Over the years, I have always been a pretty decent putter. I typically have a lot of confidence and putts out in the 6-10 foot range are very makeable for me. At least I always believe they are, even though I don’t make them all.
Around seven years ago, I read Dave Pelz’s Putting Bible for the first time, and that kind of revolutionized my putting game. I adopted the pure in-line square (PILS) putting stroke, and I learned a lot of things about why we miss putts, why we make putts, and how to learn how to make more putts. I saw immediate improvement in my putting, even though I had never really struggled to begin with. I learned the value of simplicity and the importance of a repeatable putting stroke.
Fast forward to this season, and as my ball striking began to improve from the last few years and I began to hit more greens in regulation, I started to notice that I was three-putting a lot more than I had in previous years. Certainly, some of this was due to the fact that, because I was hitting greens, my first putts have been much longer than they would be when chipping on from a few yards off the green. I knew that I really needed to work on lag putting, just because I wasn’t used to putting from longer distances.
It was something more, though, because I started to miss 5-footers with more regularity. I could also feel that I wasn’t striking as many putts on the sweet spot of the putter face. This, obviously, makes distance control very erratic.
After devoting some extra time to practice putting, I noticed that I wasn’t really improving much. I wasn’t really making better contact, and I wasn’t making many more 5-footers. I also started to notice that I would pull a putt left and then hit another one from the same spot and then push it right. I had first suspected that my reads were bad, but at that point, I knew I was making compensations in my stroke.
I thought back to my reading of Dave Pelz’s Putting Bible, and recalled Pelz pointing out the importance of good training aids. One of his that I’ve planned on getting for quite a while is called “Elk’s Key®”. It’s an alignment aid he designed with Steve Elkington, hence “Elk’s Key” instead of “Pelz’s Key”.
As you can see to the right, it has a series of mirrors and lines to aid in keeping your eyes over the ball, to help with the the alignment of your putter face and just as importantly, the alignment of your shoulders. It’s very important that the shoulders be square to the aim line when putting. Otherwise, it’s impossible to swing squarely to the line in a pure pendulum motion, without making some sort of compensations.
That’s exactly what I was doing.
Shortly after Elk’s Key arrived, I went out to the driving range, set it up, and as soon as I looked down at the mirrors, I could tell right away that my eyes were well inside the aim line and my shoulders were significantly open. If you look at the photo, notice the white line running directly above the shoulders. When I set up to Elk’s Key, my left shoulder was well below the line meaning that my shoulders were aimed well left of my intended aim line.
Obviously, my next step was to properly align myself using Elk’s Key. I had set it up on a relatively level spot to a hole about 10 feet away. I took my stance, square to my intended aim line with the ball a couple of inches in front of center, as Pelz recommends.
The fun part happened as I went about squaring my shoulders to the line and getting my eyes over the ball properly. I kid you not, it felt like a game of Twister. With my eyes over the line, my shoulders square, and the putter face square to the aim line, it felt so very, very strange.
That’s a big sign that things were seriously amiss. In golf, when doing the right thing feels wrong, it means you’ve been doing the wrong thing for way too long. That rhyming axiom was unintentional, though appropriate. Feel free to use it yourself. It has a ring to it.
I began to hit some putts from Elk’s Key, each time twisting and wobbling to find the right position like a newborn calf, trying to walk for the first time.
Immediately, I noticed something cool: I was missing putts to the right, but they were all hitting the exact same spot and I was making very solid, repeatable contact. Fortunately, this was only happening because I hadn’t aligned Elk’s Key to account for enough break in the putt.
After aligning Elk’s Key again, I then lipped out the next putt. It ringed around the hole and everything. Wanting to make sure it wasn’t a problem with my stroke, I putted again and lipped out again. Then, I did it a third and forth time.
I finally got to the point where I was aligned so perfectly, that my PILS stroke was allowed to function as intended, and I was putting over the same exact spot, time and time again.
After another adjustment to Elk’s Key, I started draining ten-footers like they were tap-ins. I was only missing when I made errors with the length of the back swing, meaning the pace of the putt was off. When I took the same length back swing every time, I made the putt just about every time.
Before I fixed my setup, I shudder to think what compensations I was making simply to get the ball to go anywhere near the hole. Certainly, with my shoulders open, and attempting to hit a pure-pendulum motion originating from the shoulders, my putter would want to travel from outside the aim line to inside. I would have had to make subconscious adjustments to the putter face during the stroke to have a chance to make anything.
Throughout that practice session, I alternated hitting three balls from Elk’s Key and then three from somewhere else around the same hole from about the same distance out. I was amazed at the number of putts I was sinking from that distance.
Since then, I’ve felt a little more confident out on the course, but am not putting significantly better yet, because I haven’t had adequate time to work on grooving the correct setup. When I stand over a putt, I still feel awkward, but I’m also hitting the ball more solidly, so I know I’m moving in the right direction.
Over the next couple of weeks, I hope to get a number of putting practice sessions in so I can get the setup properly grooved. Given the way I’m hitting the ball, I estimate that I’m losing 5 strokes per round on the greens. Last time out, I had two three-putts and not a single one-putt, despite a number of realistic chances.
It became abundantly clear to me throughout this learning experience just how important setup is in putting. It’s almost hard to believe given some of the odd, quirky, putting strokes that some of the greatest players in history have used. Keep in mind, though, that those are the best of the best. The rest of us just three-putt way too much.
It’s difficult, if not impossible, to be a great putter without attaining as much consistency as possible in the putting stroke. Many of the greats did it with impeccable timing and skill. We mere mortals need to seek consistency through simplicity. The PILS stroke is the most simple, repeatable technique out there, in my mind, but it’s not going to do much good without a proper, consistent setup.
This also brings up the importance of training aids. In his Putting Bible, Dave Pelz implores the reader to use training aids, if not his, then any that work. Learning what we should do during a putt, or chip, or drive is easy. Knowing that we are actually doing it is not so simple. This is where training aids save the day. In my case, Elk’s Key pointed me in the right direction.
The moral of the story is, proper setup is critical for good putting, and a good training aid will help you get there.
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Very good tips here…Unlike you, I have never really been a good putter, or anywhere close to it. I couldn’t agree more that the setup is by far the most important part of putting. I would love to get my hands on one of those “Elk’s Key”. I can only imagine how messed up my entire set up is…I will also try to check out Dave Pelz’s Putting Bible. I think at this point, I need all the help I can get.
I just took a Dave Pelz 1 day clinic today and we used the Elk’s Key. I had been training with an arc trainer. What a difference the class was and training aids were. They had 3 good training aids today. Now I know what I am doing this winter.
That’s awesome, Allen. How did you like the one-day clinic? I’ve been thinking of doing one of those maybe over the winter or next spring.
I thought the class was very good. They had 2 instructors with 11 students. They start you out with booklet and go over the pitch,chip, putt motions and explain the theory about 15 minutes. Then you split up and one group does bunkers. They use a bunker board. Great training aid. After 15 minutes I was hitting a majority of them within a 6 ft circle of the pin. Use different clubs out of the sand for different distances. Then we moved to chip and pitch. Again different clubs 60,56,8 iron. Always stressing setup, tempo and finish. We then had 1 hr lunch and then 2 1/2 hrs putting. This is where I really was shown the correct way to put and the correct concept. The training aids used really showed me what I was doing wrong. The instructors stressed to practice everyday for no more than 5 minutes on each with some sort of a training aid whether it be a Pelz or someone else as long as it is the a good puttung guide. The one that I really thought helped me was the Elk’s Key. It has a putting line, ball position and mirrors. You look at the mirrors a nd you can see if your eyes are over the ball, your shoulders are square, which almost every student failed at, and a target line. The other aid that they gave us is the Teacher Putting Clips. It attaches to your face of putter and it has 2 metal clips and you have to strike the ball within the clips or your ball will go left or right. They stressed center contact, square club face between your feet, tempo and a must YOU HAVE TO WATCH THE FINISH OF YOUR BALL. They said it over and over. Now to put it on the course Monday.
Hey Mike, I saw this entry the other day while going through the posts I missed over the summer and had to leave my two cents.
I’m pretty sure I have a similar problem since I never feel like I’m aiming correctly. One putt feels like I’m aimed above the target line, the next I’m probably below, and as a result I NEVER feel like I’m ever *properly* aligned to anything. And that’s no state of mind to be in before you even step up to the ball.
I’m thinking about getting Elk’s Key for myself since (1) it seems to be the most reliable way to *quickly* get feedback on alignment issues and (2) all of the Pelz feedback devices I’ve bought have been more than worth their weight in gold.
As an aside, something else I thought would be interesting to hear your take on is remedying the dreaded “figure eight” stroke by using Elk’s Key. I thumbed back through the Putting Bible but I don’t recall Pelz ever addressing that with regards to alignment and how your shoulders should move during the stroke. I seem to have caught a case of the eights lately (especially noticeable on short putts) and it’s doing a number on my psyche and confidence. I think the rest of my stroke mechanics are pretty solid PILS wise, so I’m *hoping* more consistency in my alignment and stroke motions will help me lick that problem pretty quickly. Anyway, like I said I’d love to hear your two cents on that one if you see this.
Nate,
I’ve also noticed the figure-eight putting stroke at times. I feel like it may also be caused by an improper setup. In a PILS stroke, the shoulders at address are parallel to the aim line, and they remain square throughout the stroke.
However, if the shoulders are not square at address, then you can’t swing straight back and through along the aim line without some manipulation happening.
Another possible problem is the hands not hanging directly below the shoulder line at address (failing to create a pure vertical pendulum). If, say, you’re too upright with your hands in front of your shoulder line (more toward the aim line), your PILS stroke will become a more rotary stroke.
Elk’s Key will definitely help with that because it will get your eyes over the ball (or just behind it) and shoulders square. It also gives a path line for you to swing along. With the proper setup, it’s very easy to get out of the figure-eight habit.
Another training aid that I use to help with that is Pelz’s Putting Track. That one will definitely help you break the figure-eight habit.
I just leafed through the Short Game Bible and I believe you’re right that he doesn’t describe any specific shoulder action. However, he does point out that if you set up with your body aligned correctly, with your hands directly below your shoulder center-point (creating a perfectly vertical pendulum), and you make a dead-hands stroke with absolutely no manipulations with your hands or forearms, you will naturally make a proper PILS stroke. I’m guessing he doesn’t specifically address shoulder action because we’re not supposed to consciously have any specific shoulder action. I believe, though, the shoulders will remain parallel to the aim line throughout the stroke.
That’s a good point about not explicitly talking about shoulder motion … I guess that part should be taken care of with proper setup and technique. I don’t consciously think of my shoulder or even arm movement during the stroke, rather I use them as an indicator of whether I’m getting the setup and technique … if that makes any sense? Though you’re right about the shoulders remaining parallel to the aim line throughout the stroke. I notice when I get my shoulders off line they seem to for the most part trace out the same path back and through (or at least from what I can see in a mirror).
As for the Putting Track, does that not defeat the purpose of accurate feedback? It’s relatively easy to train yourself to keep the putter head going in a straight line while not correcting the root of the problem — whether that be poor alignment, poor mechanics or some combination of the two.
Interesting stuff nonetheless.
Nate,
With respect to the Putting Track, I kind of look at it the opposite way. You won’t be able to keep the putter head in the track without touching the sides if you don’t fix your setup. At least, not without manipulations in your hands/arms to accomplish it, which should be readily apparent.
The PILS stroke is so simple that setup really is like 80% of the problem. Once you’re aligned properly, hands directly below shoulder line creating a vertical pendulum, and gripping the club with a dead-hands grip, you’re just about all the way there. It’s just a matter of taking it straight back and through. The Putting Track helps get rid of the little compensations that remain.
If I recall correctly, Pelz says that the Putting Track and Elk’s Key can be used together to groove a perfect setup and perfect stroke all at the same time.
If for some reason I was only able to own either the Putting Track or Elk’s Key, I would definitely go with Elk’s Key. There’s a putter path line on Elk’s Key to help you take it straight back and through, but the setup feedback is so important and that’s where it’s so complete.
That’s an interesting pint. I haven’t used anything like the putting track lately (since noticing the loopy stroke) so I guess I should give it a try and see what happens.
I do agree with you though that good consistent setup is the biggest factor in success on the greens. At least with the PILS approach.
And you’re right about using them together. I recall at the end of one of the chapters he said if you can use the putting track, Elk’s Key, and the super pro teacher clip you’re stoke would be perfect mechanically.
Good article on putting set up.Sounds like you had problems with
the simplicity of Putting,and are more used to a more complex
on-green game.
No worries though.Your alignment and ability to keep it through
the back stroke and follow through seems to mystify you.
You’ll get better bit by bit and shave strokes off your putting.
No worries.
Mark G
This is great stuff. When you can get to the point where you can rely on your setup, you will make many more putts. We all know that confidence is key, and when you have confidence in your alignment, you can sink a lot of putts. Thanks for the article.