Putting Archives - Larry Rinker Golf

Rinker’s Golf Tips Mike Shannon Top 100 Teacher

LarryRinkerGolf — Tue, 03 Feb 2015 02:45:21 +0000

Rinker’s Golf Tips Mike Shannon Top 100 Teacher and putting expert got into golf by caddying at a new golf course where he grew up in western North Carolina. “After 23 years of teaching putting I’ve concluded that every single player can putt as well as a Tour player but, in order to do that, there are certain commonalities of great putters with number one being able to aim the putter correctly. If you aim poorly then you will have to manipulate your stroke and anytime you manipulate the putter, that hole keeps getting deeper, and deeper, and deeper.” A caller asked about the grooves on a putter which Mike described as a “friction face” and he did a study about eight years ago with a very high speed camera with identical putters except one had a smooth face and the other had a friction face. With the smooth faced putter the ball moved up the face and the ball came off like a knuckle ball. The groove faced putter held on to the golf ball and as soon as that ball left the face of the putter, it was already turning over. Mike likes the ball to start turning over right after it leaves the putter face because the ball will roll more accurately. That’s why we are seeing less loft in putters today. They actually found that when a smooth faced putter hit the ball with an open club face, the ball slid more to the right than with the friction faced putter.

We had another caller ask about face-balanced putters vs toe hang and Mike said, “There is a natural straight back and straight through putting stroke because of the incline of the shaft at address which creates a slight arc. A perfect face rotation would be the putter open four degrees and close four degrees with a six inch follow through. We are not machines and the average college player has a total of 24-28 degrees of rotation where on Tour that is six to twelve degrees.” Face balanced putters will reduce rotation so if you are pulling putts this could help you to make more putts. However, if your putter doesn’t rotate enough, then you need a toe hang putter. Have to get a putter that matches your stroke. “Anytime manipulation is a part of the stroke, we are never going to putt as well as we should.”

Linear vs non-linear: “One of the first projects that I was involved with, when I really started to move in the direction of being a putting instructor, was that I worked with seven optometrists on the role that the eyes played in aiming a putter,” Mike said. This took a year and a half and they started with a ten foot straight putt because they assumed if they could get a player to aim well on a straight putt, then as they read the break of a putt, there would be no problem for them to aim at the point where they want the ball to start on a breaking putt. One of the first players they worked with was Mark O’Meara and he was one of the best aimers on a straight putt that they had ever seen. However, on a breaking putt, he read 6” of break and aimed 12” to the right on a right to left putt, and did the same thing on a left to right putt. Payne Stewart had exactly the same results as did Stuart Appleby. So the group turned their focus to breaking putts and concluded there were two kinds of players on the PGA Tour; Analytical or left brain players and more freedom players or right brain. Left brain saw straight lines and were linear, and right brain saw curved lines and were non-linear. So O’Meara, Stewart, and Appleby saw their aim point as the end of the putt or stopping 6” to the right of the hole. Non-linear players look at the hole and picture where the ball is going into the cup, say 4:00, with the feel in their body. If non-linear players have a line on their ball and or putter, it actually creates a conflict between that player’s sense of sight, touch, and feel. As a result they get caught up in this conflict and just don’t make as many putts as they should. For linear players it’s ok to have a line on their ball and putter because they see straight lines and there is no conflict. “65% of the population is non-linear with 50% of that group trying to putt in straight lines and struggling. Tour players are 85% non-linear and 70% of that group is trying to use the linear approach. Good putters know which one they are.” Mike Shannon can be reached at the Sea Pines Golf Learning Center at 912-638-5119.

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January Golf Tip Putting Rinker Five Fundamentals

LarryRinkerGolf — Sat, 18 Jan 2014 21:44:00 +0000

Many people have come to me for help with their putting. To putt well you need to master four things: 1 Set-up, 2 path and clubface, 3 rhythm and tempo, and 4 mental focus. Over the years I have had to continually work on all four of these skills sets to improve my putting. When I had the yips in college and also when I fist turned pro (yes I had them twice), my mental focus was the issue. I had to change what success meant, and in college, that was a smooth stroke where the ball rolled nicely. At least the ball now had a chance to go in the hole. Then I had to work on my path because I was cutting my putts. I remember hitting 50 putts every night in a track to get my stroke more straight back and straight through. My first year on Tour, I struggled with the speed of the greens, and finally realized that I was decelerating with my putter. I shortened my backstroke, and worked on my rhythm and tempo to be able to putt Tour speed greens more aggressively. Lastly I had to keep an eye on repeating a consistent set-up. In 1990 my dad and I worked on maintaining the fundamentals of a solid set-up, and I led the Tour in putting. I’ve pretty much been a good putter ever since. If you are struggling with your putting, identify one skill set that you think would help your putting the most, and work on that.

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USGA bans anchored putting effective 2016

LarryRinkerGolf — Wed, 22 May 2013 20:58:00 +0000

USGA bans anchored putting effective 2016. Tuesday, May 21, the USGA announced that anchored putting will no longer be allowed effective January 1, 2016. The R&A also concurred. In the face of opposition from the PGA Tour and the PGA of America, the USGA went forward with adopting the new rule. After the announcement both the PGA Tour and PGA of America in effect responded with no comment, and stated they will be reviewing, digesting, and discussing internally within their respective boards and with members of their organizations. Here are the highlights from the press conference.

“Rule 14-1b protects one of the most important challenges in the game of golf: the free swing of the entire club. The traditional stroke involves swinging the club with both the club and the gripping hands held away from the body, requiring the player to direct and control the movement of the entire club. Anchoring is different. Intentionally securing one end of the club against the body and creating a point of physical attachment around which the club is swung is a substantial departure from the traditional free swing.

Rule 14-1b eliminates the potential advantages that anchoring creates, such as making the stroke simpler and more repeatable, restricting the movement and the rotation of the hands, the arms and the clubface, creating a fixed pivot point, and creating extra support and stability that may diminish the effects of nerves and pressure, that anchoring provides these potential advantages is confirmed by those who play, teach and observe the game.

The notion that a Rules change must be made soon after an issue is identified or else be considered forever foreclosed, regardless of negative effects on the game, is contrary to the history and the needs of the game. Many Rules revisions have occurred only long after an issue was first identified, such as the changes related croquet style putting, the 14 club maximum, and the stymie.” Mike Davis, Executive Director USGA.

USGA president Glenn Nager said at Tuesday’s news conference in Far Hills, N.J., “It’s important to understand that the playing rules of golf are not based on statistical studies, they’re based upon judgments that define the game and its intended challenges. One of those challenges is to control the entire club and the swing, and anchoring alters that challenge. Moreover, the issue here is not whether anchoring provides a statistical demonstrable advantage to the average golfer or on every stroke or in every circumstance. What matters here is whether by diminishing obstacles inherent in the traditional stroke, anchoring may advantage some players at some times. Statistics are not necessary to resolve that issue.”

“We ask that all join with us now in moving forward for the good of the game.” Mike Davis

It will be interesting to see who will pursue legal action leading up to the effective date of January 1, 2016. My hope is that those golfers, who use an anchored putting style, will keep the game enjoyable during the transition from anchored putters to a non-anchored stroke. I look forward to helping you with your game.

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What Putter To Choose With New Putter Rules?

LarryRinkerGolf — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 00:40:00 +0000

What Putter To Choose With New Putter Rules? The USGA recently announced a proposed rule change that would prohibit anchoring the club in making a stroke, effective January 1, 2016. This would allow for a transitional period, where-in anchored belly and long putters would remain as conforming clubs till then. The proposed new Rule would not alter current equipment rules and would allow the continued use of all conforming golf clubs, including belly-length and long putters, provided such clubs are not anchored during a stroke. For those of you using a belly-length or long putter, not anchoring it would most likely affect the lie of the putter and the shaft angle, making the putter not perform as well as it does being anchored.

So, if you decide to try a new putter that would be conforming in 2016 what are your options?

Fist off you would want to determine what the best putter length is for you. Raymond Floyd used a fairly long putter in the 1980’s and didn’t anchor it. This allowed his back to be more upright at address and he was able to practice longer without his back hurting. Secondly you would want to get the lie angle of the putter correct with the length that you are using. I see people all the time who have a putter that is too flat for the way they set up and the length of the putter. Thirdly I would get the grip size of the putter comfortable in your hands, because now you are most likely going to have both hands on the putter. I’m not a fan of the thick grips and prefer a normal width putter grip with just one wrap of tape.

What about a new stroke and rhythm?

With the anchored putters, many golfers used a pendulum rhythm stroke. With the putter anchored, once you ended your back stroke, you could let go of the putter and it would seemingly swing through. With a normal length putter, pendulum rhythm is not the best rhythm. I like to see the forward stroke faster than the back stroke. In pendulum rhythm, the amount of time for the back stroke and the forward stroke is similar. I’m not a fan of the heavy putters because once again they tend to promote pendulum rhythm. My old 8802 was probably a B-8 swing weight and my Scotty Cameron is about a C-8, so you don’t want to go too heavy.

What’s the best putter to choose?

I like a putter that is heel shafted or close to that and a little offset. That allows the toe of the putter to release going through. I’m not a fan of face balanced putters or back-weighted putters. Both of those promote a pendulum type rhythm. The most copied putter in golf is the Ping Answer. I’ve used a Scotty Cameron Newport putter since 1998 that is a close copy of the Answer. The Newport II, that Tiger used for many of his wins, is a close copy of the Answer 2. There are many putters out there that are similar to these. Find one that looks good to you, and one that you are able to control the distance with. I hope this helps. Thanks.

Larry

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Putting

LarryRinkerGolf — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 01:39:00 +0000

Putting There have been many articles and books written recently about putting that claim, “If you misaim the putter face, there must be some manipulation of the stroke.” They also claim that this leads to cycles of putting. You may putt very well for awhile, but the negative phase of the cycle tends to be a lot longer than the positive phase.

A putting stroke is a miniature golf swing. Most guys on TOUR aim a little left or a little right and curve the ball into the target with their natural swing. I wouldn’t call that manipulating. Let’s explore this so-called theory of alignment and manipulation.

The truth is if you aim at your target you need a stroke that starts the ball at your target. If your natural stroke starts the ball a little left of your alignment and you aim right to accompany your stroke, you would have to change your natural stroke to align directly at your target.

I see a lot of young competitive golfers now who have a line on their putter and a line on their ball to help them line up their putts. Again, all of this assumes that they can repeat a stroke that aims exactly at the target. Maybe I repeat my stroke better when I pull the ball slightly. Many of you have seen Dave Pelz’s system that says that almost all golfers don’t read enough break and either pull or push the ball to the line they need to make the putt.

I know that I under read my putts but I don’t worry about it because I putt by feel. I like the feeling of pulling my ball up the side-slope on a left to right putt and holding the ball against the slope on my right to left putts. The most important thing in putting is to put the ball in the hole.

If I changed my alignment, putt a line on my ball and putter, and changed my stroke would I be a better putter? I doubt it because that’s a lot of thinking and manipulating to change what I do naturally. Right before I take the putter back, my eyes are looking at the ball, and my hands know where the target is. Why have I been a great putter? Because I putt by feel and trust that I’m going to make the putt. It doesn’t matter where you aim as long as you are connected to your target. Your body knows how to find the target if it’s not interrupted by the mind.

Most people putt poorly because they don’t trust or believe that they are a good putter. Then they go from new putters to new grips to new methods all in the hope that they will be able to make that five-footer on 18 more often. It’s hard to trust when you are over thinking and manipulating everything. How many times do you make that slap back putt or the one after your playing partner says, “That’s good.”

So stop overanalyzing your aim and technique, and find out how you would putt if, right before you took it back you said, “That’s good.”

Larry Rinker PGA TOUR Putting Leader 1990

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