The Putting Challenge

[1860VS]

Took the Lean Lock to my sim league. First putt was 29' I drained it. It was kind of downhill from there. I was too tired to be consistent. I need to really get my setup and ball position ingrained, because when I do it right it is amazing. When I am not consistent in my setup, neither are the results. Go figure. My ball striking was pretty poor the second half of the round as well.. I was just too tired after an 11 hour day to do anything well after the front side. But I do see a lot of promise in this putter and technique. I'll be playing early Sunday morning, but I have to work one night of midnights....Saturday/Sunday 2100- 0530 Sunday. Thats completely off my weekday norm, so I am not expecting too much. But you never know.......... LOL

 

[Ludin]

Finished the book this morning. Got some reps in and some drills. One interesting thing I noticed as I was working on setup was my perception of eye placement of the ball was completely off. I pulled out my putting mirror and realized I couldn't even see my eyes on the mirror. I knew I was inside, but my feel verse reality was way off. Went to practicing my setup and getting my dominant eye in the correct place over the ball. Plan on watching the master class lessons later and then getting some videos/pictures of my setup to confirm I am doing all the right things.

So excited for the future of my putting.

 

[Slowmo]

Full disclosure, I was a bad boy today. I haven’t read the book yet but I went to play today and decided to take the lean lock putter. Spent a good hour on the putting green before the round trying to get a better feel than just putting 3-7 footers in my living room.

A few early observations. First, the putter feels quite clicky. I was expecting a milled putter to be a little softer. Some of it may have been that it was about 55 degrees and a 15+ mph wind all day.

I was having a hard time lining up to my intended line. I may very well be doing something that the book will correct. I missed a fair amount of 2-3 footers on the practice green trying to figure that out. It got better but I did then miss a few on the course too.

I feel like I would like to rotate the grip just a little, but again that might be something I’m doing wrong that the book will correct.

It took me a while to figure out distance control with using such large muscles. I’ve always been a very handsy putter (that’s probably why I’m so bad) so using the shoulder rotation instead of the pendulum took some time. I was blowing putts by the hole early but was able to figure it out later.

I plan to read the book tomorrow and then start the master class once I read the book as Bryan requested.

 

[Ludin]

Full disclosure, I was a bad boy today. I haven’t read the book yet but I went to play today and decided to take the lean lock putter. Spent a good hour on the putting green before the round trying to get a better feel than just putting 3-7 footers in my living room.

A few early observations. First, the putter feels quite clicky. I was expecting a milled putter to be a little softer. Some of it may have been that it was about 55 degrees and a 15+ mph wind all day.

I was having a hard time lining up to my intended line. I may very well be doing something that the book will correct. I missed a fair amount of 2-3 footers on the practice green trying to figure that out. It got better but I did then miss a few on the course too.

I feel like I would like to rotate the grip just a little, but again that might be something I’m doing wrong that the book will correct.

It took me a while to figure out distance control with using such large muscles. I’ve always been a very handsy putter (that’s probably why I’m so bad) so using the shoulder rotation instead of the pendulum took some time. I was blowing putts by the hole early but was able to figure it out later.

I plan to read the book tomorrow and then start the master class once I read the book as Bryan requested.

I wanted to get out today, but I was a baby it was 40 degrees and blowing 15. I would say that I am glad I read the book and watched the video's online as well. It has tremendously helped with proper setup. Getting used to the putter is taking some work, but I am hitting putts nightly now on my puttout mat. I can definitely see a consistency in strike starting to form. Can't wait to see how this translates out in the real world.

 

[SkiBumGolfer]

Finished the book the other day and got home from my trip yesterday, so today I got the PuttOut mat, trainer and mirror and tried rolling some putts with the Lean Lock mallet. Rolled about 30-40 putts and tried to be really meticulous about setting up like Brian teaches in the book. A few things jumped out at me from that first session:

-The grip and setup routine felt ultra weird at first, but after a few times it settled right in. I did notice my initial tendency was to grip too far down the grip, and then my lead elbow wasn't bent enough and not really tucked into the side. I've had to consciously adjust a little further up closer to my body to really get tucked in there on the lead elbow. It does feel really secure once you get the setup in though.
-Like @Ludin, I initially found my eyes to be way inside the target line when using the mirror. Not sure if this is an artifact of the new style or a feature of my putting in general, but it's good that I'm thinking about it and correcting it now.
-Brian's counsel to take a slow, long takeaway and transition and to stop the putter head soon after the ball is very counterintuitive to me. I've been told by multiple good putters and instructors to do a "pop" type stroke, so this comes across as the opposite of what I've traditionally been told. I have to really think about it.
-Using the trail hand to control things with my "natural touch", as Brian puts it, is also a little tough for me as I'm used to being told to kinda rock the shoulders. Initially it seems to be producing good results though.

All that said though, initial results seemed very solid. Of all the putts I rolled, I think only one was really off the line (pushed) and it was because I got quick. I essentially "made" every one (by PuttOut trainer standards) except for that one pushed putt. It's very early but the setup is definitely starting to make sense to me and it does seem very reliable to getting the ball on the intended line and rolling effectively with less opportunity to let the wrists take the ball off that line, which is really what Brian pushes as the key benefit of the method.

Any questions guys, let me know! I plan to roll some again tomorrow.

 

[golfs_happy]

I'll be curious how speed control works for everyone. In other reviews I've seen and heard this is where the biggest adjustment is or learning curve.

 

[Ludin]

I'll be curious how speed control works for everyone. In other reviews I've seen and heard this is where the biggest adjustment is or learning curve.

It takes a lot less force coming from my Cobra Nova-40. That was the biggest initial adjustment. However, not having to swing as hard and using the system as intended seems like it would create a more consistent result. I am fully bought in to see how my putting improves with it.

 

[1860VS]

December in Detroit.....Played 9 yesterday between the weak frontal boundary rains.. Greens we a bit soggy from overnight rain. My distance control was iffy on longer putts and I left a lot of lags further from the hole than I normally do.
But I only missed 1 putt inside of 12'! That is much, much better than I have been doing pre Lean Lock. Granted 9 holes is a small sample but the results are quite promising.

 

[Hawk]

December in Detroit.....Played 9 yesterday between the weak frontal boundary rains.. Greens we a bit soggy from overnight rain. My distance control was iffy on longer putts and I left a lot of lags further from the hole than I normally do.
But I only missed 1 putt inside of 12'! That is much, much better than I have been doing pre Lean Lock. Granted 9 holes is a small sample but the results are quite promising.

That is promising. I wouldn't mind iffy lag putting with that kind of performance inside 12 feet. Tough to really do anything resembling distance control this time of year.

 

[SkiBumGolfer]

I'll be curious how speed control works for everyone. In other reviews I've seen and heard this is where the biggest adjustment is or learning curve.

I'll agree with others in that the ball tends to come off faster than I'm used to. Not outrageously so, maybe 10% or so, but it's noticeable. For me it might actually be good, as I have a tendency to leave the putt short, especially in the mid range of like 8 to 20 feet or so, but we'll see how it goes once I get the chance to practice some putts outside.

 

[SkiBumGolfer]

Rolled a few more tonight. Finding that I'm settling into the position more quickly this time around. This position still feels a little "scrunched" to me, for lack of a better word, but I can't argue with EVERY SINGLE PUTT HIT ON LINE. Even on a practice mat, that's really promising. Usually I get wristy and pull at least a couple, but that's nearly impossible to do with this grip and setup. Push is the miss, and even that is much more difficult to do.

Out of curiosity, I switched back and forth between my gamer putter and the Lean Lock a few times for comparison and was surprised to find 2 things:

1) Feel is very similar off the club head. I think someone said earlier this putter felt very "clicky" to them, but I am not having that experience and I'm coming from a milled head.
2) A lot of these ideas are very transferable to a more conventional putting style. Sure, some of it is very specific to the setup, but the ideas of making sure you hit up on it a little, take it away low and slow, and guide with the trail hand worked surprisingly well. To the point where I think I struck it better/"purer" than I probably ever have with that putter.

If nothing else, this testing is REALLY making me think about the mechanics of striking a good putt every time I practice, and that can only be a good thing IMO.

 

[jjjgolf500]

Id be interested in seeing a video of the testers setting up and making a stroke with their normal gamers and then this to see the differences.

 

[Ludin]

I'll agree with others in that the ball tends to come off faster than I'm used to. Not outrageously so, maybe 10% or so, but it's noticeable.

Feeling the same thing as it is much hotter off the face, however I think that is a benefit of the putter and not having to use bigger motions which likely can lead to more variance. Rolled another 25-30 putts tonight. Just really working on getting the setup ingrained and quickly. The first 1 or 2 putts each night has taken more time then I would like to admit, however I am not used to being compact and over the ball.

 

[SkiBumGolfer]

Id be interested in seeing a video of the testers setting up and making a stroke with their normal gamers and then this to see the differences.

I plan to do that soon. Both for y'all, and because Brian has the offer out of reviewing our putting via video and I really want to get his feedback!

 

[Ludin]

I plan to do that soon. Both for y'all, and because Brian has the offer out of reviewing our putting via video and I really want to get his feedback!

Same here. @jjjgolf500 hope to get a video or two this weekend when I play.

 

[Slowmo]

Id be interested in seeing a video of the testers setting up and making a stroke with their normal gamers and then this to see the differences.

As @SkiBumGolfer said, Bryan from leanlock has asked us to send him video so I will record them next time I get to the course to use the green. I’ll be sure to post them here as well.

 

[Slowmo]

1) Feel is very similar off the club head. I think someone said earlier this putter felt very "clicky" to them, but I am not having that experience and I'm coming from a milled head.

That was me. It just doesn’t feel as soft as my Scotty, my Edel, or my Cleveland. It feels almost exactly like the SeeMore that I use on the putting mat for practice.

 

[SkiBumGolfer]

That was me. It just doesn’t feel as soft as my Scotty, my Edel, or my Cleveland. It feels almost exactly like the SeeMore that I use on the putting mat for practice.

Oh I'm definitely not saying you're wrong, just giving a differing viewpoint. Apologies if I gave that impression.

Also I'm comparing against an older Odyssey milled model, which I'm sure has different milling characteristics and is likely made of a somewhat different metal. I've found it to be on the "firmer" side of millings compared to something like a Scotty, which feels very soft to me. I share your impression of SeeMore feel wise, I would also put it towards the firmer end.

 

[Hawk]

Rolled a few more tonight. Finding that I'm settling into the position more quickly this time around. This position still feels a little "scrunched" to me, for lack of a better word, but I can't argue with EVERY SINGLE PUTT HIT ON LINE. Even on a practice mat, that's really promising. Usually I get wristy and pull at least a couple, but that's nearly impossible to do with this grip and setup. Push is the miss, and even that is much more difficult to do.

Out of curiosity, I switched back and forth between my gamer putter and the Lean Lock a few times for comparison and was surprised to find 2 things:

1) Feel is very similar off the club head. I think someone said earlier this putter felt very "clicky" to them, but I am not having that experience and I'm coming from a milled head.
2) A lot of these ideas are very transferable to a more conventional putting style. Sure, some of it is very specific to the setup, but the ideas of making sure you hit up on it a little, take it away low and slow, and guide with the trail hand worked surprisingly well. To the point where I think I struck it better/"purer" than I probably ever have with that putter.

If nothing else, this testing is REALLY making me think about the mechanics of striking a good putt every time I practice, and that can only be a good thing IMO.

I think you are making a good point about almost having no option other than improving with a review like this. You are just so focused on a single aspect of your game that it's inevitable. Not to mention all the resources that are being made available to you. Enjoying your feedback SBG.

 

[MWard]

Full disclosure, I was a bad boy today. I haven’t read the book yet but I went to play today and decided to take the lean lock putter. Spent a good hour on the putting green before the round trying to get a better feel than just putting 3-7 footers in my living room.

A few early observations. First, the putter feels quite clicky. I was expecting a milled putter to be a little softer. Some of it may have been that it was about 55 degrees and a 15+ mph wind all day.

I was having a hard time lining up to my intended line. I may very well be doing something that the book will correct. I missed a fair amount of 2-3 footers on the practice green trying to figure that out. It got better but I did then miss a few on the course too.

I feel like I would like to rotate the grip just a little, but again that might be something I’m doing wrong that the book will correct.

It took me a while to figure out distance control with using such large muscles. I’ve always been a very handsy putter (that’s probably why I’m so bad) so using the shoulder rotation instead of the pendulum took some time. I was blowing putts by the hole early but was able to figure it out later.

I plan to read the book tomorrow and then start the master class once I read the book as Bryan requested.

Not just you, I think the sound is really high for a milled putter. I'll grab it and wonder if I hit it poorly off the toe and then be all sorts of confused, then see that I hadn't. I'll use any other milled putter I own and the sound is noticeable. I'll see if I can take a video between the two later this week for a sound difference.

I'll agree with others in that the ball tends to come off faster than I'm used to. Not outrageously so, maybe 10% or so, but it's noticeable. For me it might actually be good, as I have a tendency to leave the putt short, especially in the mid range of like 8 to 20 feet or so, but we'll see how it goes once I get the chance to practice some putts outside.

It definitely has a bit of extra gas on it. I feel like it took about 4-5 solid putting sessions with it to kinda get the speed aspect down with it, but it has been fine since minus the occasional WTF was that moment. I feel that's more on me than the putter haha.

 

[MWard]

Id be interested in seeing a video of the testers setting up and making a stroke with their normal gamers and then this to see the differences.

This seems like an easy enough request. Let me see what I can do!

 

[TJRyska]

Not just you, I think the sound is really high for a milled putter. I'll grab it and wonder if I hit it poorly off the toe and then be all sorts of confused, then see that I hadn't. I'll use any other milled putter I own and the sound is noticeable. I'll see if I can take a video between the two later this week for a sound difference.


It definitely has a bit of extra gas on it. I feel like it took about 4-5 solid putting sessions with it to kinda get the speed aspect down with it, but it has been fine since minus the occasional WTF was that moment. I feel that's more on me than the putter haha.

Sound is more high pitched. Not sure why that is but I noticed it and my playing partners have commented on it.

 

[MWard]

Sound is more high pitched. Not sure why that is but I noticed it and my playing partners have commented on it.

Probably the metal they use. I mean it's not like it sounds like a fungo bat or anything, but it's definitely a higher pitch than you would expect if you've rolled a milled putter before.

 

[SkiBumGolfer]

Not just you, I think the sound is really high for a milled putter. I'll grab it and wonder if I hit it poorly off the toe and then be all sorts of confused, then see that I hadn't. I'll use any other milled putter I own and the sound is noticeable. I'll see if I can take a video between the two later this week for a sound difference.

Probably the metal they use. I mean it's not like it sounds like a fungo bat or anything, but it's definitely a higher pitch than you would expect if you've rolled a milled putter before.

Out of curiosity, is everyone else using the blade or the mallet? Im using the mallet and wondering if that is affecting my perception.

 

[Ludin]

Another 25-30 putts tonight. Realized about 5 or so balls in I was letting the shaft fall under my lead arm. Got it positioned right and feel was night and day. When its locked in it feels solid when putting. Need to continue to get the reps in and get a video sent over to Brian hopefully in the next day or so to confirm I am on the right path.