So I guess my question is: Blake, you've mastered this technique but do you resort to other techniques in certain situations? Do you feel that its a good or bad thing to use multiple putting platforms or should you just stick to one?
the secret technique is just releasing the disc from a consistent spot on the disc and that it should be beyond 3 o'clock. the easiest way to get this consistent release is to short arm the putt. it doesn't really matter how you power it, you should ideally be proficient at all of them, being able to generate the same kind of wrist extension/finger spring regardless of what arm motion you use. people get shocked when i give a putting lesson because i'll step up and nail like 8 putts in a row all 8 of which i used a completely different putting motion (and i'll even throw some left-foot forward putts to show just how unimportant stance is... i usually bust this out when people think the straddle stance is magical).
i can putt horseshoe style, straight pitch, nose down pitch, nose up pitch, elbow extension putt from the chest flat, elbow extension anhyzer, ron russell throw, hyzer putt with fade, stall putt with fade, straight hyzer putt, tons of variations on nose up putts (using anhyzer to keep it flying straight, generating force to keep it holding forward, kind of like an air bounce approach) etc.
i can putt with square shoulders, off-set shoulders, perpendicular shoulders, shoulders closed at the start, etc. i can hit ~70% or better from 25' with pretty much every style when i'm warmed up.
you have to make adjustments constantly on the course. yes, when i putt uphill i use more of a thrust/throw from the chest with my shoulders squared up. when i putt downhill i tend to straddle putt with a straight pitch. into the wind i use a little flat 6" flip from the belt. on a low celing putt i will putt from 1 knee or use a lower starting point and a more offset stance. etc. you should be proficient at nearly everything if you give stuff enough practice.
in the long run, as you develop a solid stroke you learn the inherent strengths/weaknesses of each style of POWERING the putt. the release stays the same (extended wrist, on plane, etc.).
my latest mess around putt i call the flip dick putt. you take a straddle stance and hold the putter in front of your junk with your hand at 3 o'clock. then you do a jump straddle and basically flip the putter upwards with a 6" motion and a rotation of the hand to 6 o'clock. i can putt from about 60' with this style, generally throwing a 10-20' high nose down tower that drops straight at the basket with less than 1' of fade. it's not really practical, more of something to mess around with and prove a point.
the release is the magic.
