Dave Stockton's secret key to putting

[Fatphil]

anybody read that article in Golf Mag by Stockton about Phil? He wouldn't divulge his secret key but they showed a lot of pictures of Phil's stroke.

What do u think it is?

My vote: Using a reverse overlap grip it is the big knuckle on the forefinger of the leading (upper) hand.

Saw another site and someone guessed the forefinger of the trailing hand.

[iacas]

I don't think there's a secret. I think Phil was just freed of some of his mechanical thoughts and putted better. He reverted to his older feel type.

You can make a good stroke any number of ways.

[Tiger Spuds]

I read that on Golf.com.He said it was something to do with how you start the forward stroke with the putter, whatever that may be.Obviously can't be anything major.There's been hundreds of great putters who never took lessons from Stockton and they do ok!

I know he encourages never taking a practise stroke, but that's hardly a 'secret'.There's plenty of youtube vids of him giving putting tips and he doesn't really mention anything out of the ordinary.

[Fatphil]

yeh sorry...guess I'm way too anal about my putting stroke. I tend to drop my toe in my full swing...and I notice it transfers to my chipping & putting...something about the overlap lead finger holding the shaft angle works for me...guess no one else...

never mind...

[jamo]

I thought that whole issue of Golf Mag was terrible. Stockton's tips (what ones were there) said one thing, while another article said a completely contradicting way to putt. He didn't even really change Mickelson's stroke, he just told him to do what he used to do.

[Fatphil]

oye grasshopper...don't be so cold...he changed Phil's grip...he moved his lead forefinger up....maybe not a big move to you but to a tour player not insignificant.

[colin007]

i thought he reminded him that he used to forward press to initiate the stroke and got him back to doing that.

[jamo]

i thought he reminded him that he used to forward press to initiate the stroke and got him back to doing that.

Phil still used the forwards press pre-Stockton, Stockton just emphasized it i guess.

[iacas]

Phil still used the forwards press pre-Stockton, Stockton just emphasized it i guess.

The secret is some body part that you use to start the forward stroke. It's not your hands and it's not your eyes, I guess. Beyond that, I have no idea what it "is" and I can't say I really care. I watched Phil putt a few times today. My best guess? His right nostril.

[Phil McGleno]

My best guess? His right nostril.

My best guess? Your anus. At least that's what it appeared to be for Phil a few times today. Ha.

[MiniMoe]

When it comes to putting, feel is probably the most important aspect. Pro's especially are prone to getting into a run when it comes to a routine, or putting stroke. When the putts stop falling, the stroke is not always the cause - good putts, produced by great putting strokes don't always go in. And when the well goes dry, he most important thing you can do.... the secret to great putting... is....... make a change, any change at all. It can be huge, like totally reworking your putting stroke, or something small like changing a putter. The point it to get your eyes in tune with your hands and your feel. Everything has to work together to make a lot of putts.

When my putting goes south, I do things that help putting more instinctual . I change putters, mess with ball placement, or what ever. I think that is what Phil has done. He has done things in his stroke to make things more instinctual, and not so mechanical. I may be wrong, but at least it sound good. lol

[Fatphil]

I think there are different levels of putting...for a +3 hndcpr to say putting is 90% feel and confidence is mis-leading to a 10 or 15 hndcpr. I think to a 12 hdcpr the reverse...technique may be 90% of the problem. To me a few millimeters movement in my wrist angle sends the ball off line..not a big issue to a +3 as they're obviously way past that point but to me (an 8) it is what I work on.

[msd3075]

When it comes to putting, feel is probably the most important aspect. Pro's especially are prone to getting into a run when it comes to a routine, or putting stroke. When the putts stop falling, the stroke is not always the cause - good putts, produced by great putting strokes don't always go in. And when the well goes dry, he most important thing you can do.... the secret to great putting... is....... make a change, any change at all. It can be huge, like totally reworking your putting stroke, or something small like changing a putter. The point it to get your eyes in tune with your hands and your feel. Everything has to work together to make a lot of putts.

It just goes to show how personal putting really is. People can get caught up in "proper technique" and different putter styles, but at the end of the day it all comes down to you feeling comfortable over the ball. Changing putters really shouldn't make all that much of a differences if you look at the numbers, but in your head it'll make a huge difference. You'll notice all the putts you make instead of dwelling on all the missed putts. This in turn gives you way more confidence. For a pro golfer, the mechanics are all there and pretty much always will be there; it's the mental game that comes and goes.

[Zeph]

Why should the secret to Phil's putting matter for us?

[iacas]

Why should the secret to Phil's putting matter for us?

Supposedly it's the same secret. It's something to do with a body part you use to start the forward stroke.

[Fastrack]

Supposedly it's the same secret. It's something to do with a body part you use to start the forward stroke.

If someone already figure out, we suppose to learn from that.

[Zeph]

How many "Secrets" to the golf swing have we heard? Tenfold. Either it's just a detail or fundamental of the common knowledge, or it's some detail the person claiming to have found it obsesses over, but which can't really fix anything. There are no secrets to golf.

[Fatphil]

The point of the thread is that putting is more technical than we give it credit..we spend hours thinking about every inch of our full swing but sluff off putting as "feel" and "confidence". I compare it to billiards or darts. Those guys spend hours working on their strokes and technique.

Yes "secret" is a silly word that means nothing.