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"SEEING THE LINE: IS IT All IN ALL IN YOUR HEAD -- POSITION?"

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In case you missed it last month, Announcement:

We are moving December 1, 2004! After 12 years at Pelican Hill Golf Club, I am moving my Golf School and my private lessons to a new home facility, Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club, Mission Viejo, CA. It is 15 minutes south of Pelican Hill Golf Club off the "5" Freeway. Pelican Hill will be closing the range in the months ahead to build a hotel and new clubhouse.

These pictures show the progress at the back of the range where our lessons and schools will be held. The putting greens, sod and bunkers are in. For more details on the facilities, our on site biomechanics lab and tour fitness van, see the beginning of the October, 2004 Tip.

Two For One:

In Celebration of our new facility, we are offering a 2 for 1 tuition to our full day golf school at Arroyo Trabuco through March 2005. If you are an alumni, you may return to the full day school for $75 during that period. That is our 9 hour golf school (7:45 AM to 5:00 PM) Come see our new facility!

Good putters describe "seeing the line as the line as they putt." Last month I told you I would begin to walk you through "seeing the line" as you set up to putt. This month we are going to start with your practice stroke.

Set up looking down the target line when you make your practice stroke on the putting green. Be sure to straddle the line on which you are going to start the putt.

If you question why you should straddle your intended start line, please review the February, 2004 Tip: Seeing Accurate Lines on the Putting Green.

Stand far enough behind your ball so you can glance down the line without lifting your head. If you attended the golf school you know the subtle changes in path that occur with changes in your head position. Your head is the heaviest part of your body. (Small changes in your head position --up, down, left or right-- will alter your heel to toe and left to right balance and subsequently your path.)

Be certain your hips and shoulders are aimed down the line on which you want to start your ball rolling, not at the hole. Visually track the line as you make your practice stroke. Notice how the feel of your stroke helps you begin to "see your line."

Now, set up next to your ball and make a few practice strokes.

Make a practice stroke and look at the hole as you finish your stroke. Now look at the hole and make a practice stroke. What do you feel? Make another practice stroke as you look at the ball. Notice that as you finish your practice stroke, your eyes likely move to the hole. You do this to get a feel for distance.

The problem with making a practice stroke next to the ball is two fold, both related. When you make a practice stroke and look at the hole, you are practicing following the ball with your eyes, commonly known as "peeking." You know that following the ball with your eyes causes missed putts. Why? The movement of your head causes changes in left to right balance and that creates changes in path. Try it again.

Set up next to the ball and make a practice stroke looking at the ball and hold your finish without moving your head. Notice how good your finish position is. Now, from that same position, set up next to the ball and look at the hole. Make a practice stroke. Notice and feel how the path of your putter likely changes to an inside out path. You have rotated your head left as you look at the hole. Moving your head changes your left to right balance which results in a putter path change. Remember, balance equals path. Anything that alters balance will alter the path of your club, putter through driver.

Our biomechanics lab studies are about balance. Head positions and changes in balance and path are some of our preliminary observations. I will bring you many more of our observations in the months ahead.

My good friend, PGA professional Glenn Deck, volunteered to be in our pilot study at the Centinela biomechanics lab (and then gave me permission to use his picture here without seeing it; now that is trust!) This picture shows Glenn in the lab getting set up for the study with the light electrodes on his body. The computer monitor to Glenn's right shows a graphic illustration of the weight distribution in his feet as read by the 1,000 sensors in each of his shoes. (You are on your heels, Glenn! I really appreciate you loaning your body to Science!)

To come full circle, when you look down the line from behind the ball, you will get a good image and feel for your line without altering your head position. Be certain you are far enough behind the ball so that you don't raise your head to see the line.

The height of your head changes your heel to toe balance and, once again, your path will change. To feel this, find your normal set up and make a practice stroke looking at the ball. Don't move your head and hold your finish position. Now raise your head and make a practice stroke. Notice the path change. Find your normal set up and head position and once again feel your finish while maintaining your head position and knee flex. Again, notice how your path finishes down the line. Now, drop your chin to your chest and make a practice stroke. Notice how the path changes again. If you attend the golf school you have experienced all of these positions first hand. You also learned the relationship between the height of your head and your knee flex to offset one another to create balance.

To summarize, straddle the line on which you want to start your ball rolling. Stand far enough behind the ball so you can look down your line without raising your head. Visually track your line to the hole. Next month I will show you how to adjust your set up to "See the Line" every time. In the following month we will cover distance control, whether you are a spot putter or line putter.

From our lesson tee to your home, we wish you a Happy and Safe Holiday Season.

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