Michelle Wie putting

[johnnymarlboro]

I was flipping channels last night, and the LPGA was on the golf channel. It came on just in time for me to see Michelle Wie miss a short putt. It was so weird I had to go online and see it again, and this was the first video I came across.

Her putting is almost to the point of being hard to watch. You see a lot of strange putting strokes and grip styles out on the various tours, but this bent over, all hands, no body approach seems desperate from a professional. Any of you folks out there tried anything weirder?

 

[tongzilla]

omg who taught her than set up

 

[solarbear]

Saw a similar stance used in a porno

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

omg who taught her than set up

probably her whacko father

 

[Keefer]

The style is called "Diegeling." Leo Diegel first used this putting stance back in the 1920's. Once again, nothing new, only history we don't know.

World Golf Hall of Fame Member Profile

 

[magicmarker]

To be fair, she can't exactly practice that stroke. My back got sore just watching it... No way is she banging out a bunch of five footers with that move.

 

[magicmarker]

nice find keefer!....she's just 'Diegeling', that's all.

Aware of his weaknesses, Diegel would walk slower to fight his tendency to rush and even had himself psychoanalyzed. The biggest compensation Diegel made was his putting stance. Exasperated with missing short putts, Diegel in 1924 devised a stiff -wristed, bent over, elbows-out style that was so distinctive it became known as "Diegeling."

The odd angles of Diegel's posture provided an unending source of good-natured ribbing all his life, and even after: "How they gonna fit him in the box," deadpanned Walter Hagen at Diegel's funeral.

 

[eoscar]

omg who taught her than set up

It was her idea. She said something along the lines that all the best putters on tour were shorter.

 

[Tony D'Antonio]

Someone on air said Wie came up with this method because she thinks most good putters are short. So she is making herself 'short'. No kidding, that's what I heard. I think many good putters are short too but that is probably because if a short person makes it on tour it probably is because they are good putters. All the bad, short putters are doing something else. Wie's game now is so mental (more so than others) that I don't know if she will ever be able to get out of her own way.

 

[Tony D'Antonio]

It was her idea. She said something along the lines that all the best putters on tour were shorter.

You beat me eoscar.

 

[magicmarker]

Wow. Nice logic!

All the best putters are short, therefore I will make myself short by introducing a 90 degree curve into my body, something all the great 'short' putters don't have.

 

[ej20]

How about this guy who looks even more bent over?Whatever works do it,but sad to say Wie is destined to be a poor putter no matter what she does.

 

[johnnymarlboro]

I get that many putters of the past were very bent over to get their eyes over the ball. But to be picky I wouldn't exactly say she is 'Diegeling' as she's missing the crucial dual flying elbows. Plus I think that the fact that plenty of fairways today have shorter grass then greens back then can't be over looked in comparing past to present.

As for Nicklaus I'm sure he would've been able to hole as many putts with any method he chose. As the mental side goes, it sure seems Nicklaus and Wie are about as far away as golfers can get.

 

[magicmarker]

Jack actually bent his knees though, taking some of the strain off his lower back.

What she needs to do is practice putting, which you cannot do with that putting stroke... without inducing serious lower back pain.

 

[Tball88]

Man, i'd stand on my head if I thought it would make me putt better, so I can't rip on her.

I struggle with putting terribly, miracle I'm a single digit handicap. But every 20 handicap I play is a great putter, just takes them 4 to get to the green.

 

[DCgolf]

The style is called "Diegeling." Leo Diegel first used this putting stance back in the 1920's. Once again, nothing new, only history we don't know.

World Golf Hall of Fame Member Profile

Actually "Diegeling" had the elbows WAY more out. Leo's putting was more famous for the elbows than the stance. Walter Hagen, a close friend, got to his funeral after they had closed the casket (apparently went to wrong funeral home and stopped at a few saloons on the way, as the story goes). Anyway when he got there, he knocks on the casket and says, "Hey Leo, how in the hell did they get you in there with your elbows stuck out like that?" Not a dry eye in the house needless to say..

 

[DCgolf]

"the yips-once you've had em, you got em"...Sam Snead.