Golf Digest on putting plane and camera angles: Stroke Path: Straight or Curved?

[nevets88]

http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-instruction/2015-03/your-putting-stroke-frank-thomas

Quote:

We can finally put to rest the age-old question of whether a proper stroke moves the putterhead straight along the target line or on an arc that goes inside the line on the backstroke and inside again on the through-stroke. The answer?It does both—it's a matter of perspective.

[jbishop15]

I don't know what to think about this. My first reaction is kind of a 'duh' sort of thing: different camera angles, different results. But I don't know if I'm reading it correctly.

[iacas]

I don't know what to think about this. My first reaction is kind of a 'duh' sort of thing: different camera angles, different results. But I don't know if I'm reading it correctly.

No, that's basically it.

Cameras are great tools. Part of using them properly is being aware of some of this stuff.

[Torres9]

[VIDEO]http://youtu.be/YGv2ASCWuBo[/VIDEO]

[iacas]

I totally support the slight arc of EVERY putter, but Scotty's math or geometry is just wrong.

The putter head in A and B (the thin line is the shaft of the putter) would be straight back and straight through, while in C it would be on an arc.

[Play4Fun]

Can we just say the putter works on on a plane which is somewhat flat or straight , however visually it will look like an arc ?

[iacas]

Can we just say the putter works on on a plane which is somewhat flat or straight , however visually it will look like an arc ?

Why? I'd prefer to say what actually happens.

The plane is flat. But for all clubs (at the bottom of the swing) that's true. All clubs also trace an arc relative to the ground.

[billchao]

I totally support the slight arc of EVERY putter, but Scotty's math or geometry is just wrong. [URL=http://thesandtrap.com/content/type/61/id/114695/] [/URL] The putter head in A and B (the thin line is the shaft of the putter) would be straight back and straight through, while in C it would be on an arc.

If I'm looking at this correctly, the path would be SBST (or at least closer to it) if the upper spine is horizontal? Is that why Jack bent over so much in his stance?

[iacas]

If I'm looking at this correctly, the path would be SBST (or at least closer to it) if the upper spine is horizontal? Is that why Jack bent over so much in his stance?

If your axis of rotation is horizontal (i.e. your rotation is purely vertical), it doesn't matter what angle the shaft is: the clubhead will go SBST.

I made another graphic at one point in time that had a curly shaft that looked like a pretzel made by someone who tripping on LSD, and if the axis was horizontal and the rotation vertical, every point along that thing would move SBST.