Arc putting swing?

[Beezerk]

Good or bad?
I was messing with a putter at home last night while stood on a laminate floor, I noticed I take the putter back on the inside and arc a fair bit when coming back through.
Should I be working on a more neutral putter stroke as if so what drills would you suggest?

 

[bobmac]

Good or bad?
I was messing with a putter at home last night while stood on a laminate floor, I noticed I take the putter back on the inside and arc a fair bit when coming back through.
Should I be working on a more neutral putter stroke as if so what drills would you suggest?

An arc is only square to the target once, at one point, unless you sway.
Keep your hips still, check the ball is below your eyes and rock your shoulders.

 

[Beezerk]

Thanks Bobmac, I’ll try that tonight to see if it has any effect on my swing ?

 

[SocketRocket]

How good a putter are you?

 

[chrisd]

Strange! The video says "putting with a chair" yet surprisingly you use a putter instead ?

 

[Beezerk]

How good a putter are you?

I’d say I’m reasonable, depends on the game as I can be a bit blasé at times. I do pull and push the odd putt though but not too often.
Why?

 

[Maninblack4612]

John Jacobs was once asked what, in retrospect, he would have done to improve his game. He said that he would stop trying to swing the putter up & down the line & let it swing on a shallow arc. A mate of mine, a good golfer, advised keeping the putter low to the ground. However, if you look at the pros on TV when they show a close up down the line shot, you can see the putter coming quite high off the green, in a shallow arc. The putter comes naturally inside when swinging back & I think it's wrong to fight that.

 

[Biggleswade Blue]

My putting improved significantly when I started putting with an arc rather than straight up and down the line. I had a lesson, and the pro (who has been influenced by John Jacobs) got me to try the arc, and, with practice, I have seen benefits. It has helped both line and pace, as I feel I hit the ball more consistently because I'm not fighting the putter - it feels more natural.

 

[bobmac]

John Jacobs was once asked what, in retrospect, he would have done to improve his game. He said that he would stop trying to swing the putter up & down the line & let it swing on a shallow arc. A mate of mine, a good golfer, advised keeping the putter low to the ground. However, if you look at the pros on TV when they show a close up down the line shot, you can see the putter coming quite high off the green, in a shallow arc. The putter comes naturally inside when swinging back & I think it's wrong to fight that.

Try standing a foot further away from the ball than normal and make your stroke, of course there's going to be an arc. But stand with your eyes above the ball the arc will naturally disappear, there is no fighting required

 

[Orikoru]

Doesn't everyone naturally have a slight arc, due to the physical nature of your arms being attached to your body? Surely to swing the putter head in a perfectly straight line, you'd almost have to push your hands away from yourself a little bit on the backswing and on the end of the follow-through? I think it would feel unnatural like you were forcing it not to arc.

You just need to try and make sure it's square at the point you hit the ball?

 

[SocketRocket]

I’d say I’m reasonable, depends on the game as I can be a bit blasé at times. I do pull and push the odd putt though but not too often.
Why?

Only if you're good at putting then don't change it.

 

[Maninblack4612]

Try standing a foot further away from the ball than normal and make your stroke, of course there's going to be an arc. But stand with your eyes above the ball the arc will naturally disappear, there is no fighting required

(In the past) "I had let myself be influenced by some of the scores of clichés that attach to putting 'method'. The two most damaging in my case were 'Take the putter straight back along the line' and 'Keep the putter head low to the ground'" ("Play Better Golf with John Jacobs"). And he, like you, Bob advocated having the head directly above the ball.

"Because you are to the side of the ball when you hit it, the swing has to happen in a round circular motion" ("The Art of Putting", Stan Utley) Stan Utley holds the record (7) for fewest putts in 9 holes on the PGA tour.

I agree that, the more upright the swing, the shallower the arc is, but it's always there.

 

[clubchamp98]

If I do what Bob suggests ( eyes over ball) I find the spot I pick to hit over looks to be going miles left.
This is an eyesight error and is the main problem I have in lining up.
This goes through my whole bag, it’s always been a problem.
I used to be eyes over the ball and was fitted for a face balanced putter.
Watched a vid on YouTube by Mike Malaska saying you need to move your head until the spot looks inline.
I have found this very hard to do.
So I now have a slight arc putter and don’t pick a spot on the green.
I have putted better doing this and just let my eyes look at the hole to get a line.

 

[Jensen]

An arc is only square to the target once, at one point, unless you sway.
Keep your hips still, check the ball is below your eyes and rock your shoulders.

If that’s the case, then why are there face balanced putters and counter balance putters ?

 

[bobmac]

Face balanced putters suit this technique but like the weight, length, style, face etc, it's all a matter of preference.

 

[SocketRocket]

If I do what Bob suggests ( eyes over ball) I find the spot I pick to hit over looks to be going miles left.
This is an eyesight error and is the main problem I have in lining up.
This goes through my whole bag, it’s always been a problem.
I used to be eyes over the ball and was fitted for a face balanced putter.
Watched a vid on YouTube by Mike Malaska saying you need to move your head until the spot looks inline.
I have found this very hard to do.
So I now have a slight arc putter and don’t pick a spot on the green.
I have putted better doing this and just let my eyes look at the hole to get a line.

I think it's important when you look up at the target you don't turn your head around but tilt your eyes upward so they stay on the line. Hope that makes sense as it not easy to explain.

 

[clubchamp98]

I think it's important when you look up at the target you don't turn your head around but tilt your eyes upward so they stay on the line. Hope that makes sense as it not easy to explain.

Thanks for that advice.
At adress the spot looks miles left before I look at the target.
It’s a problem I have always had.
If I draw my head inside the line ( towards my chest) it looks online.
But it puts me in a very awkward putting position.

In my long game I don’t look at the target once I have taken my stance .
I just trust my PSR & club and hit over my spot.

Putting is another story, and has always been my weak part of the game.
Length is great but line is inconsistent.

 

[mikejohnchapman]

If that’s the case, then why are there face balanced putters and counter balance putters ?

It was interesting, when I went for a putter fitting, I had assumed my arc putting stroke would determine it needed a toe-weighted putter (just like the ones I always use). However, there was no discernible difference to my arc when we tried face balanced heads and measured them using a SAM Lab system.

Another urban myth got exploded.

 

[Region3]

If I do what Bob suggests ( eyes over ball) I find the spot I pick to hit over looks to be going miles left.
This is an eyesight error and is the main problem I have in lining up.
This goes through my whole bag, it’s always been a problem.
I used to be eyes over the ball and was fitted for a face balanced putter.
Watched a vid on YouTube by Mike Malaska saying you need to move your head until the spot looks inline.
I have found this very hard to do.
So I now have a slight arc putter and don’t pick a spot on the green.
I have putted better doing this and just let my eyes look at the hole to get a line.

Just a suggestion…..

I am exactly the same; no matter where I move my head in relation to the ball - ie over it or however far inside - I can’t get an intermediate spot to look right.

Then I saw a video suggesting that as well as moving in and out from the ball, also try changing the amount your head is tilting down towards the ball ie altering the angle between the back of your head and your spine.

Doing this I can pick a line from behind the ball and have it look right when I’m over the ball. The stupid (?) thing is that I’m not comfortable doing it because I’ve become a decent-ish putter knowing I aim left when it looks straight and subconsciously push the ball the right amount!
I might try to change sometime but I know it will take a lot of practice for it to feel natural.

But worth a try (if you haven’t already) if you want to see down the right line from over the ball.