One of the benefits I get out of writing posts for Life in the Rough is that the research I do for most posts helps my own learning process. While I’m normally writing about things I know, I definitely don’t know it all. So I’m always reading up on various topics to help me ensure accuracy, refresh my recollection, and fill in the gaps.
Sometimes I find that I’ve forgotten a key detail of something, or that I maybe misunderstood what was going on.
A case in point involves my two recent posts about Dave Pelz’s Putting Bible and the pure in line square (pils) putting stroke.
Ever since I read the book (my second reading was 3 or 4 years ago), I have been employing the pils stroke. At least I thought I was.
I understood the fundamentals, but when I wrote the post about it, I went back and refreshed my memory on the specific key points as well as on the science behind it.
Friday afternoon, I got back on the course for my first round in a few weeks since I had some trouble with my foot. Armed with my rejuvenated knowledge of the pils stroke, I began to scrutinize my putting (yes, I know that this is a no-no during the round, but it was a practice round, so I was looking for these sorts of things).
After a couple of holes I started to doubt that I was employing one of the key fundamentals: the vertical pendulum created by the hands being directly under the shoulders. Remember that the only way for the putter face to remain square through the stroke is by doing that, and by keeping the arms and hands “quiet” during the stroke.
To address my doubts, I made a few tweaks: I stood a little taller during the stroke, bent more at the hips but hunched over less, and made sure to get my hands directly below my shoulders.
Without question, I was hitting my putts more solidly. I’ve been having some trouble starting putts on line, though I’m not sure that’s what my perception was. Sometimes it’s hard to know if it was a bad read, poor set up, or a problem with the stroke.
After the change, I started making putts again. I definitely was hitting the sweet spot of the putter more. And it felt like the putter path during the stroke was better.
The key lessons here that I want to share with you are:
- As I’ve said many times before, there’s a difference between perception and reality (feel and real) in the golf swing. Don’t be hesitant to verify through video or through having someone observe you, that what you think is happening is actually happening.
- Don’t be afraid to reread instructional books that you take cues from, especially Pelz books that are so full of information. I find it difficult to digest everything on the first read. Not only that, but over time we tend to let the details fade that we don’t continue to emphasize. When we can’t remember why we do something a certain way, then we might not even realize it has gone off track. Refreshing that knowledge periodically is of great help.
One brief update: since I wrote this on Saturday morning, I had a chance to get a putting session in Saturday evening. The results were just as promising as my on-course experimentation. I was making virtually everything within 6 feet (with a couple of exceptions).
Oh, and I was able to exact some revenge on my brother for Friday’s flop shot fiasco, beating him in a game of “Around the Green”.
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Further Reading:
Pure In Line Square (pils) Putting Stroke (Life in the Rough)
Dave Pelz’s Putting Bible Book Review (Life in the Rough)
Perception Versus Reality/Feel Versus Real (Life in the Rough)
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