Data reveals the best approach to make more putts

Throughout our careers, we’ve seen golfers struggle with pushes and pulls, putts that are too long and putts that are too short, not to mention the yips. Most of these well-intentioned players make the mistake of trying to accelerate at impact. Fortunately for them (and you), we have a solution developed years ago and validated using today’s technology.

It goes back to me, Joe Hallett, meeting Art Olfs early in my teaching career. Olhus was a mathematician and engineer who was fascinated by his putting stroke above all else. He found that a good putter’s follow-through was much shorter than a backstroke. Using handwritten equations and graphs, he shows that these players are able to move the putter head at a constant rate so that it collides with the ball rather than accelerating through impact as most golfers think. I have proven that I am moving at speed.

As the Orhus data set grew, I, Joe Plecker, began measuring the dynamics of players with the yips and found the same results. Most importantly, a good putter varies the length of the backstroke to control distance. In addition, by allowing the putter to “drop” onto the ball, there is less twist on the face and hits are now more focused on the center. The equation that Olhus discovered and that we tried to disprove is that the optimal stroke uses his 60:40 ratio on every putt. Read below to find out how it works.

1. Stroke Science

Taking advantage of Olhus’ tips and research performed using SAM PuttLab (see below), we found that accelerating the putter head too much from the end of the backstroke into impact can reduce control, face rotation (twist), and was found to have a dramatically negative effect on total forward stroke size. As the data proves, the goal is to swing the putter like a pendulum, moving the putter backwards in a zero-velocity operation and traveling the same distance. That is, a pure 50:50 stroke (that is, equal on both sides of the base of the arc). ).

However, in reality, it’s closer to 60:40 as the ball ends up getting in the way. This small bump certainly disrupts the natural flow of the stroke and limits the length of your follow-through, albeit slightly. And since the ball only “knows” what will happen at impact, the length the ball flies is determined almost entirely by how far you push the putter back.

2. 60-40 recipes

Now that you understand the science, it’s time to put it to the test. Mark the spot on the green where you would normally place the ball in your putting stance. Create a daily stroke. Have a friend mark where your backstroke ends with a tee, and set her second tee approximately on the target side of his two-thirds mark of that distance. (For example, if his backstroke distance is 12 inches, set the second tee 8 inches in front of the mark.) Replace the mark with a ball. Next, make a putt. On the first tee, stop your backstroke and “drop” your putter onto the ball. Please keep putting it in. Over time, you will notice that the stroke automatically stops on her second tee. More importantly, the putts roll the same distance. Feel free to fool around with the drill setup using a putting stick (tpkgolf.com). This marks some 60:40 combos.

3. How to get a 60:40 feeling

Grab your new ball box and hit it on the practice green. Select a straight target, set his 60:40 stroke guide as in the test on the left, and start rolling putts. Your goal: group as many putts as possible. (Tip: Once you can consistently achieve the same 60:40 stroke size, your putts will start coming together better.) Are you short? Easy. Make your backstroke longer but keep the same 60:40 ratio. If you wind it too much, do the opposite. In either case, always try to drop the putter on the ball. This method works very well and can be putted with a whipped putter, driver, wedge, or even a shovel.

4. Trust physics

Start like this
Before your round, warm up with a tee drill on the practice green to get a feel for how far the ball will roll on a 60:40 stroke. Once the touch is correct, you’re ready to go low.

Why is it important?
Even though you’ve heard all the putting tips in the game, you still miss out. Focusing on the dynamics of the 60:40 putting stroke solves many of the issues currently plaguing putting, including squaring the face, hitting the sweet spot, and controlling distance.

Try a heavier putter
If you’re having trouble swinging your current putter like a pendulum, try a heavier model or increase the weight of the putter head. This will help you release new swing strokes. Also, the soft grip won’t hurt on the green.

Let’s keep our stance
Use the setup as your personal framework to manage the length of all your putts. Short, medium, long, and extra-long putts are as simple as controlling the length of the backstroke relative to the leg (a single variable). With a little practice you can make money from all points around the cup.