If you are not a good putter or not as consistent a putter as you would like to be, there are reasons why. One of the reasons is your head and eyes are out of position. To state that in today's golf lingo, they're out of plane. Not only with the ball and target but with each other.

There are numerous eye positions when putting and only one head position that has to be correct in order for you to be a great putter (not a good putter but a great putter). If the eyes and head are out of position, the images that the brain creates by the information it is receiving, through what the eyes are telling it and what the sensory functioning of the body tells it, your chances of making more putts and doing so consistently are greatly reduced.  

Eye Position #1 - Eyes over the ball - Vertically
This was made popular by the Pelz Method decades ago and for good reason...it works. Have there been great putters with their eyes inside the target line, yes. Can you putt well if your eyes are outside the target line, yes. However, if the goal is to make more putts on a consistent basis, the best chance you have of doing so is to have your eyes directly over the golf ball.  It's also important to remember that for every incremental distance you are away from the hole, the angle you're looking at the hole changes if your eyes are inside/outside the ball and target line. If the direction you're looking to the hole is on an angle, don't you think the image your eyes are giving your brain is on an angle too? If that's the image the brain is getting, what are the odds the stroke will follow that image too?

If you have ever thrown a dart, shot a bow and arrow, fired a pistol or shotgun did you look straight down the dart, arrow, barrel to the target or did you look at the target from the side? If you wanted to hit the target, and bulls eye, you probably looked straight down the barrel. The same thing applies to your putting.

SOLUTION: Eyes over the ball so you can look straight down the target line.

IS THE HOLE WHERE YOU THINK IT IS?
Eye Position #2 - Vertical Eye Position and Chin Down
What determines how we move; i.e. a stroke, swing, etc. is determined by the information our eyes and body give our brain. In the case of putting our eyes tell our brain where the hole is as does our head. The latter happens because we have an innate ability to determine where objects are in space (this is called spatial awareness). This ability has been developed since we were infants and could stand erect on two feet. From that point on, we have developed this awareness to a very good PEI (percent error index). This has always been done by our eyes looking straight out of our heads. In putting this is referred to as the eye plane and head plane being in unison. The larger the angular difference between the plane of the eyes vs. the plane of the head the more inconsistent of a putter you will be. 

This is also called the Horizontal Eye Position because the eyes are looking horizontally out of the head when standing erect. It is when we don't keep our eyes looking straight out of our heads that the angle between our head plane and eye plane increases and our putting suffers.  If your head is not parallel to the ground when putting chances are your eyes are looking down your cheeks and any line drawn straight away from your head will be pointed somewhere beyond the ball (anywhere from 6" to 24"). The goal would be to bring the head plane and eye plane together by tucking the chin, so that the back of the head becomes parallel to the ground and/or the eyes were looking straight out of the eye sockets. An easy way to measure this would be if you were wearing sunglasses. The stem of the glasses, as it runs from the top of your ear through the center of your eye, is equivalent to being perpendicular to your spine and thus equal to your horizontal eye plane. If the stem is pointed at the golf ball then you would be considered to have a good head position. If that line was pointed outside the ball then the chin would have to come down until the stem pointed at the ball.

SOLUTION: Make sure the plane of your eyes and plane of your head are the same by putting an alignment rod from the top of your ear and pass it through the corner of your eye. It should point to the golf ball while at address. If it doesn't, tuck your chin or bring your head down more until the back of the head is parallel to the ground. 

To see these things illustrated watch the video below:

For more videos on putting try any of the following:
WEAK SIDE PUTTS - https://youtu.be/zzM8Rx5LoJk
WHAT IS HORIZONTAL EYE PLANE - https://youtu.be/Y6VEBHIQAjY

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Different strokes for different folks is a phrase that has been around for a long time. It may mean different things for different people but you would be hard pressed to find many that would disagree with its common meaning; i.e. everyone has a different way of doing something.  That something could be the way they walk, talk, and especially the way we play golf.  Each of us plays in a way that works for us and what may work for one may not work for another. However, there are some basic concepts that are common denominators for anyone looking to hit chip shots crisp and solid every time. You may be able to get away with not doing these from time to time but if your goal is to chip it crisp consistently, getting the following correct will help tremendously:
 
Ball position
Alignment
Club face angle & bounce
Shaft angle
 
Ball position
This is the balance point of the stroke. Think of a tight rope walker using a pole for balance when walking on a rope or cable. They subtly shift the pole as needed to maintain balance but it is always held in the middle. If they were to hold it unevenly, walking in balance would be extremely difficult. The same is true with ball position. It can vary slightly as you don’t feel the same every day, but keeping it within a small range, to maintain the balance of your stroke, is highly recommended.
 
To keep the ball position (balance point) consistent and to ensure you’re as accurate as possible, assume a stance width of 6”.  The balls position would have the middle of the ball 4” (or one clubhead) inside your lead foot heel (left foot for right handers, right foot for left handers). This allows the middle of the ball to be slightly back in the stance and the clubhead will catch the ball as it is still descending.
 
TECHNICAL TIP: Be sure to always base your ball position off your heels NOT your insteps or toes. If your feet are flared towards the target it is very easy for the ball position to move too far forward in the stance. You may assume its 4” back in the stance but that 4” would be from the lead toe. When the feet are flared towards the target the lead toe is often 3”-4” closer to the target than your heel, hence the ball is too far forward.  Because the club will bottom out its swing arc near the center of the stance, based off the heels, the tendency will be to hit shots fat. If you make a compensation to not hit it fat, you run a high risk of disrupting your balanced impact and the jerk will result in hitting the ball skinny, and across the green ankle high at 100mph. For an illustration watch this short video:

​
Having a stance 6” wide and a ball position 4” (one club head) inside the lead heel will allow you to hit the ball prior to the club head reaching its low point of the swing and each shot will be crisply struck. This will give you a ‘standard’ trajectory and spin and the base for specialty shots later. If you would like a lower shot that runs more, move the ball position back in your stance ½ ball width. A descending club head equals less loft, lower trajectory and less spin, thus a running chip shot.
 
If you want as slightly higher trajectory and more spin than the standard shot mentioned above, move the ball ½ a ball width forward in the stance (closer to the lead foot). The clubhead will be near its bottom out point as impact occurs, which will allow for more loft at impact. More loft equals a higher shot and more spin.
 
TIP: Looking at different spots on the ball will help with trajectory/spin.  With the standard shot; middle of the ball 4” back in the stance, look at the middle of the ball. If the ball is back ½ ball width, look at the front of the ball (to help maintain hitting with a descending stroke). If the ball is ½ ball width forward, for a higher shot, look at the back of the ball.
 
Alignment
If Ball Position is the balance point of the swing, Alignment is the perspective. 
 
Humans have a natural instinct that is developed since childhood, that allows them to have an awareness of where an object is in space; i.e. a target, or in this case the hole. If the alignment of your body is off, the perception of where the hole is and where it actually are become skewed and your stroke is compromised.
 
Ideally your feet would be parallel to the target line, with the lead foot flared towards the target. Allow the upper body to align itself with the lead foot which would make the upper body open to the target line.  Another way to align yourself would be to have your stance slightly open to the target line. Both options allow for the stroke to be more descending and crisply struck. Because chip shots are usually hit from lies where the grass is thicker, the descending stroke will get the most clubface/ball contact with the least amount of grass, soil and water between the two. When this happens you have more control of the spin and shot. 
 
If your stance is aligned too far to the right or left (too closed or open) the brain and body are not linked and the stroke gets confused. Does the stroke follow the body’s alignment or does it follow the direction the brain thinks the hole to be?  This confusion leads to jerky strokes  the thin, knee high, 100 mph shots across the green and the chunk’d shots that go all of a few inches, if they go anywhere at all.
 
Face Angle-Utilizing bounce
          Bounce – how much the sole, or bottom-most part, of the club heads lifts the leading edge

​Above we discussed impact happening as the club head was descending into the ball. However, if the club is descending too much the leading edge will dig into the ground and get stuck, even on a good stroke. To eliminate this, and utilize the bounce of the clubhead to your advantage, it’s a good idea to open the clubface slightly. This does a number of things 1) allows the club to skim across the ground through impact without getting stuck 2) if the stance is slightly open and the stroke is more descending, it adds loft back to the shot and 3) when the stance is slightly open a square clubface will hit the ball left of the target. When it’s slightly open it allows the ball to follow the intended target line.
 
Shaft Angle
This maybe a small thing, but it is also the keystone to the others mentioned above.  On almost any swing, the butt end of the grip should be pointed slightly to the target side of your zipper. If the ball position is 4” back from your lead heel, this will give the shaft a slight lean towards the target and aid in making a descending stroke. If the ball is moved slightly forward, with the goal of a higher softer shot, the shaft will be more vertical (void of a lean) and the ball will go higher with more spin.  Move the ball back in the stance and the shaft lean towards the target will increase.  Whichever shot you are wanting to hit the butt end always points to the same spot. Not only will it allow you to control trajectory and spin but it will allow your hands, and thus the clubhead to have the same release on every single chip shot, regardless of trajectory.  Your consistency will improve as will the crispness of each shot.
 
Some of these items will be new to you and may take some time to become habit but with just a little bit of practice they will become routine.  Until they do remember to do these things when hitting a chip:
 
Stance width 6” apart
Ball position 4” inside the lead heel
Club face slightly open
Butt end of club pointed slightly to the target side of your zipper
 
In no time at all the skinny and chunk’d shots will be a thing of the past and you never know, you just may chip a few in.

​Anyone that has played sports or lead an active lifestyle long enough knows eventually you injure yourself or you start to ache and hurt in places you didn’t think you could. The reasons for why; overuse, incorrect mechanics, etc. are plenty but the real question becomes ‘How do you fix it and continue to enjoy such a lifestyle?’ and ‘How do you ensure you don’t re-injure yourself?  There’s no reason you can’t stay active well into your golden years or beyond and do so without pain.  However, if you have experienced an injury, in your youth or later in life, and are still suffering from its effects there are several ways you can fix the problem and return, virtually pain free, to the activities you so enjoy. Below are a few I have employed overtime to reverse the effects of injuries over the years some of which aided in derailing my professional playing career.  Even if you are unable to employ some of these disciplines hopefully you are inspired, at a minimum, to seek out others to aid in your recovery.  I’m not certain who said “If you’re not moving, you’re dying.” but they are exactly right.
 
For those that understand where the next greatest things come from you know it’s almost always from the fringe; i.e. the periphery, and rarely from the established philosophy of the time. Whether your problem was injury(s) from your youth you were unaware of or because of overuse, the disciplines mentioned below can help put a broken body back together again.  You don’t need ‘all the kings’ horses’ or ‘all the kings’ men’, you just need to find the ones that work for you. But the question is how do you do that in a world full of information? This is a good place to start.
 
These are not the only ways of healing. They are some I have tested with amazing results and encourage you to try them or at a minimum experiment and find your own. The goal is to inspire you to believe there is something out there that can help you and not to stop until you find it. Others you may not have heard of; Reiki, Reflexology, etc. may work better given your access to practitioners but you will have to experiment to find out. You may require an assortment of methods, such as I did, but for those that want the joy and freedom a healthy body provides, the experts mentioned below can work wonders. At a minimum, the aim of this post is to change your belief that there is no longer hope and to get you on the path to physical health and moving freely once again. The first step - you committing to getting yourself healthy; i.e. you must want it before you can make it happen.

​Massage and Foam Rolling (soft tissue)
Why do you feel better after a massage or foam rolling session?  Because it works.  Massage helps the recovery process by removing waste out of the muscles and cells, while at the same time stimulating the skin and reducing pain feedback from the spinal cord.  On a larger level these help reduce or eliminate adhesion's (tightly bound muscle fibers) within the muscle and allows the muscle to work in its full range of motion. If the adhesion is not significantly reduced or eliminated, and the muscle cannot work the way it was designed you risk greater injury through compensation of other muscles that have to pick up the slack left by the compromised muscle. Regardless of the reasoning, elimination of waste from the body and breaking up adhesion's is always a good thing. Plus, you feel great afterwards. Just be certain to drink plenty of water after your session. You don’t want any waste hanging around your body after it’s been released from the muscle. You can self-massage by utilizing a variety of products; the RAD Rollers, body back buddy, or crème-de la-creme Infinity massage chair or you can roll yourself out with foam rollers of varying degrees; white roller, black roller (much firmer), Rumble Roller (for the advanced or adventurist type). However, in my experience they do not match the hands of an experienced professional. A good masseuse is sometimes hard to find and may take some trial and error. Once you find one you like treat them like a member of the family because they can and will make you feel like a million bucks. If you have trouble finding one, or don’t have the financial means, many areas now have massage schools where they offer much lower rates in exchange for their students to have someone to practice their technique on. This can be a great alternative both financially and in helping someone improve their skill.  It would be great to be able to receive a massage daily or once a week. Unfortunately, I don’t have the means to do so and mine must be separated by more time if I am to continue employing the others on this list.
 
For those in the Low Country try - International Spa Institute (where masseuses offer lower rates for test subjects)

​NUCCA–TheGoodman Method (structural)
NUCCA stands for National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association and is an organization of chiropractors that focus on the neck only.  Their theory is if the head is sitting crooked due to vertebrae in the neck being out of alignment the entire body will make compromises to support the structure above.  To some this may seem extreme but to others who have tried using conventional methods to no avail NUCCA is a godsend.  It doesn’t matter if your pain is in your back, hip, etc. there is a good chance the pain is due to the head being out of position and the remainder of the body readjusting to support it.  When this happens, the entire body is forced to move in a compensatory fashion. Soft tissue develops adhesions and bones begin to wear too soon. If structural integrity has been compromised, either by injury, repetitive motion, etc. you run a high risk of damaging yourself. Through a non-invasive technique (no ‘snap-crackle-pop’) a well-trained NUCCA will determine which of the neck vertebrae are out of alignment and literally push them back into place. With the head properly supported everything under it is relieved of unnecessary tension and able to function in the manner in which it was designed, void of compensation. These adjustments are often done while in the prone position (lying down) and by the time you stand erect you can already feel the muscles that were tight and restricted begin to relax.  For some, myself included, you may feel a bit lightheaded when you first stand, which is the result of the eyes re-coordinating themselves with the newly aligned head and the brain/body reestablishing its proprioception.  Experienced NUCCA’s will tell you the adjustment will hold for quite some time, often a few months at minimum. As your body improves and adapts, the length of time between sessions becomes longer and the need for an adjustment lessens.  I have utilized the Goodman Method to help alleviate an issue I had with my neck (which stemmed from an accident in my youth) and have been impressed with the results. Due to the length of time between the accident and initial treatment I am required to visit more than the norm but still no more than once per quarter.
 
For those in the Southeast:
Dr. Stephen Goodman
For those in the Northeast
Dr. John Goodman
Find a NUCCA in your area or around the globe HERE
 
NOTE: NUCCA would fall into the category of chiropractic. Some say chiropractic doesn’t work but there are many that swear by it. If it didn’t do some good, there wouldn’t be so many around. For those that have suffered from pain and failed to get relief from conventional medical methods chiropractic has been their saving grace. I have benefited from the use of a chiropractor for some time and the best piece of advice I can offer is vet your practitioner the same way you would any other discipline. As with anything there are those that are highly qualified and those not so much and if you feel you are being sold on something yet find the results not to your liking you may have to look a bit harder for a better one.

​Rolfing (soft tissue)
Not as highly recognizable as some of the aforementioned disciplines but highly effective in terms of releasing tissues that have been restricted due to trauma, overuse, etc. You can work on a group of muscles (massage, rolling or A.R.T.), fix the structure (chiropractic) but if you don’t release the superficial fascia (a top layer) so you can get deeper into the tissues, the other disciplines will find it difficult to reach their full potential.
 
Rolfing differs from massage in that massage tends to focus on specific muscle groups and discomfort. Rolfing primarily aims to improve the bodies alignment and overall function. While taking a session, you may think the practitioner is hardly doing anything because their touch is sometimes subtle (yet highly effective). This isn’t always the case and sometimes the practitioner needs to get deep into the tissue and may require more forceful measures, but rarely if ever painful. A standard practice is to employ a Rolfer for ten sessions and during that time you will start to see your bodies structure improve as chronic patterning is removed and replaced by efficiency.
 
I have personally taken the ten-session course and have experienced its positive effects. In fact, my body was so mangled and twisted from years of playing, traveling and sleeping on terrible hotel beds that I needed 3-5 sessions prior to the base ten session structural realignment program just to get back to a ‘normal’ baseline.  I now use Rolfing to continue to improve my body’s structural balance and decrease the chances of my body falling back into the chronic pattern it was in for so long. I use a maintenance program where I have a session approximately every six to eight weeks.
 
Rolfing in the Low Country - Jeannie Kelley at Island Soma Therapy
Rolfing around the globe - Learn more about Rolfing HERE

​Cupping(soft tissue)
If you watched the 2016 Summer Olympics you noticed many athletes with red circles all over their body. This was the result of a very old practice known as cupping. The goal of cupping is to get deep into the muscle belly to relieve it of old blood and toxins that may have settled in because of injury, overuse, etc.  Utilizing suction, cupping extracts the old blood out and the body flushes it out through the natural evacuation process of waste removal. As old blood is pulled to the surface it often leaves a large mark like a large hicky but within a few days goes away. Flushing out the older, stagnated blood makes room for nutrient enriched blood and not only do you feel better but the muscle can operate more efficiently.
 
Cupping in the Low Country try: Oasis Life Spa
Cupping around the globe or to find a cupping expert in your area look HERE

​Egoscue Method (structural)
A former fighter pilot Pete Egoscue was told he would never walk again. He didn’t accept that answer and with determination and a deep desire for a life he wanted, he educated himself and developed the Egoscue Method. His main clinic is found in San Diego with another operation in Atlanta, Ga. If you are unfamiliar with this method it is a series of movements, often prescribed by one of Egoscue’s practitioners, that allow the body’s joints to realign themselves. The theory is the body was designed to work and function in certain ways and when we stop moving in such ways the homeostasis the body so often seeks is disrupted. As sedentary lives begin to rob us of our mobility, flexibility and strength these movements (more so than exercises) begin to reestablish this connection. Depending on your issue there maybe a limited amount of movement exercises and only a series of benign positions prescribed. These positions maybe as simple as laying on the ground, your rear end up against a wall and your legs extended vertically up a wall with feet and toes engaged pointing horizontally away from the wall. Not quite an exercises but holding this position for 5-15 minutes allows the pelvis and hips to settle into themselves and re-align. It may seem like nothing but don’t be fooled by the simplicity.
 
Learn more on the Egoscue Method or find a facility near you HERE

Others practices to consider:
Tapping Therapy- The Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT - also known as "Tapping Therapy" or "Meridian Tapping Techniques (MTT)") was created by Gary Craig and works like emotional acupressure to quickly, gently and easily release the negative emotions and beliefs that are at the root of all our problems and pain.
Find a practitioner in your area or around the globe HERE

ELDOA - In technical terms ELDOA means, Longitudinal Stretching with Osteo-Articular Decoaptation. In simple terms the ELDOA is used to target a specific joint (region) to decompress, relive pain, restore function and balance.
Find a practitioner in your area or around the globe HERE 

​Osteopathy - a form of drug free non invasive manual medicine that focuses on total body health by treating and strengthening the musculoskeletal framework, to include joints, muscles and spine with the goal of having a positive effect on the body's nervous, circulatory and lymopathic systems. 
​Find a practitioner in your area or around the globe HERE

As you can see there are several practices and disciplines that can help you repair a broken body or better yet, keep you from getting hurt, but it would be a good idea to utilize them regularly. Some of you may have found other disciplines that have worked and some of you may still be searching.  Whatever you do, don’t give up until you get the relief you desire and the results you want. No one likes to have their ability to move taken away and the longer we can move and play the more enriched our lives will be. If you’ve been broken it can be fixed. If you’re not broken and want to ensure you don’t become broken, employing some of these practices will help ensure your body remains agile and moving for a long time. Whatever you do make sure it’s with the intention to continue moving and enjoying life.

VIDEO on gadgets to alleviate stiffness & tightness:​

​QUESTION OF THE DAY: What questions or thoughts do you have about putting yourself back together after an injury? What disciplines or practices have you used and what have you done to avoid injury?  Please, let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook or Twitter page:

Comment Rules: Everyone has an opinion and can voice it in the 'Comments' section below. However, respect is a must. If you choose to be disrespectful your post will be deleted.  Please refrain from adding URL's and use your personal name NOT your school/business name. Enjoy yourself and thank you for adding to the discussion.​

Putting and Distance Control (Part II)
​
​In ‘Putting: What is distance control?’ I discussed what ideal distance control is as it relates to the ball and green. In this post, I will tell you how you can create that ideal distance control and yes… it is as simple as walking.
 
There are several different factors that influence distance control; ball position, the path of the putter head, angle of attack, face angle, CFC center face contact, etc.  However, the most important determinant, and what has been developing since you could walk is the one that supersedes all others. While many golfers are told to focus on either ball position, putter head path, angle of attack, static loft, loft at impact, metronome cadence, etc. not one of these things are as important as the length of the putter in your ability to dial in your distance control.  Let’s explore the reasons why…
 
Since you developed the ability to walk as a toddler your body has developed its own cadence and within that cadence is your rhythm and tempo (rhythm is the synchronization of your stroke and tempo is the speed at which you perform the stroke). Through this development the body was teaching the brain (which is in contradiction to most thought processes) how to per form this act, especially as you reached your early to mid-20’s and the bodies structural growth cycle ended.
 
If you watch anyone walk, or run, you will notice their arms swing in unison with their legs. Some swing them more than others and at varying speeds but everyone’s arms and legs move in sync as they walk. To observe this watch anyone walking down the street and you will notice they lift their arm a certain height before letting it fall. As it falls it will naturally reach a point where it is hanging directly from the shoulder; i.e. vertical. When the arm reaches vertical (it doesn’t stop at vertical but ascends in the opposite direction) the foot simultaneously connects with the ground.  Regardless of the speed you walk this happens continuously without you having to think about it.

SIDETRACK: For more on the arms and body’s ability to unconsciously know how to control distance consider the following excerpt from Geoff Mangum:

Also from Geoff are some fantastic references from studies done on walking, stride lengths, Man’s system integration and more:

How?
As you reached the end of your structural growth cycle, in your mid to early 20’s for most people, and your arms and legs stopped growing in length the brain went through what was most likely the last re-synchronization it would have to for your arms and legs to work together (or better yet the body informed the brain of  the change in length and due to the constant speed at which each fell from a raised position; due to gravity, the tempo was recalibrated). It’s not something you were consciously aware of but what was happening was your brain was calculating how high to lift your arm so as it fell, and passed through its vertical position along the side of your body your foot was striking the ground.  The only calculation required was how high should the arm be lifted to match that of the leg.
 
NOTE: The arms and legs fall at a constant rate of speed due to that little thing known as gravity. 
 
SIDETRACK: This is why pre-teen and teens can often appear uncoordinated. Youths at this age do not always grow at a constant rate. Sometimes their legs outgrow the rest of their body (arms included) and the synchronization of the two is disrupted until the brain reconfigures the timing and resyncs them. Kids that were once very coordinated appear unable to walk as they are constantly tripping or stumbling. It’s the coordinating the upper limbs with the lower limbs that is the issue and as soon as the timing is restored their coordination returns.
 
How does this relate to my putting?
Ask almost anyone, ‘Who has poor distance control?’ and most will respond with 'It's not bad'. When I ask someone this question I often toss them a ball and ask them to toss it back, which they do without fail, often hitting me in the hands around my midsection, or very close to it. Each time we do this I back up a few steps and repeat this process and each time they toss the ball to my midsection. Why is tossing a ball so easy at these varying distances, yet putting to varying distances seems so difficult? Because when tossing a ball, the ball is resting in your hand prior to throwing it. When putting, you are doing so with a club, in essence a lever, and if that lever is the wrong length it will significantly throw off your body’s natural tendency to determine how high to lift your arm so that when it falls it does so with enough energy to propel the ball the correct distance to the hole.  When a putter is the correct length, learning this becomes much faster for beginners and advanced players start to control their distance to such a degree that they can routinely reach the 1rps-4rps ideal speed I discussed in ‘Putting: Distance Control’. 
 
As mentioned above, your natural cadence was determined as your body informed your brain of a longer lever (your arm or leg) and your brain figured out how high to lift that lever so when each of them fell, they did so in unison.  The same is true whether you’re tossing a ball or putting, in so far as all you have to do is understand how far to lift your arm and let gravity take it from there (it’s all done sub-consciously and free of thought). There’s no adding anything extra. You don’t have to: take it back half as far as you follow through, force acceleration into impact, or anything else (these are all conscious efforts). All you must do is let your arm and putter fall back to the ball.  As a result of your body and brain being so well synced the correct length of the putter is imperative if this synchronization is to be maintained.  If a putter is too short the hands will reach their finish position prior to the brain anticipating it and throughout the rest of the stroke; from the top of the stroke to impact and the forward stroke timing will be disrupted.  If the putter is too long, the hand will not reach its finish position in the time the brain expects it to (the hand will arrive at it’s predetermined finish point too late as it reacts to the extra length of the putter), and as a result the timing will be disrupted.  Even if you practice every day, if the putter is off by as much as a ½” your ability to control distance will be flawed.  Many say, ‘I’ve been a _______ all my life and have great timing and eye hand coordination.’ And I don’t disagree that some people do have phenomenal eye/hand coordination. But, the best eye/hand coordination in the world cannot consistently perform an act that completely disrupts what the brain and body have done for years without manipulation; i.e. you can never learn to manipulate something consistently. Anything that goes against what your brain and body have coordinated for so long requires manipulation.
 
When determining the length of your putter you need to understand the body’s ratios and understand how they play their part.  For example, if Player A is 6’-1” but has a ratio greater than 2.5:1 between their leg length and arm length they will almost always require a longer putter than Player B that is 6'-4" but has less than a 2.5:1 ratio of legs to arms. (the legs are more than 2.5x longer than the arms) Although Player A is shorter the ratio of their legs is longer to their arms and overall height than Player B. When your legs are longer compared to your height the torso does not bend over as far and thus is further from the ground. As a result, you will require a longer putter. The rare exception is the player with exceedingly long arms.  Player B’s legs maybe longer than Player A’s but because they are shorter in relationship to Player B’s overall height their torso will lean over more (coming closer to the ground) and their putter will have an increased chance to be shorter (especially in relationship to their height). Without knowing a person’s measurements or ratios, it is difficult to say if you’re 6’-1” you will need a 34.5” putter or if you’re 5’-6” you’re going to need a 31.75” putter. It’s not that easy and if anyone tells you it is that easy, they probably adhere to the theory that 4* of loft is ideal on your putter too. But that’s a post for another time.
 
Here’s a simple way to measure yourself for putter length. Set up to a ball in as comfortable a position as you can. Your eyes should be over the ball and your body should be comfortably bent at the knees and hips. You should have enough tension to hold you in place but not so much that it is uncomfortable.  Allow the upper arms to hang straight down from the shoulder sockets (as opposed to leaning back away from the ball). With your palms together you need two measurements; one from the middle of your palms vertically to the ground and second from the middle of your palms to the middle of the ball. These give you two sides of a 90* triangle and from there it’s as simple as the Pythagorean Theorem  where A2 + B2 = C2. You have to add approximately 3” for the remaining part of your palm but the equation for length would be: Length = Square Root(AxA + BxB) + 3”
 
Many of you will find your putter is too long and almost all of you will find your putter to be too flat. That is when you set up to your new length the heel of the putter will be off the ground. You will need to have your lie angle reset but knowing the formula for that is also a post for another time.
 
Off the rack putters are overwhelmingly 35” in length (some are 34”) with a lie angle (the angle of the shaft up from horizontal) of 71* and a loft of 4*.  This is the equivalent of all the shoe stores in the country carrying size 10 shoes with a few size 9’s.  It’s telling everyone, regardless of build, ratio, etc. that they should use the same putter and when you have trouble controlling your distance and ultimately making putts you’re told to practice more.  It’s a recipe for disaster, void of substance or understanding how the body and brain work together. It’s also one reason you are not lowering your scores. As I told one person with too many degrees on their wall; science works, but you have to utilize many sciences in this game and none of them take precedence over the brain body relationship. If they do take precedence, you won’t be playing very long because you’re soon going to damage something, most likely yourself. 
 
Getting the correct length of a putter will not itself make you a great putter. There are many other variables involved that also need to be in place. Understanding how your ability to improve your distance control is directly influenced by the length of a putter will at least allow you to stop looking in the mirror and blaming the person you see looking back at you. It makes you wonder if the person who came up with the phrase ‘It’s not the archer it’s the arrow’ was someone that didn’t understand what it took to improve the golfers they were working with; i.e. sometimes it is the arrow, NOT the archer because you will not ever control distance exceptionally well with a putter that is the wrong length.
 
SIDETRACK The term ‘science’ is one of the most overused words in golf today. When I hear someone say ‘This is science.’ I ask them ‘Which discipline of science?’ If they are smart enough to answer with ‘Physics’ or ‘Ophthalmology’ my next question is ‘Do you think there is only one science in the game of golf?’  Unequivocally the answer is ‘no’ because there are many sciences that are at work be it a swing, stroke, etc.  All of these sciences have to work in unison with one another or else the golfer or their game will wear out.  The golfer wears out physically through unnecessary wear and tear on their body and mentally through a limited return on their time investment; i.e. they don’t see improvement even after hours, months and years of work.  When proper instruction is given, it is done so with all these variables in mind and what will allow the golfer to improve in the quickest amount of time possible with the least amount of effort put in. It’s a phenomenon known as meta-learning.
 
Ask anyone what science is and you will often get a blank stare as a response. The simple answer is, science is a form of measurement. It measures something, like a golf swing, and gives feedback but that feedback is based on prior measurements and what is known at that given time. If a certain result happens enough it turns into the model or theory of the day and may even be passed as a law. Even laws are susceptible to flaw. Where would we be if Einstein hadn’t stepped outside of the known science of his day? If he would have listened to his contemporaries and other accepted norms in the scientific world at the time he never would have developed his theory of relativity (E=mc2).
 
One last thing about science. It is and can be a great thing that allows golfers, and society to continue to develop and reach new levels. However, science is a form of measurement where conclusions and predictions are developed. But what about the things that can’t be measured? Are we to dismiss them because we don’t know about them or how they can be measured?  In the opinion of this author this is where we come to the differences in science and applied science.  Science is what many believe the outcome will be, again based on past measurements and a measurement of past measurements to determine the outcome.  Applied science is the real-world application of the discipline its relating too; i.e. sometimes things happen outside of what everyone thinks and that happens when all the variables cannot be measured or are known. 
 
Science can be and is a great thing, don’t get me wrong.  It just isn’t the end all when it comes to golf or life and anyone that tells you it is hasn’t been around enough to see the flaw of their beliefs.  

Distance Control (Part I)
 
Due to circumstances outside the control of the maintenance crew and PGA Tour staff, the greens at recent PGA Tour events, namely the Players Championship, have received quite a bit of attention.  In particular, its effect on putting and even more so on green speed.  There are many theories in the golf world roaming around and some even attempt to back these theories up with big words such as ‘science’ or ‘scientific research’. These theories supposedly supported by scientific research fall well short in their ability to assist you in improving your putting. I will discuss these reasons throughout this post as well as discuss what it is that greatly enhances your ability to control distance at a level far greater than most in the golfing world, pro’s included.
 
‘What is the ideal speed for putting?’
As stated above many attempt to utilize the 17” past the hole theory and even worse, pass it off as ‘science’.  The first problem with this thought process is it has nothing to do with science.  It was formulated based off two variables that had nothing to do with science of any kind; these two items were green imperfections and the doughnut hole.  Green imperfections are something that will always be there, be they varying grass blade lengths, disturbed soil, organic matter of various kinds, etc. and attempting to create a speed theory and name it science due to organic material is erroneous by itself.  The doughnut hole is something that also fails the science test.  Hitting a ball hard enough to propel it down the slope and then up the slope of the mound created by foot traffic isn’t exactly scientific.  Given the fact these two items lack anything scientific to back them up leaves the idea that 17” past the hole is the ideal speed with more holes than a piece of Swiss cheese. 
 
If we look at another theory (the one used by one of the more popular green reading instructional schools today) their speed control is based on you being able to control your distance within a few inches of the hole on every putt.  Ben Crenshaw or Tiger Woods on their best days did not have that kind of ability. In fact, those with some of the finest touch in the world, oral surgeons that deal with finite nerve endings on a regular basis, don’t employ the type of touch this system advocates.  Is it any wonder why their calculations are off by up to 11% and when watching on tv a PGA Tour members ball will follow the blue line all the way to the hole yet miss?  It’s at this point I find it extremely funny that the golf telecast commentator, who has built up the emotional response of the viewer while the ball is traveling to the hole only to see it miss, is left speechless.
 
Don’t get me wrong, these theories and all others have good intentions when it comes to telling you the ideal speed for putting but we all know where roads paved with good intentions lead. For any of you who have attempted to adhere to these theories and are still lacking in your ability to putt at an extraordinarily high level let me shed some light on it for you, these theories are seriously faulted. 
 
If a theory is to claim ‘science’ as its proof that the system works it first has to understand there are many disciplines of science that come into play and utilizing one or two sciences does not make ideal speed nor does it allow the individual to understand, comprehend and implement ideal speed.  All it does is leave you, the golfer, searching and the golfers age old adage of ‘I just need to work on it more.’ Let me explain something, if you have been working on it for more than a few days or weeks and haven’t seen enough improvement that when asked ‘Is it working?’ the answer isn’t unequivocally ‘Yes’ than that theory is most likely flawed.
 
(SIDETRACK) Improvement of the slightest kind can lead one to assume such improvement will continue and when such improvement fails to follow the original the golfer is left to ponder ‘why did the improvement stop?’ The usual response given by the person who instructed them with faulty ‘science’ is ‘You need to work at it more.’  There was a bit of improvement but it is indeterminable if the improvement was the result of more practice or the efficacy of what was being taught.  If you do something enough times you will improve but that does not mean the fashion (or in golfs case the instructors theory) in which you used to become better was the determining factor for the improvement.  This is more easily understood with weight loss. You can lose weight by simply not eating or eating only salad and many people under such a diet do indeed lose weight. However, in doing so the question becomes what is the nutritional deficiency you are now forced to operate under; meaning not eating or eating only salad is far from optional and it is perceived to be an improvement from where the person started.  The same thing happens with putting.
 
This leaves us with what sciences are needed, how are they to be understood and utilized so we can determine what the ideal speed is and how you can achieve it on a consistent basis, even on the days you are ‘off’.  Physics obviously plays a part as does physiology and how your body moves biomechanically. You can’t leave out the most important piece of the puzzle, the brain. Let’s start with the simplest of things on this list, physics.
 
Keep in mind the diameter of a golf ball is 1.68” which would make one full revolution of a ball very close to 5.25”.  The ideal speed for putting would be the ball either creeping up to the edge of the hole and tumbling in or go into the hole with enough speed that if missed would allow it to roll up to 21” past the hole but not further.  These speeds would be between 1 rps (revolution per second) and 4 rps.  (4 rps X 5.25”/revolution = 21”).  These are the ideal speeds for two reasons: 1) The hole is at its widest at 1rps due to the ball being able to fall in the front edge (let’s call it 6 o’clock), slightly off to the sides (either 5 o’clock or 7 o’clock) more off to the sides (8 or 4) and so on.  For large breaking putts it may even fall into the hole at 1 or 11 depending on the slope.  As the ball increases in speed the effective size of the hole becomes smaller. For example, if a ball is traveling at 6 rps the size of the hole is reduced because the speed will not allow enough of the ball to fall below the top edge of the hole to allow it to fall in.  A ball rolling at 1rps will tumble into the hole and land somewhere close to the front edge of the cup, closest to the golfer, at 2rps it will fall just shy of the center of the cup, 3rps just beyond the center of the cup and 4rps it will hit slightly up the back wall of the cup.  As you get into 5rps+ where the ball falls into the cup moves higher and higher on the hole until it gets to a point where 51% or more of the ball does not fall below the rim which doesn’t’ allow the ball to fall in.  In fact, 9rps is the maximum a ball can be traveling (on a flat putt) and still fall into the hole (it usually hits the back edge, pops up into the air and falls into the cup, hopefully).  You can make putts at 5rps+ but again, the hole becomes smaller for each incremental speed you increase, up to 9rps. When a putt is going 5rps+ and you miss it also moves you farther away from the hole on a miss; i.e. 7rps X 5.25”/revolution = 36.75” from the hole or more than 3’.  This brings into play a lot of other things, most importantly the brain and the psychological side of putting.
 
Humans have a natural tendency known as fear. While many may view fear as a character flaw it is one of the human characteristics that has allowed us to evolve as a species over the millennia.  Those that didn’t fear lions or bears centuries ago most likely never got the chance to elaborate on their lack of this emotion because they didn’t live long enough to do so; i.e. they didn’t run away and as a result were eaten.  As it relates to putting, fear plays a big role, especially when it comes to putts you think you should make on a regular basis, regardless of how much that thought process might be skewed. 
 
(SIDETRACK) Many amateurs believe the pro’s make every putt they take from inside of 8’-10’ which is hardly the case. However, when they watch golf telecasts on the weekends they see exactly that, each pro on tv making all their 8’-10’ putts. What they don’t realize, even though it is quite obvious, is the same golfers are not making the 8’-10’ putts every week. It’s only the leaders that are doing so.  The pro that made all the putts of this length last week might not have made any this week and is likely to be the reason you don’t see them on tv this week. In fact, the average amount of putts it takes a PGA Tour pro from 8’ is 1.5 putts.  From 10’ it increases to 1.61 putts (for more see Mark Broadies statistics on Putts Gained: Measuring Putting on the PGA Tour).
 
While many amateurs think they should make every putt inside this distance the fear factor kicks in when they start thinking ‘What if I miss?’  and herein lies the problem.  The fear factor of what others will think of them for not doing something they think they should be able to do (making a short putt) can be overwhelming.  However, when the distance of putt is greatly reduced the fear is all but eliminated, even for some of the worst golfers.  The distance this fear seems to be at a crossing point just so happens to be slightly shy of 2’ or better put, 21”.  Is it any coincidence that 21” also happens to be 4rps? 

(SIDETRACK) The phrase ‘in the leather’ for giving putts at one time referred to putts in the leather measured by the length of the grip which is approximately 10”. At some point in time someone thought it would be a good idea to change the measured distance from the putter head (usually placed in the hole) to the bottom of the grip, approximately 25”+ and just outside of the ‘oh shit’ zone mentioned above. I’m certain whoever came up with this new measurement system suffered from a severe case of ‘What do my friends think of me?’
 
The next question related to distance control is how can a golfer dial in their distance and allow the ball to be between 1rps and 4rps?  The answer to that question is it’s already built into your system whether you realize it or not.  But you will have to wait until next time to find out.
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