This week I've been toying around with the Z-Factor Putting Machine.....I've found it useful in my teaching and own practice, however I would love to hear other's comments on this device.
B-Ray, Not much interest in your thread so far - shame really!
I never used this product but looked at their website - looks like a versatile machine.
I generally hate putting ( 36 putts is a great day for me! and no i am not hitting every green in regulation!! ) - hence my score suffers - but just not found anyway to make it interesting to practice. Feel or mechanics... Seems very easy to have good feel one day and bad the next... difficult to monitor the mechanics on your own... I know that you should get mechanics first and repeat solid mechanics through feel but...
I have tried the Pelz straight back/straight through method and the arc motion preffered by Stan Utley and VJ (never tried his putting arc yet)...
These two seem to be the two "accepted" methods by most teachers... This training aid seems to allow both - pretty good really!
How do you feel it works in reality - which method do you think suits your students / is face balanced putter better for Pelz style stroke? Is a face balanced putter detrimental to arc style stroke?
I sometimes worry about a training aid that forces you to make correct mechanics rather than one that gives feedback on when your mechanics are correct ( ie. without actually guiding you club directly).
Do your students like to use it?
Do any of them actually go on a buy one for their own purposes?
It is not cheap but probably about the same as a premium driver ... if i could shave 5 shots off my game it would be with better putting and not a new driver!!
Thanks for your interest in my thread here......To answer some of your questions I have been using the Z-Factor for approximately three weeks with my students......and I do teach my students whatever stroke (straight back straight through or arc) fits best with their personality, mindset, physical traits, tempo, etc..I do believe that the straight back straight through stroke is very hard to do because it requires a manipulation of the hands.....I have also been toying around with the Z-Factor because my putting has not been the greatest over the last year.
The setting I find most useful for teaching on the Z-Factor is the most curved arc(red setting), this pattern is actually based off of Brad Faxon's Stroke and really encourages the student to swing in to in......One of the flaws I see a lot is students who tend to go out on their backswing which is not ideal, I would prefer to see the putterhead arcing in or moving straight back.
In regards to your questions on face balanced putters I belive this goes into putter fitting.....In my opinion the student must be fit to putter that they can properly aim at address before stroke style is taken into consideration. If the student can't aim the putter where they intend then they must now make a compensation in the stroke to get it on the intended line....once a putter is found that the student can aim, then stroke characteristics can be considered......I know David Orr and others on this site have some great input on putter fitting as well....maybe this thread will get jumping with their input as well, I don't mind the thread taken that direction.
Golfbulldog thanks again for you input and post it helps me continue to learn!
Sorting Through the Instructor's Textbook.
B-Ray
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I have the best job in the world, I get to teach golf for a living!!!
Catch ya on the lesson tee.
Bray, well I have put my order in for one, I think it looks great, cant wait to see how it works with my students, will let you know how we do with it, let me know of any other goodies you are using on your lesson tee.
Thanks.
Bray, well I have put my order in for one, I think it looks great, cant wait to see how it works with my students, will let you know how we do with it, let me know of any other goodies you are using on your lesson tee.
Thanks.
Ian,
Take a look at this one. We have them here in Sweden
I think i have seen David Orr's putter on another website (BSG) - he talks about fitting his putter for aiming (as you described) something to do with the top line and offset...? It makes sense - design for aim first, then get the balance for the style of stroke that you want.
I generally hate putting ( 36 putts is a great day for me! and no i am not hitting every green in regulation!! ) - hence my score suffers - but just not found anyway to make it interesting to practice. Feel or mechanics... Seems very easy to have good feel one day and bad the next... difficult to monitor the mechanics on your own... I know that you should get mechanics first and repeat solid mechanics through feel but...
Yesterday I went to a buddy's house and we did some putting practice in his backyard. He has a great setup...large practice green with slopes all around. He has some simple practice tools...string lines to cups and a portable mirror. My short putting has been suspect lately and with some string and mirror work I found that some bad habits had crept into my swing...at setup my shaft was leaning backwards, I was a little closed to my target line, eyeline was a little too far back from the ball and I was too handsy and picking the clubhead up on my backstroke ....all this discovered through LOOK, LOOK, LOOKING at what I was doing. Something which I think Homer suggested doing frequently. So for those like me with some putting woes...don't take for granted that alignments are in good order. I had and was very suprised that they were not.
I generally hate putting ( 36 putts is a great day for me! and no i am not hitting every green in regulation!! ) - hence my score suffers - but just not found anyway to make it interesting to practice.
golfbulldog,
You may find that practicing with a metronome will improve your consistency. First you have to figure out which setting you seem to be best with, particularly lag putting. Then use that setting for ALL putts, 1 footers and 150 footers. Practicing with a metronome a lot has helped my consistency quite a bit. The other thing that really helped was putting a small mirror (like at Home Depot) on the ground and checking out my set-up alignments. I figured out that my forearm line was closed to the target line which caused me to push a lot of short puts. I dropped my right elbow back and have been a much better putter since.
Better putting does not have to take hours and hours of practice, just some attention to detail. Personally, I enjoy practicing putting for hours and hours. There is something about lagging 5 putts in a row over 80 feet within a couple of feet. You have to find the fun things about practicing each area of the game I figure.
Short game practice can sometimes lower your putts per round quicker than putting practice.
Matt
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"In my experience, if you stay with the essentials you WILL build a repeatable swing undoubtedly. If you can master the Imperatives you have a champion" (Vikram).
The reason you can't sustain the lag is because you are so eager to make the club move fast (a reaction to the intent of "hitting it far"). So on a full shot you throw it away too early, which doesn't happen for your short chip. (bts)
I think i have seen David Orr's putter on another website (BSG) - he talks about fitting his putter for aiming (as you described) something to do with the top line and offset...? It makes sense - design for aim first, then get the balance for the style of stroke that you want.
You can always draw a line on your ball and line that up, pretty cheap and effective alternative. It makes you build a better stroke too, no more aligning for pushes or pulls.
__________________
"In my experience, if you stay with the essentials you WILL build a repeatable swing undoubtedly. If you can master the Imperatives you have a champion" (Vikram).
The reason you can't sustain the lag is because you are so eager to make the club move fast (a reaction to the intent of "hitting it far"). So on a full shot you throw it away too early, which doesn't happen for your short chip. (bts)
) - hence my score suffers - but just not found anyway to make it interesting to practice. Feel or mechanics... Seems very easy to have good feel one day and bad the next... difficult to monitor the mechanics on your own... I know that you should get mechanics first and repeat solid mechanics through feel but...
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