Question - what are the main things to look for in the way the pros swing?
Answer - They take the club back wide and high, then the downswing is inside out, and the follow thru ends with all the weight on the front foot. As strange as this might sound, Jim Furyk (the man with the loopiest backswing) executes this just fine, which proves the only purpose of the backswing is to arrive at a strong hitting position at the top, no matter how weird the backswing may look.

Don't believe everything you hear about how to put backspin on a ball. A recent TV show illustrated this with father and son teams playing in the same foursome. The pros shots hit the green and stopped on a dime, while the non pros shots hit generally the same area and kept on rolling forward to the back of the green or onto the back fringe. The reason is simple. Pros replace their irons whenever the grooves get worn, while others cannot afford to do that. So quit telling me that a properly struck chip shot is going to check up, it is not going to happen unless you have new irons and also are playing on pro quality green conditions. Most chips by non pros are not going to check up, they will just skid and keep running. On full shots, pros can hit a severly bunkered green and back the ball up to wherever the pin is. The rest of us may hit the green with a similar looking shot, but then we will be chipping from the back fringe instead of putting. Unless you are rich enough to frequently replace your irons, this is not a level playing field.

Beware of what some instructors tell you...

Recently I was in a major sports store's golf department to try out a demo driver against their simulator machine. Before I could even take a swing, the so-called pro was trying to adjust my grip. Rather than argue with him, just for the heck of it I went along with his suggestions, and have come to the conclusion that some instructors think that any suggestion applies to all golfers, and we students must be identical robots who should all function the same. The guy told me that my right hand was in too strong a position and that would cause shots to go to the right, and that point was not even up for discussion. Now since I am a certified instructor, I already know that the opposite is true, a stronger right hand position will send the ball left, not right. So I followed his suggestion to try a weaker right hand and sure enough the ball went way right, and I tried to explain to him why, but he just got mad. Then with my stronger right hand position, the shots went straighter and he got even madder.

The bottom line is that we are all built differently. There are hundreds of small muscles and hinges working in tandem to make a golf swing, and none of these muscles and hinges behave the same way from person to person, just like fingerprints being different. In my case I need a stronger grip to make the ball go straighter, maybe not the case for other people. Some self righteous instructors do not seem to realize that, so be careful not to take everything they say as gospel.

Are expensive shafts worth it?
I have 3 answers, no, hell no, and finally no. I have proved this myself with an inexpensive stiff steel shaft (Dynamic Gold) with a knock off clubhead. It hits the ball just as far and straighter than several store bought clubs with big name graphite shafts and big name clubheads. Do not fall for the marketing hype.

Joe,
I hit the ball better than my buddies, but I never seem to score lower because they putt better than me. I hate too much putting practice because my back gets sore if all I do is putt for awhile. Other than more practice, are there any tips I can try?
Patrick

Hello Patrick,
You must be the poster child for the old saying "Drive for show and putt for dough". There are no guarantees, but here are several ways that might help - Let’s assume Golfer A and Golfer B have similar putting strokes and they can both seem to read a green equally well, but Golfer A makes more putts and 3-putts less often than Golfer B. How can this be?
Golfer A uses a putter design that is weighted at the toe and at the heel, but not in the center. Golfer B uses a straight blade. Since they both have similar strokes, they both miss the sweet spot on the putter by the same amount. Golfer A gets more consistent results due to a larger sweet spot.
Golfer A has confidence in the read and can concentrate fully on executing the stroke. Golfer B changes the read as he/she stands over the ball (why bother with the original read in that case?). This can result in a tentative stroke due to worrying about the read instead of executing the proper pace of the stroke.
Golfer A putts at a spot on the green on the way to the hole, a spot that is close enough to hit every time. Golfer B does not use an intermediate target.
Golfer A improves touch for distance control during practice by noticing how far the backswing goes for certain distances, and then steps off those distances. Golfer B just relies on feel without thinking about the exact distance. As a result, Golfer A’s second putt is usually 1-2 feet long, while golfer B’s second putt is usually 3-4 feet long.
Golfer A’s putter has a fat grip, Golfer B’s putter has a skinny grip. In both cases, any accidental hand rotation will cause the putter face to rotate off line. Due to the fatter grip Golfer A’s putter face will rotate less than Golfer B’s putter.
Golfer A observes the terrain while walking up to the green from 100 yards on in, and can see which way water would most likely drain off the green, because this is the way all putts will break if you are not sure of other reads. Golfer B only reads putts after he/she gets on the green.
Golfer A uses a posture that does not cause back pain, and also uses a longer putter to avoid hunching over too much. Golfer B, you might as well try that, you have nothing to lose.
Joe


Joe,
I am thinking of getting a video lesson, but that is a bit expensive. Does video golf instruction always work?
Jeremy
Hi Jeremy,
It seems like a valid concept, right? Compare your swing side by side with a pro who has a similar build as yours. On the surface, that seems to make sense, and it has helped many people improve to a certain level. Others, however, have not been able to benefit as much from this. If you are built like Jim Furyk, would you try to copy his swing? Consider the following factors. Human beings have inner workings that are as different as fingerprints, even for people that have similar builds. Their hinges all behave differently, hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders, hips, knees, ankles, etc. It may be asking too much to assume you someday will make your swing a carbon copy of a pro’s swing. The pro swings every day, and probably hits more balls daily than you ever will in a week. The pro is probably blessed with better than average athleticism, eyesight (depth perception), and hand-eye coordination. Some instruction seems to take this for granted. Even if you are a pretty good athlete and you have good eyesight, you still can’t assume that your depth perception and hand-eye coordination are the same as anyone else’s. Just as good eyesight is a gift, hand-eye coordination is also a gift. The two gifts are related, but are not exactly the same. A person can have good eyesight, but poor hand-eye coordination. The only way to improve hand-eye coordination is to practice, practice, practice. However, golf is an expensive game, so unless you make a lot of money, your opportunities to play or practice may be a lot more limited for you as opposed to others who can afford to play or practice every day. As a result, your ball striking pattern on your clubs is going to be a lot more random than the pros, who can hit the sweet spot on the clubface almost every time. Meanwhile the rest of us, even when we think we are swinging well, are still occasionally hitting it fat, thin, off the toe or heel, etc. So are we all doomed to mediocrity? No, just try to understand that ball striking is more important than making your swing look pretty. You may not want to take the same full backswing as your body-type pro. The further back you go, the more trouble your hinges can get you into. Look at the way Dana Quigley, Allen Doyle, and Moe Norman have become successful with much less than a full swing, almost a half swing. Even Tiger has his "stinger" swing when he needs to keep the ball in the fairway. When all else fails, the shorter swing is a good way to begin improvement.
Joe


Joe,
Why do they make drivers that have the face lined up for a pull when you rest them on the ground, what good does that do?
Pedro

Hello Pedro,
The idea is to help cure a slice. If you take your normal grip while the driver is resting on the ground, and then you raise it off the ground and line up the clubface to the target line, you have effectively rolled your hands to a stronger grip, which eliminates one of the main reasons people tend to slice. Of course there are other reasons for slicing too, but many people find this to be helpful.
Joe

Joe,
What is the most important move a golfer can make during a golf swing?
Ira

Hello Ira,
If I tell you, I will have to shoot you. Oh, all right, here it is, early Merry Christmas. You will get a lot of different opinions on this question, but here’s mine. On the downswing, move your back elbow to your hip before you strike the ball. This one move will help other good things to happen, without even having to think about them all. It helps your lower body weight shift from the right leg to the left leg. It promotes a proper swing path, which is a little bit inside out. It helps you to hit downward at the ball. It helps you to delay the wrist break until you really need it, like the power of a whip. Watch the slow motion replays of the pros on TV, and you will see they all do this elbow move, no matter how different their swings otherwise may look.


Joe,
Why do pros preach fundamentals, yet their swings all look different?
Alan

Hi Al,
There is a difference between fundamentals (what everyone should do) and mannerisms (individual peculiarities). Most of the mannerisms occur on the backswing, because the backswing’s only purpose is to arrive at a strong hitting position at the top, and if you can do that it may not matter how you get there (right, Jim Furyk fans?). From there, the fundamentals take over, and the downswing happens so quickly that you may not notice the pros’ similarities (lower body weight shift and moving the back elbow in front of the hip before ball contact). Once the ball is struck, the differences in the follow thru positions again are mostly mannerisms (right, Arnold Palmer fans?).
Joe


Joe,
Do you think swing aid devices are any good? I have tried a few and they did not help much. Also they are rather expensive. What do you think?
Elbie

Hi Elbie,
Some folks claim they help, but I would rather spend my money on greens fees.
Here are 4 swing aids you can buy really cheap at your local hardware store

1. Get a good sized hammer with a grip about the same size as your club grips. With this you can work on your swing indoors without hitting the ceiling. The weight of the hammer head will simulate the weight of a clubhead.

2. Get an ordinary yardstick to use as a putting aid. There are a number of things you can do with this. First, pick a target and get into your normal putting setup and have someone else place the yardstick flat on the ground flush against the face of your putter, then stand back and see if the yardstick is properly aimed at your target. Most people are consistently off to one side. Then step back and aim the yardstick at the target and line up your putter face flush against the edge of the yardstick, and you will be aiming properly (does it look right or wrong when you stand over the ball?). Then replace the yardstick with a ball and putt the ball at the target. Most people again are off consistently to one side, but it helps to understand your tendencies. Another thing you can do with the yardstick is to view your stroke directly over the yardstick to see how steady your stroke is compared to the target line.

3. Get piece of PVC pipe, diameter 3 / 4 inch, 18 inches long. On any smooth rug (or actual putting green), try to putt the pipe in a straight line. If your putting stroke is faulty, the pipe will spin. The direction of the spin tells you if your stroke tends to push or pull the putt.

4. Get a foot-long piece of soft pipe insulation tubing that has a slit on the side. Wrap this around your putter grip and have a contest to see if you putt better with a thicker grip. The theory is that any unwanted hand rotation during the stroke will translate into the face of the putter moving off square. The amount of this movement off square is reduced with a fatter grip due to the ratio of hand movement to the circumference of the grip. This may also improve your chipping as well because it reduces unwanted wrist action on the downstroke.

Joe,
I hit some of my clubs great, and others not so great, is it my clubs or the way I swing?
Harry

Hi Harry,
Sometimes I see people trying to change their swings just because they are having trouble with one or two of their clubs, even when they are hitting the rest of their clubs OK. Being able to hit most of your clubs OK is an indication that their swing is not that bad. Changing your swing to fit a certain club (especially drivers) could be a big mistake, a never-ending battle. There are many variables in clubhead shapes, weight, lie angles, shaft length and flex, grip sizes, etc., and the way all these factors come together can cause different behaviors from club to club, even in a matched set because of tolerance buildup. Keep the clubs that you hit well, and experiment with other clubs to replace your “trouble” clubs. You might even consider taking your best-performing clubs to a pro shop to have the specs measured, which will give you a basis for good decisions on getting other clubs if you can afford them. Borrow from your friends and try their clubs on the range. Visit some stores that allow you to try demo clubs. Some stores will allow you to try demo clubs out of the store with no commitment if they don’t meet your satisfaction. Try to attend “Demo Days” at ranges whenever they are advertised, because they will let you hit a variety of their clubs free of charge, and compare the results you get from different shaft types, flexes, lengths, swingweights, and other specs. Give yourself the best chance to succeed, before you try a swing change that may be unnecessary.
Joe


Joe,
There are so many styles to grip a putter. Which is the best putting grip to use?
Greg

Hi Greg,
There are many acceptable grips to choose from. The most popular is the reverse-overlap, but you can also try regular overlap, ten-finger, stronger left hand control, stronger right hand control, shoulder control, and the “claw” (different variations used by Mark Calcavecchia and Chris DiMarco). One way to test what is best for you is to use a square tiled floor as a guide. Using a putter that has an aiming line on top, position that line along a floor tile line and take a stroke, while watching how the line on the putter follows the tile line. Whatever grip/stroke keeps you closest to the tile line may be best for you. It is normal for the backswing and the follow to travel slightly inside the tile line. The next step is to place a ball along the tile line and see if your stroke can keep the ball rolling along the tile line. You may be surprised to find that you have a tendency to pull or push your putts. If you cannot keep the putts straight along the tile line, then try to keep the putter square to the hole all during the follow-thru. Have another person behind you to verify whether or not you are pulling or pushing your stroke off line. Also where the tile lines intersect, you can use the vertical tile line to check that your clubface alignment is perpendicular to the target line. First hide the tile line with a piece of paper, address the ball, and have someone pull out the piece of paper. You might be surprised to find you were not as correctly aligned as you had assumed.
Joe


Joe,
What is the logic behind the old saying that a Harder Swing can result in Less Distance?
Herb

Hi Herb,
A harder swing has less chance of hitting the “sweet spot” on your clubface. An easy swing that hits the sweet spot will send the ball farther than a hard swing that misses the sweet spot. It stands to reason that an easy swing will hit the sweet spot far more often than a harder swing. A hard swing may also cause improper weight shifting, which may reduce your clubhead speed. Proper weight shift from the top of the backswing starts going from the back foot to the front foot before the downswing begins, setting up the power of a whip without extra effort. Annika Sorenstam does this perfectly.
Clubhead speed at impact is the sum of arm swing and wrist snap. A hard swing usually starts the wrist action too soon when the downswing begins, so there is no more acceleration added from the wrist by the time the clubhead gets to the ball, resulting an “all arms” swing and slower clubhead speed. For maximum distance, you must save the wrist action until just before impact. This is best demonstrated with a ping pong ball and paddle. How far can you hit the ping pong ball with an all-arms swing compared to using both arms and wrist? Watch the slow motion replays of the pros on TV, and you will see the wrist snap is held back until the last possible instant. That is why most of the pros may look like they are swinging very easy, but they still generate a lot of clubhead speed with that last-second wrist snap.
Joe


Joe,
Why do water hazards sometimes have red stakes and sometimes yellow?
Yali

Hello Yali,
If the stakes are red, it is a Lateral hazard so you can drop near the point where the ball entered the water. If the stakes are yellow, you have to drop BEHIND the spot where the ball entered the water, along the line to the hole. Let’s say you are playing on the west coast and you hit a ball in the ocean, you might have to drop in Australia if it were not for the lateral hazard rule which uses red stakes. If it were up to me, I would change the wording of the rule to get rid of the phrase “behind the spot” to allow dropping at the nearest relief point no closer to the hole, then we would not need two separate rules. For the benefit of Purists who object to my reasoning, I would take away the lateral rule and make the Purists drop in Australia.
Joe

Joe,
I cannot find a Taylormade ladies 11 wood which I would like to own. I assume this is because they only make these in hybrid clubs now. I guess I will need a hybrid with a loft of 25 degrees. My question is do I hit the hybrid with the U swing the way you do a fairway wood, or do you swing it like an iron? Thank you so much.
Elva Delks

Hi Elva,
Wow, an 11 wood must have a lot more loft than 25 degrees, I would be afraid the ball would pop up and hit me in the nose. Anyway, I have found that most people are not very successful using a different swing for fairway woods, except for maybe single digit handicappers. If you are in that group you must be a very good ball striker. If not, I would recommend using the same swing for all fairway shots, which would be to hit down at the ball as you would with an iron.
Joe


Joe,
I have a golf rule question: Yesterday my friends and I played golf and when one of my one friends hit his drive the ball broke into several pieces. What is the rule?
Mickey

Hi Mickey,
Under Rule 5-3, you are allowed to play the shot over again with no penalty.


Joe,
I really am reluctant to spend a lot of money on having my swing analyzed to see what types of shafts might be best for me. Is there a more simple method to figure this out? Also, what is likely to happen if I use the wrong type of shaft?
Ned

Hi Ned,
One way would be to use the 150 yard shot as a benchmark. If you usually use a 9 or 8 iron for that distance without overswinging, then you probably should use stiff shafts. If you use a 7 or 6 iron for that distance, you probably should use regular shafts. If you use a 5 iron or more, you might do better with a more flexible Senior or Ladies shaft. The amount of flex in a shaft will vary from one brand to another, so the same amount of flex might be called stiff for one brand and regular for another, so this can be confusing. Sometimes you must ask yourself what is most important to you, distance or accuracy. A more flexible shaft may add distance along with wildness. A stiffer shaft may make you more accurate, but with less distance. To answer your last question about what would happen if you use the wrong shaft for your type of swing, a slower swing speed with a stiffer shaft will produce lower shots with less distance. A higher swing speed with a shaft that is too flexible will produce higher and wilder shots. Try to attend demo days at a driving range where you can compare results from different types of shafts and brands, and see what works best for you.
Joe


Joe,
I was vacationing in Florida recently, and I was freaked out by a large alligator sitting next to a pond beside the fairway. My shot just missed him and he turned to look in my direction. I have heard for short distances that alligators can run faster than humans. Luckily I was riding a fast cart that day, but what if I was walking?
Scared by Allie

Hi Scared,
All you have to do is run faster than only one other person in your foursome.
Joe

Joe,
Since golf offers many pleasures, which is your favorite sight, a ball hanging on the lip of the cup and then falling in, or a flop shot over a bunker that trickles down next to the pin, or a low rising drive that splits the center of a narrow tree-lined fairway?

Answer: All those are nice, but my favorite sight which gives me the most pleasure is my opponent throwing a club. The full backswing, the delayed wrist action, the flowing follow-through, followed by that unique whirring sound, reminiscent of a passing flock of birds, this is a real thing of beauty.

Joe,
My friends tell me my biggest problem is that I overswing, but I feel natural on my backswing, so this is hard for me to correct. What should I do?
Chris

Hello Chris,
Habits can be hard to break, so let’s try a different approach. Next time you are on one of those driving range mats with the permanent rubber tee, go to the top of your backswing and pose like a baseball player waiting for a pitch. If your backswing is too long, you will not feel that you are in a strong hitting position. Adjust your posture as a baseball player would until you feel in a strong position to begin your swing from the top. Make sure your weight is on your back foot. From this position, see if you can strike the rubber tee every time. If you cannot, then adjust your posture at the top, for example, you might find that you can strike the rubber tee every time if your backswing is shorter and your tempo is not too quick. If you can view yourself in a mirror it will help. Good luck.
Joe

Joe,
The golf magazines say if you hit a chip or pitch just right, it will check up for you, and I have watched pros do this in a local tournament, but on the same course I tried chipping from the same spot and the ball refuses to check up, it just keeps on rolling. I even tried high spin balls but I see no difference. So what is the secret of making the ball check up?
Kevin

Hi Kevin,
The average golfer cannot do this for several reasons. Even if you played the same course as the pros, there is a difference between tournament conditions and everyday conditions. Tournament conditions are a bit more plush than the everyday public conditions. High spin balls can only make a difference if conditions are right, and only if the grooves on your clubface are new. Once the grooves get a little worn, you cannot spin the ball as well, no matter what you do. The pros can afford to replace their irons a lot more frequently than the average golfer, and they will not use a set once the grooves get worn, but the average golfer cannot afford to replace irons so often. You can conduct an experiment by comparing chip shots with a distance ball and a high spin ball. If neither one of them checks up, then either the green is too firm or your grooves may be too worn. It may help somewhat to keep your grooves clean with a stiff wire brush, but most people may be better off not counting on much spin, just do the bump and run instead.
Joe

Joe,
What is your take on the controversy of a golf channel announcer’s comment that the only way to beat Tiger is to lynch him?
Tim

Hi Tim,
In today’s world of political correctness, it is too dangerous to tell a joke anymore, and that is sad. Kelly Tilghman is a delightful announcer and there is no way she meant any harm. Tiger even said this was a non issue, yet some other people insist on making a big deal out of it. I might be politically incorrect for saying this, but there is a phrase in The Bible which says to watch out for people who have a morbid craving for controversy.
Joe

Joe,
I am amazed how the pros on TV can sink so many long putts, no matter how many different courses they play on with different types of grasses. I know whenever I travel and play different courses, the different types of grasses and speeds really mess me up. How do they adjust? Is it just natural ability or else what is their secret?
John

Hi John,
The best way to understand is to attend a practice round before a tournament and watch what the pros do on the greens. They take the time to stroke putts on all quadrants of each green while their caddies take notes. So even if they have never played the course before, during the tournament they have a pretty good idea on how each putt will behave, no matter where the pin placement is. The general public does not have this luxury, you might get kicked off the course for slow play if you try that. Therefore it is much more difficult for the average golfer to sink putts because they have no help at all in reading greens, it is just a guessing game. You can own the greatest expensive putter and have the best possible putting stroke, but if you do not read the green correctly, you will not make very many putts. Even if you do read the green correctly, but hit the putt at the wrong speed, the amount of break will be different and you might miss it anyway. If you have ever played in a scramble event, you will have noticed a lot more putts being sunk because everyone on your team gets the benefit of watching the first putt and therefore having a lot more confidence in the read. Those of you who do not play in scrambles, the next time you are on an uncrowded course, whenever you miss a putt, try it 3 more times and chances are pretty good that you will sink one of them because your confidence in the read improves with every putt.
Joe

Joe,
I am getting contradicting information about different ways on how to hit chip shots. None of them seem to work for me. Is there only one right way to chip?
Charles

Hello Charles,
Different people have had success with different methods, so you may hear or read some conflicting advice about which method is best (most methods agree on proper setup and ball position, so we will skip that). They all have one thing in common. No method will work unless you keep your hands ahead of the clubhead at impact and keep the face of the club pointed at the target during your follow thru. If you can do that, then the main issue becomes distance control.

Here are 3 chipping methods for distance control, find the one that works best for you.

Method 1 - use the same stroke and tempo for all distances, just change the club to adjust for longer or shorter shots. This usually works best for those who have enough confidence in their stroke that they never hit it fat or thin, they can hit the sweet spot every time.

Method 2 - use only 2 clubs to chip (one for minimum loft, one for maximum loft) depending on the amount of loft and carry needed to clear the taller grass. Use the same backswing, but vary the tempo or acceleration depending on the distance desired. This usually works best for those who have a good sense of touch.

Method 3 - use only 2 clubs to chip depending on the amount of loft needed. Vary the length of the backswing for distance control, and keep a consistent tempo. This usually works best for those who do not have enough confidence to rely on touch.

Joe,
I thought it was supposed to be a Fundamental to have the club pointing at the target at the top of the backswing, but I see photos of Phil Mickelson, John Daly, and even the great Bobby Jones pointing the club way across the line. How do you explain that?
Pete

Hello Pete,
In my opinion, that is a mannerism, not a fundamental. It sure does look picture perfect when someone can point the club straight at the target, but that is no guarantee to result in a good shot. Starting from the top of the backswing, what happens next is an inside-out swing path, which the body turn brings to a square path at the point of contacting the ball (like the knob on a swinging door). When you think about the plane for an inside-out swing path, pointing it across the line at the top only helps to put the club on that plane, so I do not see anything wrong with that, as long as your position is consistent and your results are good. If, however, you have a hook problem, then you might be pointing it too far across the line, but most people slice, so this idea may help to cure it. However, one good thing about pointing the club at the target at the top of the backswing is this. It establishes a consistent point of reference which you can photograph and go back to if you get into a slump. If you go across the line, this point of reference is a little harder to view because you cannot be sure how far over the line is good for you. In the final analysis, I think it is more important to view the position of the clubface no matter how far over the line you go. The clubface should be parallel to the angle of your leading arm.
Joe

Joe,
I can hit the ball better than my buddies, but they usually beat me because they putt better. I don’t understand why I cannot putt as well as my buddies if they are not as athletic as I am. Help!
Harold

Hello Harold,
Sometimes we overlook the little things. Any one of the following points might make a difference. For example, are you more like Golfer A or Golfer B?

Let’s assume Golfer A and Golfer B have similar putting strokes and they can both read a green equally well, but Golfer A makes more putts and 3-putts less often than Golfer B. How can this be?

Golfer A uses a putter design that is weighted at the toe and at the heel, but not in the center. Golfer B uses a straight blade. Since they both have similar strokes, they both miss the sweet spot on the putter by the same amount. Golfer A gets better results due to a larger sweet spot.

Golfer A has confidence in the read and can concentrate fully on executing the stroke. Golfer B changes the read as he/she stands over the ball (why bother with the original read in that case?). This can result in a tentative stroke due to worrying about the read instead of executing the proper pace of the stroke.

Golfer A aims at a spot on the green on the way to the hole, a spot that is close enough to hit every time. Golfer B does not use an intermediate target.

Golfer A improves touch for distance control during practice by noticing how far the backswing goes for certain distances, and then steps off those distances. Golfer B just relies on feel without thinking about the exact distance. As a result, Golfer A’s second putt is usually 1-2 feet long, while golfer B’s second putt is usually 3-4 feet long.

Golfer A’s putter has a fat grip, Golfer B’s putter has a skinny grip. In both cases, any accidental hand rotation will cause the putter face to rotate off line. Due to the fatter grip Golfer A’s putter face will rotate less off line than Golfer B’s putter.

Golfer A observes the terrain while walking up to the green from 100 yards on in, and can see which way water would most likely drain off the green, because this is the way all putts will break if you are not sure of other reads. Golfer B only reads putts after he/she gets on the green.

Both golfers have the Yips, but Golfer A uses a belly putter, which reduces the effect of the Yips.
Good luck Harold, I hope this helps!
Joe