Male speaker 1: Welcome back to Golf Is Hard TV, the golf show for the rest of us. We continue on our putting series.
Male Speaker 2: Yes.
Male Speaker 1: And I've got lots of questions, but this episode is going to be about direction.
Male Speaker 2: Direction. So you know it is an important concept, because I think direction comes into play more when we have that 5-6 footer for putt. Distance isn't really an issue. We want to knock that up in the middle of the hole. So, and if your direction is good or your distance is good, you may not even have 5 or 6 feet.
But anyway, we're going to be chipping and we're going to have a, quite a few 5-6 footers for putt, and you want to make more of those, bottom line. And we wanted to put our back stroke, let it happen, and watch the ball in the middle now. There are a lot of things that are very common as to why people don't have the best direction in putting, and we're going to talk about those and we're going to keep it really simple.
Male Speaker 1: I'd also like to know a lot of these -- I think every ball nowadays has these -- they actually draw a line, they have numbers on them. And I started trying to use these, but I find myself getting actually more confused when I use them in trying to aim it properly.
Male Speaker 2: So we're talking about, for instance on this Callaway ball, right there. You see a lot of players lining these up like you said.
Male Speaker 1: That's right. Seems like it should be helpful for me; a little confusing.
Male Speaker 2: Yeah, but what I've done over the years, not all balls, if you go back in over the years had this, and then players what they were doing, is they'll take a sharpie or a marker, draw their own line, and now the manufacturers are putting them on all balls.
Male Speaker 1: I like that, I like that there is a line there. I just am not sure how to use it as it relates to direction.
Male Speaker 2: So in a nutshell, what players do, is once they determine their line, they point this on their intended line and then they just stroke it in-line with the line on the ball. I mean, it's pretty simple, but the thing is like you said, you have to be pretty accurate, you have to pick out a spot, 1 or 2 feet in front of your ball, that's your intended line, and you'll see the players put that down precisely and turn it. And then once you have that down -- now let's say that I wanted to putt this out to the left, now I know if I just putt in-line with that line on that ball, that's going to go left to the hole. Because we know it's a front putt, pretty much that simple, but I don't use it and I'll tell you why.
Male Speaker 1: You don't use it. So. because my question is when you get a big break, you are pointing over there and if you are off by just -- feels like a fraction of the degree, and you got a big break, you really can mess yourself up!
Male Speaker 2: Well, that's why I don't use it, I use the side that has nothing else. I don't want to look at anything when I putt. So I use the bare side.
Male Speaker 1: Do you -- maybe we'll talk about this later. You blow up her like people will blur their eyes when they are putting, or do you focus on a fixed specific spot?
Male Speaker 2: I just stare dead straight at the ball.
Male Speaker 1: The middle of the ball?
Male Speaker 2: Right on the top of the ball, Right on the top.
Male Speaker 1: On the top, alright.
Male Speaker 2: I really don't think about it! All I know is, I stay dead still, nothing moves.
Male Speaker 1: You know, probably what my problem is, I just think too much. Because it keeps coming up.
Male Speaker 2: Yeah, you are asking a lot of questions.
Male Speaker 1:I do.
Male Speaker 2: The only thing that moves in putting is this triangle right here. You can see the hole, and this has to do with direction, so we're going to get right into it. The shoulders, the arms, the putter head -- remember earlier episodes, episode one lever, that's the one lever. And it has a lot to do with giving us good distance. but also good direction. You know. here we've got 4-5 levers. very difficult
Male Speaker 1: So what is - why is this done? What is this all about?
Male Speaker 2: Okay, so this is just to show the viewers what we have here. So we have a straight putt. So again, if I had this part on the course, I'd mark my ball. I'd put the blank side if you want to call that up, just so I don't have anything to look at. Now as far as controlling direction -- the best way to be consistent with directions, are some factors.
Like I said, we want to have this triangular motion. That's the only thing that we have moving in the putting stroke. Now the thing is, if I have this, now the viewers can see with this club down, if I have this pointing left, and I hit make a good stroke on that plain, and that's very common, most people have their shoulders pointing left when they putt.
Male Speaker 1: Yup. I think the results are fairly predictable!
Male Speaker 2: Then-- sure -- let's say I've my shoulders left, and this is very common again. So, ball is here, we have the putter face square, I think I am aligned properly, now my shoulders are pointing left. So now in order -- if I am going to make the proper shoulder turned stroke, that ball is going to go left every time. But you know we're pretty talented golfers, and we're not going to --
Male Speaker 1: Who? Who? We who?
Male Speaker 2: All of us!
Male Speaker 1: Oh, all of us, you were saying all of us!
Male Speaker 2: The average golfer, we're all pretty talented up here.
Male Speaker 1: So being average now is actually talented, it is like a little bit like giving everybody a trophy at the end of the season.
Male Speaker 2: Average talent.
Male Speaker 1: Average talent.
Male Speaker 2: Alright, we all have average talent, but the thing is, we're not going to be happy with that putt going left every single time. So we're going to fix it with our hands, and that's where we get into distance. So my shoulder is at left, now you can see what I am going to do, if my shoulders are left and from this angle, I am going to open -- see my hands what they are doing? I am going to make my stroke, and I am going to open my hands to make the stroke...
Male Speaker 1: To adjust, to make it go straight.
Male Speaker 2: Left shoulder is left incorrectly stroke it, I got to open my face --
Male Speaker 1: Too many variables.
Male Speaker 2: Too many variables. Bottom line is. what I want to do? I want to square my shoulders. Allow my shoulders instead of being left, square them up. Now I can take the hands out of it. I can get that triangle working much easier.
Male Speaker 1: So direction -- so that's the whole episode. Direction is basically getting your shoulder squared.
Male Speaker 2: Much better stroke. Much easier, with no hands involved. Direction is, it's a combination of getting the shoulders square, and just keeping it at one lever, but everything needs to be lined up, and if you are lined up then you are in good shape. So why don't you try a couple.
Male Speaker 1: Alright, I'll try a couple.
Male Speaker 2: And I do want to talk a little bit about the stance as well, because -- now this club may have us pointing a touch right, which is why it is going right, but that's not a problem. Square that up. Now let's take -- before you stroke that, let's take a look at where your body is here.
Male Speaker 1: Yeah.
Male Speaker 2: For the camera. shoulders look really good. You know, basically we want to have our feet, hips, shoulders, squared, just like good alignment on any given shot. There it is, let it stroke. Very good.
Male Speaker 1: Golf is Hard TV! Golf show for the rest of us! I think I'll just -- I'll end on that. give me a little more.
Male Speaker 2: I want to make one more adjustment. Alright folks. now you can see -- hold in, don't putt that, you take a look at his posture here. There is one more thing we want to do to make this lever complete, and you can see how he has got a little bit of an angle. His arms are hanging, and the putter has created an angle. This is one stroke, one shot with the putter where you want a straight line.
So we have this lever that works this way. One lever, and from this angle the putter is almost in-line, if you extended the shaft it is in-line with your arms, which means you are going to raise your hands a little bit.
Male Speaker 1: Yeah. I just did. I stepped back and raised my hands a little bit.
Male Speaker 2: Yup. You don't want to step too far back. Well maybe, let your hands slide down the grip a touch. Your eyes want to be right over the ball. It is good. Alright let that flow.
Male Speaker 1: I hit it right. Let me do that again.
Male Speaker 2: Alright, one more time. Okay folks, so we eliminated that angle, we got a nice straight line with the shaft up the arms. Nicely done! Golf is Hard TV!
Male Speaker 1: Golf show for the rest of us!
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