Is it a common fault to swing your putter 'outside the line'??

[Orikoru]

Early in the year I had a bit of a putting meltdown, and eventually I read a couple of books on putting and ultimately decided to forget everything technical and just go back to picking a target and hitting the ball. Works better than overthinking it, but I have a slight technical error that's bugging me.

Let's say if you're a straight-back-and-through type putting you swing back from the ball at 3 o'clock angle, and if you're an arc putter you swing it back at kind of 4 o'clock - I've noticed that quite often I swing back and it almost goes up and out at more like 2 o'clock! Causing me problems as I either have to kind of loop the putter back to square, which sometimes results in an almost draw-like toey putt; or if I don't correct it it's a straight pull left.

I always used to have an arc-swing (last putter fitting was a lot of years ago now though) so I've always had slight toe-hang putters - in this situation probably not helping. I try and tuck my elbows in and think about swinging more on the arc, but this used to be natural and I don't really like having technical thoughts when I'm putting.

Is this a common problem and is there a good fix for it? Can't do claw grip, have tried and it was woeful.

 

[Crow]

Take your hands/wrists out of it and just rock your shoulders, very hard to swing the putter outside the line then.

 

[pendodave]

could you put, say, a shoebox just outside to help you grove an inside or straight back stroke? Or even tee pegs?
Video to check what you are actually doing is probably a good idea as well.

 

[Orikoru]

Take your hands/wrists out of it and just rock your shoulders, very hard to swing the putter outside the line then.

Easier said than done!

could you put, say, a shoebox just outside to help you grove an inside or straight back stroke? Or even tee pegs?
Video to check what you are actually doing is probably a good idea as well.

Guess I could try something like that.. in the 5 minute putting warm-ups before playing, ha. Cheers.

 

[azazel]

Stand a bit further away from the ball, then you won't be able to "reach" outside the line.

 

[CountLippe]

Practice without a ball, swinging between 2 tees just wider than your putter. Find whats comfortable.

 

[Orikoru]

Stand a bit further away from the ball, then you won't be able to "reach" outside the line.

Hmm, that's interesting. My old putter (replaced over two years ago) had a much flatter lie angle so I genuinely was slightly further from the ball. But I actually saw it as a positive that the new one was slightly more upright and being able to get nearer the ball. Perhaps I've overcompensated.

 

[clubchamp98]

Hmm, that's interesting. My old putter (replaced over two years ago) had a much flatter lie angle so I genuinely was slightly further from the ball. But I actually saw it as a positive that the new one was slightly more upright and being able to get nearer the ball. Perhaps I've overcompensated.

Get a putting mirror.
if your other putter was flatter your eye position might have moved.