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Old 07-12-2007, 11:39 AM   #7 (permalink)
DennisM
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I've always had alignment problems, I guess partly because I'm so tall that it's easy to get out of whack somewhere in the tall distance between my eyes and the ground. In recent years, knee problems have made it worse. I can't get behind a putt on my haunches. I can only stand there bent at the waist, without getting my head as low to the ground as I once could. If I tried doing the Camillo Villegas spider squat, it would cost you all flowers and get well cards.

So, the things I CAN do when I practice, and occasionally on the course to insure I still have a fighting chance are...

Survey my putt from the side to determine whether I can see the high or low side. It's funny how sometimes I can see the slope that way, but not from behind the ball.

Drop my putter from the bridge of my nose to insure my eyes are over the ball to begin with. Regardless how difficult it may be to ascertain the correct line, once I make a choice, I want to hit it where I intend to.

Concentrate on a reasonably controlled, but fairly light grip pressure. I sometimes lapse into holding the club with a death grip and find that usually results in pulling putts. I've gone to a heavier putter and that has helped too.

And this will seem contrary to usual instruction - I bend over a bit MORE at the waist until I settle into a posture that doesn't cause me to feel I'm straining to hold an upright posture. Try it - you'll find you "bottom out" and it's a relaxed position with no feel of strain. This let's me concentrate on turning my shoulders and having as much feel in the stroke because I don't feel compromised by the feeling of other muscles trying to hold a posture. I hope all that made sense...

All this, plus much of what was said before by other people...
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