Arm lock putters?

[Scifisicko]

Having a go ATM. Penny for the thoughts of anyone that's had experience with them.

[Captain Nemo]

Calling Maxis!

[YonexMan]

Which arm lock putter do you have?

[Scifisicko]

A couple of pedestrian 38 inch putters with a bit of loft (roughly) added. A mallet and an answer style.

[Jazz18]

Not to judge, but I've never seen how an arm lock putter can help. Whenever I've tried one, it just seemed to encourage a descending stroke which generally isn't what I'd want with putting. Might be able to make it work with time but just seemed too far removed from a normal putting stroke to ever be functional for me. Why do you feel it might help you?

[3Puttpete]

There was one at NSW champs. Dangals?

[YonexMan]

I've used one. Still have one. The Bettinardi Matt Kuchar Armlock putter. It came with the standard thin rubber Bettinardi grip on it. Had it removed and put a long super stroke grip on it. basically set it up the same as what Matt Kuchar was using at the time.

I found that you really need to watch the videos on youtube where Matt Kuchar explains the putting method. It really is very different. For a while I was getting sporadic results with it. But when I got it right - it was amazing.

After I watched the videos, I basically just copied exactly what Matt Kuchar was doing - his setup and grip etc and from there, it was really quite deadly.

why am I changing? which you might ask, considering my other post on putters. a year ago I had an issue with my left eye where several blood vessels burst and the layers in the eye swelled and caused a central dark spot/blind spot in my vision. Since then I've had issues with alignment with my golf, on the course and on the greens putting. the eyes telling the mind that I am aimed way right when I'm not and causing swing issues as a result.

The armlock putter - the ball needs to sit right near the left foot (for a right hander) hence causing my issues as I am also left eye dominant. Recently found that a flow neck blade putter works well and my eyes work with it to aim it on my starting line. So hence the change.

Otherwise, I wouldn't change at all. Armlock is certainly different. The feet are open to the starting line - as are the shoulders. Not in line. But there is zero breakdown of the wrists and the whole setup and swing feels really super stable.

The biggest thing was the grip for me - had to have my hands the same as Matt Kuchar. The grip needs to be about 1 to 1.5 inches under the left elbow joint (for a right hander).

[Scifisicko]

Thanks YM. Stance open to the line because ball is forward in stance and might tend to go left? Kuchar has his putter bent 1.5* open I think? Presumably to help avoid left? I can feel putts have a tendency to go left with this method, but I cant putt with a club face that looks open to the target. To avoid going left I need to keep my left arm very straight. This is quite easy to do. Very early days but putts seem to go straight with a neutral club face and feet straight down the line. Presumably the more loft you add, the further back you can have the ball without driving it into the turf(?)

Jazz, I have about 3* of flip in my normal putting stoke (angle change between left forearm and shaft between transition and impact) which i cant get rid of unless i putt with very hard wrists. I suspect this is the reason I miss too many short putts under pressure. I have 0* of flip with arm lock. I was on the green last night with the video camera and a mate who has about 8* of flip, and the arm lock took him back to 0, so seems to completely eliminate the hands. If you add a bit of loft to the putter and hit it forward in the stance it rolls smoothly.

[3Puttpete]

But anchoring is cheating

[Scifisicko]

But anchoring is cheating

Yeah, seems like it. Will probably be banned in 2020.

[YonexMan]

Just wondering too. when you say "a bit of loft roughly added".

The Bettinardi putters have 7 degrees of loft. Most of which is lost at setup as the putter grip/shaft is against the left arm. To the point where you should have about 2 to 3 degrees of loft at setup/impact.

Do you use the iPing putting app? if not, try it. It really does help to improve your putting stats.

I noticed similar things that you have noticed. with a standard putter, I had the tendency in the backswing to allow the putter to move out away from the body and then would loop it back onto the putting line into impact. any putt outside of 2 feet would be an issue at times with lots of lip outs. With the armlock - they became tap-ins. With the Armlock putter I also started to sink a staggering number of long range putts - those I missed where inside simple tap in range of a few inches.

I tried out a Daddy Long Legs counterbalanced putter I bought cheap, for most of this year and found that I just couldn't adjust to it. even with the counterbalancing, the head felt heavy when starting the backswing and the distance control was really quite difficult and found myself lipping putts out all the time

[YonexMan]

But anchoring is cheating

Yeah, I could not quite understand the ruling that allowed arm lock putters, yet banned the anchoring of the putter into the belly or against the chest for the broomstick putter.

Bernhard Langer ist still using the broomstick putter - with the putter itself not being banned - but he seems to cop a lot of flack in regards to it "looking like" he is still anchoring. I used a broomstick putter for a while - as I ruptured three discs in my lower back and using the broomstick allowed me to practice putting once the discs healed. But I never anchored as I worked out that I had better distance and directional control by not anchoring. But then sold it once the ban was coming in as I didn't want to be accused of cheating.

[3oneday]

Yeah, seems like it. Will probably be banned in 2020.

Grip resting against arm is not anchoring apparently, http://www.randa.org/RulesEquipment/Rules/Anchoring

[Scifisicko]

Have to say it feels like cheating. It completely eliminates the hands. Feels like it could be more of an advantage than the belly putter. You still have to be able to read, aim and judge the pace, but not having to worry about your stroke breaking down seems like a physical and psychological advantage.

[Scifisicko]

Loft roughly added by taking it round to Chappy's and watching him belt it with a rubber mallet. Looks like about 8*

[YonexMan]

Loft roughly added by taking it round to Chappy's and watching him belt it with a rubber mallet. Looks like about 8*

Rubber Mallet - Ouch

[Jazz18]

Thanks YM. Stance open to the line because ball is forward in stance and might tend to go left? Kuchar has his putter bent 1.5* open I think? Presumably to help avoid left? I can feel putts have a tendency to go left with this method, but I cant putt with a club face that looks open to the target. To avoid going left I need to keep my left arm very straight. This is quite easy to do. Very early days but putts seem to go straight with a neutral club face and feet straight down the line. Presumably the more loft you add, the further back you can have the ball without driving it into the turf(?)

Jazz, I have about 3* of flip in my normal putting stoke (angle change between left forearm and shaft between transition and impact) which i cant get rid of unless i putt with very hard wrists. I suspect this is the reason I miss too many short putts under pressure. I have 0* of flip with arm lock. I was on the green last night with the video camera and a mate who has about 8* of flip, and the arm lock took him back to 0, so seems to completely eliminate the hands. If you add a bit of loft to the putter and hit it forward in the stance it rolls smoothly.

OK, I can see if you have a breakdown in your wrists, that's not ideal but you have to hold the shaft against your forearm throughout the stroke by locking your wrists anyway don't you? Unless you grip it left hand low (for a righty) and hold the shaft onto your forearm with your right hand. I've seen that done before. I've always been of the opinion that the butt end of the putter needs to be pointing at your belly button or there abouts through the stroke, so wouldn't seem possible with the shaft locked against my left forearm.

Everyone's different though and at the end of the day, putting is about confidence and comfort. If you're confident and comfortable over the ball, you'll make more putts, no matter how you do it. Hope it works out for you.

[Scifisicko]

It's pretty easy to keep flat against your arm with soft wrists. Have a look at 22YOJS putting. Handle points at his left shoulder. Looks a lot like arm lock with the top of the handle missing.

[Matt 3 Jab]

played a kuchar for a while. loved the feel, putted well, but then i yipped with it anyway. Went to a claw / armlock and now back to a short claw.

It is a different feel in the stroke, distance is the hard thing (as with all longer putters).

Not good for the yips, may be good for wristy putters or as an alternative to the anchored broomy. Unanchored broomy still a good option.

The one miss i had with it was left.

[Bitter]

played a kuchar for a while. loved the feel, putted well, but then i yipped with it anyway. Went to a claw / armlock and now back to a short claw.

It is a different feel in the stroke, distance is the hard thing (as with all longer putters).

Not good for the yips, may be good for wristy putters or as an alternative to the anchored broomy. Unanchored broomy still a good option.

The one miss i had with it was left.

No need for you to change ATM mate! You looked solid all day on Sunday with the claw.

[Scifisicko]

Experiment over. Method shows promise, but doesn't seem to be the quick fix I was looking for. Last two games have featured a stack of pulled putts (even with the straight left arm). 2x3j's and 1/6 up and downs yesterday (all missed from inside 6 feet, including tragic pulls from inside three feet on 17 and 18. I dont want to compensate by lining up open to the target, so will put up with the occasional random handsy miss I get with conventional putting

[YonexMan]

It is an "acquired" putting technique. I went to the armlock after using the broomstick putter for a long time. I wouldn't have changed from the broomstick, but I was concerned that even though I never anchored it, that I would be labelled a cheat. After much experimentation, I found, for me, that I was more accurate and had a better feel for the putts if I didn't anchor the broomstick putter.

When I changed to the armlock, I found that, for me, that getting the right putter length was critical as this also affected your stance and overall setup and body angles when leaning over. Being that the putter grip is meant to be about an inch or so under the elbow.

I also suffered from missing at times with pull misses to the left or even blocks to the right. I worked out that even though I pretty much copied Matt Kuchar's setup, stance, grip etc, I had to have my right arm/elbow angle different to Matt Kuchar. In fact I had to float the elbow off the body and let the right side take control. Left arm straight and let the right elbow bend and then extend straight through impact, kinda like a straight back and straight through action. So that the right hand/arm extended straight towards the intended starting line. Worked really well. Until I had eye problems and a blind spot in my left eye. But I now have another putter, thanks to 2 hours of testing every putter that was in the shelf at Drummond Golf Penrith a few days ago..

[Scifisicko]

23 putts today...9 on the back. Honeymoon with the new old method?