"Man is the measure of all things."
Anything deliberately done or consciously intended carries a certain sense of power or knowledge of consequence. Newton's law states that "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction". Let us begin by using this pre-existing law to our advantage when learning the game of golf.
In formulating a correct response to any situation, recognition of all pertinent information is essential. Throughout life we are taught to recognize and respond to circumstance. This is our world view or way in which we interact with and perceive our environment. When approaching golf however, we have a different set of criteria to comprehend to form our picture. How do I move a ball 30 feet, then 40 feet, then 20 yards and so on? How do I retain a model of consistency when I feel different every day? Let us begin by formulating a school of applied thought.
| Building a Better Model |  |
"The size of the stroke is proportional to
the distance to be created"
Determining the "Speed"(stimp) of a green:
1. Set up in the #1 stance and take the putter head back and say "To the toe"
2. While pronouncing the word "GO" Stroke the ball
3. Putt 3 balls, saying the phrase "To the toe... GO!" while making the stroke. The average distance is the speed of the green.
Distance Manufacturing
Example: If I move my putter head back 'to the toe' keeping it on line, GO with it and roll the ball 6 paces. I have the following ratio:
| 6 paces To the toe (#1 Stroke) |
= stimp of the green for that day |
In other words for every unit (#1 stoke) of stroke I give, the ball rolls 18 feet. If I move the putter head back to a #2 stroke (Knuckle to the knee) I'll make 36 feet (2x) provided the periodicity of the stoke was maintained.
To maintain the consistent hand speed which is of paramount importance to this method, learn to base the rhythm of the stroke on a smoothly pronounced phrase (To the Toe... GO!, To the Knee... SMOOTHLY!)
Once we have the stimp (speed) of the green; in order to find the size of the stroke required to manufacture a distance, simple divide the length of the putt by the stimp.
Example: If we had a putt 9 paces long, divide the 9 by 6 (stimp), the resultant (1.5) is the size of the stroke required to make that distance.
TIP: For putts greater than 1.5, use "Knuckle to the knee.... SMOOTHLY!" as the catch phrase.
Next Chapter: The Balancing Act