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View Full Version : Top 5 Things I Learned @ Dave Pelz Short-Game School


JTrout
06-15-2005, 10:12 AM
It was about 12 years ago that I went. But some things stuck.

1) the importance of acceleration
I knew it was important before, but Dave impressed upon me how essential it is in hitting solid shots. On 6 ft. downhill slick putts, and 40 ft. chips on firm, fast greens, and 40yd. pitches, acceleration is vital.
Like a car accelerating through a turn, it minimizes the negative effect of off-center hits and grass that gets between club and ball.

2) Putting Tempo
This surprised me. Because of his technical background, I didn't think Dave Pelz would rate the importance of this so highly. However, he spent alot of time with a metronome, learning the proper tempo for each player.
With a pendulum putting stroke, the 3 ft. putt should take the exact same time as the 50 ft. putt.

3) Putts break more than we think.
He proved this to my satisfaction. In general, if a putt breaks 3 ft. right, we say it breaks 1 ft., line up 2 ft. left, and pull it another foot. Consequently, we use a different stroke on left/right putts than right/left ones, making putting more difficult than it should be.

4) Proper Pace on Putts ...
is where your focus should be. We know this on lag putts, but discount the importance on shorter putts. Golfers of all levels have a STRONG tendency to leave uphill putts short, and knock downhillers too far by. This natural instinct must be overcome to putt at your best.

5) Less than full wedge shots require a different technique
I fought this idea the hardest. But my results proved it to myself. In a full shot, when trying to maximize clubhead speed, we build torque in the swing, and use our hands to maximize clubhead speed.
In the 1/2 wedges, we do not want torque, and we want to curtail clubhead speed. Our hips should turn app. as much as our shoulders, and there should be no effective release of the club.
Once I became comfortable with this (and it did take some time), the results were dramatic.

(did I say 5?)
6) the long putter is fundamentally better than the short putter
It's one lever. It' easy to swing in a pendulum fashion.
This was before belly putters and claw grips, but his data proved that people make significantly more putts using a long putter than using a short one. I hate this fact. But that doesn't make it untrue.

eric5148
06-15-2005, 10:31 AM
[ QUOTE ]
3) Putts break more than we think.
He proved this to my satisfaction. In general, if a putt breaks 3 ft. right, we say it breaks 1 ft., line up 2 ft. left, and pull it another foot. Consequently, we use a different stroke on left/right putts than right/left ones, making putting more difficult than it should be.


[/ QUOTE ]

This is so true, and it's why I tell people to read his books even if they don't like his swing techniques.

The problem is, when someone asks me to read a putt, I ask them whether they read putts with the apex or the aimline. Then they look at me like I'm nuts. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[ QUOTE ]
4) Proper Pace on Putts ...
is where your focus should be. We know this on lag putts, but discount the importance on shorter putts. Golfers of all levels have a STRONG tendency to leave uphill putts short, and knock downhillers too far by. This natural instinct must be overcome to putt at your best.


[/ QUOTE ]

Another interesting discovery. On downhill putts, your eyes are physically farther away from the hole than on straight putts of the same length, and closer on uphillers.

[ QUOTE ]
6) the long putter is fundamentally better than the short putter
It's one lever. It' easy to swing in a pendulum fashion.
This was before belly putters and claw grips, but his data proved that people make significantly more putts using a long putter than using a short one. I hate this fact. But that doesn't make it untrue.

[/ QUOTE ]

I hate it too. I tried a long putter once, I felt like there was no way I could get the ball within 6 feet of the hole on a 20 foot putt. Long putters should be illegal, IMO.

HDPM
06-15-2005, 11:18 AM
Yes, long putters are better. They feel funny to me and I won't use one anyway, but they are better. I think the USGA may ban them, which I am hoping for. IMO the long putter should be banned. But I suppose if I were good enough to play the game for a living I would use the long putter if it helped me at all.


I noticed I was decelerating on some putts recently. It doesn't work or help. /images/graemlins/frown.gif

JTrout
06-15-2005, 03:49 PM
[ QUOTE ]
Another interesting discovery. On downhill putts, your eyes are physically farther away from the hole than on straight putts of the same length, and closer on uphillers.


[/ QUOTE ]

I've never thought of that. It could be part of the reason people misjudge the speed.

But golfers do not take undulation into consideration enough on full shots either. Uphill-short. Downhill-long.

JTrout
06-15-2005, 03:52 PM
[ QUOTE ]
I think the USGA may ban them, which I am hoping for.

[/ QUOTE ]

Pelz told me (back in app.1994) that if the USGA had his data on long-putting, they would most likely ban it.
He also said that he did not want to be the guy that got it banned.

RacersEdge
06-15-2005, 03:54 PM
#3 makes no sense to me. Why would you use that method?

JTrout
06-15-2005, 04:01 PM
[ QUOTE ]
#3 makes no sense to me. Why would you use that method?

[/ QUOTE ]

Poor communication on my part. You shouldn't use that method. I'm describing the tendency most people have when putting.
Pelz's point was to improve green-reading skills, and be consistent with the type of putting stroke you use. Simplify.

RacersEdge
06-15-2005, 04:06 PM
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
#3 makes no sense to me. Why would you use that method?

[/ QUOTE ]

Poor communication on my part. You shouldn't use that method. I'm describing the tendency most people have when putting.
Pelz's point was to improve green-reading skills, and be consistent with the type of putting stroke you use. Simplify.

[/ QUOTE ]

I understand you were describing the incorrect method - but I have a hard time seeing this as a common fault. To intentionally pull a putt? I go by the "every putt is a straight putt" approach.

HDPM
06-15-2005, 04:20 PM
He should want it banned. I agree with Pelz that the best stroke is straight. Which is why I want to use a pool cue. I have several that would work. But alas, that isn't golf. And neither is the long putter. But only the cue is against the rules right now.

JTrout
06-15-2005, 04:26 PM
It isn't done intentionally. It's done subconsciously.

If a putt breaks a foot right, you say, "it breaks about a cup right",
then you line up two cups left (thinking you are lined up 1 cup left), then you pull it another cup, and make it! And say, "See, it breaks a cup!"
Sounds crazy, but it's true.(generally speaking.)

To prove it- get a golfing buddy that hasn't read this.

Ask him to read a couple of 15 ft. putts that have a signicant break- one that breaks to the left, the other to the right. Put a penny down near the hole however much he says it breaks.

Then ask him to putt these two putts. Stand directly behind him and watch. Use your putter shaft to plumb a straight line from his ball to the penny if you want. Assuming he comes close, both putts will start noticably outside the penny.
I'd estimate this is true, to some degree of >90% of golfers.

HDPM
06-15-2005, 04:34 PM
After reading Pelz's book, I learned this was definitely true for me. I am probably still doing it. Problem is I learned how to putt reasonably well the wrong way. Trying to change now without a lot of practice and instruction sucks. So I have found myself back to my 25 year old putter and old ways. I seem to miss about the same. /images/graemlins/confused.gif


P.S. Being aware of the true break, etc... does seem to help some.

RacersEdge
06-15-2005, 04:42 PM
[ QUOTE ]
It isn't done intentionally. It's done subconsciously.

If a putt breaks a foot right, you say, "it breaks about a cup right",
then you line up two cups left (thinking you are lined up 1 cup left), then you pull it another cup, and make it! And say, "See, it breaks a cup!"
Sounds crazy, but it's true.(generally speaking.)

To prove it- get a golfing buddy that hasn't read this.

Ask him to read a couple of 15 ft. putts that have a signicant break- one that breaks to the left, the other to the right. Put a penny down near the hole however much he says it breaks.

Then ask him to putt these two putts. Stand directly behind him and watch. Use your putter shaft to plumb a straight line from his ball to the penny if you want. Assuming he comes close, both putts will start noticably outside the penny.
I'd estimate this is true, to some degree of >90% of golfers.

[/ QUOTE ]

So he claims golfers misread the break in putts, and compensate for it with bad aim and a bad stroke.

Interesting. I'll have to think about that one.