Arc path style putting and a face balanced putter

[JoelCochran]

I've been working on the Arc style putting espoused by Stan Utley ( The Art of Putting ) and I must say I am seriously impressed!  The grip feels so much better and the ball is rolling very pure.  I've had a couple lengthy practice sessions with it now and I'm really starting to feel it.

One of his comments in the book is that this method doesn't work as well with face balanced putters, but it seems to be working fine for me.  I don't understand how that would affect the stroke, can anyone elaborate?  Has anyone here found a significant difference?

[B-Con]

I think that an arc stroke is "supposed" to be best-suited for a toe-hang putter as the weight distribution and MOI of toe-hang lends itself to allowing the putter head to open and close better. Face-balanced putters are supposed to resist opening and closing. An arc stroke probably feels the smoothest with a putter that naturally opens and closes. At least, that's my understanding.

[arogolf]

This thread is sure to open a can of worms. There are many that believe you have to match your putting style to a particular type of head. In the real world I have eye witnessed SBST players like toe balanced putters and arc players that prefer face balanced and vice versa. Its all over the map. My emphasis is, what is the putterface doing at impact? Face balanced putters have a tendancy to stay square at impact, which is why I like it. But ultimately it comes down to feel and confidence.

[JoelCochran]

I certainly wasn't attempting to open a can of worms, just curious what the justification was for the idea that one worked better than the other.

So, if the face-balanced stays square, isn't that what you want?  It would seem to me the only difference is it is now staying square to the arc and not the aim line... or am I off base somehow?

[arogolf]

can of worms= many people have strong opinions.  but, its an interesting topic and i am glad you brought it up.   Heel/toe putter will have a tendancy to close or shut easier thus your window of opportunity to meet the square part of your path is smaller.  for those who have grooved it, they swear by it, but if not grooved, watch out for the pushes and pulls.   The degree with which the face balanced putter opens going back and closes coming through is reduced, because its tendancy is to stay square, giving you a larger margin for error.

[iacas]

To be clear, a toe-weighted putter, in terms of physics, should have a harder time closing. The toe, if it's "heavier," will lag behind the heel and result in an open face, or a face that has a harder time closing.

So why do "arc putters" tend to prefer "toe hang"? Because they like to feel the rotation of the putter head about the shaft (around the axis of the shaft). A center of gravity that's towards the toe side of the shaft's axis is presents resistance, so the golfer can feel the rotation.

It's pretty much as simple as that.

[arogolf]

Regarding the arc method, I agree that HT putters lag and are therefore resistant to closing, but only until your swing path comes back to the square position. Once you approach a square clubface the higher toe mass has greater momentum and therefore closes easier (ie the arc) compared to a face balanced putter.

[JoelCochran]

Great stuff to think about: it sounds like I'll be fine with my face balanced putter, if not even better off given the larger margin of error.  As for the pulls and pushes, I'm pretty confident I can do that with any putter and any stroke

[B-Con]

To be clear, a toe-weighted putter, in terms of physics, should have a harder time closing. The toe, if it's "heavier," will lag behind the heel and result in an open face, or a face that has a harder time closing.

So why do "arc putters" tend to prefer "toe hang"? Because they like to feel the rotation of the putter head about the shaft (around the axis of the shaft). A center of gravity that's towards the toe side of the shaft's axis is presents resistance, so the golfer can feel the rotation.

It's pretty much as simple as that.

Shouldn't toe hang putters only resist initial rotation more? I thought that after they start rotating they would continue to do so more easily because of the increased rotational momentum, whereas face-balanced putters would have less momentum and thus resist rotation a little more. (Edited to clarify my thought.)

[TourSpoon]

Originally Posted by JoelCochran

I've been working on the Arc style putting espoused by Stan Utley (The Art of Putting) and I must say I am seriously impressed!  The grip feels so much better and the ball is rolling very pure.  I've had a couple lengthy practice sessions with it now and I'm really starting to feel it.

One of his comments in the book is that this method doesn't work as well with face balanced putters, but it seems to be working fine for me.  I don't understand how that would affect the stroke, can anyone elaborate?  Has anyone here found a significant difference?

This is all that matters...keep us posted on your progress!

[iacas]

Originally Posted by B-Con

Shouldn't toe hang putters only resist initial rotation more? I thought that after they start rotating they would continue to do so more easily because of the increased rotational momentum, whereas face-balanced putters would have less momentum and thus resist rotation a little more.

From the top of the backswing (no rotational movement, everything "still"), the toe should lag behind. It might overtake and it might continue to rotate once it's started forward, but from a pure physics standpoint, consider the fact that if you apply a force forward the toe would OPEN more and then want to continue to open.

The point being that toe rotation putters (the people) like to FEEL themselves forcing the toe, at which time it will continue to close, yes, but it's counter to physics and has more to do with how the putter forces feel to the putter (person).

[B-Con]

From the top of the backswing (no rotational movement, everything "still"), the toe should lag behind. It might overtake and it might continue to rotate once it's started forward, but from a pure physics standpoint, consider the fact that if you apply a force forward the toe would OPEN more and then want to continue to open.

Right, that makes sense. I was thinking about, after that initial downswing and after that initial resistance caused by the toe hang, I would think you would then feel less resistance through the rest of the swing. Ie, you set the swing in motion and after you start, the putter kind of just closes itself gracefully.