If you\u2019ve never digested any of Penick\u2019s teachings, do yourself a favor and dive in now. The legendary Texan had a knack for simplifying even the most complex of topics, and his track record is hard to argue.<\/p>\n
Back in the late 1970s, Penick joined GOLF Magazine to share some of his wisdom on developing a proper putting stroke on the greens. You can check it out below.<\/p>\n
Harvey Penick\u2019s keys for great putting<\/p>\n
It often has been said the best teachers are those who teach least. Harvey Penick is a dramatic case in point. His most famous pupil, Ben Crenshaw, is acknowledged as one of the best putters in the game. Yet the lessons Harvey did not give him \u2014 on putting \u2014 may have been the most valuable.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I can see natural ability,\u201d says Penick, \u201cI\u2019m not going to fool with anyone. Ben might have gotten that nice, long, smooth stroke from his father, who has one just the same. I believe you inherit muscles that are conducive to certain kinds of strokes.\u201d<\/p>\n
There also is an emotional makeup \u201cconducive\u201d to a certain type of putting stroke, Penick suggests.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt takes steadier nerves for that good, long stroke. A nervous individual can\u2019t putt that way. He tends to have, or maybe should have, one of those short, snappy strokes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still, Penick believes this \u201cfeel\u201d must be combined with sensible fundamentals, and in the following article refutes many of the much espoused theories on putting.<\/p>\n
Grip<\/p>\n
Horton Smith, a very fine putter in his day, always believed you should \u2014 hit against a locked left wrist, and believe that still holds. But the more interesting development in putting \u2014 over the past 10 years or so has been the positioning of the right hand. Check players like Nicklaus, Palmer and Casper and you\u2019ll see that the | right hand is in a \u201cstrong\u201d position, rolled slightly clockwise and under the shaft of the putter.<\/p>\n
If a man puts his hand more on top of the shaft, the general position for hitting full shots, he\u2019s going to roll over on it. The putter blade has a much better chance of staying square if the right hand is under the shaft a bit.<\/p>\n
You don\u2019t want that strong position for hitting the other shots, which goes along with my feeling that you don\u2019t putt the same way as you swing a hitting club. I don\u2019t tie them together for one reason \u2014 the putter is not made like the rest of the clubs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A chip shot is nothing but a little drive, because the ball is played to be hit at the lowest point of the arc. In putting, at impact, that arc should be extremely shallow. You simply don\u2019t need the kind of power you get with a grip that allows the right hand to roll over.<\/p>\n
Grip pressure<\/p>\n
I like the words \u201cat ease,\u201d because if you get too relaxed and loose I\u2019m afraid that in the pinch you\u2019re going to snatch it, grab the club at impact.<\/p>\n
Ben Crenshaw says these are the 3 keys to being a great putter<\/a><\/p>\n By:<\/p>\n Whether you hold the putter tight or loose is determined by how far you\u2019re going to hit the ball. That holds for all shots. If you\u2019re going to hit the ball as hard as Arnold Palmer does, you\u2019re going to hold the club tighter than if you are going to hit it as hard as my wife does. In putting, you simply hold it tight enough to control the club.<\/p>\n Alignment<\/p>\n If you have trouble lining up, you should walk up to the ball from behind, glance at the putter blade, then the hole, put the blade down square to the line and take your stance. The blade often looks crooked because you look at it so much from above and thus lose the sense of angle. But if you get the blade into position the way I suggest you\u2019ll be fine.<\/p>\n Lie<\/p>\n Almost everybody flexes their knees some at the address, or should. The way to know the putter is setting right for your build or the type of stance you take is to look at the angle of the shaft. It should conform with the angle of your thighs. The more you \u201csit down\u201d to the ball, the more tilt to the angle of the shaft and vice versa.<\/p>\n Ball position<\/p>\n At address your eyes should be directly over the ball. You can test yourself by holding a putter to your eye and letting it hang vertically. If you should drop it, the putter should hit the ball. You might be somewhat inside the ball or behind it, like Nicklaus, but you should never be outside or in front. You should never lean so far forward that you are looking back at the ball, because it is very difficult to see if the blade is square.<\/p>\n Now I don\u2019t like to give up a good stroke, one that works. But I believe a low-to-the ground takeaway is the best. You get that by playing the ball off the left heel or even the left toe. The farther toward the right foot you play the ball, the higher the backstroke will be, and if you\u2019re high on the backstroke, you\u2019re going to hit the ball with a descending blow.\u00a0<\/p>\n I\u2019m not too concerned about the follow-through because the ball has already been hit. I do believe, though, that the length of the follow-through should match the length of the backstroke.<\/p>\n The stroke<\/p>\n I\u2019m sometimes criticized in my teaching for allowing people more play in their bodies. But some people, particularly women, have to have some. That\u2019s mostly in respect to full swings, but I also believe a little movement, or freedom, in putting is not bad.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ben Crenshaw: These are my 5 \u2018musts\u2019 for great putting<\/a><\/p>\n By:<\/p>\n
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\n Zephyr Melton <\/a><\/p>\n
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