Putterhead wobbles on the takeaway

Originally Posted by Zeph

No further explanation needed I guess. I've tried keeping the wrists from moving, swing with the shoulders etc., but it still does this wobbly move on the backswing. I start thinking about the wobbling midway and often the speed suffer.

Any safe bets on what cause this?

No further explanation needed I guess. I've tried keeping the wrists from moving, swing with the shoulders etc., but it still does this wobbly move on the backswing. I start thinking about the wobbling midway and often the speed suffer.

Originally Posted by Zeph

No further explanation needed I guess. I've tried keeping the wrists from moving, swing with the shoulders etc., but it still does this wobbly move on the backswing. I start thinking about the wobbling midway and often the speed suffer.

Any safe bets on what cause this?

Originally Posted by Mr. Desmond

Hold the grip tightly in the fingers while relaxing the rest of the hands and arms. If the fingers are too relaxed, you get wobble.

Originally Posted by Zeph

I never understood this tip. The muscles in the hands can't tighten without some muscles in the arms not tightening. I don't flex my biceps, triceps or anything, so I don't think that is the problem. I've tried a light grip and a tighter grip, but it seems like the arms are causing it. The shoulders rock, but the arms sort of dangle this way and that way, while the wrists and hands are quiet. I've tried attaching the upper arms to my torso, but that starts feeling tight again, and I don't see tour pros doing it.

Edit: One thing I have thought about is grounding the putter. I've always kept the clubhead on the ground before starting my swing, but I think that can cause this putter problem. The arms are relaxed and the grip is firm with the clubhead sitting on the ground. But when I start the takeaway, the weight of the club has to be supported by the arms and shoulders, which creates a transition that can be hard to get flowing right. Perhaps not hovering the club 2mm over the ground, but letting the arms support some weight of the club before the swing.

This can also cause some wrist movement right away since the wrists are moving back at the same time as they are taking the weight of the putter. The wrists can be locked well at address, but when the weight of the club is brought into the equation, I might need firmer wrists to support it.

To stabilize your stroke and make sure your putterhead returns to impact in a vertical orientation for a solid roll, set the length of your putting system from pivot to turf by tapping the putterhead lightly at address and keep the pivot stable in your stroke

You've seen Greg Norman gently tapping his putterhead up and down behind the ball just before he pulls the trigger. He says it relaxes him and makes the takeaway smoother. That may well be useful, if you have trouble with a smooth takeaway move. Here's an independent reason for doing this: it tells your body exactly where the ground is! Yes, you can see the ground, but tapping it with the putter communicates to your body more and better perceptions about your setup, so that when you make your stroke, the putterhead glides into impact just above the surface, skimming the tops of the short-mown grass blades. Tap the putter to sharpen up your stroke.

After you have taken hold of the putter, you will probably see that the putter sole is resting, perhaps even pressed, into the ground. This presents a danger of a jerky takeaway, a loss of focus, and a stubbed downstroke.

There are four ways to remedy this. First, your can inhale. This will raise your torso (and head) ever so slightly, and you can let the putter get pulled up as your torso lifts your arms and hands a bit. Again, watch the elbows. If they cave inward, your putter will stay down. A second way is to lift a little of the bend out of your knees. A third way is to straighten up the back a bit, raising the pivot of the putt in your neck area, along with the shoulder sockets. Finally, the fourth way is to BOUNCE the putterhead lightly on the ground and CATCH IT in your hands on the up-bounce. Personally, I like to combine the inhaling and the bouncing-putter catch.

What Good Is It?

When you tap the putter and bounce it lightly, it has several beneficial effects. First, you get a definite knowledge of the position of your arms and hands in the setup. This makes your "triangle" a more definite system that you can control better.

Second, you get a knowledge of the location of the bottom of the stroke both as an absolute spot and as a distance from your stroke pivot point in your neck. This helps your arms find their way away and back to impact with better precision and also makes you conscious of not altering the location of your stroke pivot during the putt. Keeping stock of your pivot will practically eliminate unwanted head movement.

Third, you get a little help in knowing the weight of your putter, especially the putterhead. This helps on distance control.

Finally, when you know where the bottom of your stroke system is in relation to the ground, and you plan on avoiding any lengthening of the system during the stroke, you are freed from any concern of stubbing the putt. This makes you more positive on the through-stroke and also has the effect of cutting down on those odd occasions when out of fear you raise the putterhead too much and top the putt! Ugh

Originally Posted by imtomtomim

Stop thinking about it!  Just flick the putter back, and then flick it through.  Make the motion simple, you're just hitting the ball with the club.  One of my favorite things I read from Stockton, a putt is like writing your signature.  If you slow down and try to recreate it perfectly, it will go awry.  Just make the motion

Originally Posted by imtomtomim

Stop thinking about it!  Just flick the putter back, and then flick it through.  Make the motion simple, you're just hitting the ball with the club.  One of my favorite things I read from Stockton, a putt is like writing your signature.  If you slow down and try to recreate it perfectly, it will go awry.  Just make the motion