Putting and head movement

[tourdeep]

Should the head move when putting?


On the putting green yesterday, I saw my shadow while putting and noticed my head moves. It more or less rotates, and it might actually go down a bit on the follow thru. I practice with a belly putter and use a standard length while playing. Yesterday, it was a standard putter when I noticed this.

I have moved away from arc putting to perpinduclar putting. Or, instead of tracing a straight plane line, I try to maintain a face that is perpinducular to the target line or try to keep the line on the face of the putter parallel and directly on top of my target line. The feel I have is the right shoulder goes more downward while feeling a stretch on the left hip on the downswing to follow thru. The bend in my right arm remains constant thru the stroke for most putts. And I don't try to peek at the putt.

 

[mjstrong]

I think that if you are using perpendicular putting, and just rocking your shoulders up and down, your head will have to move. It should probably move a little towards the target in your backswing, and will most likely move backwards and down on the thru stroke. I think the only way to keep your head still while legitimately rocking your shoulders back and forth would be to really bend your spine sideways...

If your shoulders are turning around the axis of your spine a little more, your head can stay stationary much more easily.

Just my thoughts.

 

[komanin]

I think that if you are using perpendicular putting, and just rocking your shoulders up and down, your head will have to move. It should probably move a little towards the target in your backswing, and will most likely move backwards and down on the thru stroke. I think the only way to keep your head still while legitimately rocking your shoulders back and forth would be to really bend your spine sideways...

If your shoulders are turning around the axis of your spine a little more, your head can stay stationary much more easily.

Just my thoughts.

wont you have to open the face of the putter in order to that?

 

[otto6457]

If you are pushing your left shoulder down towards your left foot as in Mangum's stroke, your head will move. He discusses this in his book. It is not a problem.

With an arc stroke it is much easier to keep your head still since the shoulders rotate "around" the neck.

 

[vjcapron]

Lorena Ochoa proved last year that its ok for your head to move down & forward and then up & back.

She still does this a little bit, but now she is striving to keep a steadier head and it looks like she putts with more of an arm swing under her shoulders and she has disconnected her arm swing from her shoulder tilt.