What I Look For In Putter Fittings

What I Look For in a Fitting

Based on the recent interview I did with the fantastic website Putter Zone.com, I decided to present some visual clues that help me when I fit people for putters.  I usually start with general information, like what the knuckles-to- ground length is when someone is standing tall with arms hanging to their side and making soft fists.  Anything longer than 31 inches makes me lean towards a 35 inch putter or longer, and anything shorter than 31 leans me toward a 34 inch putter or shorter.
In the hundreds of fittings that I have done over the years, standard length for a putter to me should be  34.5 inches.  I have no science to back me up, just instincts.  As I said in the interview, if I am going to err, it will be on the long side because I want people taller, more athletic and relaxed.  Aside from static measurements, like the aforementioned, I also consider torso length vs. leg length and sleeve length.  The measurements give me a base with which to start.  As all fitters know, there can be a difference between static measurements and dynamic ones.  So, off to the putting green we go armed with options.
I am 5' 10" with knuckles 32 inches from the floor.  My pants are 32 inseam and my sleeves are 32.  My golf clubs are 1/4 inch over Titleist standard length.  My putter is 35 inches and 69 degrees.  I will touch on lie angle later.
 In the first picture, I have a 34 inch putter.
  What I first see is hands and arms too far underneath the chest, spine angle too tilted (40 degrees) and eyes too far over the ball.  The angles I have created look to me like I am going to take the putter too straight back, maybe a little outside, and probably shut because my arms are stuck.
In this picture, I have a 36 inch putter.
  While my posture looks better,  my hands are just barely too far away from me, my eyes are a little too far inside the line and I am just a tad too tall (50 degrees.)  My putter will most likely make too big of an arc, and I will have difficulty seeing the line. However, one of the reasons I sometimes err on the long side, especially when someone is coming from a severely bent over posture, is that I want to exaggerate the feeling of being up with freedom of movement.  After a little while, I will back that person down to a properly sized putter.
Now, the correct fit. 
My eyes are on the heel of the putter, my hands are hanging perfectly underneath my shoulders and my spine angle is a comfortable, athletic 45 degrees.  I am free to move and the putter will swing on the correct arc because it is designed to.  All I need from here is a good grip, good alignment and then get out of the way!
While I am looking at length, I am also checking the lie angle.  The putter needs to fit the person, not vice versa.  Because of the grip I advocate, with the left hand heel pad resting on top of the putter grip, my lie angle fits tend to be a little flatter than industry standards of 71-72 degrees.  What I have someone do is stand up straight, hold the arms out in front with the elbows resting on the rib cage and the putter parallel to the ground.  Now, simply drop the putter down and let the body respond so the spine is around 45 degrees.  If the toe is up, the putter is too upright and if the heel is up, too flat.  Should be easy enough.
To get the correct grip size, please see my earlier post on how I believe you should hold the club and why.  I hope this gives you a good idea of what to look for.  I have people from around the world send me pictures to see if I like how their putters fit.  I am happy to give it a go, so please feel free to do the same.  Good putting is only a good setup away.

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Through this new year's resolutions... - www.texaslinksmagazine.com

About those New Year's resolutions... - www.texaslinksmagazine.com

Pat O'Brien - January '09 article in www.texaslinksmagazine.com

As 2010 begins, undoubtedly there will be quite a few of us thinking about things we want to accomplish in the coming year.  If that list includes getting in better shape and improving your golf game, I have some great news for you.  You can kill two birds with one stone.  If you will commit to improving your range of motion and strengthening your body in the correct ways, your golf game cannot help but improve.

I guarantee it.

I have been blessed to be associated with some of the best trainers in golf who happen to live in Dallas, TX. Two of them, Laci Weeks (pictured) and Damon Goddard of Synergy Golf Fitness, helped me put together this article.  These pictures illustrates three simple tests you can perform to see if you possess adequate balance, mobility and stability.

Mind you, we are not breaking new ground here, as the outstanding Titleist Performance Institute deserves a great deal of the credit.  It has been one of the key pioneers in training people for rotational sports that require dynamic movements.

The first one is the Single Leg Balance Test.  This tests your proprioceptive ability.  Proprioceptors are nerve endings that are found in muscles, tendons, joints and the inner ear.  They let us know where our bodies are in space and time.  Because the golf swing is a dynamic movement, balance is crucial in order for the proper weight shift and sequence to occur to produce a powerful swing.  To improve this requires neuromuscular training, which in turn allows us to make changes more efficiently.

To perform this test, stand with your feet hip-width apart, allow your arms to hang at your side.  Lift one leg off the ground, balance and then close your eyes.  You will soon appreciate that 25 seconds is aver for PGA Tour players to hold their balance.

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A Simple Putting Drill

A Simple Drill

This drill is one of Zach's favorites.  Place a shaft 18 inches behind the hole and start with 3 balls 5 feet away from the hole.  The goal is obviously to make the putt; however your secondary objective is to get the ball to the hole but not touch the shaft.  When you achieve this with all three balls, move out to 10 feet. 
If you come up short on any of the three, or hit the shaft, you have to go back to the previous distance.  After you are successful at 10 feet, move out to 15.  You can go in any increments you want.  When Dr. Mo and I want to really challenge Zach, we go 10, 20 and 30 feet.  Mo has found that this really sharpens Zach's focus and makes his practice productive.  He really dials in his speed while tapping into his competitive nature.  Try it!




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Play Your Best Golf - Swinging The Putter Correctly

PLAY YOUR BEST GOLF

You can't start playing golf until you stop playing 'golf swing'

My intention in this article is to get you to play golf, maybe for the first time in your life, and stop playing"golf swing."  If you are familiar with the way I teach putting and the short game, you know that I believe in proper fundamentals of setup and a lack of mental and physical tension.  The putter is designed to swing a certain way and return square of you are neutral to it and allow it to happen.

The same thing holds true for a golf club.

This is not an article about sport psychology or playing golf in a Pollyanna world, where everything happens exactly as it should, no matter what.  Playing your best golf requires effort on your part to understand and address four things: body alignment, equipment, freedom of motion and correct sequencing.  When you achieve these things, the club can return to square without effort, and you can engage in the target.  This is what golf should be. 

Body alignment

An abundance of information is available about ways to improve your grip,alignment, posture and ball position. While these are all important factors,I believe body structure is a key factor to playing your best golf. If you are an experienced golfer, there is a good chance that your body is out of alignment. If you spend all of your time rotating to the left with force, it is likely that you have a muscle imbalance. 

 Each day, I see people with open shoulders and a right hip that is higher than the left. (Picture 1) Usually because of this, the right leg is shorter than the left. If this is your default position, it is hard to swing the club on the correct arc around your body.  

To get back to square at setup would require tension, which inhibits motion.  This is a true Catch 22.  

To improve body structure and correct muscle imbalance requires work. A  wise, old chiropractor once told me if you play golf, you should counterbalance  the motion by playing Frisbee right handed. You can also practice swinging left handed, but may find your muscles just do not want to move that direction.  

To help establish the correct tilt and be square, visualize the buttons on your back pockets lining up over 
 your heels. (Picture 2) These tips are only Band Aids that may help until you correct your structure.  

I frequently recommend a consultation with a TPI trainer or a physiotherapist for an evaluation to determine the best way to improve muscle imbalance and prevent future injury.

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From: left hand set wedge

My mother uses this putting technique, and I think it has improved her putting game significantly. Personally, I recently moved from using the same overlapping grip I use in my full swing to a grip suggested by The Wedge Guy. I also concentrate on looking at the back of the golf ball, and hitting the back of the golf ball…rather than looking down at the middle of the ball. So far so good, my putting is pretty decent (relative to the rest of my game).

Anyway, I saw this article on the cross-handed, aka left-hand low putting technique. I thought it might be of interest to some of you. Anyone have any thoughts? What putting style do you use?

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Want To Find Left Handed Odyssey And Clubs?

For years, few golfers on the PGA tour were left handed. A sport with such a long history as long as this saw  no lefty win a major PGA title until Bob Charles in the 1960s.   Left handed golfers make up 10-15% of the market, but unless there is another victory under Phil Mickelson's belt at this years masters in Augusta, it is unlikely that the left handed club, will have more presence.

While brick and mortar stores catch up with this trend, the best place for left handed putters, drivers and irons is  found here online.Instead of one or two options, almost all clubs can now be ordered in either RH or LH styles.  Amazon, the leading provider of online shopping, carries most major brands. They also have impressive inventories of trusted Golf sources-- such as Golfsmith. In particular, golfers can find reviews, offers and news on what hot, is quick and easy.

Odyssey is an example of the importance of Lefties on tour, with plans to eventually release a special edition putter matching the one used by Phil Mickelson. Since he has years of experience with various lofts, weights, and tinkering, most special order left handed Putters which were available only to him.


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Reverse Pivot And Golf Swing - Jim Mclean

Stop tilting start for better golf shots and less back pain

If a golfer can learn to  reverse pivot start instead of tilting, this can  influence your game significantly. When properly loaded, your swing is always consistent and powerful   There is more backspin on wedge shots and short irons and drives carry farther with a beautiful flight and trajectory.

Take the time and effort to learn the reverse pivot. The rewards are a more consistent, smooth and repeatable swing.


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The Problems Finding Left Handed Golf Clubs & Putters

If you are a lefty, you have come to the right place.  Finding left handed equipment can be a hard task.  For most retailers, a range of clubs is available for the right hander, but only a limited amount of choices for the left hander are in stock.  There are two ways to do this; you can either get a catalog and look at their clubs to order, or you could to go to one of the online golf stores to get what you need. Leftys are often at a disadvantage it seems. From a lack of good instructional materials to a smaller number of clubs.

At least all of the important equipment companies offer left-handed clubs. Fortunately, most of them are online.  It is much easier today for Leftys to buy irons and woods separately.   But for some reason, it better to have a matched set.  Materials, such as graphite due to its lightness is an excellent choice for irons and woods if you are a senior, a woman, a young person, or someone with joint pain.


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