2010 NEW PRODUCTS

WHY THE CHEST PUTTER WORKSStruggling to control your short stroke? Then it’s time you tried this radical solution...

If you’re struggling to hole putts, for whatever reason, then you might want to give one of the longer handled putters a go. I first dabbled with broomhandles in 2003, but it wasn’t until three years later that I made the change to the chest putter you see me using here. There are two ways that you can putt with a club like this, so let me show you the options available.

BY PETER HEDBLOMEUROPEAN TOUR WINNER

On line The first point to make is that you must try and line up on a parallel line to the hole. I tended to get my shoulders too open initially (below) and that made me feel like I was pulling my putts. The style I use is to aim my left elbow along a line parallel to the target line and use that as your guide for the stroke.

At the US Open at Winged Foot in 2006, I was 11th in putting, but was starting to get very uncomfortable on the greens. Something was happening at impact and in the followthrough

that was very disconcerting. The stroke felt jabby and nervous. Hard to believe, but for the last two rounds I hit almost every putt with my eyes closed! I remember going to Sunningdale a couple of

weeks later for Open Qualifying and it was all good until the last two holes. On the 18th, I needed to get down in two from 30 feet. I knocked the first one four feet past and then changed to the

Langer style, gripping the club on the metal with my left hand, to hole the one back. I said to myself then I never wanted to feel like that on a pressure putt again. I almost couldn’t breath. I tried the

WORDS BY PETER MASTERS

PHOTOGRAPHY BY HOWARD BOYLAN

belly putter, but with that you still have your hands in the normal position. I changed to the chest putter because it was a completely different style and one that has worked for me.

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Control with the shoulders or the right hand.TWO WAYS TO PUTT

www.golf-world.co.uk // JANUARY 2011 93

I like to use the chest putter by controlling the stroke with the shoulders. Look here how my left forearm and hand stay rock solid through the stroke.

1

The alternative is to control the putt with the right hand which some players may think gives them greater feel for distance. Here, you can see how the shoulders remain level and the butt of the club swings like a pendulum from the sternum.

2

The key The right

shoulder should do all the work

with the left forearm and

hand solid.

Level Keep the upper body

still and solid through the stroke.

Your left hand needs to be more flexible here, allowing the

butt end of the club to hinge against

the sternum.

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The keys to getting straight back and through. SQUARE-TO-SQUARE?No stroke is ever actually square-to-square, there will always be a slight movement inside the line going back and inside again coming through. Having said that, I do like to feel that I get as close to straight back and through as I possibly can.

When you’re looking for a square-to-square stroke, then it’s even more important to keep your eyes directly over the ball at address. You can see how I’m checking that here with the long putter.

Face-balanced You can see here that the putter is perfectly face-balanced, which means that when you

balance it on your finger, the face points straight to the sky. This means that the club wants to stay square through the stroke. So

face-balanced models are perfect for putters that are anchored to your chin or chest.

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MY EQUIPMENT

Driver: TaylorMade R9 SuperTri 9.5°.Fairway woods: TaylorMade Burner Superfast 15°; TaylorMade V Steel 18°.3-9 iron: TaylorMade RAC TP.Pitching wedge: TaylorMade RAC.Sand wedge: Callaway X Forged 52°.Lob wedge: Callaway X Forged 58°.Putter: TaylorMade Rossa Vicenzo.Ball: TaylorMade Penta TP.

IN THE BAG

WHY THIS PUTTER?I like the TaylorMade Rossa Vicenzo because the grooves in the face give the ball a really good roll. Also the wings on the back give the putter a very square look which is perfect for the sort of stroke I’m looking to produce. I can see the putter head track back on line.

www.golf-world.co.uk // JANUARY 2011 95

With a chest putter you have more chance of moving the putter head back and through along the target line.

A FINE LINE

Stay vertical

If you look down the line at my address position you can see that the putter secured to the chest hangs much more vertically than a regular putter would. This means that a square-to-square putting stroke is much easier to produce.