VJ-The Putting Arc
 

VJ,
Is the Putting Arc training aid curved? If so, doesn't that go against a straight plane line?

Jordan,

Think of the Visual Arc of the Clubhead. That's what the Putting Arc duplicates. The Arc may not be as EXACT as a Plane Line, since it will vary slightly for any given person.

Wouldn't it just be easier to practice putting with a plane board? Lynn told me that it is easier to practice and play tracing a straight plane line that covering the visual arc.

With that said, there is no argument from me that the Putting Arc hasn't helped many good putters on Tour become even better. Obviously it has. Just searching for some understanding.

I agree with your thoughts on the Plane Board as a training aid... for those of us who know G.O.L.F.

Can you imagine trying to convince the average golfer that they should use a straight board to produce a curved stroke? :?

The Putting Arc is indeed a good product and I've heard many positive comments about it.

I use a 1" by 10" by 3 ft pine plank propped up to the correct incline with a couple of barbells. The right forearm takeaway - flat left wrist is the key.

Yeah. Hearing people talk about a "straight back straight through" stroke irritates me because they have it half right and half wrong. All strokes are, in fact, straight back and straight through because you are tracing a straight line. However, since we are standing to the side of the ball, the clubhead must curve. Straight back and straight through is 'pointing', not 'tracing'. I don't see why people are convinced a putting strokes covers the target line when no other stroke does.

MG,

It IS an option!
Spine parallel to the ground(at the neck). Left shoulder 'rocks straight at the ball of your left foot, then back up(vertically), which has hands moving straight back and through, and hence putter.

So, it is an option,
Cheers

For me, it has just never been a natural thing. I used to try Pelz' method and it ruined my putting. I still am nowhere close to the putter I used to be and I am confident it is because I messed with the straight back and through stroke. I just don't see good players do it.

Pelz stressed a straight back and straight through stroke by virtue of a bad combination of incorrect shoulder motion and an exaggerrated vertical hinge(reverse roll of the arms!).

Proper straight back and straight through putting requires the shoulders moving around the horizontal spine, with angled hinging.

Yes, it would feel 'unnatural'. Firstly because Pelz's pils stroke is flawed. Secondly because every change you make to your previous habit will feel 'unnatural'. And if you're not convinced of a change, you won't make it.

Cheers,[/quote]

There are pros who subscribe to the Pelz putting stroke. It seems to me, however, that the only way to have a perfectly in line stroke, without doing some kind of manipulation, would require having a shaft that is perpindicular to the ground. You can't do this legally unless you put your putter head in enough of a "toe down-heel up" position to make up for the minimum 10º bore angle required by USGA.