Quote:
Originally Posted by BrianL99
I read a story once. I just tried to Google it, but couldn't find it.
Bobby Locke is generally considered the great putter to ever live (personally, I think George Lowe was, but I never actually saw Locke putt). Locke "hooked" all his putts and was a known "experimenter".
At The Open Championship one year, Locke was putting with his eyes closed .... until he missed a ball on the putting green. Somewhat embarasing, I suppose.
|
Just found and watched this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWF2mToHOi0 Mesmerizing. Looks like he was "hooking" both his putts *and* his chips. Have seen several big names on YouTube of late doing and talking about the same with both pitches and bunker shots. Fascinating subject.
The "new" ball flight rules do seem to help explain some of it, at least with the putter. Path and "face" both affect the starting direction of the ball flight, but with a mid iron about 85% of that (starting) direction is due to the face angle. As the face angle approaches the vertical, as with a putter, it gets closer to 100%, and there's not a whole lot of aerodynamics happening when the ball is traveling slowly on the ground, so the side-spin has little effect on direction.
Anecdotally, if I yank it inside on the back-swing on a long putt, a miracle seems to happen. An unintended side effect has been that the contact "feels" perfect (which otherwise *never* happens) and the ball tends to travel along the intended line. Haven't played with it lately, but after seeing that Locke video I shall look back into it, but had also noticed that going "wristy" seemed to add to the "feel" for the distance when doing that "arcing to the inside" on the back-swing. That has *certainly* never happened for me otherwise. Time for another look. . .
Googling "George Low putting videos" has sent me down some interesting rabbit holes. :-)
Had not heard about that Locke whiff. Wow. I feel no less embarrassment, however, for all the times I've toe-shanked (with my eyes *open*) it on practice putting strokes. :-(