Putter Acceleration

I have done a lot of thinking and researching the best way to putt, we can all agree that having a repeatable stroke helps but most other things are left to a personal preference.  You can find people that believe an arcing stroke is best, others believe a straight back and straight through stroke is best.  Some people believe accelerating into the ball at impact is best and I'm not so sure.

Putter

Acceleration

Putter Acceleration on your downstroke is 

essential for accurate distance control. 

IN SHORT There are four different ways to swing your putter. Despite these differences they all share a common principle, namely that the putter head should be accelerating at impact.

However, this does not mean consciously speeding up your stroke as your putter head approaches the ball.

The mass of your putter head is enough to send the ball the correct distance. That is provided you have taken an adequate backstroke for the distance you are seeking.

Ways to Swing Putter

There are four ways to swing your putter:

1. Long Back - Short Through
2. Short Back - Long Through
3. Short Back - Short Through
4. Equal Back - Equal Through

1. Long Back – Short Through

Decelerating into the ball is a recipe for inconsistency in both distance and direction.

Such a putting stroke has nothing to commend it. It lacks any rhythm. It is a common failing of high-handicap golfers who frequently quit on the putt for fear of sending the ball too far.

If you have this destructive habit, you need to change your putting stroke otherwise your putting will never improve.

2. Short Back – Long Through

This is a better way to swing your putter, but not the best. When you start to artificially speed up your stroke in order to extend your follow through beyond its normal length, you are changing the natural tempo provided by gravity.

With an inconsistent tempo, the actual distance the ball will travel each time becomes harder to judge.

3. Short Back – Short Through

This is known as pop putting. It is a technique that can work well for short putts, but can sometimes cause problems on longer putts. 

Unlike the early days of wrist putting, it is important in pop putting to prevent any wrist break down through the impact area. You need to maintain the wrist angles that you have created in your setup.

4. Equal Back – Equal Through

This is the ideal rhythm for a putting stroke. Based on the action of a pendulum clock, the backstroke mirrors the forward stroke in length.

The distance a ball travels is managed entirely by the length of your backstroke. For longer putts you take a longer backstroke. There is no attempt to increase the speed of the forward stroke as a way of compensating for a backstroke that is not long enough.

Putter Acceleration

The advice that you should accelerate the putter through the contact area is sound in the sense that it advises against slowing down the putter before impact. However, it can also pose the danger of over-compensation.

If you hold the top of your putter with your left forefinger and thumb and let it swing back and forth, you will see that there is the natural acceleration of gravity on the downswing. The longer the backswing, the faster the putter head accelerates on the downswing.

Distance Control

The secret of good distance control is to let your putter swing on its own. 

There is no need to interfere with the smooth acceleration that gravity provides.
You allow your brain to set the backstroke to the length that is adequate to get the ball to the hole and then let go. Because you are not trying to change the rate of putter acceleration, you will develop a consistent tempo, not one that chops and changes.

better-golf-by-putting-better.com

 Here are a few graphs where the s axis equals speed and the t axis equals time. 

The best putters have finished accelerating their putters before they make contact with the ball.  They do no actually accelerate through the ball.  The best putters actually reach their max speed and allow gravity to finish the stroke and contact the ball.  This does not say that the best putters begin decelerating the club into the ball rather they reach their top speed and allow gravity to finish the stroke and perform the shot.  

  We need to take a big enough stroke that we can begin the down swing with a smooth acceleration and allow gravity to take the putter the rest of the way.  Many of the top pro's do this without even knowing they are doing it.  Most great putters feel like they are accelerating through impact, but when you look on a high speed camera that is not the case.  Jordan Speith is a perfect example of this, his stroke is slightly decelerating at impact.  Almost to a fault but he is right on that line.  But, what Jordan does so well is allow gravity to hit the ball.  He is simply making a stroke and allowing gravity to control the speed,  he is never hitting the ball with his putter.

Jordan Spieth Sports Science Putting--  

Jordan Spieth Sports Science Putting

I know it is conducted from Sports Science but there is a lot of great information about the rhythm and length of his putting stroke.  The best way to putt is not to accelerate the putter into the ball, it is to take a long enough back stroke to allow gravity to return the putter to the ball.  It is always going to be more repeatable and allow for better distance control.  Putter better is a matter of allowing it to happen not making it happen!