If You're Experiencing Problems in Putting Think about the Open Stance

You can find probably a wider variety of putting styles in comparison with any other golf stroke.  Most golf mentors will most likely advise you that the putting stroke that regularly will get the golf ball in the hole will be the best one for that player.  Anytime I hear the feet MUST remain parallel to the putting line, I think that kind of coaching is pretty narrow minded indeed.  Jack Nicklaus used the open putting foot position and I would say it worked okay for him.

Recently I have gone with the open foot position for short putts (inside about ten feet), and thus far I have had exceptional results.  While using the open position I'm able to keep my head behind the golf ball, therefore enabling me to view the line a lot better without moving my head.  For these short putts I can see the line the entire way to the hole, and it is only a case of stroking my ball on that line.  For long putts I do not get those same advantages.

For this putting stroke to work, that being said, specific factors must take place.

1.    You need to use the pendulum stroke.  This is a stroke where the putter face remains square with the ball in the course of the complete stroke.  I don't believe one can possibly putt consistently in an open foot position if the putter face leaves the square position at any time.  In the end on some putt, quite possibly an important one, you will not get the face to correct position and either push or pull that three-footer.  Surely nothing destroys your self-assurance quicker than anytime you let that happen.

2.    Tuck the back elbow.  While using the open foot position you are able to stabilize the right elbow against the body.  That stability removes one more possible thing which may go wrong; that is, the more of your body you can keep planted and stable the far less that can go awry throughout the putting stroke.

3.    Lead with the front hand.  Among the problems I have encountered with the open foot position that I had to correct is "popping" the golf ball.  Because the ball is naturally will be to the fore, my golf putter will have an inclination to get underneath the golf ball and lift it off the surface, definitely an issue that is going to throw the putt off line.  By leading with the left or front hand I am better suited to keep the putter from rising throughout the ball.

This approach certainly goes against what several consider unbending golf ground rules.  But if you can routinely make what I believe are all of the modifications to make this style work, you may find the advantages that I have found will let you sink these short putts, those you should be sinking.