Michelle Wei won the Women’s US Open. Just like Martin Kaymer, her putting was amazing. She used superior putting all week for the two-shot victory, with no three-putt greens over 72 holes – including 25 one-putt holes. She may have a crazy stance with her torso horizontal to the ground but her consistent swing up the line made all the difference. We need to learn from her success.
Why is she sinking putts? After she lines up her putt she has total confidence that she has the right line so that she can focus on distance and impact down the line. CONFIDENCE sinks the putts. [More on Lineup and Confidence Next week.]
Michelle’s Horizontal torso is a real killer on the back but her putts are fantastic.
1/ She swings like a pendulum: Straight back and straight down the line.
2/ She chooses her target line and takes practice swings for speed: If she gets this right, she sinks the putt.
3/ She avoids any side spin on her putts: Hitting straight down the line, with her ball slightly forward of the center of her stance, puts a straight top spin roll on her putts.
She follows through straight down her intended putting line.
4/ She avoid the YIPPS. She has ZERO wrist motion: All of her swing comes from the rotation of her spine and shoulders like a pendulum swinging from an axis point. By eliminating wrist motion she avoids using the small muscles in her arms which cause you to shake in your back swing. [Practice with GOLFSTR+ to lock your wrists and gain confidence in your putting.]
5/ She had the lie angle on her putter flattened slightly. You don’t need to change your putt head to shaft angle but you do have to adjust your grip and stance to ensure that your putter head is horizontal to the ground. And make sure that you impact the ball directly in the center (which should be the balance point) of your putter.
Should you try to duplicate her body position?
Not if you plan to golf for the next 20 or more years. Your back will never hold out if you tried to putt with a 90 degree bend at the waist. No other male or female on tour is trying to putt this way. She is built like a rake and 6 foot 1 inch tall so this will compound her back problems in the future. Mark my word, within 5 years you will see her change her horizontal body position when her back tells her to make the change.
You can duplicate all of Michelle Wie’s putting characteristics without putting your head directly over the ball. Make sure that you build confidence with your putting stroke by wearing GOLFSTR+ to lock your wrist so that you have to swing with your spine and shoulders. GOLFSTR+ helps you get the YIPPs out of your putting stroke (both back and through the ball).
NEXT WEEK Watch for BUILD CONFIDENCE IN YOUR PUTTING by getting a better read AND A BETTER PLAN before your step up to your ball. And don’t forget to Click Here to CHECK OUT WWW.GOLFSTR.COM For Every Swing in YOUR Game.
