Frank & Valerie,
Thank you for the latest putting tip on not giving up. You guys are great. Now for my question: we see that our new PGA champ Keegan Bradley and others have decided to use (with some success!) the Belly or Long putter.
Do you have any suggestions about how the average golfer would improve their  putting by using a belly putter, and if so, how do you fit yourself  to a belly putter?
Harold
NC

Harold,
Thanks for the kind words: we do appreciate them.

First, I must be consistent in my opinion about the use of a Long or Belly Putter. I feel strongly that the best putters in the world use a conventional putter and a conventional style of putting.

If we understand how the body works, we discover that we are best able to judge distances by allowing feel – a crucial part of putting -- to play its part. We have been able to do this successfully for hundreds of years without the use of a restrictive crutch even though it may be a good crutch.

From a technical point of view the Belly putter (Keegan Bradley style)  and the Long Putter (Adam Scott style) are more efficient instruments than the conventional putter, because their use eliminates at least two degrees of freedom i.e. the movement “up and down” and the “wrist break.”

By eliminating a degree of freedom, we can eliminate the associated errors. However these do carry the penalty of  restricting the movement and feel we have naturally developed over time. This is similar to trying throw a dart with your wrist in a splint. You will eventually get used to it but it takes time and a lot of practice, as in the case of Bernhard Langer.

The reason some golfers go to the longer putters is that they find it solves some problems they have with controlling certain degrees of freedom. The long term solution is to deal directly with the problem rather than applying a band-aid to it. During the ten years of researching all aspects of putting, we have found that a natural rather than a contrived swing works best and leads to consistency which makes great putters out of good putters.

However, we do recognize that golfers continually look for a quick fix and sometimes a change in putter style will help, so we do make Belly Putters for those golfers who need something different and don’t have time to visit a Certified Putting Instructor who will in most cases fix the underlying problem. For those who want to buy a Belly Putter the following  is the procedure to use to fit it correctly:  

Using your conventional length putter (correctly fitted as per the video on fitting procedure) follow these steps:

a) Address the ball in your normal putting stroke position  with your eyes over the ball
b) Keep your right hand (for right handed golfers with a conventional grip) on the putter and with the left hand slide a 12-inch ruler up alongside the grip  until the end of it pushes into  your belly close to the belly button (this specific position i.e. above or below the belly button, is personal preference )
c) Using your left hand clamp the ruler to the grip and check the measurement on the ruler above the end of the grip. This is the distance from the end of the grip of your conventional putter to your belly button and the best first estimate of a correctly fitted Belly Putter.

If you have a larger than normal and soft belly, make sure that when the ruler is touching the belly button – or thereabouts – it bottoms out on some firm tissue in that part of your anatomy. This will make sure that the pivot point remains reasonably stable. For those with a firmer bellies – i.e.  less beer – this pivot point will be fairly stable. See the video above to demonstrate the procedure.

When putting, even with a Belly Putter,  make sure that you maintain your rhythm and keep your head down throughout the stroke. Use your shoulders to make the move, rather than arms only.
Good luck   
Frank

 

 

Frank,
I really enjoy reading your Q&A every week, so please keep it going. My question relates to the effect that air temperature has on ball flight. I’ve noticed that a 20 degree F difference in temperature can substantially affect the distance on my shots. In some cases, I’ve even found this when playing on consecutive days when the temperature is very different, I need to be careful about club selection.

How does temperature impact the ball? Is there an ideal temperature range that golf balls are designed to be played in?

Thanks,

– Brendan

Brendan,

Many golfers -- even the pros -- don’t pay enough attention to the air temperature when selecting a club for a particular shot. The ball temperature also affects its resilience properties, but not as much as the air temperature.

As air temperature increases, the air becomes less dense, and this is why it is more difficult for airplanes to take off on hot days than cold days. The lift forces are reduced in hot (less dense) air, as are the drag forces -- and the overall effect is that balls will travel farther on hot days than cold days.

A general rule of thumb is to estimate a 2 to 2.5 yard difference for every 10° F. So at 40 ° F, the ball will travel about 10 to 12 ½ yards less than at 90° F. In combination with your decreased body temperature, which will have some effect on your swing, this could add up to something significant -- at least one to one and a half clubs’ difference in your selection.

Hope this helps warm you up for the next cold day on the course.

Frank

 

Changing Putters for Green Speeds?

Frank,

I know you are the designer of the Frankly Frog putter and a putting coach and I need some information about putters and green speed.

 A  friend told me that on slow greens you should use a heavy putter and on fast greens use a lighter putter. What is your opinion?

--Ron

 

Ron,
Yes, I have helped numerous golfers with their putting strokes and this in combination with the Frog Putter has resulted in many very happy customers who are now enjoying their time on the green, are confident and have been able to lower their handicap as a result.

There has been some speculation that one needs a heavier putter than normal for slower greens. In addition, some golfers have suggested that you make contact on the toe of the putter face or use a light putter for fast greens or down hill putts.

I disagree with both of these notions for the following reasons:
First, it is important to groove your putting stroke to be as consistent as you possible can. Consistency is of utmost importance in putting.

To be consistent you must not add an additional variable by changing the instrument for different course conditions. For a slow green, the ball must be launched a little faster than for a fast green for the same length putt. This difference should be established on the practice putting green which should be similar in speed to the greens on the course. It does not make sense to get out a Stimpmeter -- ( see The birth of the Stimpmeter at http://franklygolf.com/stimpmeter.aspx ) -- on the practice green and then make a decision as to which of several putters you are going to select for that particular range of green speeds.

Second, making contact with ball on the toe of the putter-face, for fast greens, again introduces another variable leading to inconsistencies – how far toward the toe will you strike it and for what green speed or down slope?

The difference between a slow and a fast green, independent of the putter you intend to use, is that the faster green will have more break than the slower green for the same side-hill slope, and you must launch the ball faster for the slower green than a faster green for a specific length putt.

The speed of the putter head for a specific length putt is a judgment call based on your experience and pre-shot plan and routine. This will be different for every putt, so why try to complicate this further by introducing another variable by using a different putter for every green speed or missing the sweet spot intentionally for down hill putts or faster greens?

Ron, I hope this has helped.

If you really want to improve your putting I would strongly suggest that  you try a Frankly Frog putter and/or come and visit my Studio next time you are in Orlando. If you want some advice as to which Frog would suit you best please call us directly at (407) 396-4004  and a Frog Specialist will be pleased to guide you through the process.

Frank