Putting Alignment Keys- The Two Putting Forgotten Fundamentals

When it comes to putting well everyone knows that the easiest way to do so is to align your body square to your ball’s target-line but many people have a hard time in doing so consistently. Within my putting research at Cordillera I use AMM’s 3D Motion Analysis System to analyze the body’s actions during the putting stroke. This research has yielded an alignment correlation with the two “forgotten” fundamentals that lead to inconsistency within the average golfers’ putting stroke.

In order to be consistent your body’s “flow-lines” must be parallel to one another; whenever they point in different directions putting becomes harder than it should be!

Alignment Issue Number One— The “High” Rear Forearm

Whenever you see a player whose rear forearm is too high at address you will also see an inconsistent stroke path- one that tends to move out to in. The puttershaft tends to follow the actions of your shoulders, thus, whenever your rear forearm is too high the shoulders usually align themselves open (3.2 degrees in the above example) or point to the left of your target line (for the right handed player.) It is this action that influences the incorrect putter path and compensations within your stroke to correct for this.

Alignment Issue Number Two— Your Lateral Spinal Bending

The second most common address fundamental that interrupts the proper “flow-lines” of your body at address is the lateral bending of your spine. Whenever your spine leans too much toward the target it tends to influence the alignment of you shoulders as well.

Targetward bending of your spine opens your shoulders and raises your right forearm as well

The Solution

You must audit the following things at address to ensure your “flow-lines” are consistent and accurate:

1.Your spine must be centered and not leaning excessively one way or the other
2.Your shoulders must be parallel to your ball’s targetline
3.Your forearms must be parallel to your shoulders, as well as, your ball’s targetline

Use a friend or a mirror to monitor and check these positions if you are putting poorly; I will guarantee that one or all of these fundamentals are incorrect!

Tom F. Stickney is a contributing author at golf-short-game-guide.com and is the director of instruction at Tom Stickney Golf ( www.tomstickneygolf.com ). Tom has published over 100 Articles in publications such as Golf Digest, Japan Golf Digest, Golf Magazine, Senior Golfer Magazine, Golf Illustrated, Golf Tips, Golf for Women, Executive Golfer, Mid-South Golfer, Southern Golfer Magazine, and Colorado Golfer Magazine. He is one of Golf Magazine’s Top 100 Teachers in America and was recently ranked by Golf Digest as one of the Top 20 Instructors Under 40.

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