Inside Down the Line putting stroke

I purchased the Butch Harmon "Inside Down the Line Putting Track" training aid a while back and have been working on this stroke ever since.

Found it interesting that this is the stroke that Tiger uses:

http://www.golfdigest.com/video?videoID=32460330001

Too Much Information... All you have to do to make putts is start the ball on the line you are looking. Don't worry too much about mechanics because when the heat is on you can't be thinking about taking the putter inside then putting down the line. Pick a target and hit it here. simple as that.

Hopefully that's what will happen without thinking after a while.

I do agree though. When I'm putting my best (same with ball striking) I'm not thinking about anything. I'm just stroking the putt toward my target. Simple. But, when I'm not putting so well, I can't help but analyze every single thing about my stroke (or swing if I'm not swinging well).

So what's the verdict on this product? There were so many pros on the infomercial praising this thing (Nick Watney, Funk, Lehman, Angel Cabrera, Gulbis) that it's got my interest piqued.

Their website: http://www.momentusgolf.com/products/index.asp?id=2148

I like it. I don't know if it's any better than the other putting aids out there, but I like the idea behind this one. At one point I made 75 five footers in a row and 40 twenty footers. It does work, it's just a matter of doing it enough to ingrain the stroke permanently I think. I've got the short track and the longer original track. I'll sell you the long track if you would like? PM if interested.

In the video Momentus Golf CEO Jim Sorenson comments that in practice for trying to qualify for the Open he made 199 of 200 putts. I'd like to know how it actually translates on the course. How many putts did he have during the round?

For those of you who have one, how do you go when you practice without it? Anyone done the drill with the guide and then tried to do the same drill without the guide?

I pretty much totaly agree with that. i am a big believer in K.I.S.S...str8 back and str8 forward is perfect. the thing i thought was funny is you have 5 step swing thought listed on your post...but putting in simple?? LOL

Thought I'd resurrect this. Any new thoughts on this device? Thinking about trying it.

My god finally somebody says something that makes sense about putting on these boards.

I watched an infomercial for this and learned that my straight back/ straight through putting stroke isn't proper. Well, I'm sorry, but it's the most comfortable for me and although I don't drain them all, I'm sticking with it.

i used it too, but my muscle memory kicked in quick so i just stand over putts now and it's all automatic. my whole game is, i've never thought of my swing (technicality wise). the only thing i think of is how i may have to work the ball for a shot. but it all becomes automatic eventually. good luck!

Just different theories on the putting stroke. Some think a straight back and straight through stroke is best while others believe the putting stroke is like a mini golf swing where the putter as to travel to the inside on the backstroke and then back to the inside (or even down the line) on the through stroke.

I've messed with both strokes and what I've found is that what I feel like is straight back and straight through, actually isn't. If you set your putter down on a tile floor or something with a straight line. Line your putter's alignment line up with that straight line on the floor and then make a stroke. Take note of where the alignment line on your putter is in the backstroke in relation to the line on the floor. For me, even when I feel like I'm taking it straight back, my putter is still coming to the inside slightly. If I actually force myself to take the putter straight back, it feels like I'm actually pushing the putter outside the line. It really comes down to whatever feels comfortable to you.

it seems that david stockton is sitting in the sweet spot at the moment as far as helping with putting goes. i hesitate buying into the hype in general for different reasons, but here is couple youtube videos where he was discussing couple issues with a rep. of note, they were looking at initial ball spin right after impact and clubface angle away and back. even putter (i guess some putters give more optical illutions than others?). i think with any new swing changes or new gadgets, ideally, it will be good to get feedback more scientifically. i am not a big fan of stories where one beams about cutting how many strokes right after a switch. more info is needed: what happens to the next 20-40 games... one needs time to smooth out the different variables. besides, didn't pelz say something like, not all well struck putts go in and not all poorly struck putts miss...

in terms of straight back vs arch, recently stricker in golf digest revealed what he does. he changes between the 2 depending on the putting surface speed!!! fasting green: straight back. slower: arch through. so, diff strokes for diff folks,,,,,at different time?

i have seen jim flick's write up about tiger putting almost like a draw. but the story does not end right there, as with anything else in life. i have also seen tiger recently talking about for longer putts: when he did not putt well, he thought it was because he did not RELEASE the club, meaning, he did not let the club swing into inside naturally. the dichotomy of life.

http://www.••••••••••••••••••?v=vNelgVLhz00
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http://www.••••••••••••••••••?v=569s92AJs_Y
here is stockton putting: note he is standing open to the line, is that arch or straight...you tell me? doesn't matter. years of horning his skills allow him to arrive to this set up. unless we can copy every little thing he does, it may or may not be of help to our game, i think.

just noticed that those youtube feeds don't work. type in david stockton golf on youtube, you should be able to find them.

I really like what Dave Stockton has to say about the putting stroke. I've implemented a couple of his techniques (without knowing I did) and was putting a lot better. Yeah Stricker says he has a straight back and straight through putting stroke. I've never heard about his different stroke theory depending on the speed and line of the putter. Can't imagine myself being consistent doing that but he obviously is. There's a putting video on Golf Digest's online instruction section and they actually talk about Tiger's stroke and how he likes to feel that his stroke goes slightly inside the line and then straight down the line on the through stroke. The IDL Putting Track is endorsed by Butch Harmon who used to be Tiger's coach, so I wonder if Butch got the idea from Tiger's stroke or if Tiger's stroke was molded into what it is today by Butch and the whole IDL stroke was conceived by Butch initially? Or none of the above. lol

"Yeah Stricker says he has a straight back and straight through putting stroke. I've never heard about his different stroke theory depending on the speed and line of the putter. Can't imagine myself being consistent doing that but he obviously is."

i just looked up the article on stricker and duh, realized that the two verisons of putting that i thought i have read somewhere was not there, hehe. did i cross it with another pro? let me investigate further in the universe

tiger on nov/09 golfdigest page 28 said this: "bad habits can sneak back into your game like a recurring nightmare. that happens to me sometimes when i start missing left to right putts...nine times out of 10 it's because i am not releasing the putter through impact, not letting the putterhead track to the inside after impact. i am kind of push-putting instead of swinging on an arc."

one thing about arc is that we are all of different heights, but the arc (its radius) is fixed. therefore, someone may find the off the shelf arc natural to his physique, others may not. if not, to square the club down the line may not be natural...and therefore prone to misalignment during impact..me think.

Yeah, I had always heard that about Tiger's stroke as well. This video claims otherwise though: http://www.golfdigest.com/video?videoID=32460330001 Who knows what is the truth. With the Inside down the Line putting stroke, you still release the putter head, it's just not tracking back to the inside of the intended line.

concur that often it can be confusing when those good players or so called experts talk about one facet of a topic instead of providing the entire perspective. may be they want to keep the competition guessing also, they go through evolution as well,,,

notice that some players like tiger has developed a stroke that is quite abbreviated in the follow through phase, almost like knock and stop, esp with 6 footers or less. because of this abbreviated action after contact, instead of a chase, a third person may not really appreciate clearly tiger's intention, straight or inside. in other words, even if the intention is to track inside naturally, from a distance it may look like straight through...

who knows,,,

Yep, that's one of Stan Utley's recommendations in his book (if I'm not mistaken). He talks about how regardless of length of putt, his follow through is always the same distance, i.e., doesn't mirror his backstroke like some putting gurus will tell you is a necessary fundamental.