Exclusive TT Sweepstakes: Brandon Stooksbury and "The Putter Book"

Hey Brandon, Some people say its best to practice putting with just one golf ball. Do you have a recomendation and reasons why I should just use one vs three golf balls? Thanks Mike #TT4Life

Great question Mike! There are two main types of practice; 1) block and 2) random. Block practice is standing in the same place and hitting the same shot/putt over and over again and it's the only way most people practice. Random practice is changing something on each and every repetition. It's a more challenging way to practice, which is why most don't do it, but it's far more representative of real golf.

Block practice has its merits, but it's really only good for learning motor patterns and not much else. The problem is we are required to know and perform so much more than just a motor pattern in order to produce a golf shot. Yes, our motor pattern (technique) is very important to the outcome of the shot, but so is our ability to assess the situation, environment, our own state of mind, pressure and it's effect on our technique, and lots of other things. Random practice is the only style of practice that forces us to deal with all those things on every repetition because each shot we hit during random practice is a new challenge. It's not that way in block practice because you hit the same shot again and again without having to deal with the other stuff.

That's why random practice is better and preferred to block...as a general rule. I hope that makes sense?

Brandon - What’s the best drill for practicing for the 5 to 10 foot range?

I wrote about the "Compass" drill earlier in the thread...it's my favorite for practicing putts inside 8 feet.

What is the best way to stop turning the putter as you stroke the ball, especially on shorter putts -- a different grip, less pressure in the hands, or something else?

I believe your 2 suggestions are good ones. I would also include a different putter that may have more a face balanced setup. I'm guessing that your putter has a bit of toe hang to it.

On a side note...do you know a good endodontist? ;-)

Changing your grip, grip pressure, or other things usually doesn't solve faulty mechanics. At their best they are simply a "band-aid" and the issue will come back usually sooner rather than later.

You need to get to the bottom of exactly WHY the club is "turning" through impact, then get to work improving that issue. Then, and only then, will you make a change that will last.

Do you keep your wrists locked while putting?

That's a good question. If you watched video of really good putters you would think that their wrists are indeed locked. For the most part, they are "locked" and have very little movement through the stroke. The chest rotates while the arms/wrist/club moves as a unit.

That said, if you looked closer you'd see that there is at least a little bit of movement in the wrists during the stroke. It's usually on a sliding scale related to the length of the stroke. As the length of stroke increases, slightly more "wrist action" is employed...usually for the sake of feel and speed control.

Make no mistake, when I say slight I mean exactly that. To the naked eye you likely wouldn't even see it...but it's happening. Please don't go out and start making a wristy stroke on long putts...that's not what I'm talking about here. What I mean is that it's ok to be soft in your wrists on longer putts and feel a bit of "flow" in the putter head for the sake of feel.

Brandon, I have a tendency to leave my putter face open, but only when I am in a tournament or it’s a putt that matters. What’s the best way to ensure I do not leave my putter face open when under pressure.

Cheers,

In short...practice under pressure so that your practice is more representative of your actual play.

It's likely that you're allowing the pressure to cause you to putt tentatively or try to "guide" the putter through impact trying to control where the ball is rolling. Both of those things are absolute killers when it comes to putting under pressure!

Your job in practice is to work on the mechanics and skills of your putting stroke. Your job when you play is to just hit the putt...without thought or concern for what the mechanics look like.

Brandon, is left hand low good for right handed golfer who is left hand dominant abd right eye dominant?

I don't really subscribe to the idea that eye dominance really has any impact on putting. Even if you could make an argument that it effects aim, I certainly wouldn't want you trying to correct it with a grip change.

There are 5 setup alignments I discuss in "The Putter Book" and one of them is related to the grip. You should be holding the club such that the shaft of the putter is "in line" with the forearms and there is no difference in angle between them. If you're doing that, you're free to use whatever grip you'd like...without concern for dexterity or eye dominance.

Brandon,
When I started golfing, there was an old timer in my group, who was an excellent putter, and golfer I might add. I asked him what's his secret to good putting? He said that he stands with an open stance, which allowed him to see the line better. I can't recall seeing any pros doing that. Does this make sense?

Does it make sense? If it helped him and made him a better putter, then I'm ok with it. That said, generally I wouldn't teach anyone to stand with an open stance when putter (or really anything else for that matter). As a general rule the more "square" your alignments the more likely you are to have control over your start line. "Technically" just your shoulders and forearms need to be square to the target line, but if your feet are open then it would have the tendency to pull your shoulders (and by default your forearms) open with it.

It's not that it can't be done from an open stance, it's just that an open stance would make it more challenging. It would add an element of complexity to the setup and motion pattern that's simply unnecessary.

Hello SSG (Short Game Guru) Congrats on your two newly published books. I'll gladly look to purchase if not a winner here. Recently I read that the 8-10 foot putt is the most important shot in golf and that PGA professionals make roughly 50% of them. Would you agree and that practicing them while going through my routine within this crucial distance is time well spent for a 14 handicapper?

Thanks for the kind words and I appreciate your willingness to purchase the books. I truly hope you find a great deal of value in both!

As for your question, yes, I would agree that practicing from 8-10 feet with one ball using your full routine would be good for ANY handicap. The percentages you read were mostly accurate; the PGA TOUR average from 8ft is usually around 50% and gets closer to 40% from 10ft. However, remember that those are the best putters on the planet! Strive for those numbers, but don't be too hard on yourself if you can't quite get there.

Brandon, how do I read breaking greens better?

www.AimPointGolf.com

That's the best answer I can give you. Find a certified coach (or come see me in New Orleans)...it will change your life!

Tell us about grip pressure, Brandon. Is body posture and feet alignment important. Does dominant eye come into play? How to cure the yips. Thanks so much! Can't wait to read the book!

There's a lot to unpack in your question. Let's start with grip pressure. While there are a few theories out there about what would be "best," I'm generally a fan of grip pressure that's on the lighter side with putting. Being able to feel the putterhead swinging and moving is important for distance control in putter and that's challenging with firm grip pressure.

I've spoken at length in this thread about the importance of posture and body alignments and their importance in putting. More so than anywhere else in the game and due to the small amount of movement of the putterhead when compared to a full swing, the the putting stroke is greatly influenced by our posture and body alignments at setup. If you get a little "off" in your setup for full swing, the length of the swing is long enough that you can overcome a bad alignment and re-rout the club if needed. The putting stroke simply isn't long enough to afford us that ability.

My comments on eye dominance are pretty straight forward...I don't think it has an impact on putting!

Finally, as for the yips, they tend to be more about fear and conscious mental interference with the putting stroke (trying to guide it) than an actual medical condition. It can be more serious than that...it's just not the vast majority of the time. Find the reason causing you to be fearful, correct it, and your "yips" will most likely fade away.

Should I have more pressure on my right hand pushing the putt or both hands equal pressure both pushing the stroke and pulling at the same time?

I would say neither...think more about how your hands would feel if you were allowing the putterhead to "swing" freely like a pendulum. Try not to push if you can help it...it tends to cause speed control issues.

Brandon , is it better to have a short back swing and follow through with different speeds?

DEFINITELY not!! The length of the backswing should be the same as the through-swing. Think about the ball being in the middle and the length of swing is equal on both sides. In order to accommodate longer or shorter distances the TOTAL length of the swing on both sides of the ball should increase or decrease as necessary.

Lots of speed control problems arise from a backswing and through-swing length that differ...be very careful with that!

Brandon,

When I look at the putt for too long I tend to do worse. Is there anything I can do to stop overanalyzing my putts?

How does grip pressure affect putts ( I tend to grip tight compared to my irons and woods)?

Tight grip pressure can severely damage your ability to "feel" the putter head swing during the stroke...which has a massive impact on distance control and can also affect putter face control...

Brandon, whats the best drill to hitting putter face square

A chalk-line (superintendents tend to hate these!) or an elevated string line are two of the best tools for working on face angle at impact. Make sure the putt is 6-8ft in length and dead-straight (no break at all) when you set it up. If you miss the putt, you know the face angle was off...

What’s the major cause of pushing putts?

The answer to why you push putts is not so clear cut...meaning there could be several reasons. 1) It could be your setup angles predispose you to push putts. If you habitually line up the putter face left of the target then you are forced to "push" the ball back onto the target line. 2) The ball positioned too far back in your stance could cause a push. Assuming a 50/50 weight distribution in your feet at address, the hosel of the putter should be positioned in the dead center of the stance with the ball slightly forward of that. 3) You could me moving your head backwards through the strike. This could simply be a learned motion...or a mistake being made at setup that forces you to move that way.

I would start by taking a look at these three areas to determine which is causing the issue...

Brandon, I seem to putt best from almost any distance when after setting up, continuing to look at the hole (instead of the ball) and taking the stroke. So Brandon, what do you think is most important, direction or speed?

Which is more important depends totally on the length of the putt. On your flatter, shorter putts direction trumps speed. That said...any time you get more than a couple of inches break for more than 10-12ft in length, speed is king.

Brandon, I struggle with reading the break of a putt going up onto a 2nd tier of a green. Any tips to help with that?

Try to separate the putt into two different pieces and then read them independently. Figure out how the first section will break and how the ball will be rolling coming into the second section. Then decide how far outside the hole you need the ball rolling when it enters the second section in order to accommodate the requisite break.

Bradon,Brandon, does it really matter that I put my index finger down towards the shaft when I put? I've been told that it's just plain wrong. But it sure feels right to me. And I'm really not a bad putter. Thanks!

When it comes to grip you have a lot of room for individuality. That doesn't mean you can just do whatever you want, but you have some freedom. The finger down the shaft isn't necessarily "wrong," but does allow some leverage that might encourage you to guide the putter by pushing with that finger. That would be a problem!

How can I get better distance control on long putts?

You have to isolate that skill and work on it specifically. Start with a long, flat spot on a green and place a tee 15ft from the hole. Then place another tee at 3ft increments moving progressively further away from the hole (18ft, 21ft, 24ft, etc.) until you get to 30ft. Start at the first tee and hit ONE putt from each tee before moving back to the next tee in line.

The worst thing you could do would be to hit multiple balls from the same location to the same hole in the hopes of learning distance control. It just doesn't work that way. You have to change the distance on each attempt in order to learn.