Perfect putting stance?

[N0rs3man]

I've done alot of research on putting technique. Mostly hear the same generic stuff. Mostly stance doesnt really matter and hit face square and control distance well.

What I know is when you pick a line from behind the ball, and once you take your stance, if the two lines dont meet up in your subconscious, then you are going to try steer the putt.

What stance can someone use to get the head/eyes in the exactly same spot every single putt? It seems when my putting is on, my stance is on line, when I'm missing everything to the left or right my stance is off.

How can I consistently get my head perfect?

 

On a side note, last year I was putting by stand straight up and just bending my head down and putt it one handed. I was actually putting the best I've ever putt, but it was too quirky to continue.

[scooterhd2]

I usually get the sense that my stance is off before I putt the ball, and then I make the decision to either back off and re-align, or to take the stroke and make the adjustment. Depends on the length, difficulty, necessity of the putt. Are you finding that you do not know your stance is off until you make a backswing?

[N0rs3man]

Hmm, it's a bit different. Just at like 10 to 20 ft my stance feels right, and the putt looks like its going in before I stroke, then I notice it misses left or right depending on where my head was at the start of stroke. I dont stand square and that maybe a problem, but I'm very comfortable and dont want to change. I just seem to be in a little different setup position every putt, or at least usually the same for each day but it changes slightly to the next day

[Obee]

I used to putt with an open stance (think Nicklaus). Missed too many 3 - 4 footers that way. Tried going more square. No improvement. In fact, got worse. Decided once and for all to fix my putting. Started using the line, religiously, and CLOSED my stance.

FINALLY found something that works for me. never feel misaligned anymore and average 28.x putts per round for about two years now.

[MaineMariner]

I question whether you have a STANCE problem or an addressing the ball problem.

[Coy M]

Drawing a line on my ball helped my putting 10 folds. BUT I learned pretty quickly you need to have your eye line just inside the ball or directly above it or the line looks off when you're at address.

[N0rs3man]

Interesting, I might have to try that. Do you look down the line or once you have established the line from behind the ball do you block out all urges to steer the putt if your eye line looks off the established line? Or does your eye line and your established line match with your closed stance?

[Soloman1]

I was such a bad putter 30 years ago, I ended up putting left-handed, cross-handed wearing boxing gloves with my eyes closed.

I made everything.

I had to give it up because no one would play golf with me.

[596]

The only thing I line up is the putter face and my right, rear, foot. I make sure my right foot is 90 degrees to the target line, as well as the putter face. This allows to take the putter straight back along the perpendicular line of my right foot. I don't care where my front, left, foot is. It'll change depending on the break or speed of the putt. I end up with an open stance. Though my right foot is square to the target line. I average around 30 putts per round and nearly never 3 putt.

[juststeve]

At least for me there is no perfect putting stance. I find my starting line and then work into a stance that feels right to swing the club down the target line. Most of the time that's between a little open and very open, but it varies from day to day and even putt to putt. My stance has very little effect on my ability to roll the ball on line.

Steve

[Obee]

Great questions. first off, qhen I used to use my open stance, the line -- even when confirmed to be perfectly aligned to my intended start line -- looked ridiculously, absurdly, comically too far to the right for me. So much so that on a dead straight 3-foot putt, when the line was confirmed to aligned directly to the center of the hole on a straight-in putt, it would appear to me as I stood over the putt that the ball was aimed up to two balls right of the center of the hole.

THAT'S when I knew I needed to "mix things up a bit." And thus began my journey to get my eye to "see" straight. I just kind of stumbled on the "putt from a closed stance" thing. I'm a big "extremes" guy when learning. I figured if I could putt with an OPEN stance, I could try putting with an extremely CLOSED stance and see what it did.

It was pretty much love at first sight after that. Line+Claw+Closed-Stance = MONEY for me. Now, if my line is even the slightest bit off, I can immediately tell and I will adjust it. But I do confirm that my line is where I want it with the shaft, first. And I do all of that quickly. 80% of the time, my ball is down and lined up before the guy putting before me has even picked his ball up out of the hole.

[Soloman1]

If I aim the putter face a couple balls left of the hole with an open stance, it's aimed at the hole. If I aim at the hole, I'm guaranteed to miss the hole two balls right. We're all different creatures.

Our eyes have to be in the right place to see the putter face and intended line in correct alignment. Usually, but not always, the eyes inside and behind the ball works.

I think the best investment in time is to run a string above the line of a straight putt and move your body position around until the face and line look right. Otherwise you're trying to fix something without information.

[N0rs3man]

Wow I tried your closed stance for the putter. It felt so right! I could get my head in the dame spot also toe huge benefits I came to realize. One, when your right foot is back you have like 2.5 ft of grade to feel eith your feet, instead of 11 inches if your feet are square. This really helps with picking the right line. Also I noticed that its much easier tonfine tune your bodies alignment. It's like using a longer lever for more minute adjustments. Anyway it also gave my right arm plenty of room to control the show. I've got some tweeking to do, but I can tell this is by far superior, and was putting much better today.

[Obee]

Dude. So happy to hear that. Putting from a closed stance is not for everyone, but for certain guys, it can really help. There is probably some connection to eye-dominance and degree-thereof, but I'm not qualified to discuss that. I'm extreme right-eye dominant and the only think I know is that I putt MUCH better if the ball is FORWARD in my stance, as opposed to back. Doesn't seem to matter if I'm open or closed with my stance, as long as the ball is forward. The closed stance was just the thing that really put me over the edge to putting at an elite level -- and I'm not at all afraid to say that. :-)

[Stall]

Our courses have only been reopened for a couple of weeks now after a good 10 weeks covid shut down, couple that with the winter off season, i had barely played for 8 months.

 

I've noticed though that I have started missing the ball to the right, regularly! This is a new development. Looking into it lastnight on the mat I appear to be slicing the putts - i didn't even know this was possible, thought only pull or push but this does appear to have cut spin on it. I've watched a raft of youtube videos on it lastnight to try and nail down the culprit, so many ideas and a lot seem to boil down to my set up could have went wonky..... :(

lifting head and peaking earlyShoulders aligned leftholding putter too flatdecelerating into the balleyeline not straight - this is interesting.

I've got a shit ton of work needing done today and tomorrow and now have all of these ideas for putting buzzing about in my head. :mad:

 

PS - if anyone knows any other flaws that lead to the sliced putts then feel free to add them so I can tick them off when I go out to the garage for a practice

 

EDIT - Pulling the right shoulder back a bit seems to have most success in the limited trials I've done this afternoon.

[crazygolfnut]

I keep changing my stance. Usually I have a normal (straight) stance with the ball in the middle of my feet. I kept missing putts so today I went to an "open" stance resting my right elbow on my side and started making everything. Who knows what will happen tomorrow.

[NoTalentLefty]

I tried the closed stance again. Took less putts than the week before BUT have to try it over the coming weeks to verify long term. Maybe it’s a fat man stance? 

[llewol007]

Perception is different from reality. Often times we think we are lined up straight. Best way is to have someone watch you take your setup and see if you are actually lining up to what you think is where you are lined up. The thing about putting is knowing the stroke is the same over and over and over and matches your putter i.e. face balanced or toe hang. It really does become a consistent setup and stoke. 

[Mr. Clean]

In my humble opinion there is no such thing as “perfect” in anything golf.  Everyone has to figure out what works for them, and how they can best repeat it, given the situation they are dealing with....what’s more important in putting line or speed?  For me it’s speed 👈🏼  99% of putts that are online and short never go in 🤭😂

[fjk]

Anyone try keeping weight more on back foot? I noticed with open stance this is more natural. And encouraged a slight rise of the putter/hitting up (a little) through the ball. 
 

my worst speed control is when I inadvertently hit a little down on the ball. 

conventional wisdom is always 50-50 or weight more forward.