New Style of putting.

[TheRighty]

I have been working on my putting for awhile, but I still having problems. After reading Golf Digest about the way Sammy Snead used The straight-forward stroke. I was wondering what ya'll thought about his style of putting? I have tried and I like it alot.

[bonzi_532]

Re: New Style of putting.

What exactly is this style?

[TheRighty]

Re: New Style of putting.



The most celebrated user of the Sidesaddle putter is Sam Snead, who with 81 wins collected more US PGA Tour titles than any golfer in history, six putting front-on or side saddle. After being recognised as one of the most naturally talented golfers of all time, Sam Snead, in his later years on the tour began to suffer from "the yips" on his short putts.

Snead then developed a novel croquet style of putting from between his legs that took the twitchy little muscles of his hands and wrists out of his stroke. But the US Golf Association, the rules making body, banned the croquet putting style by implementing a new rule that banned golfers from straddling the line of their putt.

But as Gerald Astor, relates in the official PGA World Golf Hall of Fame bookSam Snead's story did not end there. "I was crushed" said Snead, "I figured I was finished, unless I could find a way to sidestep that new rule". And that is exactly what he did. "I remembered an old-timer I'd seen over in England who would bet that he could out-putt anyone. He must've been seventy-five. He putted the same way I'd been putting except that he didn't straddle the line. He faced the hole but put his feet together to the side of the line and putted sidesaddle. It didn't take me long to get the hang of it. I'd pitched horseshoes by the hour out behind the barn when I was a kid, and I just put that movement into my putting" Snead won about six events using the sidesaddle including a US PGA Seniors Championship.

[bonzi_532]

Re: New Style of putting.

Personally i really dislike this style of putting. One of my teamates adopted this for a day or so before all of my team and coaches got on to him because experimenting with something new will jsut take that much longer to learn than traditional putting.

[LowPost42]

Re: New Style of putting.

But when the yips appear, you'll do anything to get rid of them.

[Brian 39]

Re: New Style of putting.

I recently read Dr. Bob Rotella's 'Putting out of your mind'.


It lead to an instant improvement in my putting and I've holed a good few long ones recently. This is usually followed by a shout of 'Dr. Bob'!, which is annoying my playing partners.

He suggests that there are many different ways to putt and that it's the mental aspect you can change to improve. The basic premise is to focus on the target and not how you address the ball.

I putt in the traditional way and use the following routine...

Look at the lie and pick my line based on my initial instinct.
Address the ball.
Look at the target and imagine the ball rolling up to and dropping in the hole.
Follow the line from the hole back to your ball and 'let the putt go', which means hit it straight away.

I've been amazed at the results. (why have i still got a high handicap I hear you ask - my chipping/pitching is brutal!)

If the putt goes in don't forget to shout 'Dr. Bob'. If it doesn't, say nothing.

[Sadeep]

Re: New Style of putting.

Lead hand low seems to work pretty well for me.
I am high handicapper and this new style of putting got me 2 birdies so far this year. That's amazing for me.

[pgmetcalf]

Re: New Style of putting.

Putting is probably the part of golf that most people tinker with. I think people look for that magic touch and take on board all kinds of rubbish they read about ... it only confuses people

[seeyoutoo]

Re: New Style of putting.

I am thinking of putting with one hand. I tried this in a round, but only as my 2nd putt. Didn't miss any second putts with one hand with the longest being about 10 feet. Often practice with one-hand after stressing with conventional style and seem to make more one handed. The only thing that is really keeping me from doing it all the time is wondering if people will think I'm psycho!

[Karl Higham]

Re: New Style of putting.

End the sidesaddle putting debate here:
http://puttmagic.com

[mindfulking]

Re: New Style of putting.

I think that you should find a style that works for you. too often traditional thought intercedes, Bonzi's post is a perfect example, where you try something and then stop just because people scoff at you. Giving a person 1 day to adapt to it and then assaulting him for even trying something new is a bad idea, in every walk of life. it no one ever tried something new, we would still be jitting feather balls and hickory shofts... but at some point someone out there tries something different evern though the people around him scoffed and made jokes.

Try it and if it works for you then awesome, use it to stop the laughter.

[CantPuttICant]

Re: New Style of putting.

I am thinking of putting with one hand. I tried this in a round, but only as my 2nd putt. Didn't miss any second putts with one hand with the longest being about 10 feet.

John Daly does this. He says that if you putt with one hand (he uses his left) you release the putter head better. He also chips with one hand too. If you chip with one hand it's very difficult to let the club head pass your hands, which is the 'break down' which causes so much inconsistancy. Practising one handed will only help your game.

My problem with my putting is distance control and green reading. My actual stroke is solid. I start it on the line I want but it's very seldom the right line, shame that . When I get over a putt I have some indecision which causes deceleration or the opposite. I've worked on getting a solid stroke, now it's practising green reading and distance control, not a bad spot to be I guess.

[puttsidesaddle]

Re: New Style of putting.

i'd like to reinvigorate this post if possible, sidesaddle putting is the most simple way to putt. you have less moving parts so invariably you will putt better, and more naturally than any other method have a look at this recent article from gary mccord:

http://www.golfdigest.com/magazine/2...mccord-putting

give a ball to a child and ask them to get the ball into the hole, the instinct will be to face the hole - simple as that!!! if you have not yet tried but would like to, visit www.sidesaddleputters.com, they have high quality, low cost, nice design putters!

[KrudlerAce]

Putting

I have never actually tried this method myself. The theory of it makes sense though as it allows golfers to see the line of the putt and the hole with their eyes being in the natural position.

[puttsidesaddle]

Re: Putting

it's something you might like to try to see if it works or feels right for you. i personally tried just about all different types of putting strokes just because it seemed if i did not i might not find the one that best works for me. Dr. David Cook in his now highly popular book, "Golf's Sacred Journey", talks extensively about this style of face on putting. if a few big names start using it, i think that many more amateurs will follow and try it because the 'stigma' is removed. i think it's just a matter of time.