How's your putting technique?

[sobo]

Do you keep the blade square through the stroke, or open and close? I've tried both and can't settle. I even do this during a tourney round, unfortunately.

[Pinseeker81]

A little open close, but not a lot. I don't try to do either consciously, I just swing my shoulder/arms/hands unit like a clock and let the blade do what blades are want to do.

[MiniMoe]

IMHO, the putting stroke is just a short version of a regular golf swing. I have never thought about trying to keep the blade square, or take the open to closed track. I think it happens naturally. One drill I do to help get the ball online is to pop a chalk line on a straight 10 footer that is a little uphill. It gives me a visual on the correct alignment and I know right off the bat if I have pushed or pulled the ball. In reality, the only thing concentrate on is hitting the correct line with the putt. After that, it's all feel with speed. Keep it simple.

[sobo]

For some reason when I open the blade on the backstroke I feel like I'm opening myself up for something to go wrong.

[GaijinGolfer]

Open and closed. Unless you have a very hunched stance while putting, its virtually impossible to keep the putter perfectly square all the way throughout your putting stroke.

[d373rm1ned]

Unless you have a very hunched stance while putting, its virtually impossible to keep the putter perfectly square all the way throughout your putting stroke.

I can't imagine this being true at all...please elaborate?

[William Le Wolf]

I try to keep the blade straight with a Short back swing and Accelerate through at the hole. I use 98% my left arm to guide the putter and to practice i sometimes putt with just the left arm. The right arm is just for extra guidance it does nothing for my putting. I only miss a put when i use my right arm more than intended.

Using this technique i could 1 putt 98% of the time.

**I never change my putter or my swedge, and i won't for the next 20 years.

[GaijinGolfer]

I can't imagine this being true at all...please elaborate?

Well, think about it. Its almost impossible for your arms to go straight back and straight through because they rotate around your body.

The only way to go straight back and straight through is if you stand closer to the ball and hunch over it (think of the oldtime putting stances).

[MiniMoe]

If you think about it, if you keep the putter perfectly square to the line of the putt and take it straight back and through, you are fighting the natural arc of he putting stroke. A straight back and through is a more of an up and down stroke, where the more natural stroke is to rotate around the body. Hold the putter and rock your shoulders. Is the stroke straight back, or does it naturally come to the inside? Keep it simple and natural. Don't fight your body, work with it to produce the best putting stroke you can.

[beachbreak]

Interesting discussion.

Check this out: Jack Nicklaus actually used open to closed, closed to open, and sqaure to square based upon the characteristics of the greens in a particular tournament.

He was a great putter under pressure.