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