Tag: Improve your Putting

  • Bettinardi Kuchar Model 1 Arm Lock Putter

    Bettinardi putterMatt Kuchar is on to something. He may not be the one that invented his Arm-Lock putting style, but he is quickly making it famous. I once heard Johnny Miller claim on the air at Doral that he invented the Arm Lock style, but that’s disputable. Either way, he’s using it with great effect and I wanted to see what all the fuss is about.

    Kuchar used a unique Bettinardi putter to win more than $5.5 million in 23 starts on the PGA Tour in 2013 without missing a cut. That’s an average of $244,209 for every tournament he played. The guy is simply a check cashing machine, and his putting has a lot to do with it. A quick look at his putting stats reveals that he made 88.25 percent of all putts inside 10 feet for the season, and an incredible 97.56 percent inside 5 feet. For the season, Matt had 1268 putts inside that critical 10 foot scoring range, and made 1119.

    Bettinardi putter - km1_toplineIf you don’t think those numbers are all that impressive, try it yourself! Line up 100 five foot putts on the putting green at your club and try to make 97 of them. Then try it on different courses with different grasses and greens rolling at 12 on the stimpmeter, and put $244,000 on the line. The PGA Tour is right on with their catchphrase: “These guys are good.”

    I just spent three paragraphs talking about Matt Kuchar and his putting stats because I think his putter has a lot to do with it. I would be skeptical reading this had I not tried this putter first hand and almost immediately put it in my own bag. Kuchar’s tool of choice is the Bettinardi Kuchar Model 1 Arm Lock putter. Designed specifically for him, it varies greatly from Bettinardi’s standard Kuchar Model 1. The special Arm Lock model has seven degrees of loft, 2.5 degrees of shaft offset, a 400g head weight and is 42″ long. Like all Bettinardi putters it is 100% milled in the USA and looks fantastic with a striking pewter PVD finish.

    First Impressions

    At first glance, this Bettinardi putter looks weird. Most putters have between 3 and 4 degrees of loft and slight offset, but the Kuchar Model 1 Arm Lock has 7 degrees of loft and a large shaft offset, which makes it look strange when at address. This high loft and amount of offset is by design of course, because the arm lock style requires a pretty healthy forward press to anchor the top of the handle to a right handed golfer’s left forearm. Once locked in to the required stance, the putter sits perfectly square and is easy to align.

    The 400 gram mild carbon steel head and milled F.I.T. (Feel Impact Technology) face give this putter a classic Bettinardi feel. The ball rolls off the face with a soft feel, yet isn’t mushy like most insert putters. The weight and face balanced design make it very forgiving on off center hits, and the traditional Bettinardi hex face milling and beautiful pewter PVD finish gives the putter a classy look.

    Performance

    Photo Credit: GolfWRX Bettinardi putter
    Photo Credit: GolfWRX

    The Arm Lock putting style is such a radical departure from my standard putting style that it felt very strange and uncomfortable to get into such an extreme forward press with this putter. However, once I figured out where to grip down the shaft and how to align the putter properly, I found that the ball was rolling on target immediately. I was starting to see what made the Bettinardi putter so solid on short putts. The key to this style of putting is to make sure the shaft remains anchored to the left forearm (for righties) throughout the stroke. Imagine pulling with the left arm during the stroke with the right hand just along for the ride, and you’ll have the right feeling. The main drawback to the arm lock style is the same as any anchored putting style – distance control. I’m used to letting my wrists hinge a bit on long putts for better feel, but any anchored stroke eliminates the wrists and engages the big muscles of your shoulders instead. Distance control can be an issue with the anchored strokes, so a little practice outside 20 feet will go a long way to fixing that.

    SAM Putt Lab Data 1I was fortunate enough to have the Kuchar Model 1 Arm Lock in the bag during my visit to PGA Village in Port St Lucie, FL recently. There I met golf technology specialist Mark Drenga, PGA  who put me through the paces with the SAM Putt Lab. This amazing ultrasound tracking device measures 28 parameters of the putting stroke down to a tenth of a degree. During my session, the Kuchar Model 1 Arm Lock allowed me to keep the face almost perfectly square at impact, and I also had minimal face rotation (about 1 degree) before and after impact. What this means is my putts will almost always start on my aim line. The SAM Putt Lab also showed my stroke path going 1.2 degrees right, which is a slightly in-to-out direction. While not perfect, I am able to repeat this path with 99% consistency, which is key.

    SAM Putt Lab Data 2 - Bettinardi putterWhat does all this data mean? According to Mark who guided me through my session with the SAM Putt Lab, my stroke with the Bettinardi Kuchar Model 1 Arm Lock putter is on par with PGA Tour players. That was a huge ego boost for me. Unfortunately my speed control, green reading and aim are not quite at the same level, which explains why I don’t make as many putts as the guys on the PGA Tour. What I can say with a high degree of confidence is that the Arm Lock putter style has dramatically improved my putting inside 10 feet, just as it has for Matt Kuchar. I have played quite a bit lately (9 rounds in 12 days) and have seen the results of better ball striking converted into better scores because of my improved putting. My handicap has fallen a full stroke to +2.4 in just over 6 weeks due to improved scores with the Bettinardi putter.

    Conclusions

    Robert Bettinardi has taken his mastery of the flat stick to another level with the Kuchar Model 1 putter. Matt Kuchar has wielded this wand with great effectiveness on the PGA Tour, and now everyone can try it out for themselves. The anchored arm lock style is USGA legal also, since the butt of the club is not static. It swings with your arm, so by definition isn’t illegal like belly and long putters who’s anchor point doesn’t move. This putting style isn’t for everyone, but it has worked wonders for me and I look forward to getting better with it at longer distances. The Kuchar Model 1 Arm Lock putter is available at select Bettinardi dealers around the country. To find a dealer, visit Bettinardi’s website for a complete list. MSRP for the Kuchar Model 1 Arm Lock is $375.

     

  • ‘O’ Beam – Putting Aid Review

    'O' BeamTraining aids are a dime a dozen these days. Everything out there promises to correct your swing or fix a problem, but very few actually deliver. In my experience, the best training aids are those that are based on traditional, time tested instruction. We’ve all watched the scene in the movie Tin Cup where Roy McAvoy is clad from head to toe in all kinds of useless swing aids. I think the key to a good golf training aid is to keep it simple. I recently was sent such a training aid. It’s called the ‘O’ Beam, and it is designed to help you with one of the all time most used pieces of putting advice – Keep your head still!

    'O' BeamThe ‘O’ Beam is simply a laser that attaches to your hat brim and projects a “O” shaped beam of laser light from the end. The idea is simple – position the O on the ball and keep it there while you putt. At first you may be thinking what I first thought. “I don’t need a laser to tell me to keep my head still, I keep it still anyway!” Let me tell you, the first time I put the ‘O’ Beam on and hit a putt with it I was shocked at how much my head actually moves during the stroke!

    The feedback from this device is of course immediate. If you move your head even slightly, the laser light moves dramatically. It’s very difficult for me to keep my head perfectly still, so I started very slow making practice swings and worked my way up to full strokes. Every time I made a full stroke and hit the ball it rolled on line. While it’s not easy to make a perfect stroke keeping your head completely still, I don’t think any instructor would expect that. The nature of a putting stroke means that your head will tend to follow your swinging shoulders a bit no matter what. However, any excess head motion should be addressed, and this simple device certainly helps!

    My only problem with the 'O' Beam is that in the very bright Florida sunshine, the red laser becomes a little hard to see. The laser simply isn't powerful enough to shine bright enough in the full sun. While it's certainly not impossible to see, it is more visible in overcast conditions. It's also very easy to use indoors, which is where I predict  most people will use it anyway. 'O' BeamChampions Tour player Chip Beck has endorsed the product, along with Renee Powell who is a former LPGA Tour player and now the PGA/LPGA Head Golf Professional at Clearview Golf Club in East Canton, Ohio. Inventor Katie O'Keefe talks about the 'O' Beam: "I have been a golf instructor for 10 years and have enjoyed helping players of all ages and abilities. I learned in a short time that two major problems most players have are improper setup and excess head movement. The setup and head movement are, in my opinion, the most important parts of the golf swing. I believe that a proper setup is the prominent foundation to a good golf swing. If you have a solid setup you can make a simple repetitive swing. Minimal head movement is necessary in a solid golf swing; however, it is imperative in a solid putting stroke. Too many times I have heard the expression "keep your head down." That is something that you will never hear me say. You will, however, hear me say, "Keep your head still." Obviously it is impossible to keep your head absolutely still, but minimizing your head movement will dramatically improve your putting stroke and lower your scores. Why does minimal head movement improve your putting stroke, you ask? Good question! When the golf ball is addressed, you have established your ball position and setup. When the club is put into motion for the putting stroke, the most efficient way for the club head to return to the ball square and on the intended path is for the player to have minimal head movement. That is why the 'O' BEAM is a great aid - it provides you with instant feedback on how much your head moves, thus helping you train yourself to keep your head still." 'O' BeamThe 'O'Beam has been featured on the Golf Channel's Champions Tour Learning Center. You can watch the video by clicking on the link below: http://www.obeamputt.com/news-feature-golfchannel.htm The 'O' Beam works because it's easy to use and carry with you in your golf bag, and it provides instant feedback. If you want to reduce excess head movement and improve your putting, give it a try! The 'O' Beam costs $49 and is available online at their website.

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