Putter Face Closed at Impact. Cause for Concern? Fixes?

[mfillyaw]

So I recently downloaded the iPing putter app which reads various putting metrics such as tempo, swing path, lie angle, etc. And while I'm certainly wary of some of the numbers it gives me, the one consistent it tells me is my putter face is always closed at impact.

It usually reads anywhere between 1 and 3 degrees closed, and I have to make a conscious completely unnatural effort to have the face be square or open at impact.

Now, the app and general consensus among the golf instruction world says that a consistent stroke is more important than trying to achieve a technically perfect putting stroke (if such a thing exists). If I'm closed at impact every single time is this really something I should worry about and try to fix?

I should say I am putting on a mere 8 foot strip of thin carpet on top of a hardwood floor, it has a very slight left to right break which may be giving me false hope since my putts start to the left. I notice the pull more on short putts.

I've read that loosening my right hand grip may help with keeping the toe of the putter head open, but I've also read that equal pressure among both hands is imperative.

Any ideas or thoughts?

[iacas]

How does it know what square is? Perhaps you aim right at setup, it assumes that's square, and then when you hit it you're square, but "left" of your setup position?

If you're truly delivering a closed face, you're probably taking the putter back outside. But… that's just the most common reason, not the only one. And that's only if you're truly delivering a left-pointing face, and it's not just a software issue with how and when measurements are taken.

[Club Rat]

It usually reads anywhere between 1 and 3 degrees closed, and I have to make a conscious completely unnatural effort to have the face be square or open at impact.

Any ideas or thoughts?

Cut yourself a small block of wood 10" long (a 2 X 4 will work just fine)

Practice this drill on a smooth floor surface.

Place the face of the putter against the face of the 2 X 4 then make small strokes to feel square impact to the face of the block.

Increase practice strokes a couple of times.

When you are making a repetitive square contact, then repeat practice with your app an see if your readings are changed or remain the same.

If you are not able to make square impact using the block of wood, then consider making the necessary adjustments.

Club Rat

[mfillyaw]

Cut yourself a small block of wood 10" long (a 2 X 4 will work just fine)

Practice this drill on a smooth floor surface.

Place the face of the putter against the face of the 2 X 4 then make small strokes to feel square impact to the face of the block.

Increase practice strokes a couple of times.

When you are making a repetitive square contact, then repeat practice with your app an see if your readings are changed or remain the same.

If you are not able to make square impact using the block of wood, then consider making the necessary adjustments.

Club Rat

Great idea, but won't the block of wood do damage to my putter face?

[mfillyaw]

How does it know what square is?

I've wondered how the app reads and measures everything as well. Your guess is as good as mine, but it has received good reviews among the golf community and is considered reliable.

[Club Rat]

Great idea, but won't the block of wood do damage to my putter face?

@mfillyaw ,

using the wood block will not damage a putter.

It is only a love tap (stroke), most 2 X 4's are made of "pine" which is soft.

Also, I should have added, you will feel the difference between a flush tap versus an off center tap.

Tap the toe slightly and tap the heel slightly a few times and you should feel the difference.

You should definitely feel the difference. Also, the sound will be different.

A flush contact should have a different sound than a tap which the toe or heel impacts first.

Remember, this is only a putting stroke.

Not an example of a stroke trying to make a hundred foot putt where you would give it a good whack !!!

Another thought, when I practice this, I sometimes will setup the wood on a line keeping the block square to the line. After I make a stroke which will bump the block forward, I then use my framing square to see if the block maintained a perpendicular position to the line.

This is just an old method of practice, but give one good visual results.

Combining both methods of practice (app and wood block) should be beneficial.

Club Rat

[Club Rat]

I've wondered how the app reads and measures everything as well. Your guess is as good as mine, but it has received good reviews among the golf community and is considered reliable.

Went to Pings site for some info and it looks like the

~~. The iPING app works in conjunction with a PING cradle ($30 MSRP), which holds the mobile device and clips onto the putter shaft just below the grip.

~~The iPING app analyzes and displays your consistency onscreen using three criteria: stroke type (determined by how much the putter face rotates during the forward stroke); impact angle (the putter's face angle at impact, relative to address); and tempo (a measure of the duration of the backswing relative to the forward swing). The app works by computing consistency over a series of five putts where your stroke type, impact angle and tempo are measured, displayed and stored for every putt in that session. Your consistency scores are averaged over time to build a Putting Handicap (PHcp). As you improve your consistency, you’ll see your PHcp come down. The iPING Fit feature matches you with the PING putter models that fit your stroke type. Matching your putter to your stroke type is the key to greater consistency and lower scores. That’s why we’ve classified every current PING model by its face angle and corresponding stroke type, an approach to putter fitting we call Fit for Stroke™.

The site does not cover "setup or conditions of use" so determining whether alignment is square to a target may be covered when a user downloads the App.

Interesting concept, it's only $30 bucks.

Club Rat

[Ernest Jones]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mfillyaw

I've wondered how the app reads and measures everything as well. Your guess is as good as mine, but it has received good reviews among the golf community and is considered reliable.

Went to Pings site for some info and it looks like the

~~. The iPING app works in conjunction with a PING cradle ($30 MSRP), which holds the mobile device and clips onto the putter shaft just below the grip.

~~The iPING app analyzes and displays your consistency onscreen using three criteria: stroke type (determined by how much the putter face rotates during the forward stroke); impact angle (the putter's face angle at impact, relative to address); and tempo (a measure of the duration of the backswing relative to the forward swing). The app works by computing consistency over a series of five putts where your stroke type, impact angle and tempo are measured, displayed and stored for every putt in that session. Your consistency scores are averaged over time to build a Putting Handicap (PHcp). As you improve your consistency, you’ll see your PHcp come down. The iPING Fit feature matches you with the PING putter models that fit your stroke type. Matching your putter to your stroke type is the key to greater consistency and lower scores. That’s why we’ve classified every current PING model by its face angle and corresponding stroke type, an approach to putter fitting we call Fit for Stroke™.

The site does not cover "setup or conditions of use" so determining whether alignment is square to a target may be covered when a user downloads the App.

Interesting concept, it's only $30 bucks.

Club Rat

I have one and used it for a bit, didn't care for it personally but it does get rave reviews.

Word of warning, adding the iPhone and cradle to your putter shaft changes the feel and balance of your putter significantly which means you're essentially practicing with a different putter.

[MiniBlueDragon]

It's fine if you can figure out the perfect alignment for the cradle so that it's perfectly square each time you use it and as long as you're using solely to become consistent with your setup, alignment and stroke process; it's completely pointless for judging distances and for understanding your actual stroke with your putter. Mine's gathering dust in favour of a putting alignment mirror.

[dsc123]

You could use a toilet paper roll or pvc pipe or or anything like that.

[hbyrd]

The iping app almost always says that my putter face is closed at impact. So I putted using an 8 inch dowel sideways so if I hit it with the face closed it would move left and if I hit it with the face open it would move right, I'm right handed. Every putt that went right, meaning I hit the dowel with the heel first or open, the iping app said my putter face was closed. I've tried recalibrating but still same results. 

 

[Buckeyebowman]

On 2/12/2014 at 6:42 AM, iacas said:

How does it know what square is? Perhaps you aim right at setup, it assumes that's square, and then when you hit it you're square, but "left" of your setup position?

 

If you're truly delivering a closed face, you're probably taking the putter back outside. But… that's just the most common reason, not the only one. And that's only if you're truly delivering a left-pointing face, and it's not just a software issue with how and when measurements are taken.

BINGO! I'd suggest you check your overall alignment. My buddy has a consistent problem. He sets up for a putt looking left of the cup. Then he shoves the putt toward it! I've demonstrated this to him countless times.He'll correct it for a while, and then fall right back into the same old pattern!

These habits are hard to break.