Well,

Looks like the USGA is sticking to their guns with regarded to the anchored-style putting ban. I’m not surprised. I also don’t know how much I agree with the ruling one way or the other. On one hand, anchoring the putter has helped more people enjoy the game, especially those with bad backs who have trouble bending over.  It’s also helped competitive players develop a fresh perspective with their putting. On the other hand, the USGA has a point in preserving the way the game is played, at least, that’s the argument they’re sticking with. My question them becomes, “What did the USGA wait so long to enact a ban?”

What are your thoughts?

Read on about from my friends at Golf Digest below

http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-equipment/blogs/hotlist365/2013/05/usgara-ban-anchored-putting.html

I did a quick search on Google and found that over 50,000 people work in Scottsdale airpark…that’s a lot of people. Those of us who live here patronize various businesses located in the Airpark, but it’s not like there are signs that say you are entering or leaving Scottsdale Airpark. When you are in it… you just know!

I learned some of these interesting stats from the Editor of Scottsdale Airpark News, Kimberly Hundley, who interviewed me this winter for an article in a recent issue of the magazine. I enjoyed the interview because she asked some really interesting questions about the art of teaching and my own teaching philosophy. For those of you interested in reading the interview, I’ve included a link to the Stan Utley article. I hope you enjoy it.

Look, if I could, I would teach each and every one of the Stan University members in person, one-on-one. But, well, sometimes that not possible (and there’s only one of me!) and I have to succumb to the fact that you may need to visit another instructor once in a while for a live lesson. Shucks!

That said, before you venture out and find someone, here’s what I want you to do. First, decide what type of instructor you’re looking for. For some players, you may want what I call a “builder”, and for others a “fixer” may be more of what they have in mind.

What’s a “builder”? A builder is an instructor who approaches his/her instruction from a a systematic, ground-on-up approach. It’s the type of instructor who you would see if you were in need os a total swing overhaul. And yes, there are some golfers out there who are better off starting over from scratch and re-learning to play the game with proper fundamentals ingrained into their swings. Builders usually adhere to one, maybe two sets of fundamentals that they want to see all their students abide by. That’s fine, since many of the world’s best instructors are what I would call “builders.”

A “fixer” is quite different. Fixers generally take your current golf skill and do whatever they can to improve upon it. This may mean making some slight adjustments and compensations so you can maximize the performance of whatever type of swing you may have. To be a really good fixer, you have to not only know what type of swing fix will inevitably fix what type of flaw, you also have to be able to recognize what someone is capable (and sometimes not capable) of doing.

Me, I’m probably more of a fixer, but that doesn’t mean I don’t try and work in a little builder-mentality into some of my teachings, too. And not all instructors are either or, at least not 100% on one side and not the other. The key is to find the type of instructor who you think you will understand, get along with and who will teach you in a way that you think will help you play better golf. So, be vocal and ask questions about how a certain instructor teaches before you get a lesson from them. Ask them if they consider themselves a builder, fixer, or a little bit of both.

After all, you not only have to believe in your ability to play better, you have to trust the instructor who’s teaching

And by the way, don’t forget about coming to see me too, ok?

-Stan

Putting is without question, the most personal part of the game we play. It’s the one type of stroke that has the most uniqueness to it. Just think about it. How we hit drivers and irons, even some wedge shots generally follow the same look, feel and function. There’a all big swings in a circular motion that lift the ball off the ground. But when it comes to putting, there are fewer fundamentals required to initiate successful results. Now I’m not saying there aren’t SOME fundamentals you should have in your stroke, I’m just saying the same set of fundamentals that work for my stroke may not work for you or any one else.

What’s my point? Well, remember that as you follow my advice in these videos, it’s important to always remember that your goal should be to make your putting stroke work best for your game. That may mean incorporating some of my advice and techniques to your stroke, and on the other hand, it may not. The key to being a successful putter is in your ability to repeat a stroke and put a consistent end-over-end roll on the ball. So if it happens that copying my technique exactly is best for you, than do just that! But, if you find some of my advice not to work in your favor, then feel free to make minor adjustments to make your stroke as comfortable and repeatable as possible.

I’ve coached dozens of players and can safely say that not all my students have the exact same stroke, nor do I try and teach them the same thing. Instead, I work with them and try to open their mind and body up to a more free-flowing stroke that swings on the proper path. You should never feel tense or contrived as you putt. Always do what feels natural first, then work some of my fundamentals into your stroke slowly and progressively. That way you stay comfortable as you get better, as opposed to getting uncomfortable and putting worse before you get better.

-Stan

The Phoenix Suns hold this event every year and it raises thousands of dollars for local charities. I’m a big fan of the team, and a big fan of the entire Suns organization. They do good work in the Greater Phoenix community.

Anyway, I try to keep it simple when I teach, and I don’t know if it works for gorillas. But hopefully it will work for you.

Kevin is a fellow Scottsdale resident, and plays guitar and sings when not playing on Tour. He’s also one of the nicest people you’ll ever want to meet. Now that he has that first win under his belt, I know we’ll see Kevin in the winner’s circle again very soon.

GolfWeek has a great wrap-up report on Kevin’s victory you’ll want to read.

You can send Kevin a congratulatory tweet and follow him on Twitter @Streels54.

Congratulations, Kevin!

This year I spent some time working with some friends on the PGA Tour — Scott Piercy and Bill Haas. Both had great tournaments, finishing in the top 6, and Scott shot 61 in the final round.

Golfweek Magazine noted their improvement in putting and wrote a little piece on it which you can read here.

We’ll be cheering for Scott and Bill as they make their way around the country on the PGA Tour this year.

The technology for all manufacturers has come a long way since then and PING, based here in the Phoenix area, has been at the top of its game in club advancements including materials, engineering, design and overall esthetics.

I’ve been spending time with Mike Nicolette and his team at PING to select the lofts for my irons, wedges and hybrid to give myself the best blend of distances I’ll need. We’ll keep tweaking, of course. It’s a work in process.

I’ve settled on the latest G25 series metal woods and a hybrid club, PING Anser irons, the new Gorge wedges and a PING putter. I’m playing at this week’s 2013 WM Phoenix Open Pro-Am with my new club line-up, and I couldn’t be happier with how they look, and how they feel.

One last note, I’ll continue to play with Titleist golf balls, shoes and gloves as I always have.

My son Jake and I had a real thrill recently when we visited the famed PING Gold Putter Vault. This collection of PING putters contains replicas of the PING putters that have helped us win out on Tour. It’s an awesome experience. I hope this picture gives you some idea of what it’s like to be in the vault.

PING has put out a press release on our new partnership, which you can click here to read.

 
Q. Tell us about how you came to work with Stan.
Tom. Well a few years ago, my golf game had gotten to the point where playing golf was the only time I wasn’t happy. I’m generally a pretty happy guy. So my wife tells me that I needed to find someone to help me get better or I should quit and find something that made me happy. I found an instructor who took me from a 4 to a 12 in just a few weeks. Needless to say that didn’t help. I was introduced to Stan about four years ago and we hit it off immediately. We had a lot in common even beyond golf.

Q. How did he help you?
Tom. In simple terms, he gave me permission to be an athlete. He taught me how the club is supposed to swing. He has an incredible understanding of the golf swing, and an even better method of communicating that knowledge. His encouragement got me interested in competing again. Editor’s Note: Tom is the newly crowned Club Champion at Mirabel in Scottsdale, defeating the prior two Club Champions over subsequent days in the match play format. He also reached the finals of the Club Championship at Chicago Golf Club.

Q. When did you start playing golf?
Tom. I started golf when I was four. Growing up, I also played baseball and basketball. I played golf at the University of Illinois – Chicago but didn’t play in law school. We started coming to Scottsdale in ’86 and I was a member at Desert Forest for about 10 years. Now I play at Mirabel and Chicago Golf Club.

Q. What is your handicap and what is the lowest it has ever been?
Tom. Right now, I’m a 2. I’ve been as low as a +2.

Q. What is the one thing Stan always tells you?
Tom. (Laughing) The ball doesn’t know how old I am!

Q. What do you practice the most?
Tom. I spend most of my time working on putting. I hit hundreds of putts from 2 ½ to 3 feet. It’s a great confidence builder to see the ball go in the hole. One drill I like is to place balls at 3’, 5’ and 7’ from the hole. I have to make three in a row from each distance or I have to start over. As you can imagine, my putting has improved.

Q. Thanks, Tom and good luck in your events this season.

I wish that 8 or 9 years ago, the governing bodies of golf would have disqualified any putter, or club for that matter, that is anchored to the body. This includes, the belly putter, the “broom”-style putters and others. I guess that is the traditionalist in me.

However, having said that, these long putters actually cause the player to make the exact same stroke that I teach with a short, or traditional putter. The putter swings on the proper plane both back and forward. I believe the face will then swing perpendicular or square to the path of the on plane stroke. This motion allows, or causes, the putter head to release properly. When you anchor the grip end to the body, you simply cannot manipulate the grip in a way that pulls the top of the handle back in the take away or toward the target in the through swing– which is the biggest mistakes I see in my teaching. I teach people to “swing the end of the club that hits the ball.” My new book The Art of the Swing is all about proper sequence in the swing, (putter to driver). If the grip end of the putter is anchored the putter head has to swing the greatest amount which also allows for proper sequence all the way up the chain of movement.

In fact, The Art of the Swing features a scanning technology called Microsoft Tags that allows you to see a large library of swing-based videos that I shot for the book. I thought I’d share one of these videos with you because it demonstrates the exact putter motion that I teach – and that the belly putter requires – to make the putter work for professionals and amateurs alike.

So, do I like the long putters? Not really. But do I like to see people releasing the putter head, making putts and shooting low scores? Absolutely. I love tradition, but I love truth more.