Rickie Fowler Putting Technique

[Precision]

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Hovers putter @:53

 

 

http://www.australia...ing-them-again/

[LaggingBehind]

Can't feel the weight of the head if you take it back while its on the ground. Hovering helps with speed on quick greens for sure. Matsuyama does similar, but instead he bounces it gently.

[Scaldy]

This is another way to stabilize your arms through the swing, similar to what a forward press does. Kind of like building a "Y" when you chip. I think Greg Norman use to be big on lifting his putter.

[Santiago Golf]

In my belief you should hover every club. It helps you feel the weight of the club and you can't drag it on ground; the club can't get caught.

[carn9698]

I find that hovering can create tension in the arms, so that's bad. In putting and long shots bad. If grounded you can set yourself relax and then pull the trigger.

[TheInfidel]

I've tried hovering (not the putter) for me it creates tension. Just as Carn9698 called out.

 

Though based on my recent putting stats I'd consider hovering the grip end to putt if it helped!

[trying2scratch]

Hovering or bouncing the putter(stricker style) has actually helped me too. I found when I soled the club, I had a tendency to get grabby with my hands and would pull the putter back to far inside on the backstroke. This also led to a longer backstroke for some reason. When I tried hovering or bouncing the putter a bit it loosened up the tension and gave me a smoother tempo, shorter back swing and better acceleration through the stroke. Distance control and center face contact have improved as well. YMMV

 

Unlike a full swing, low point control is not the most important factor with putting. Smooth stroke/tempo and contact point are the keys IMO. Many great putters try to hit the ball just below the equator rather than lower, as you run the risk of scuffing the turf or the ball getting air borne and off line right away.

[Jagpilotohio]

I've noticed a lot of tour guys doing a slight little bounce before takeaway. Ive tried the bounce and prefer it to hovering myself.

 

Most putting coaches would say that some slight movement is a good idea before starting the stroke. Some little "trigger" to kick start things.

Forward press like Phil and Jordan never feels good to me. Feels like it messes with my alignment just a little.

 

Nicklaus was famous for always hovering the putter. Never grounded it his whole career as i recall. I think his initial rationale for it was to never risk incurring a penalty by being judged to have moved the ball in very windy conditions, ala the British open and links golf.... I believe they have changed that rule now, but back then, if your putter was grounded and the ball moved it was a penalty stroke and replace the ball.

 

Whatever the case, hovering seemed to work for him ok. ; )

[Kylekoz17]

I've always hovered/bounced just to have an unimpeded takeaway. Any kind of drag against the ground never results in a good stroke for me and this is the best way to combat it.

[Kenny Lee Puckett]

one name I think of if bouncing/hovering is mentioned... Payne (the SeeMore putter years)

 

when I think of just hovering... Faldo

 

when get rolling it well I just barely release the putter off the ground (video below) and hover it one micro second just before starting the stroke... it's nothing I realize I'm doing, it just happens... I guess to me it's the moment I feel the entire full weight of the putter engage in my hands/arms/shoulders when I do it... it's just like the last second little knee kick/hip bump one might have in the full swing... it really gets the stroke off to a good tempo...

[Socrates]

When I get jumpy, I'll bounce it a little. Sometimes hover it. It doesn't hurt Rickie to be a young, flat bellied kid with no nerves (except for that 17th hole).

[swizbeatz]

I copied him for the last few rounds of the year and will continue to do so in the spring. Really like the way it feels.

[nmanoles3]

Stricker is a bouncer too.

[Strömsborg]

I hover my driver. On every swing I try to return the clubhead to the adress position and the driver obviously should be an inch off the ground.

[iBanesto]

Stricker is a bouncer too.

 

What do you guys mean by bouncing or bouncer?

 

I thought Stricker was just the heel off the ground with his putter.

[Sooner1]

I went to the scotty cameron studio and this is a drill they like to use to get a "true" swing on the putter. They told me to use it as a drill. My guess is he was using it as a drill and it worked so well he put it into play. only very windy conditions would seem tough to me.

[justwellsy]

I think for those of you that say hovering the club for any shot creates tension... just do it at the range/practice green to start. I think this will allow you to isolate areas of tension in your golf swing and eliminate them. That's a big plus for your swing whether you end up hovering full time or not.

[Sun Devil]

I need to go back to hovering.

[mwkbmw]

Bubba hovers.

 

 

[Dave D]

Stricker is a bouncer too.

 

What do you guys mean by bouncing or bouncer?

 

I thought Stricker was just the heel off the ground with his putter.

he bounces or taps the putter on the ground 2 or 3 times and then makes his stroke, he says it helps get rid of tension

[nmanoles3]

Stricker is a bouncer too.

 

What do you guys mean by bouncing or bouncer?

 

I thought Stricker was just the heel off the ground with his putter.

he bounces or taps the putter on the ground 2 or 3 times and then makes his stroke, he says it helps get rid of tension

 

Yup. Just jeeps the muscles from locking due to a lack of movement

[jasonp87]

Anyone ever notice that rickie used to putt cross handed for shorter putts and only use a regular grip for lag putting. But now he appears to have abandoned cross handed all together. Anyone know why

[fillwelix]

I always bounce the putter gently behind the ball, never letting it fully rest on the ground. I think it's similar to waggling the club with full swings

[WidespreadPanic]

I can't hover bc it just sways around. I do bounce it though bc it's a trigger. I can't start any swing without some sort of movement to kick it off.

 

Man do I wish I putted like Rickie.

[jacobEDGE]

Nothing to do with hovering, but I like how Rickie plays a slightly longer putter, and stands nearly straight up. No bend at the knees. When I had a stock 34" putter, before cutting it down to 33", I would practice putting the way he does. Feet super close together, legs straight. It actually didn't feel all that bad or weird.

[aliikane]

To me, the hovering is normal because to strike the sweet spot well the putter has to be elevated off the ground. If you look at the all the pros, the majority will noticeably lift the putter off the ground either in the backswing or forward swing.

[jacobEDGE]

I recently got the Sports Illustrated 18 month wall calendar for golf. It has some tips on each month. One of them was to stack 3 quarters behind your ball on the putting green. Putt like you'd normally do. If you hit the 3 quarters, you need to be lifting your putter higher. If you don't hit the quarters, you're striking with the center of the putter face.

[fillwelix]

I recently got the Sports Illustrated 18 month wall calendar for golf. It has some tips on each month. One of them was to stack 3 quarters behind your ball on the putting green. Putt like you'd normally do. If you hit the 3 quarters, you need to be lifting your putter higher. If you don't hit the quarters, you're striking with the center of the putter face.

 

Do you mean 3 quarters in a straight line behind the ball or 3 quarters perpendicular to the target line? Is it about bringing the putter back or about keeping the putter level?

 

(probably a stupid question but now i'm thinking about "if you hit the bottom quarter then you're toe is too high")

[bladehunter]

I am one who cannot hover either. I see the putter Walk all over the place when I do. I can hover a club and strike it fine. But putter. Seems like path goes all over the place.

 

What Rickie does is different than bouncing. He actually picks it up. Holds it there a second or two. Then goes. Total hover in full stop. Then goes.

[nova6868]

Ricky has tension-releasing "feels" with all of his clubs. With driver he's moving, practicing extending back, then hovering. Irons he is waggling and hovering. Putter hovering. The only thing I can't recall is his small-ball technique, don't recall him hovering on pitches.

 

Overall I think its great. When you look at many of the best strikers and putters they all have some motion/waggle/fidget before starting their stroke.