[nn0wheremann]

Originally Posted by SHIBUMI

There are many styles of putting. Regular Grip, Left Hand Low Grip, The Claw Grip, Side Saddle,
and the Long Putter Method. I am sure I may have missed some.

All of these grips/styles have one thing in common that is essential to good putting. The reason golfers switch putting styles is because, they cannot do this one common element with their existing styles. Once they change and do it their putting improves and they believe that style is the answer. Its only that the change took care of the most important element to putting.

Can you name that one common element essential to good and great putting and no, it's not the putter.

Geometry, good eyesight and a little bit if trigonometry

[admiral72]

Why does the percentage of making a foul shot go up over a shot from the field? You have time to memorize the distance to the rim. Look at the hole for 6 seconds and go. If you are putting uphill, move your aim point behind the hole and vice versa. After 6 seconds your brain will memorize what you need to do to get it to the aim point.
Getting the distance correct is the key. After a while include consideration for the break.
On Bermuda greens, learn about grain and take into consideration where the green drains.

[SHIBUMI]

All good things but not THE thing that makes you all of these things.

Originally Posted by BrianL99

The key to putting is consistency.


MyGolfSpy proved years ago, "looks" don't matter. Just a moment...

Dave Stockton in "Unconscious Putting" gives this example. Sign your name on a piece of paper, then try to trace it slowly, while looking at it.

You need to be able to make an unconscious stroke, while maintaining the consistence of that stroke ... tempo & power (speed) & secondarily, direction.

[SHIBUMI]

Nice Try........... The parallax view will not allow you to line up correctly. In order to get around that, you need to pick a target in front of the ball.

When you stand parallel to something, your vision will be skewed. One way or the other depending on your vision. If you putted face on, croquet style, you would have perfect vision.
Due to the parallax view your eyes will not see correctly and the further away you are the worse it gets.

Originally Posted by BrianL99

My vote is that "alignment" is the least important aspect of putting.

Your eyes will always correct for alignment issues, but there's no auto-correcting for speed or contact issues.

Think about putting. How often have you missed a putt by 5' directionally, that wasn't related to "speed" and/or misreading the break ... or too much or too little speed for the amount of break?

How many times have you missed a putt by 10', strictly due to incorrect speed? I bet it's a lot more often.

Most putting gurus will tell you that every putt is a speed putt. At the right speed for a given set of circumstances, the putt will likely fall. Which is why the consistency of your stroke becomes paramount.

[SHIBUMI]

Only at impact

Originally Posted by willis100

face alignment

[SHIBUMI]

Most of putting is luck, especially when you are outside 3 ft, then your make rate goes lower. Mostly due to green conditions. On tour there is an unwritten rule that all cups must have 3 feet of flat space around them, thats why they make so many 3 footers. We don't get that luxury. The USGA recommends 3 ft of flat space around the cup.

The answer lies in whats common to all putting styles and what the real key is to a pendulum.

Originally Posted by Two Bills

Luck?

[admiral72]

Originally Posted by Minoletti

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_sGscHnygY

Many thanks

[SHIBUMI]

Blind people can putt..........

Originally Posted by kcrazorbackfan

Eyes over the ball.

[SHIBUMI]

?????????????????????????????????

Originally Posted by mpcolonel

You must rotate your arms and shoulders like a pendulum

[SHIBUMI]

the cuss words should be whats instantaneous at the time, otherwise they have less meaning

Originally Posted by ThirdOfFive

Knowing the right cusswords when you DON'T make a putt.

[SHIBUMI]

Most folks flunked these courses

Originally Posted by nn0wheremann

Geometry, good eyesight and a little bit if trigonometry

[SHIBUMI]

doesn't make you pick a particular style......... looking for the key to straight foul shooting, could be similar

Originally Posted by admiral72

Why does the percentage of making a foul shot go up over a shot from the field? You have time to memorize the distance to the rim. Look at the hole for 6 seconds and go. If you are putting uphill, move your aim point behind the hole and vice versa. After 6 seconds your brain will memorize what you need to do to get it to the aim point.
Getting the distance correct is the key. After a while include consideration for the break.
On Bermuda greens, learn about grain and take into consideration where the green drains.

[SHIBUMI]

Not that complicated and never answer the question..........

Originally Posted by admiral72

Many thanks

[hypart]

Only thing that matters when it comes to putting is that the face needs to be square to the target at impact.

Once I learned that I became really good at putting.

Technique and putters are irrelevant.

[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by SHIBUMI

Most of putting is luck, especially when you are outside 3 ft, then your make rate goes lower. Mostly due to green conditions. On tour there is an unwritten rule that all cups must have 3 feet of flat space around them, thats why they make so many 3 footers. We don't get that luxury. The USGA recommends 3 ft of flat space around the cup.

The answer lies in whats common to all putting styles and what the real key is to a pendulum.

Most Tour players and putting instructors would disagree. "Luck" is a nearly irrelevant factor and "green conditions" are merely another variable to the game, not an excuse.

The recommendation 3' of flat area around a hole, is merely that. It depends on the speed of the greens and other factors. Also, the PGA Tour and the USGA are separate and distinct. The Tour makes it a point, not to let the USGA interfere with their conditions of play.

So your question has evolved from what's the most important thing in putting, to what's the commonality to putting strokes and the key to a "pendulum". Different questions and distinct from the original premise.

"Putting" and "Putting Stroke" are 2 entirely different subjects.

Arguably, the best putters in the history of golf have been George Low, Billy Casper, Bobby Locke, Ben Crenshaw, Jack Nicklaus, Brad Faxon, Loren Roberts & Tiger Woods. All have different types of "putting strokes".

George Low putter with a yippy, punch motion.
Billy Casper was all wrists.
Bobby Locke hooked every putt and sometimes putted looking at the hole.
Ben Crenshaw's stroke was longer than most any other great putter. All Tempo
Nicklaus was a "rapper" or "jabber".
Faxon was all "feel in the fingers"
Roberts was close to a "pendulum" type stroke.
Tiger uses a "swinging gate" motion and closes the putter down on the forward stroke to releases the head.

They all had one thing in common. The ability to produce a consistent stroke, to control distance.

No one type of stroke is better or arbitrarily more consistent than an other. Repeatability is the common denominator.