower my left, which closes the clubface and moves the ball left of the hole. Feeling this might happen, I often quit on the stroke and miss it short as well.

As I am naturally left-handed (except for golf, which I play right-handed), I have mitigated the problem by using a Bullseye putter, where I putt everything inside of 4'-5' left-handed and all the rest right-handed. I putt left-hand low when putting right-handed and right-hand low when putting left-handed!

If nothing else, it serves as a conversation piece when I play with strangers.


DT  

[Mark Smolens]

We have a guy who plays Weekly Challenge who plays right handed, but putts the long ones with a $10 knockoff Ping Anser putter lefthanded, conventional grip, and then turns around and hits the short putts right handed but cross handed with the bottom of the putter. Pretty amazing thing to see.

[Matthew Essig]

My 2 cents-

If a swing is not anchored, I believe it should be allowed.

Define "anchored"

I can hold the top of the long putter away from my body but anchor my bicep or forearm.

Exactly, Pat. It will be fascinating to see how the ruling bodies define -- and propose to enforce -- this change.

Seriously: I'm pretty sure I can "anchor" both of my biceps to my ribs and both of my forearms to my belly with a SHORT putter, and make a good stroke.

Not so seriously: Maybe it's time to get back on the treadmill!

Not at all seriously: We might have to get Dear Abby involved in this. Prior to this recent long-putter brouhaha, it was Abby alone (or maybe her sister, Ann Landers) who stuck her nose into the business of dictating how close together various body parts must (or must not) be.

If you anchor it on your forearms, chest, whatever! If it is the giant broom putter, fine. You can only use your hands to touch the club.

[JSlonis]

My 2 cents-

If a swing is not anchored, I believe it should be allowed.

Define "anchored"

I can hold the top of the long putter away from my body but anchor my bicep or forearm.

Exactly, Pat. It will be fascinating to see how the ruling bodies define -- and propose to enforce -- this change.

Seriously: I'm pretty sure I can "anchor" both of my biceps to my ribs and both of my forearms to my belly with a SHORT putter, and make a good stroke.

Not so seriously: Maybe it's time to get back on the treadmill!

Not at all seriously: We might have to get Dear Abby involved in this. Prior to this recent long-putter brouhaha, it was Abby alone (or maybe her sister, Ann Landers) who stuck her nose into the business of dictating how close together various body parts must (or must not) be.

If you anchor it on your forearms, chest, whatever! If it is the giant broom putter, fine. You can only use your hands to touch the club.

Matthew,

You can use only your hands to touch the club and still "anchor" the long putter. Left hand at top of the grip with thumb over grip cap, then left hand/thumb in contact with your chest. That's why the language for this ruling will be so interesting if they decide to ban it.

[JESII]

I'd be surprised if the issue is with traditional long putter use...I see a fundamental change in performing a putting stroke with the belly putter and both hands in traditional putting position.

Could the wording be as simple as "at least one hand needs to be at the top of the club for normal putting strokes"?

[A.G._Crockett]

My 2 cents-

If a swing is not anchored, I believe it should be allowed.

Define "anchored"

I can hold the top of the long putter away from my body but anchor my bicep or forearm.

Exactly, Pat. It will be fascinating to see how the ruling bodies define -- and propose to enforce -- this change.

Seriously: I'm pretty sure I can "anchor" both of my biceps to my ribs and both of my forearms to my belly with a SHORT putter, and make a good stroke.

Not so seriously: Maybe it's time to get back on the treadmill!

Not at all seriously: We might have to get Dear Abby involved in this. Prior to this recent long-putter brouhaha, it was Abby alone (or maybe her sister, Ann Landers) who stuck her nose into the business of dictating how close together various body parts must (or must not) be.

If you anchor it on your forearms, chest, whatever! If it is the giant broom putter, fine. You can only use your hands to touch the club.

Matthew,

You can use only your hands to touch the club and still "anchor" the long putter. Left hand at top of the grip with thumb over grip cap, then left hand/thumb in contact with your chest. That's why the language for this ruling will be so interesting if they decide to ban it.

"It is harder by far to write a good law than to write a good play, and there are not a hundred men alive who can write a good play."
G.B. Shaw

Perhaps instructive in the anchoring question.  I have often thought that about the "rollback" issue as well.

[Patrick_Mucci]

I used to be rock solid from 5 feet and in, now I'm rocky at those distances without the long putter

Patrick --

As someone who (knock on wood) has never had the yips (except with a lob wedge), I'm curious to hear (from you and others similarly afflicted):

What happens from 5 feet and in, when you're having problems with the short putter?

They don't go in !

Always right? Always left? Always short? Always long? Or a combination of all of those?

Dan, I wish there was some consistency to my misses, some pattern that I could analyze and work on, but, alas, let's just say that it's a stroke interupted by a spasm.

I'm going to try a short putter with a "pencil" grip, which is working for me on the long putter.
A traditional grip on the long putter did not yield good results, the pencil grip has.

Dan

[Patrick_Mucci]

[
If you anchor it on your forearms, chest, whatever! If it is the giant broom putter, fine. You can only use your hands to touch the club.

Mathew,

That won't fly.

Touching your club with your hands, one is low on the club anyway, with the other hand at the top, and anchored to your chest, won't change a thing.

I also know guys who are good long putters who anchor their arms to their body, be it the bicep or forearm, so that won't fly.

It isn't as simple as you might think.

[mike_beene]

Have never seen someone who putts with hands centered as opposed to forward yip.It cured me and others.

[William_G]

Jamie,

After getting nervous over, and missing one footers I tried the long putter with good results.

However, I could never brainwash myself into thinking that the use of a belly or long putter exemplifies the " spirit of he game"

Snead's initial style was a hybrid form of croquette, as is sidesaddle.

Belly and long putters, while efficient, seem contrary to tradition and the spirit of the game.

I know that you, Ken Bakst and other exceptional players use them.
I know that I enjoy golf more since I began using one, but, if they're banned, or if affixing them or your arms to your body is banned, I won't play any less golf.

I'm content that my use is within the rules of golf, but if the rules are modified, I'll have to abide by them, just as I did when the USGA banned the "paddle grip".   I was a very good putter with my Tommy Armour IMGT blade with a paddle grip and went downhill with it's demise, yet, the USGA permits jumbo grips, flattened grips and balls that when hit with tennis racket sized clubheads, go a zillion yards.

Keep using and enjoying your long putter, like I do, until we can't

great post

[Matthew Essig]

[
If you anchor it on your forearms, chest, whatever! If it is the giant broom putter, fine. You can only use your hands to touch the club.

Mathew,

That won't fly.

Touching your club with your hands, one is low on the club anyway, with the other hand at the top, and anchored to your chest, won't change a thing.

I also know guys who are good long putters who anchor their arms to their body, be it the bicep or forearm, so that won't fly.

It isn't as simple as you might think.

Ok. Everybody has their own opinions. I have a bet with my father that the rule will not relate to the length of the putter in anyway, shape, or form and focus just on the anchoring issue. I am expecting the broom putter to still be allowed after this is all over. It will probably have to do with X inches away from the body.

[mike_beene]

Pat,do you mean some anchor their arms to their body by just holding the upper arms against Jimmy Ballard style? By the way,on full and short shots there are some who anchor by sticking shirt in underarms and holding it which seems illegal.If you stuck a glove underarms would that be illegal?Seems like it should be.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Mathew,

It was reported that Mike Davis met with the PGA Tour yesterday and that after conferring with the R&A, a decision should be made by the first of the year or, most likely when the USGA holds their annual meeting.

Whatever they decide, the interpretation can't be subjective or ambiguous, otherwise enforcement would be impossible

[Jason Topp]

Pat - one cure that has worked for me is to take a long backswing with a shorter follow through.  I have found that when I get yippy my backswing is often too short and I try to make up for it with the wrists - which when combined with a lack of confidence can result in a spasm.  I cured my worst yips experience that way when I was 19 and got a putting lesson advising the same thing 25 years later. It helped both times but took a lot of practice to get used to taking it back that far.   

[Dan Kelly]

Patrick and Jason --

Is this "spasm" you guys refer to what I would call a "jerk" -- a sudden realignment of the hands and wrists, with one wrist going concave and the other going convex?

My one and only putting thought (beyond keeping my head still) is to keep the hands and wrists in the identical relation to each other from address to follow-through -- something impossible to do with a short backswing, except on*really* short putts.

Dan

[Jason Topp]

Patrick and Jason --

Is this "spasm" you guys refer to what I would call a "jerk" -- a sudden realignment of the hands and wrists, with one wrist going concave and the other going convex?


Dan

Yes it is a jerk but the hands can go any direction when it is a bad day.  My worst moment was a seven putt from three feet that included a double hit from about 3 inches.  I was a teenager and the moment cemented my realization that golf was not my future career.  I fought back over the next 3-4 years and regained my confidence but can battle them every once in a while to this day.  At least now I know it is not the end of the world and I will start making putts again. 

[Bill Shotzbarger]

I'm with Tiger on this issue. If it ACTUALLY were an advantage, everyone would be using them. You think he and Mickelson have never played around with one? They're playing for millions week in and week out and will do anything they can to gain any kind of advantage.

If a ban is implemented, I really hope it only extends only to the pros and not the average joes. We need all the golfers we can get these days in order for the courses and clubs we love to stay open. It's possible that a belly putter ban for amateurs would make golf less fun for people who suck at putting, and deter them from the game.

Yes it is a jerk but the hands can go any direction when it is a bad day.  My worst moment was a seven putt from three feet that included a double hit from about 3 inches.  I was a teenager and the moment cemented my realization that golf was not my future career.  I fought back over the next 3-4 years and regained my confidence but can battle them every once in a while to this day.  At least now I know it is not the end of the world and I will start making putts again. 

Ouch!!!

[Ken Moum]

My one and only putting thought (beyond keeping my head still) is to keep the hands and wrists in the identical relation to each other from address to follow-through -- something impossible to do with a short backswing, except on*really* short putts.

Dan

I would forcefully disagree. 

My total focus in putting is the same as yours, steady head, no hit at all in the stroke.  But mybackstroke is much shorter than average on putts of all lengths, and I rarely play with anyone who putts better than me.

That said, I also use a putter that's much lighter than the standard these days.  It allows me to accelerate the head enough to have good distance control on longer putts.  Today's 340- to 350-gram heads just kill my putting, because I have to take them back farther, which results in poorer directional control--much poorer, especially on short putts.

[Dan Kelly]

That said, I also use a putter that's much lighter than the standard these days.  It allows me to accelerate the head enough to have good distance control on longer putts.  Today's 340- to 350-gram heads just kill my putting, because I have to take them back farther, which results in poorer directional control--much poorer, especially on short putts.

Very interesting. I might dig up one of my old putters and play around with your theory a bit.

Thanks.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Dan,

There's no consistency.

Sometimes my putting with the short putter was very good, but there was no predicting when it would go bad.

When you're reluctant to stroke a two footer because you're afraid of it, nothing good can follow.

With the long putter, I'm not fearful, I step up and make a pretty decent stroke, usually with great results.

When you've four putted from 8 feet, you know that you need to try an alternative method.

I'm content with my long putter although it's a lot harder to use from off the green or of you're up against the collar.

[A.G._Crockett]

The first time I yipped (10 years ago at age 50) was one of the great shocks of my life.  It wasn't gradual, either; all of a sudden I had 'em.

I knew I had a serious problem when I shot 82 with 43 putts the first day of the club senior tournament; worst miss was from inside 18 inches.  The second day I putted better, but decided that a beer at 8 am and drinking throughout the round was probably not a wise or viable long-term solution.  From that point on, conventional putting became a thing of the past.