Putting. Back Short, Accelerate, Follow Through. Worst Advice Ever? Read This.

[saevel25]

Interesting,

Then how would someone go about finding there correnct acceleration profile? I know you said that your stroke is more follow through than backswing, but thats rare. So how would someone go find that out if that is the case for them?

[iacas]

Originally Posted by saevel25

Interesting,

Then how would someone go about finding there correnct acceleration profile? I know you said that your stroke is more follow through than backswing, but thats rare. So how would someone go find that out if that is the case for them?

To truly find out? Get on a SAM.

My backstroke is now probably about 90% as long as my follow-through. I've worked on it and my distance control - which was already pretty good - has gotten better.

All good putters have the same acceleration profile. Some might "carry" the putter head into the follow-through a bit longer (that's what I did and still do to a small extent), but virtually all good putters (all consistently good putters, I might even say) have the same acceleration profile: highest speed at or just before the golf ball with a putter head that's just starting its deceleration phase).

[saevel25]

Well before my round tonight i was thinking about how i might be able to improve my stroke. So i was thinking, i need to make sure i am hitting with a slight upward blow. I know that i use to forward press and drive my hands forward. So basically what i did was i put the ball a bit forward in my stance, probably in between middle and center. But when i putt i put my club in the center of my stance, leaving a 1" gap. From there i putt, i found that if i focus on that one inch gap that i would hit the ball with a good upward stroke.

The hard part was trying to figure out how to change my acceleration profile. I know i putt really bad when i jab at the ball, i have a bad habit of taking the putt back and accelerate through the ball, jabing at it. The ball will come off really fast and usually ends up going way past.

My best putt of the day was on the last hole, i misread it, it was a 20' putt that was dead straight, and i thought it would break about 2 inches from outside right edge, it didn't move. But i really concentrated on an even tempo. This stopped me from jabing and the ball came off the club with a nice click sound and it didn't bounce once, just a smooth roll that ended up just past the hole in distance. Really it if i can remember that click noise and work around that sound as knowing i hit the ball right i think i will work this out.

[Limpinswinger]

Originally Posted by iacas

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Your perception might be right. You might be accelerating after impact. But you're not putting like most good to great putters if so.

A good putting stroke reaches peak speed at or in the inch or so before the golf ball - at the low point of the putting arc. That's all I'm saying. I got there with a follow-through that was longer than my backstroke. That's rare. Most people with a good putting stroke will be closer to matching.

Thanks.  I'm not certain if the length of my backswing matches my follow through.  The longer the putt, the longer my backswing.  I don't try to control my follow through, I just let it decelerate naturally.  I'll have to check and see if they are the same length.

[iacas]

Gonna lock this thread, as new discussion can take place in this thread: .

These two posts (the first, and #179) are worth reading first:

http://thesandtrap.com/t/74295/putting-do-not-accelerate-through-the-ball/

http://thesandtrap.com/t/74295/putting-do-not-accelerate-through-the-ball/162#post_1040098

P.S. I'm also going to tag some former members who participated in the earlier discussion. They are… @Danattherock , @iWALK18 , @beachbreak , @EightBlue , @Marinemike , @miami8miami , @reedf , @Limpinswinger , and @saevel25 . You're all more than welcome to join back in to some of the many hundreds of great conversations taking place. We hope you're all well.

Especially that last guy. Where'd he get to anyway?