Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/68546
TIPS FROM LISA LONGBALL Warming Up To The BELLY PUTTER In my mind it was cheating. Guess what… it's not… they are legal, and if it can help you save strokes, why not try it. On a recent trip to Nike Golf's Research and Development Facility, The Oven, I went through an incredible putter fitting. I was out on the exact same cameras as Tiger Woods. I discovered through this eye opening process that I in fact skid the ball instead of rolling it and when I used a belly putter it helped me roll the ball end over end. By the end of 2011 three players on the PGA Tour had won with long putters anchored to the body. Adam Scott (Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone), Keegan Bradley (belly) became the first player to win a major with a long putter (PGA Championship) and Webb Simpson (belly) won both in Greensboro, N.C. and at the TPC Boston. If you struggle with your putting give it a try. Here are some helpful tips to make the transition smoother: CORRECT ADDRESS POSITION POSTURE DURING FOLLOW THROUGH MAKE SURE TO MAINTAIN • Be fit for the putter. When you take your stance you should be able to bend over to a 45 degree angle and have your grip hit your abdomen. It should be snug but not buried into your stomach. You can lose your anchor in your stroke if the putter is too short or stub it against the green if it is too long. • Grip the putter the same way you would a standard putter. Some players like to do a reverse grip and have their target side hand low. Do what is comfortable. • The set up is the same. Your feet, knees, hips, shoulders and clubface are square to your target line. Let your arms hang naturally. Some players like to play the ball in the centre of their stance due to the improved pendulum swing (wrist action After being fitted for the long putter, when you take your stance you should be able to bend over to a 45 degree angle and have your grip hit your abdomen. It should be snug but not buried into your stomach has been eliminated from the stroke) and some like to play the ball just forward of centre. Your eyes should be over the ball. A properly fitted putter will help with this. • Anchor the putter to the exact same point on your body every time. If you alter the position of the butt end of the handle to a different spot each time you are creating too many variables. You need to centre it in the middle of your body to make a true pendulum stroke. • Focus on rocking your shoulders. Keep your rhythm the same from putt to putt but vary the length of your back swing based on how long your putt is. • Follow through your putt as you normally would. With a longer putter many players will mistakenly allow the momentum of the club to take over instead of finishing their stroke. Your posture should be maintained. For those naysayers out there, although putting guru Stan Utley does not believe the longer putters should be allowed he has said, "When you anchor the grip end to the body, you simply cannot manipulate the grip in a way that pulls the top of the handle back in the takeaway or toward the target in the through-swing– which are the biggest mistakes I see in my teaching. I teach people to "swing the end of the club that hits the ball." Good luck and good rolls! Lisa is the 7-Time Canadian Long Drive Champion and ranked #2 in the world. She can be reached through her website www.lisalongball.com.