Face-On Putting

Ok...first of all, I putt pretty well, but I'm not tour level at putting. I play to a 4 handicap. I was reading David Cook's new book Golf's Sacred Journey: Seven Days on the Links of Utopia and he has a chapter talking about putting with a long putter and facing the hole. You essentially hold the top of the putter against your right shoulder (left if you are left handed) and let it hang down along your arm. You make the putting motion essentially the same as if you were tossing something underhand to someone in front of you. You'd have to read the whole story, but essentially it's based on how accurate you are doing something from short range vs. long range.

You can check them out at www.reesoputters.com One of the reasons it intrigues me is that a guy at my old course putted like this and was the best around. It makes a lot of sense. The theory was that if you didn't know any better and everyone putted like that, wouldn't you do it? In Utopia, TX, the pro teaches everyone that way to putt and they don't know any better to putt like most do. the putters are expensive on their website, but it seems that you could buy a long putter with a rounded sole and it would work.

Any thoughts?

This is how I putt. I went to putting sidesaddle about 8 months ago. I use a putter from puttmagic.com... kind of a cheesy website, but the reverse shafted putter is really awesome.

Bunk? Not for this guy. I've make more long putts now than I ever did before. I've already made 4 birdies this year - last year I didn't make a single one.

For me, it's about the speed of the putt. My problem putting with a traditional stance and my old Titleist putter was judging speed. I was constantly leaving putts six feet short or blowing it six feet past. I'd get over the ball and just have no idea how hard to hit it... pretty miserable. Being able to look at the hole with both eyes has dramatically reduced that problem for me. Now I'm confident standing over 4 footers, and long putts have a chance to go in.

I spent all of last year trying to break 90 and failing. This year 3 of my last 4 rounds have been in the 80s. My ball striking has improved a bit, but I attribute most of my better scoring to an improved short game and my sidesaddle putter. I take my share of s**t for it, but I don't care. I just love seeing those putts drop.

I doubt it's the solution for everyone, but it's certainly helped me.

yeah, I would have a hard time changing...I interlock on full shots, but putt with a reverse overlap. I went to the PGA Superstore here in Dallas today and tried to side saddle. You would really need a putter that lined up properly and not just convert a long putter. The guy I mentioned that plays with us that is a great putter has been a near tour level player almost all his life and went to it to cure the yips. I can see the benefit just due to keeping the club square through out, but I'd have to find the right grip. I tried a few and still seemed to have some twist in the face.

It seems I am correcting misinformation on blogs and forums regarding sidesaddle putting every week or so.

First of all, Sam Snead putted sidesaddle, not for a short time, but from the early sixties, when the USGA outlawed the croquet style, right up until he passed away a couple of years ago. Actually the last laugh is on the USGA since sidesaddle is much more accurate and consistant than croquet.

I know this because I started playing with the croquet method before Sam. At first I was devastated when they outlawed it but after following him to sidesaddle it was obvious that when you can use a simple one handed (instead of two.) ball rolling setup while still facing the target line it was much more intuitive... like all underhand target games.

There is much more about the history and real facts about sidesaddle putting... including the scientific motion study results by Dr. Gideon Arial of Illinois University and Ariel Dynamics on my web site.

http://puttmagic.com

Karl Higham
~the Putt Guru

Thanks for weighing in Karl. I got my putter from you a while back, and it's made a big difference in my game. :)

I was on your website the other day while I was researching this. I talked to my buddy and he uses an old Adams putter called the Perfect TLC.

Karl, what are the main rules around this? Isn't there supposed to be a percentage of bend in the shaft so that the shaft can't be straight up and down perpendicular to the ground? Also, it seems that the pictures on your site have the guy holding the top of the shaft near his chest. I've always thought that you would essentially hinge it at your shoulder and you'd have one line down the shaft from your shoulder to the ball, which keeps the club online at all times.

Reverse shafting allows you to have your stroke hand and shoulder over the center of the putterhead without having to run the shaft up your arm which contorts your setup with the required bend in the shaft. Has the effect of a 90%, center shafted putter but still legal.
~the Putt Guru

I am reading Golf's Sacred Journey.  David Cook makes any good case for face on putting.  Anyone using this method?  I don't see anything on Sandtrap since this thread.

I love my Scotty Camron Futura putter!!  But at 68 I can't make putts with it anymore.  I average 4 three putts a round.  I was once a 3 handicap.  A construction guy gave me a book to read. Golfs Sacred Journey, and I couldn't put it down. The very first day the movie was on direct TV I bought it.  I was sold! I bought the Reeso FOP.  I didn't tell anyone because I was leary of being seen with it at the Club. The 2nd time out with it, I shot an even par round. The first time in years!!!!  Yes, I was striking the ball well, But the putter was amazing. The guy I was paired with was amazed!!  I was a skeptic but mow I'm a believer!!!  Yea, your buddies will give you a hard time!! Until you start taking their $$$$.

Wow a nine year old thread!! I found it because I came across a video of Bernhard Langer putting face on ... The video was from about a month ago.

I tried face on putting with a long putter about 12-15 years ago.  It worked fine, but I couldn't find it to be especially better than normal putting. Since it was uncomfortable and looked odd, I stopped doing it.  I think I may give it another try. 

I tried it a couple weeks ago on a practice green after practicing with it indoors on my carpet all winter. While I was doing fine indoors with it, outdoors I didn't like it. And with the new rules you cannot do what is described in the original post. You cannot have the putter shaft anchored to your your arm above the elbow. 

Side saddle does work for some people, but don't kid yourself. It does take practice. You cannot rush things. You still have to make a smooth stroke with your putter through the ball.

I do use a long putter, however, and I do like it. I found it to be easier on my back, and it allows me to practice my putting for longer periods of time. I have been using the method in this video, except with my right arm fully extended.

If you no longer have your long putter, I'm sure you can find a used one on e-bay dirt cheap. I picked up mine at Xmas from Callaway pre-owned for $60 and it looked like a store demo.