Newsletter: Vol. 1, Page 2

Putting Alignment:

If you nailed a putter to the green absolutely perpendicular to a direct line to the hole you would still miss many more putts than you made. Factors like break, grain and stroke efficiency, as well as general rub-of-the-green, eliminate any material benefit from standing up a putter on the green and peering down the line from behind.

You do need to determine the best line to start the ball rolling on. Rather than lining up the putter, line up the logo on your ball along the intended line. When you strike the putt concentrate on rolling the logo end over end. By lining up the logo and rolling it end over end you are assuring the best possible alignment and ball roll. Link to putting newsletter.

Tee-Shot Alignment:

When you place the ball on a tee you can take advantage of the logo  by employing a variation of the putting method described above. Align the logo slightly to the right of the intended target line. By doing this you are creating visual reinforcement for an inside out impact. Also rotate the logo toward your eye line for a better viewing angle.

Head Position:

The Automatic Golf® method includes turning your chin to the right (for a right-handed player) before initiating the swing. This head position is a real challenge for players like myself, with master right eyes (see Automatic Golf® video for master eye test).

A simple trick for learning proper head positioning is to practice hitting shots with your right eye closed. If you're not bashful you might even put a patch over your right eye. You'll be amazed at how much more solidly you hit the ball. As soon as you become accustomed to the proper head position you can eliminate the patch.

Thumbs

If you allow your arms to hang down naturally while you are standing, you'll notice that the palms are not parallel. In a natural standing position the thumbs point towards each other. This natural relationship between the hands should be maintained when you grip the club. In other words, the left thumb is on the right side of the shaft and the right thumb is on the left side of the shaft (for a right-handed player).

If you follow the step by step grip instructions in the videos, you'll find that your thumbs are in proper position. However, a way to check your grip is to make sure that the thumbs are positioned as described above.

The exception to the thumbs rule is when putting or chipping with a chipper that is constructed like a putter. When putting and chipping, the objective is to quiet the hands completely. This is best achieved by turning the hands outward and away from each other with both thumbs on top of the grip. This is why a flat topped putter grip is valuable.

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