Sea Island Life Magazine Spring/Summer 2013 | Page 18

in the swing

Putting in a New
Direction

Expl or e thr ee inno vativ e putting s tr at egi es off ering al t erna tiv es
t o th e tr aditional m ethod of anchoring a b
ell y putt er .
By Sc o tt Kr amer

w

Mike Shannon teaching Matt
Kuchar the arm lock method

ith possible rule changes on
the horizon, many golfers
who used the method of
anchoring a belly putter to
their bodies are now experimenting with
alternatives that help them maintain their
level of putting performance.
For those who employed the anchoring
method, short of returning to conventionallength putters, you have several options
that may help you drop even more putts

than when you were using the belly method.
Even golfers who’ve been using conventional
putters may find these three approaches to
be more to their liking, as they seemingly
give players more control over distance and
accuracy without having to stray too far from
their current stroke.
The first is an approach taken by PGA
Tour pro Matt Kuchar, who holds the
inside of his left arm against a long putter
throughout the stroke. Enlisting the help

of Sea Island golf putting instructor Mike
Shannon, who Golf Digest lists among
America’s Top 50 Greatest Teachers, Kuchar
abandoned a short putter and went to this
method three years ago. Since then, he’s
seen plenty of success on tour. This arm lock
method conforms to the United States Golf
Association rules.
“Players who’ve used a belly or long putter
know that the best part of these putters is
that there are no hinges, therefore there are

18 sea isl and life | spring/summer 2013

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3/18/13 10:18 AM