anyone here using "face on" or "saddleside" putting style

[OldDuffer]

The shaft angle on the Bobby Grace F-35 is 80 degrees (the most allowable to be USGA-compliant).  So when I dangle it from my top grip, it ends up being 90 deg. but slightly toe-down.  So there is a very slight right-bias if you try to go true vertical with the shaft.

I am still (after almost 6 months) defining where the break-point is between face-on and 'traditional' long putting.  If I try to putt 'face-on' from too far away (still defining 'too far' ). I tend to scuff the ground.  So I go 'traditional' when off the green or putting outside maybe 20 feet.  So that has been the hardest part of moving to 'face-on'.

It isn't easy.  Today I was on a long par 5 in 3 on my 'home' course, and then proceeded to 4-putt from 10 feet.  So expect a lot of grief, but keep it up.

[JazzFatCat]

I didn't realize there was some kind of "putter shaft angle" rule. That's too bad.

Do you find face-on obviously better for short putts? I was thinking about this today and it doesn't make too much sense to use one putting method for short putts and another for all other putts.

I was practicing face-on putting today and my distance control was OK but I noticed that I like to have the ball about 4 inches in front of my feet so that just becomes another variable that I can mess up.

[billchao]

I was always interested in trying it but never wanted to spend the money buying a putter that might be gimmicky. It'd be a complete waste of money if I didn't putt better or if I didn't stick with it.

A little OT, but I typically aim my putter some 2-4° open to my target at address and I have learned through some experimentation that I can aim it dead on my target it I turn my left foot out perpendicular to my right foot and line up basically with my hips 45° open. Tend to hit putts too hard that way though, so I don't do it while playing. If the biggest benefit of sidesaddle putting is to aim the putter at my target, I might as well buy a putter that I can aim properly and not mess with my mechanics.

[kenstl]

I went back and forth between face on and std putting over the past couple of years and landed back with face on. I have more confidence with the 4' and in putts, those that I tended to push or pull with a std putter. I owned a L2 putter for a while, and landed on a face on two ball style putter. My brother uses the PR Dionne putter and seems to like it. On short putts I look down at the putter and focus on a straight back and forward stroke, on long putts I view the hole. It still takes practice, but my overall numbers have dropped. The thing that convinced me was practicing a straight in 6' putt with both styles of putter, I could always make more putts with the face on due to consistency of the stroke.

[OldDuffer]

Ball position (and feet position, and grip, and...) is an element of your stance that you have to dial-in over time through experimentation.  That's one of the reasons that the transition to face-on putting takes time (months, not hours or days).  But I read an item about how Ernie Els found that making his transition years ago from conventional to a long putter really helped, in part, because it forced him to really focus, and practice, which he had somewhat gotten away from over time.  So look at the challenge as a long-term positive.

[Brentflog]

This style of putting just makes sense.  When you play in scrambles it seems most people dont actually line up the face where they think they are.  is the Bobby Grace F35 face balanced?

[OldDuffer]

Yes, the F-35 is indeed face-balanced.  Definitely optimized for the "straight back, straight through" stroke.