Ben Crenshaw’s legendary coach reveals secrets for Elite Put

Golf instruction is always evolving, but the best advice is the test of time. In this Golf.com series, Timeless tips, we emphasize some of the greatest advice that teachers and players have provided on the pages of Golf Magazine. Today we look back on an article from our issue of April 1978 in which Harvey Penick shared the secrets with a great well.

Ben Crenshaw’s Putting Stroke is one of the best ever. The long and lazy movement brought him every success, including 19 PGA Tour titles and two green coats, culminating in the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Gentle Ben has tightened his craft on the grainy greens of Austin, Texas, led by his lifelong coach, the late Harvey Penick. There are not many coaches in the history of the game that manages as much respect as Penick – and for a good reason. His teachings accompanied some of the Gulf of Golf of all time, and his Small red book the gospel became for much more.

If you have never digested a leather from Penick, do yourself a favor and dive into it now. The legendary Texaan had a talent for simplifying even the most complex topics, and his track record is difficult to argue.

Back in the late 1970s, Penick came to Golf Magazine To share part of his wisdom about developing a good blow on the greens. You can view it below.

Harvey Penick’s keys for great well

It has often been said that the best teachers are those who teach the least. Harvey Penick is a dramatic example of this. His most famous student, Ben Crenshaw, is recognized as one of the best putters in the game. Yet the lessons that Harvey did not give him – perhaps when placing – perhaps the most valuable.

“If I can see natural skills,” says Penick, “I am not going to fool anyone. Ben may have received the beautiful, long, flexible blow from his father, who has exactly the same. I believe that your muscles are beneficial for certain types of strokes.”

There is also an emotional makeup “conducive” for a certain type of move, says Penick.

“A stable nerves are needed for that good, long blow. A nervous person cannot draw that way. He tends to have one of those short, spicy strokes or perhaps.”

Yet Penick believes that this ‘feeling’ should be combined with sensible basic principles, and in the following article refutes many of the many of the theories about Putten.

Grip

Horton Smith, a very nice putter in his time, always believed that you should do that – against a closed left wrist, and believes that it still applies. But the more interesting development when placing – the positioning of the right hand has been the last 10 years. Check players such as Nicklaus, Palmer and Casper and you will see that the | The right hand is in a “strong” position, somewhat rolled clockwise and under the shaft of the putter.

If a man puts his hand more on the shaft, the general position for making full shots, he will roll on it. The Putter -knife has a much better chance of staying square if the right hand is a bit under the axis.

You do not want that strong position for making the other shots, which goes together with my feeling that you do not put putting in the same way if you are waving a beating club. I don’t tie them together for one reason – De Putter is not made like the rest of the clubs.

A chip shot is nothing but a small ride, because the ball is played to be hit at the lowest point of the arch. When placing, with impact, that bow must be extremely superficial. You just don’t need the kind of power that you get with a handle with which the right hand can roll.

Grip

I like the words “at ease”, because if you are relaxed and loosened, I am afraid that you will grab it, grab the club with impact.

Whether you keep the putter tight or loose, it is determined by how far you will hit the ball. That applies to all shots. If you are going to hit the ball as hard as Arnold Palmer does, you will keep the club tighter than if you are going to hit it as hard as my wife. When placing you just hold it tight enough to control the club.

Alignment

If you have problems drawing up, you have to walk to the ball from behind, look at the putter and then lay the gap on the line and take your posture. The knife often looks crooked because you look so much from it and thus loses the feeling of angle. But if you get the knife in position as I propose that it will be fine.

Lie

Almost everyone bends their knees at the address, or should. The way to know that the putter is good for your build or the type of position you take is by looking at the corner of the ash. It should meet the corner of your thighs. The more you “sit” to the ball, the more tilting compared to the corner of the shaft and vice versa.

Bullet position

At address your eyes must be directly over the ball. You can test yourself by holding a putter in your eye and letting them hang vertically. If you drop it, the putter should hit the ball. Maybe you are somewhat in the ball or behind it, such as Nicklaus, but you should never be outside or in the front. You should never lean so far forward that you look back at the ball, because it is very difficult to see if the knife is square.

Now I don’t give it to give up a good blow, one that works. But I believe that a low-to-the-found collection meals is the best. You get that by playing the ball from the left heel or even the left toe. The further to the right foot you play the ball, the higher the backstroke will be, and if you are high on the backstroke, you will hit the ball with a falling blow.

I am not too worried about the order because the ball has already been hit. However, I do believe that the length of the follow -up must correspond to the length of the backstroke.

The battle

I am sometimes criticized in my teaching because they let people play more in their bodies. But some people, especially women, must have one. That is mainly with regard to complete fluctuations, but I also believe a small movement or freedom, when placing is not bad.

Those knees together to keep moving helped Arnold Palmer to be a very daring long putter. I don’t want to say that I told you that, but I always said that one day he will have to come back those three-legs, and I am afraid that is what happened. I don’t mean you have to move a lot, maybe none at all, but if your body is too rigid about the ball, you lose some feeling.

Short versus long

I learn that you concentrate on short putts. If you practice enough, your muscles will tell you how difficult to hit the ball. For long putts you concentrate remotely. Practice as if you were throwing money. You want to stop the ball at the right distance to give a chance. I don’t like the idea, “Never on, never inside.”

Few puts have been left when a ball is firmly touched, and I believe that occasionally, while practicing, you should put some chalk on the back of the ball to see where you catch it on the knife.

Breaking Putts

I don’t believe in picking a place around the hole. I think you should imagine the whole role or curve of the putt. I also think it is wrong for a golfer to trust a caddy or someone else to give him the border, because only the golfer knows how hard he will hit the ball. Speed ​​of putt is important. Once you have decided how you put Putt, you go with it.

Now I have an aspirin for those of you who have difficulty breaking puts. For both break, but especially from right to left, which is probably the most difficult for right -handed golfers, I propose to beat the ball from the outside of the knife, near the toe. That is for shorter putts. Most golfers who miss right -wing left puts hit the ball on the heel, because they throw the club head out to make sure they get the ball high enough. They chop the putt and give the ball the wrong twist.

To trust

I think everyone who wants to pay the price can become a good putter. The price is the practice, although it can be a bit boring.

There are also certain people who can make a putt when they need it the most. An old story about Harry Vardon says that he once missed a short putt, and a guy in the gallery told him he should have made it that it was fairly simple. Harry Wedde with the man one hundred pounds, he couldn’t make three feet. The bet was advertised, a gallery came out to watch, and of course the man missed.

Now, I believe, I believe, is the result of making putts – not the cause of it. I have studied the words faith and trust a lot. A friend who knows words gave me this: you first have trust and then trust. If a student believes what I teach him, or what he teaches in a different way and will work on it, he will get confidence when he starts to make them.

People asked me what the three most important shots are in Golf. Ben Hogan says it is drive, chip, putt. In professional game that seems correct. But for the mass golfers, I believe that the order is putt, drive and chip.

Perfect Putting Mat ™ – Standard Edition

Familiar and used by more than 100 PGA Tour Pros!

View Product