Thoughts about the weight shift during putting

[Mike C]

Yesterday when I was warming up for my round I noticed something in regards to putting. I've thought about it before but today it all became really obvious to me for some reason.

There is a lot of talk about strong arming, the hit, follow through and using your entire body when it comes to drives, but the same is rarely true for putts.

I think a lot of us are "strong arming" our putts, myself included.

What I noticed essentially boils down to this. If I feel strain in my wrist or forearm as I release a putt, I know I did not use my entire body and I strong armed the putt. If I feel no strain in my arm muscles it means I utilized my legs and my core to power the putt.

There are multiple benefits to learning how to do this, namely less strain on your throwing arm and increased accuracy. I felt a confidence I hadn't felt in a while since these early winter winds started gusting, and today I sank a lot of 30-40' putts and a 60' jump putt focusing on not strong arming the putt, putting me at double digits under par for my 19 hole round.

Try some putts and see if you can feel it. A lot of players, again myself included, will spring from their legs, have a slight pause, then shoot the putter out with their arm. That hesitation in the form breaks your bodies momentum and forces you to strong arm the putt. When your movements are synchronized and you flow, using your entire body to power the putt, even a 50' putt should feel effortless to drain as far as your arm muscles are concerned.

Remember, the arm should guide the putt more than it powers it.

I hope this makes sense. If there is interest I'll consider doing a video!

 

[Smigles]

I dont know about spin putting, but for Feldi style push putting, very much of the energy comes from your back ( well, core ) and your back leg.

 

[Tpro]

Yes

 

[Okie-J]

Yeah. Talking of flow....

I tell myself 'Be like water' when I practice in my backyard and I feel myself getting jerks or stops in the putting motion.

The putts really do start to become very effortless and on target.

 

[tkupsc]

"When your movements are synchronized and you flow, using your entire body to power the putt, even a 50' putt should feel effortless to drain as far as your arm muscles are concerned." --Mike C

I see so many people (mostly relative newbies, and including myself) that can putt fairly well inside 30 feet, but make very few outside of that range. In my case, I believe that imperfect timing and sync are to blame. I know that the answer is to keep practicing, but are there any particular drills that help with timing?

 

[ViolaBouquet]

It's all about your body movement. The same reason people use the rest of their body in boxing, basketball, football, baseball, tennis, etc. Imagine any of those sports with everyone standing still.

 

[Jouni]

I have thought about this also for a couple days now. I push putt, and with straight arm I just can't get enough power to effortlessly putt without incorporating my full body, unless I putt with huge arc. This is true even from 5 meters or so. With "strong arming" I tend to miss low and feel like I'm putting with maximum power. But then if you really focus on pushing on your back leg etc, whole motion feels effortless. But then I tend to miss high as the timing of the release becomes harder. I noticed today that keeping my elbow slightly bent makes my whole hand more relaxed and it also gives small amount of extra forward momentu into the release point, making the whole motion much more straighforward and fluid. On the otherhand, this makes me miss bit more left and right due to the extra moving part...

 

[DiscgolfZen]

I have noticed the same thing, as far as arm strain usually misses or inconsistency. Using every ounce of energy from a larger source, legs, core, rocking momentum and timing is efficient and there is probably some zen like effect as well as the synchronicity of the body, the shot and the putt is enhanced. Practicing that seems to come down to the individual parts of it to create the whole process. Or not.

 

[Kenny53691]

I noticed that I was doing the same thing earlier this year when I was working that the "Mark Elllis putting program". I still see myself going back to my old habbits, but at least I'm aware of it so I can fix it before it too late.

 

[BirdieMachine]

I agree with the OP. When I get off is when I start arming the putt instead of using the whole body.

Good tips.

 

[Jesterian]

Gotta agree. The fact is, throwing a disc less than 60 feet doesn't take a whole lot of effort. It's easy to convince yourself it does, though.

 

[HyzerUniBomber]

I also just finished the Mark Ellis 30 days of putting and one thing that it showed me is the importance of kicking my back leg out, especially from 30+. When I do that, it puts more force into the putt - allowing it to require less arc in the trajectory.

The weakness of the program is that it didn't directly improve my 50' putts because I couldn't really get consistency past 30', so I did zero 50' putts. Indirectly it improves my putts because I'm doing way more things right at 30 that I'm trying to do at 50.

Jesterian - I ALWAYS go for the chains in a friendly game, even if it costs me... it's how I feel like I"m improving. Chain high and falling is what I'm shooting for.

 

[Uncle Dougie]

I know alot of people will frown on this but I'm most consistent with anny putts. When I'm in the dumps with my putting and I yank out the practice basket my anny putts with stable putters (ridges) are my most consistent putts. I can't seem to make anything else work.

 

[Moonshine]

Lot's of great putters use that technique my man. Nothing to frown about.

 

[Okie-J]

Anny putts are what I strive for.

When I'm fully in the zone and rattling the chains like a ninja most of my putts will hit the pole right before they come out of anny or right after.

 

[HyzerUniBomber]

I know alot of people will frown on this but I'm most consistent with anny putts. When I'm in the dumps with my putting and I yank out the practice basket my anny putts with stable putters (ridges) are my most consistent putts. I can't seem to make anything else work.

I don't know why anybody would frown on what works for you? Everybody is built different, trying to force a one-size-fits-all putt onto everybody is crazy.

 

[Van1]

There was a video on one of the putting threads that drove home the point about using your entire body for putting as well as driving that helped me when I was just starting practice putting. Maybe someone knows which one I am talking about and has a link. I can't find it...

 

[Druid]

I'd like to see a video. I'm pretty sure the reson some of my putts leap out of my hand an soar at the basket, and some just flop out of my hand like a dead fish, is the proper weight shift. Either way, I'll keep it in mind next time I'm out practicing.

 

[thisislorenb]

I noticed when i putt well i can feel the energy come all the way up from my feet, through my legs and core, down my arm and BAM out the hand nice and clean no wobble dead on perfect weight shift.

 

[tomsdiscs]

Watch Paul McBeth, he starts his setup by grinding his back foot into the dirt so he has a good point to push off of, then his move starts with pushing off his back foot and that energy moves up into the disc so he has momentum and just needs to use his touch to control the path he is releasing the putt on.

Try making a broom handle stand up on end. If it is leaning back it will fall back, if it is leaning forward it will fall forward, your whole body should be oriented forward with a touch of momentum and as you push off your back foot, then the putter just moves on the down line. But remember, do not stand up straight, bend knees, hips, etc. when you stand up straight your arm has resistance when trying to raise up, leaning forward frees your arm to swing like a pendulum........to understand this better, put your other hand on your shoulder and feel how the deltoids get engaged when raising your arm up when standing up straight, you do not want that resistance, you want a swinging arm and you always want to follow thru, make sure your putting hand always ends up above your nose, above you nose, above you nose...

Here is Mr McBeth:

A long jump putt, but still demonstrates the principles, look at his BACK FOOT ON THE SETUP, notice the forward momentum he has -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSKuKFbrO4E&feature=c4-overview&list=UUy1Rr-GkiL8vlPApKsw6SuA