Article #15
Featured Teacher: Lord Berry
To meet this week's teacher, or to purchase a copy of MUNIE ~ The Jitterbug Collection, go to www.bobbysteiner.com
Rhythm in the putting stroke, though sometimes mentioned, is quite a ways down on the list of points most commonly emphasized. It is preceded, of course, by the seven or eight physical "must-dos;" for example, eye position, foot placement, minimal wrist hinging, etc.
This presents a conundrum. You see, adhering obediently to all these so called must-dos takes away rhythm, making the putting stroke not one of reflex and inspiration, but rather, cautious, deliberate, and for too many, wooden movement.
Let's do an experiment:
Grab a wedge and set up as if to hit a short chip. With your eyes closed, use this club to hit a ten-foot chip (don't actually hit a ball, just swing the club as if you are). Observe the rhythm of the stroke. Notice how accelerating, yet fluid and in control the chipping stroke is. Notice, too, how unworried your backswing is. It's as if your body goes on auto-pilot, both back and through without a single cautionary maneuver.
Next, take your putter, drop a ball and scout out a target some ten feet away (a hole would be nice). This time, strictly adhere to the fundamentals you know to be important. Position your eyes directly over the line. Sole your putter squarely on the floor. Place 60% of your weight on your forward foot. Take the putter away slowly, low to the ground, and perfectly straight back; return smoothly through impact. Be sure to follow through the exact distance you swung the putter back.
Notice how comparatively careful the putting stroke is? Notice the lesser degree of go-for-it acceleration there is? Notice that the more you try to control the stroke, the less in control you are?
I believe Bobby Jones observed the same thing, as he described the fate he suffered trying to adhere to the fundamentals taught by the great putters of his day.
Mr. Jones wrote:
The result of these efforts was a tension throughout my whole body that might not have otherwise been present, so that however accurately I might reproduce the stroke that had been successful for the man I was imitating, the effect of it was destroyed because I could never relax. After all these experiences, I determined to putt naturally.
Later, he wrote:
I think more potentially good putters have been ruined by attempting to duplicate another method than by any other single factor; by the time they can place themselves in a position they think resembles the attitude of the other man, they find themselves so cramped and strained that a smooth, rhythmic stroke is impossible.
Now, I assure you, I've seen lots of bad putting strokes. On the other hand, with practice, I've seen many putting strokes improve. But, what strikes me most is that, often, as golfers become better putters, their putting stroke begins to resemble their chipping stroke. I refer not to the downward pinch of the chip, but rather, the pace, cadence, and general appearance of confidence. And this, whether observing all or none of the commonly regarded stroke fundamentals.
What does this tell us about the learning process?
It tells us that practice isn't something we do to simply ingrain correct technique, as deemed by those who hand out the must-do list. Rather, real improvement comes from confident technique, as only those free from excess thought can attain.