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Putting with an open stance

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Erky

Erky

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Guys, my putting is a borderline disaster. Right now, if I make putts, it's almost as if it's by accident. I can see the line, but I can't roll the ball on it. One of the guys I play with, who has maybe the best short game of anybody I know, suggested putting with an open stance. He putts with an extremely open stance. I didn't want to switch to it mid round, but playing around with it later, an open stance seemed to work.

I know that you do what works, but I am curious if anyone can figure out what I am doing wrong with a square stance that is fixed by having an open stance. Eyes? Ball position? Stroke? It feels like the stroke to me, but I can't describe it. I also struggle with the toe sticking up too much.

With a square stance: My usual miss is a slight block to the right if that helps. If I miss to the left, it's generally hit too hard. If I roll the ball on the line, it's pretty inconsistent roll. I have tried blade putters, mallet putters, high MOI monstrosities. Nothing helps.
 
Erky said:
Guys, my putting is a borderline disaster. Right now, if I make putts, it's almost as if it's by accident. I can see the line, but I can't roll the ball on it. One of the guys I play with, who has maybe the best short game of anybody I know, suggested putting with an open stance. He putts with an extremely open stance. I didn't want to switch to it mid round, but playing around with it later, an open stance seemed to work.

I know that you do what works, but I am curious if anyone can figure out what I am doing wrong with a square stance that is fixed by having an open stance. Eyes? Ball position? Stroke? It feels like the stroke to me, but I can't describe it. I also struggle with the toe sticking up too much.

With a square stance: My usual miss is a slight block to the right if that helps. If I miss to the left, it's generally hit too hard. If I roll the ball on the line, it's pretty inconsistent roll. I have tried blade putters, mallet putters, high MOI monstrosities. Nothing helps.
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My uncle does it and has since he learned the game. He said it makes him see the line ALOT better. He is extremely open. Like to the point that his left foot is nowhere near in line with his right. His left foot points towards the target and his stance is wide open.

He is the best putter I have witnessed myself, so it must work. It looks weird, but it flat out works for him. I have tried it and has ZERO success.
 
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First I'd check the position of the ball in your set up. You want your eyes right over the ball as best as you can. So hold your putting in your fingers so it's just hanging there off the ground. Then set up over a ball and put the butt of the club right between your eyes and let it hang down. Keeping the shaft right down your eye line, check and see if you set it down, does it (the shaft) hit the ball? Is the ball to far away from you shaft/feet? Is it to close to your feet?

Next, toe up? Sounds like you might be bending over a little to much, or maybe your putter is to short? I'd check and see how your setting up to the putter.

For me, here is what I do. Stand straight up, and tall with your feet shoulder width apart, knees flexed just a little and then bend at the waist so you arms hang down comfortably. Grip the putter in the middle (distance between your hands) and make sure your ball is directly below your eyes. Make sure your feet, fore arms, hips and shoulders are all parallel to each other, as best as you can.

Everyone lines up and reads a putt a little differently, but you have to make sure to trust your line. Line up your putter face first, then line up your body to your putter face.

Making the stroke is the last part (of course) and can be a lot of it between your ears. For me, here is what I focus on.
1). Keep EVERYTHING below my belt as still as possible. I don't want my weight shifting back and forwards at all (or very, very, very little).
2). Less is more. Meaning, I'm trying to have as little "moving parts" as I can in my swing.
2A.) So I'm trying to keep that triangle from my hands, up my arms and across my chest the same at all times
2B.) I don't want to break my wrists, I'm not going to bend my elbows more than they are at right now.
3). How do I do that? You might ask? You know that arm bands a lot of people use in full swings that keep your arms together? Use one of those when you putt, too.
4). Putting stroke. Back the through, down the line. Lots of theory's here. I've used the "same back, as through" stroke, and I've used the small back and "push the ball" method as well. That's up to you, but with either one, use this practice tip. Put two tees in the ground just barely on the edge of your putter, and make putts from a few feet, and then move back in a ladder fashion. You can start with a wide "gate" and move the tees closer and closer as you get more comfortable. If you hit the tee as you putt, you'll know your stroke of off.
 
I've messed around with an open stance in the past, and putted well. I've even putted well (on the putting green) with pointing both feet towards the target.

I would go with what works (like you said). Nothing wrong with an open stance at all if it is working. Didn't Jack have an open putting stance?

If you want to fix the problem, I bet a half hour putting lesson with a pro would pin point some issues. It also sounds like a putter fitting could be in order if the putter you're using has the toe in the air too much, that will have a tendency to pull putts left.
 
The simple answer is that you are not releasing the putter. Opening up to the target is actaully putting a false release so your results may be better.

I'd pay attention to your grip pressure and make sure you are releasing the putter head through impact.

You may also want to check what your dominate eye is. you could be lined up right of target and this is causing the blocks.
 
Dave Stockton recommends an open stance:

"THINK ROLL, NOT HIT
inar04_dave_stockton_putting.jpg

The key to distance control is to roll the ball, not hit it. To do this, take an open stance, your weight slightly favoring your left side and your putter shaft leaning toward the target (right). The open stance makes it easier to feel the left hand going out and down the target line. The forward lean offsets the 4 degrees of loft I recommend for a putter and helps the ball roll smoothly.

When you make the stroke, keep the putterhead low to the ground past impact, like Ron is demonstrating (inset). The putter will ascend slightly, but don't try to hit up on the ball -- whoever told you to do that was wrong, because it makes the ball hop."
 
I use an open stance, consider myself a pretty good putter, and none of my SPI instructors have had an issue with it.
 
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Thanks, guys. I guess I will "roll" with it for a while. :confused2: My ball striking has never been better. I think it's time for a putter fitting and some general short game lessons.
 
Hey, if it worked for Jack Nicklaus, it must have some merit! I'd definitely keep at it if it seems to be helping.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk
 
wadesworld said:
I use an open stance, consider myself a pretty good putter, and none of my SGI instructors have had an issue with it.
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Same here. I've used an open stance for nearly 40 years and my PGA Tacher has zero issue with it. It all goes right back to "swing your swing"........
 
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I have found that by opening my stance a bit get's me to trust the line when I'm about to make the stroke. Last year I lined up towards the target with my feet and a lot of times I did not feel comfortable when positioning myself over the ball. This led to either compensating while making the stroke or ending up short..
I started opening up a bit towards the hole which made me feel comfortable and in return it became more fun to play at the greens! The result hasn't been drastic improvements but I'm getting better and better on the green! :act-up:
Together with this I have also started as a warm-up routine: Putting 10-15 times over a ball marker on a straight ground. Only short putts, 1-2 feet. That gets me to trust myself that I can start the ball on the intended line!

The fast way is usually to see a teaching-pro if you do not want to tinker around a couple of hours on the practice green..
 
Almdudler said:
I have found that by opening my stance a bit get's me to trust the line when I'm about to make the stroke. Last year I lined up towards the target with my feet and a lot of times I did not feel comfortable when positioning myself over the ball. This led to either compensating while making the stroke or ending up short..
I started opening up a bit towards the hole which made me feel comfortable and in return it became more fun to play at the greens!
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I wrote earlier in the thread that I've putted with an open stance before, and I've done okay with it.

You're post here describes how I feel much of the time over the ball. I quite often feel like I'm not aligned right and I need to make a different stroke. Really messes with my head alot. I think I'm going to test going back to an open stance and see how it feels.
 
Are you sure you are actually setup square and not really closed? Could be like on a full swing, if you setup closed and swing inside out and the face stays square to the arc, you may hit a push. Close the face to the arc and hit a pull which goes longer. My stance definitely is closed, but feels square to me. I make better contact and roll the ball better when I feel a little open, which is actually closer to square.
 
An open stance is the only way that feels comfortable to me when putting. An open stance also feels comfortable to me on close wedge shots, not full.swings. It works for me, not for everyone i am sure. My advice, if you are making putts with open stance, stick with it.

Sent from my Motorola Electrify using Tapatalk 2
 
Once again the internet gurus strike and try tell you that you're doing it all wrong. If putting with an open stance makes you putt better then embrace it. Remember too that Jack Nicklaus putted with an open stance................
 
I've used an open, closed, and square stance over the years, but I tend to come back to the open stance. What people have said about getting your eyes over the ball is crucial. I tend to feel more comfortable doing that with my feet close together and open. The putting stroke is one that can be made from a variety of positions so, as long as you check a few boxes that are almost always required, find something that makes you feel good and go with it. Sometimes just changing it up for the sake of change can improve your game if you've lost confidence in the last approach.
 
I started using a slightly open stance this year and am putting much better. It helps to get my dominant right eye looking down the line.
 
wadesworld said:
I use an open stance, consider myself a pretty good putter, and none of my SPI instructors have had an issue with it.
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This is what makes SPI instruction so great, they have some absolutes that they believe make everyone a better putter but do not say that someone cannot be a great putter doing something differently than they recommend. They do not teach what Nicklaus or Palmer did with their stance at all, but will absolutely never tell you that it will not work, both of those guys did pretty well huh?
 
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I putt with my stance waaaay open, about 30* to my target line, and I flare my left foot forward.

I have no idea on the science of it but it allows me to put a solid roll on the ball everytime.
 
its funny to watch some of the old PGA footage from several years ago and some of them were in various stances and even wrist putting. My point is for putting its all about results. There are various alignment aids and putting styles, but you have to find what you can do under pressure and repeat--so there is no perfect way or everyone would look the same putting.
 
I have used the open stance for maybe 4 or 5 years. This year I have been using a straight stance and am putting ok but not great. May go back to the open stance and see what happens.
 
Putting had been going through a really yucky stretch. Did this open stance yesterday and didn't have a single 3 putt. It really makes me see the line alot better.
 
I've been putting with a slightly open stance for a little bit now, to my surprise. With that in mind, I have been lights out, getting as low as 23 putts for a round the other day including probably 10 putts from more than 12 feet.

I think beyond getting lessons or buying into an incredible process like SPi, you should do what you're comfortable with and what works in your practice sessions and repeat it 1000 times.

SaffaClint said:
Once again the internet gurus strike and try tell you that you're doing it all wrong. If putting with an open stance makes you putt better then embrace it. Remember too that Jack Nicklaus putted with an open stance................
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I get that you think this is appropriate to say, but it just seems really malicious to me. the OP has asked the question, and the forum answered. Seems pretty cut and dry to me. No one is claiming to be professionals.
 
Erky said:
Guys, my putting is a borderline disaster. Right now, if I make putts, it's almost as if it's by accident. I can see the line, but I can't roll the ball on it. One of the guys I play with, who has maybe the best short game of anybody I know, suggested putting with an open stance. He putts with an extremely open stance. I didn't want to switch to it mid round, but playing around with it later, an open stance seemed to work.

I know that you do what works, but I am curious if anyone can figure out what I am doing wrong with a square stance that is fixed by having an open stance. Eyes? Ball position? Stroke? It feels like the stroke to me, but I can't describe it. I also struggle with the toe sticking up too much.

With a square stance: My usual miss is a slight block to the right if that helps. If I miss to the left, it's generally hit too hard. If I roll the ball on the line, it's pretty inconsistent roll. I have tried blade putters, mallet putters, high MOI monstrosities. Nothing helps.
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Erky, we have a proposition for you. DM for more information. We can help. Thanks.
 
I putt with the "ultimate open" stance.....sidesaddle!

:)
 
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