With over a year of ‘behind the player’ data to examine, we’ve learned a lot about putting strokes. The frequency in which a player, ANY player, truly makes a Straight Back Straight Through (SBST) stroke, with any consistency, is at best “occasional”. This is true even when making a deliberate attempt at a SBST stroke. For senior players, it’s almost astonishing. Myriad reasons are present and most glaring findings in our research are:
- Length of putter (perhaps) too short
- Putter is face-balanced vs toe-hang
- Left shoulder too low
- Alignment set open
So, we miss the putt, and most often, miss it left. There is also a tendency to miss short of optimal “make-speed”, as well. The reasons, in fact, are additive in nature. Setting up slightly open, with a putter that’s too short, and trying to SBST to the target line, is a disaster! Another thing, and it’s important to face it, is the fact that we can get a bit hunched-over as we age. This dramatically affects our full swing shots (the dreaded over-the-top descending blow). Similarly, with a putting stroke, that left shoulder dip will naturally affect the face alignment. Add some extra belly into the recipe, and now we “arch” around it, too! Eyesight is terrible as well!!
Here’s our conclusion. Most of us senior players would benefit from a putter a smidge (what’s a smidge?) longer than we’ve been using and have a bit of toe-droop. This promotes, one, a better “look” at the line, two, a more upright stance and will allow us to have more relaxed arms and hands that, three, promotion of a more fluid stroke with a natural, gentle arc. The keys, as with every shot in golf, are facilitating a square clubface plus acceleration. (Jeff Hanson, the Director of Golf at Ponte Vedra Club could talk for hours about this!)
Finally, just as you spend two-plus hours getting fit for that $800 new driver, why not spend the same amount of time on fitting your putter, the club you hit more than twice as often? See your pro! Putting lessons are a grand idea by the way. Hmm…
Play smarter, better for longer.
Study methodology
BASE: 24 players (18 men, 6 women) all over 50 years old
Fifteen putts to three distances, 10’, 15’ and 25’ (1080 individual putts measured)
Three putters for each player. 1.Their current gamer. 2. Same style an inch longer. 3. An “opposite” (if blade, then mallet and opposite at same length as gamer) SAM Putt Lab equipment