Setting up the pendulum-putting-stroke2

Now we start getting into the meat of this topic by making sure our setup for the pendulum-putting-stroke2 is correct.

When applying the strategy of the pendulum motion to your putting stroke, it should be just like that of the pendulum of a grandfather clock – back and forth, same distance, same tempo – and without any wrist action whatsoever.

There are various types of grips to be used. The most popular would be the reverse overlap. That is when you take your index and middle finger of your left hand and put them over the fingers of your right hand. You can grip the club any way you like so long as it is comfortable and that you do two things:

1) Place the grip in the lifeline of your left hand.

2) Make certain that your grip allows you to keep the back of your left hand facing the target from the address position all the way through to the finish of your pendulum-putting-stroke2-

As soon as you place your hands on the grip, you've created a key angle. Assuming you employ a traditional placement of the hands of the club – that is, right hand on the bottom – you'll have set an angle in your right wrist.

That wrist bends back slightly toward your forearm. If you keep this angle intact throughout your stroke, you'll have eliminated any over-use of your hands in the stroke.

Always keep your grip pressure light. There's never a time when you want to squeeze the putter tight. You should be able to feel the weight of the head of the putter. That's the bottom of your pendulum – you have to be able to feel it.

We will go into picking your target for the stroke soon, but for now lets just focus on the manner in which you 'step in' to your pendulum-putting-stroke2 setup. First, aim the putter squarely down the target line. Then, step in with your body. You can square the putter with your right hand before stepping in – this will help you set that angle we discussed earlier.

Once you step into position, align your body parallel to your target line, just like for a full swing: shoulders, hips, and feet parallel to your target line. Pay special attention to getting your shoulders squared up.

Your arms follow your shoulders, and if your shoulders are pointing left of parallel to the target line, you'll swing the putter back outside the target line and then across it at impact – the result is a putt missed to the left.

If you aim your shoulders right of parallel to the target line, you're going to swing the putter from inside the target line to outside the target line, and miss the putt to the right. The goal is to swing the putter directly back and through along the target line, so make sure your shoulders are square. Read the first article on theHow to apply the pendulum-putting-stroke

Read part three of the pendulum putting stroke here