==================================================== Newsletter - Issue 29 Date 07/24/07 ==================================================== ==================================================== Sergio's Belly Putter ==================================================== I was playing a round at BCC last Saturday, when Frank Strollo, one of the course rangers, asked me if I thought there would be a ton of belly putter sales if Sergio won the British Open. Good question - about the sales and the use of the belly putter itself. When Jack Nicklaus won the Masters with his huge oversized putter sales went through the roof, and in fact yesterday I had a few emails in my mailbox that offered custom belly putters, so I'd imagine that a few will get sold. The better questions are: why does it help Sergio and who else can it help? Here's my personal take on why it helps Sergio. If you were watching when Sergio and K. J. Choi wer playing, you had to notice their different types of releases on the ball. K. J. Choi's was very controlled, while Sergio's was very explosive due to his clubhead lag. His clubhead lag is attributed to his ability to maintain his wrist hinge until the last moment, then his clubhead explodes at impact. The problem with this type of release is that if you have an arcing putting stroke like Sergio had prior to the belly putter, every once in a while you have a mini explosion at the point of impact on the putt, and you hit it a bit long and perhaps left also. The belly putter cures that because it takes the hands out of the stroke, which should fit Sergio to a tee. I really look for him to fare much better on a regular basis if he can shake off this loss. So...who should use a belly putter? Anyone who has a putting stroke that is too wristy is a candidate, and anyone who has trouble lagging long putts that uses a heel toe balanced (as opposed to a face balanced) putter is also a good candidate. ==================================================== Golf Tip: Red Stakes Yellow Stakes ==================================================== If anyone has a golf question that they would like answered, please email your question to: teachingpro@bataviacc.com and I'll do my best to answer it in an upcoming newsletter. Lin J. emailed the following question: What is the difference between red staked and yellow staked areas, and what are my option choices? Thanks for the question Lin. Red staked are lateral water hazards, and you have four options: 1) drop at any desired distance on the backwards extension of the line from the hole to the entry point where the ball last crossed the hazard, 1 stroke penalty. 2) take a drop as near as possible to where the last stroke was played from, if it was a tee shot the shot can be teed up, 1 stroke penalty. 3) take a drop within two club lengths of where the ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard, no closer to the hole, 1 stroke penalty. 4) take a drop within two club lengths of the point opposite the entry point (on the other side of the lateral water hazard) the same distance from the hole, 1 stroke penalty. Yellow staked are regular water hazard stakes, two options: same as #1 and # 2 above