Optimal Putting Ebook by Geoff Mangum
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Geoff Mangum’s Optimal Putting i Geoff Mangum’s PuttingZone™ "«Ì>Ê*ÕÌÌ} À>Ê-ViVi]ÊÃÌVÌÃ]Ê>` Ì iÊÕÀÊ-ÃÊvÊ*ÕÌÌ} Ê iÜÊ*>À>`}ÊvÀ *ÕÌÌ}ÊÊÌ iÊÓ£ÃÌÊ iÌÕÀÞ This limited fi rst edition of Optimal Putting is presented by Quantum Putters — The New Technology in Putters. www.quantumputters.com Geoff Mangum’s PuttingZone \ i "«Ì>Ê*ÕÌÌ} Dedication To Anne and our family: 7À}ÃÊiÛiÀÊÀ} Ìi`] `iÃÃÊÌÊvÌiÊÃ} Ìi`] 7iÊÃÌÕLiÊ>}ÊÊÌ iÊ}À>ViÊvÊÛi° / iÊ ÕââÊÊÌ iÊ*ÕÌÌ}<i “You have great putting tips, especially the ones about the gaze. Let’s meet and work together when I play Charlotte in May [2003]. I know if I can just get my putting improved, I can break through and win.” [“Everyone remembers my seven iron, but my putter won me the PGA Championship [July 2003].”] Shaun Micheel PGA Tour player 2003 PGA Champion (July 2003) 2006 PGA Championship runner-up (July 2006) “I was blown away! If you ever have the chance to take putting instruction from Geoff, DO NOT PASS IT UP!” Eddie Cox, PGA Director of Golf Tot Hill Farm GC, Asheboro NC “Geoff Mangum is a genius in putting instruction. After two short lessons, I’ve never putted better in my life.” Rick Murphy Director & Owner, Carolina Golf Academy Greensboro, NC President, Carolinas Section, PGA of America 2001 Carolinas PGA Teacher of the Year 2005-06 Golf Magazine Best Teachers in the Southeast 2005-06 Golf Digest Best Teachers in NC “Geoff has more knowledge and expertise about putting than any other person that I know. He is an outstanding teacher and his philosophy is backed with an enormous amount of research. He’s definitely at the top of the class.” Robert Linville, PGA Robert Linville’s Precision Golf School 1993 Carolinas PGA Teacher of the Year 1999 & 2000 NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year 2000 US Coach in US-Japan Collegiate Team Matches “I personally enjoyed your presentation to the European PGA Teaching Conference very much. I learned a lot.” Stefan Quirmbach President, PGA of Germany “Wonderfully creative!” Rainer Mund Coach, German National Team “Your putting instruction is absolutely fantastic — I’ve been teaching and playing for over 40 years and I’ve never heard any of it. It’s completely different from everything I’ve ever learned, but it is amazingly simple and effective. Great stuff!” Tim Parker Head Pro, Gut Waldorf Golf Club Hamburg, Germany “Geoff Mangum knows more about visual science than anyone in golf. As the national director of research for the Neuro-Op- tometric Rehabilitation Association (and a golfer), I constantly search the Internet for vision neuroscience to pass along to Optometry teachers at schools around the world, and I am always amazed that I find exactly what I’m looking for ONLY on the PuttingZone.com website instead of on the university websites and other conventional research science sources. I can’t imagine that any other golf instructor knows more about vision in putting than Geoff!” Dr. Selwyn Super National Research Director Neuro-Optometric Research Assn “This is very good! You have such a vast store of putting knowl- edge that it must be very difficult for PGA teachers to appreci- ate how much you can help them. I’ve never heard most of what you teach.” Joe Clark Sr. PGA Master Professional z Geoff Mangum’s Optimal Putting «ÀÌÊÉÊ«ÀiÃÃÕ Printer: Axess Book Printing 4479 North Industrial Drive Suite 100 Cumming, GA 30041 678.456.6982 Author and Copyright Holder: Geoff Mangum Copyright © 2008 Geoff Mangum. All rights reserved, including rights under the Berne Univer- sal Copyright Convention and other national laws. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a data base or retrieval system or electronic recording or transmission, without the prior written permission of the copyright holder, except for the inclusion of quotations in a review. For reprints and permissions, contact Geoff Mangum’s PuttingZone™ 518 Woodlawn Avenue Greensboro, NC, USA 27401 tele.: +001 (336) 340-9079 web: www.puttingzone.com email: [email protected] Printed in the United States of America. Limited First Edition. ISBN 978-0-615-18482-1 Geoff Mangum’s PuttingZone \ v Geoff Mangum’s Optimal Putting vi ÌiÌà Acknowledgement. xi Preface. xii Chapter 1: The “Mechanics Of Instinct”. 1 Chapter 2: The Brain And Movement In Space. 22 Chapter 3: Distance Control Theory. 41 Chapter 4: Distance Control Praxis. 72 Chapter 5: Straight Strokes. 104 Chapter 6: Aiming Accurately. 134 Chapter 7: Reading The Putt For Target. 157 Chapter 8: Putting Routine. 179 Chapter 9: Synthesis Of The Four Skills. 192 Chapter 10: Drills For Putting Skills. 195 Appendix A: Bibliography Of Putting. 209 Appendix B: Puttingzone Academies & Coaches. 235 Appendix C: About Geoff Mangum. 245 Appendix D: Puttingzone Opportunities. 249 Appendix E: Friends Of The Puttingzone. 255 Index. 258 Colophon. 271 Geoff Mangum’s PuttingZone \ vii Geoff Mangum’s Optimal Putting Ý«>`i`Ê ÌiÌà Acknowledgement. xi Preface. xii Chapter 1: “Mechanics Of Instinct”. 1 Conventional Lore. 2 A New Paradigm. 9 Where Is This Headed? 10 Optimal Putting: Black Art Or Science. 13 Learn The Skills From The Ground Up. 19 Cited References. 19 Chapter 2: The Brain And Movement In Space. 22 Why Learn About The Brain. 22 Raison D’être For Brains. 24 Human Brains & Movement Inheritance. 25 Big Ideas For Brain Function. 28 Cited References. 35 Chapter 3: Distance Control Theory. 41 Skill 1: Instinctive Touch. 41 Definition Of Touch. 41 Optimal Delivery Speed. 41 Observing Optimal Delivery Speed. 44 Five Factors For Instinctive Touch. 48 Definition Of Tempo. 50 Geoff Mangum’s PuttingZone \ Geoff Mangum’s Optimal Putting Gravity As Fundamental Fact For Movement. 50 Gravity As Timing, Objects In Motion As Forces. 51 Gravity And Movement On Earth. 54 Physics Characteristics Of Pendular Motion. 55 Inherent Timing Of Pendula On Earth. 58 Gravity Timing And Instinct. 59 Human Instinct And Gravity Timing. 60 The Strength Of Instinctive Gravity Timing. 62 Choosing An Optimal Tempo. 63 What Is A Backstroke? 68 Cited References. 70 Chapter 4: Distance Control Praxis. 72 Skill 1: Praxis Or Application For Touch. 72 Green Speed Appreciation. 72 Green Speed Appreciation From Core Putt. 73 Touch For Different Distances. 75 Instinctive Touch For Each Green And Distance. 77 Targeting Teaches The Body For Action. 77 Head-Neck Motion Primes Sense Of Distance. 78 An Instinctive Move Generates Backstroke Size. 79 A “One Potato ... Two” Tempo. 81 Tempo Timing And Accurate Timing Performance. 82 Stress And Anxiety As Harming Timing. 84 Geoff Mangum’s PuttingZone \ Geoff Mangum’s Optimal Putting Targeting “Loads” The Impact Force. 85 Correct Touch Is “Not Long” And “Not Short”. 86 Enough Backstroke. 89 Never Hurried, Never Worried. 89 The Alternatives Ain’t Pretty. 90 Uphill / Downhill Effects. 91 Special Case Of Slick Downhill Putts. 93 Special Case Of Steep Tiers. 95 Special Tricks For Long Lags. 96 Delicate Strokes. 99 Short-putt Touch. 99 Summary Of Touch. 100 Cited References. 101 Chapter 5: Straight Strokes. 104 Skill 3: Putting Straight Every Time. 104 A Word About Biomechanics & Robots. 104 A Natural Hanging Of The Arms And Hands. 107 Carpenter’s Square Off The Foot. 109 Straight Stroke Movement. 111 The Lead Hip Anchors The Backstroke. 111 Start The Takeaway With The Shoulder. 112 The Gravity-Tempo Downstroke Is Effortless. 115 Hands Quiet Or “Dead” In The Downstroke. 115 Geoff Mangum’s PuttingZone Geoff Mangum’s Optimal Putting vii Hands Do Not Rotate, Grip Pressure Constant. 117 Hold Throat Line Still Once Thru-stroke Resquares. 119 Vertical Uplift Of Shoulder Sends Ball Straight. 122 Head Motion In Thru-stroke. 125 Putter Face Staying Square Thru Impact Zone. 128 The Aiming “T”. 129 The Straight Stroke And Timing. 130 Summary Of Straight Stroke. 131 Cited References. 132 Chapter 6: Aiming Accurately. 134 Skill 2: Aiming And Setting Up At Target. 134 Stand Back The Same Distance As The Putt Length. 135 Use Only The Dominant Eye To Sight Line. 135 Use The Putter Shaft As A Visual Ruler. 136 Anchor Transient Perceptions On The Ground. 137 Walk The Line To Keep The Perspective. 137 Position The Putter Face In Light Of Anchors. 138 Ball Itself And Putter Head Show The Line. 138 Putter Sweetspot And Perpendicularity Of Face. 139 The Two T’s. 139 Set Up To The Putter As Aimed. 140 Aside On “Ballstriker’s Neck”. 140 Neutral Hanging Of Arms And Hands In Gravity. 141 Geoff Mangum’s PuttingZone \ vii Geoff Mangum’s Optimal Putting Settling Downward From The Top. 143 Grip Form And Setup. 143 Establishing Homogenous Muscle Tone For Form. 147 Checking Aim Of Putter Face From Beside The Ball. 149 Squaring Skull And Throat Line To Putter Face. 149 Head Turn To Check Aim Of Putter Face. 150 Tricks For The Straight-out Gaze. 151 Tricks For A Proper Head Turn. 155 Cited References. 155 Chapter 7: Reading The Putt For Target. 157 Skill 1: Picking A Target For Line And Distance. 157 Read The Green As A Whole From The Fairway. 157 Local Hills And Mountains Confuse Scenery. 158 Read The Stock Chart Of The High Fringe. 158 Beware Of Lobed Greens With Catchment Basins. 159 Assess Overall Slope As Rise Over Run. 159 Perceiving Elevation Change From Ball To Hole. 160 Perceiving Green Surface Contour. 161 Perceiving Green Speed. 164 Visualizing Rolling Speed Of The Ball. 166 Other Perception Issues For Reading Putts. 166 Find Straight Start Line For The Curving Path. 168 The “Apex” Is Too Low As An Aim Point.