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Putting Path Myths - Popular golf putting instruction and books in the last 10 years teach that the putter either moves straight back and straight through the target line or that it arcs around your spine depending on the type of stroke that you want to use. Both of these concepts are flawed because they ignore the most important component of the stroke: the rotation axis, your spine angle at address! Since most of us set up to the ball with slightly different postures and spine angles, expecting one fixed lie angle or arc plane to fit all golfers is unreasonable.
The putting stroke can be either straight back or it can be an arc. The putting stroke is just like swinging every other club in your bag. That means that the putting stroke has a path and that path is dictated by the angle of the rotation axis (pivot point - your spine just below your neck) at address. This is the common element we see in all good putters on every major tour, the “Natural Plane” putting method
We would like to share with you what we have learned by studying top teaching and touring professionals. After watching and analyzing the putting strokes of hundreds of pro golfers, we were amazed at first by the obvious differences in their putting strokes. The variation of grips, techniques and strokes left the mind wondering as to how they could all arrive at the point of impact with consistency and send the ball on its way ...seemingly perfect every time!
Given the variation of physical types (tall, short, lean, big, upright and hunched over) made this even more amazing. we often thought , "how can they do this, what is their secret"?
After analyzing hundreds of tour pros putting strokes, when we started to focus on their similarities is we began to understand the true essentials of a “Tour Quality Putting Stroke”. When we stripped away the differences in body type, grip styles, and putting stances we understood the putting stroke in a new light.
If you look at every good player on the different professional golf tours, you will find that they have discovered their own "Plane" putting path. Making a simple shoulder movement gives them the ability to roll putts with amazing smoothness and accuracy, even under intense pressure!
The Stroke
The iPutt Positive Feedback Training System is based on the simple “Natural Stroke” method used by nearly all current touring pros, one in which the stroke is controlled by rotating the shoulders about the spinal axis with passive hands and arms. The putting stroke is about accuracy rather than power and this method keeps the number of moving parts to a minimum. By making the putting stroke as simple as possible, this is the most efficient and reliable way to putt.
The Natural Stroke
The perfect stroke path and plane from player to player will vary a little depending on their putting stance and posture and therefore the plane angle of the Putting Pilot is adjustable. With the Putting Pilot your putter path will be a perfect plane and, by following the curved top surface on the putter will follow the perfect arc radius.
Putter Face
The putter face for an inside-to-inside stroke should open a little on the back swing and close a little on the follow-through. This is entirely caused by turning the shoulders on a natural plane angle; there is no rotation of the hands or arms. The putter face guide lines on the top of the Putting Pilot are aligned for a square to path putter face through out the entire stroke. By matching your putter face with the lines on the top of the guide, you will be in the perfect natural stroke position to swing the putter smoothly through the ball without needing to manipulate the putter head with your hands or arms.
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In short, the Plane Method is about using the shoulders to rotate around the spine axis to promote consistency in the putting stroke and to keep you on your own natural putting plane.
Why it works - The “Plane Stroke” method is based upon natural and simple body movements which can be learned easily. Results can be seen in days …not weeks or months.
The putter head and shaft travel in a perfect semi-circle around the players body in relation to the head/neck position. The putter head and shaft are always on your natural stroke path.
The putter face is always square to the path and is only square to the ball target line at the point of contact with the ball. This is the tour professional “Perfect Plane Stroke” method, an inside to inside putting stroke.
To execute this putting stroke, there is only one moving part. The hands, arms and shoulders rotate as one unit about your natural spinal axis. No manipulation of the hands or arms is required for the putting stroke. The stroke just happens naturally