Your Putting Style: Utley or Pelz?

[rembrandt]

I really don't have a clue which I do, all I know is, I keep the right elbow tucked in close to my body and I putt my best when it doesn't move much. I love the way Nicklaus putts with the open stance etc. He plays the ball way back off his right foot. Wish I could putt like him and drive the ball with the open stance like Trevino!

[gas_can]

No, the plane is formed by your back - your spine.

Iacas,

I've had two lessons from Stan Utley at Grey Hawk and talked with him extensively about his ideas and putting stroke. Actually the plane is formed by the shaft plane. It has nothing to do with your back or spine. You can stand upright, or bent over, and it doesn't matter, as long as the club goes back and through on the shaft plane. Secondly, the Utley stroke is accomplished through the folding and unfolding of the right and left elbows, so I'd call it an arm dominated stroke. When I went and saw him, I had quiet arms and moved my shoulders around my spine similar to my full golf swing. First time he saw my putting stroke, he laughed a little and said, "You've just got too much of a good thing." He then actually held my chest between his arms and had me putt purely with my arms working on folding my right elbow to my side on the backswing while extending the left, and then folding my left elbow while extending the right on the through swing. That produces the low, short follow through Stan says all great putters have. Ideally the butt end of the golf club should hardly move during the putting stroke. I think there's a lot of misunderstanding about Stan's stroke, hopefully this will help clear up some of it.

[warbirdlover]

I just watched Pelz on the Golf Channel and then went to his website and read his articles on putting. The man is my idol. I'll try to do it his way.

[BigAl5150]

I tried the straight back and through when I practiced in my basement but as soon as I went to a practice green (and course) I was back to inside, square, inside. It just felt more natural.

[tartanjack]

I've worked long and hard for many years on my putting and i think what I've come up with works for me. There's some of Pelz (consistent tempo, stroke length determines distance) and some of Utley in that my stroke is more of an arc. But unlike Stan, I putt best with more of a shoulder stroke. When I try to stroke it with my arms as he espouses, my hands get way too active for some reason. So my point is that one should try everybody's method, but in the end you have to find the path that's best and most natural for you. Then master it!

[iacas]

Incidentally, the author (not Stan Utley - the other one) of "The Art of Putting" will be attending this year's Newport Cup.

There's some of Pelz (consistent tempo, stroke length determines distance) and some of Utley in that my stroke is more of an arc. But unlike Stan, I putt best with more of a shoulder stroke. When I try to stroke it with my arms as he espouses, my hands get way too active for some reason.

Just to clarify... the only thing the poll itself asks is about the path: inside/square/inside or straight back/straight through.

I haven't read Utley's stuff enough (though I now have the book) to know whether he espouses using your arms and wrists or your shoulders, etc. I was just asking (via the poll) about the path of the putter head. Which is not to say discussion of the other stuff is inappropriate here - just that for the sake of voting, it's all about the path.

[shortgame85]

This is a great question. I have been playing golf for four years. I started putting with a blade putter, heel/toe weighted. I have gone through several putters, and now use a face balanced, center shafted mallet. I have been told this type of putter is the type generally used for the "straight back/ straight through" style. I attempt to use this method. However, I recently noticed that on some recent long putts, especially on sloping greens, I tended to swing this putter on a slight in to square to in style. The shorter putts remain back and through, but I seem to naturally move more in to square to in on the longer putts. I am somewhat surprised and confused by this fact. I voted for the Pelz method because that is the method I intentionally use. However, I have brought a couple of blade putters out of the closet to work on an in to square to in style. It just doesn't seem as natural to me. So, on the course, I continue to use straight back and through, and in the closet, I attempt in/square/in. Maybe, one of these days I can come out of the closet.

[Konrad]

Utley. I agree with Pelz's ideas in all other aspects of the short game, but his straight back and straight through putting style is just wrong.

[golfchief]

I'm more of a pelz putter, I try using only my shoulders, no arm swing or wrists. I also don't have a long putting stroke so it's easier to stay on line and control my speed. It works for me.

[wachesawgolfer]

Firstly, I don't believe it makes any difference on longer putts you are really trying to lag, anyway for the most part. To keep the putter square on a long putt is probably impossible even if you think you are. That said, on a four footer, the shorter the back swing and the squarer the head to the line throughout the stroke (ala Pelz) the more putts you will make. Short putts are missed not so much because of the stroke style but due to upper body motion such as looking up to see the ball drop or due to tension not letting the putter head release towards the target. Where the putter head goes so goes the ball, so an inside path, ie., an arc stroke, risks pulling the shot left if not timed correctly such that the head is on line a least two or three inches after impact.

[The Turlock Kid]

I said Utley. I have trouble going from inside to square. I tended to push the ball all over the green. Subconciously I think I always tried pushing it right a bit.

I actually read Monty's book, "The Thinking Man's Guide to Golf" and picked up a good cross-handed putting stroke that works well for me. It just reverses your hand position on the club (i.e. top hand on bottom), but makes a huge difference. Ever since then I've been able to go straight back and straight through a lot easier.

[paulk]

Althought the straight back-straight thru stroke is often attempted, we sometimes do end up using one of the other two approaches. Unfortunately it is not by design.

[Q.Q.Quillume]

Utley. Or Mayfair. I don't think I'm physically or mentally capable of the Pelz stroke. And, of course, I'm not an aerospace engineer (or whatever Pelz was when he worked for NASA).

[RX Phoenix]

Both! When I putt lefty it's square-square and when I put righty it's more inside-square-inside. Using a different grip with each style helps

Cool! Someone else who putts both righty and lefty. There are times when I can't miss the short putts lefty, and can't make them righty, the key is knowing when those times are. It's amazing how you will make putts one way and can't make the same putt the other way.

I voted Pelz but will try the Utley some time soon just to compare.

[Monty23]

Somehow, I don't think Dave Pelz would agree that his putting motion is "shrug up with one shoulder and shrug down with the other."

Your misinterpretations of Dave Pelz's theory is making me cringe. Did you read his book or no?

And please don't go the route of making fun of his handicap. Tell that to Phil Mickelson, Lauren Roberts, Greg Norman, and many many others that use the square to square.

[Monty23]

I really don't have a clue which I do, all I know is, I keep the right elbow tucked in close to my body and I putt my best when it doesn't move much. I love the way Nicklaus putts with the open stance etc. He plays the ball way back off his right foot. Wish I could putt like him and drive the ball with the open stance like Trevino!

Why in the world would you want a stroke like Trevino? He stood way open to the target, and blocked the ball onto his intended target. It was a mirror image of his full swing, where he would set up the same. He did this because he HAD to, not because it was a good way to put. Putting was also by far Trevinos weakpoint. If he would have putted just a little better he'd have been better than Jack. I would really like to disect every other wrong post in this thread. Maybe later.

[iacas]

Your misinterpretations of Dave Pelz's theory is making me cringe. Did you read his book or no?

Did you read my post? I was paraphrasing Utley's description of the Pelz putting method. And I've read both the Utley and Pelz books.

And please don't go the route of making fun of his handicap. Tell that to Phil Mickelson, Lauren Roberts, Greg Norman, and many many others that use the square to square.

Phil doesn't really putt square to square.

I maintain that putting square to square is unnatural.

Why in the world would you want a stroke like Trevino? He stood way open to the target, and blocked the ball onto his intended target. It was a mirror image of his full swing, where he would set up the same.

A mirror image would be backwards... right is left, left is right, you know... like in a mirror.

[Monty23]

Ouch. You shouldn't have said that. Dave Pelz', his shortgame teacher, says he putts square to square. He has tested his swings hundreds of times, and has worked with him for countless hours.

I think I trust him more than a swollen-headed 4 handicap.

Also, with the last part, you know what I meant.