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Pat O'Brien Putting: Putting AlignmentPat O'Brien PuttingTour-Proven Golf LessonsHomeDVDAboutArchivesSubscribe� Want to putt like Zach Johnson? Here�s how - www.golfweek.com |Main| Pics and Videos from Pebble �June 22, 2010Putting Alignment
This is an article I wrote for a Korean magazine called Golf Guide.�
�Understanding Alignment in Putting
This is the third article in a series on putting.� This month�s topic covers how to aim your putter properly.� It is very difficult to have a quiet mind and putt with confidence if that little voice in your head is questioning your alignment.� I want to present to you a clear cut way to know where you are aiming, so you can make a free stroke.There has been much discussion about eye dominance in putting and how it relates to aim.� It has been my experience that there simply is not a direct correlation between the two.� I have seen right eye dominant people misalign both to the left and right, as well as left eye dominant people.� It may make for an interesting topic of conversation, but it does not factor into my teaching.� What I focus on is eyeline and how to look at your target properly.In this first picture, I want you to notice how unbalanced my body looks.���There is more weight on my right leg, my shoulders are tilted too much and my nose is behind my sternum.� In this position, my eyeline is pointed to the right of my intended target line.�
�In these next two pictures, notice how symmetrical my body looks.� My weight is evenly balanced and my spine is level, not tilted to the right.� Because of this, my nose is right over my sternum.
��My eyeline is now parallel to my aiming line, as well as my body lines.
��� As an added bonus, my body is in a calm state because I am centered.� Try this:� close your eyes and tilt your spine to the right.� You will feel tension in your body.� Now get centered and level.� Notice how the tension goes away.� It is very difficult to make a free motion from an unbalanced state.When your eyes are parallel to your target line, it is much easier to look at your target correctly.� One of my favorite training aids is a chalk line.� If you do not have access to one, you can use a string or a line on the floor in your home.� When you aim too far to the right, you must look across your body to find your target.
��� Conversely, when you aim too far left, you must look away from your body to convince yourself that you are aligned correctly.�
���With a straight line as a reference point, you can now see and feel what it is like to look down your line correctly.
To aim properly on the golf course, I want my students to look properly at their target first, and then place the putter square to their eyes.�
��I believe this is more effective than placing the putter down first, then figuring out where it is aimed and possibly making adjustments.� The more efficient the process, the more free the body and mind can be.Finally, a note on putter designs.� I advocate a shaft with no offset, and an aiming line on top of the putter.�
���It is much easier to get your nose down the shaft and have your eyes be square.� When a putter has offset, with the aiming line on the back flange,�
��you are more likely to have your nose and eyes drift to the right in order to use the aiming line.� This is not an absolute, but if you must use an offset putter, please be aware that this is a strong tendency.� Know your aim and putt your best!
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Pat O'Brien is the putting coach of two of the PGA Tour�s best putters, 2007 Masters Champion Zach Johnson and Ryder Cupper Vaughn Taylor.This blog will share Pat�s advice, expertise and drills for superior short game performance based on his coaching with renowned tour pros, accomplished amateurs and everyday golfers.Contact me: pat@patobriengolf.comTel: 214.316.5303
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