I just saw a video clip of Ron putting at the Brent Hambrick Memorial. His style is very similar to the one I have adapted in the last couple of days. I have been very uncomfortable with my normal stance so I tried to switch it up a little, and it seems that the sideways stance, although not very popular with many players is helping me stay online much better. After a long layoff from the game, I think I have found a style of putting that is working. My question is, how efective was Ron with his style when he was at his Best ? I never got to play with, or see him play for that matter so I was just wondering.

Bobby, How good was he?? 2 words: World Champ

I think this could be said about most good putters, it's Ron's fearless confidence, not necessarily his particular style that contributed more to his putting success. By stepping up and taking little time to look and prepare, it reduces the chance negative thoughts will creep into your mind and it prevents over thinking a process that should be grooved from much practice.

If his style works for you, then the confidence you gain from practice and success offsets any benefits from using different mechanics if there are any. My observation is that when Ron is off, his style leads to left side spin outs. But each style has its tradeoffs. I think Barry's straddle style is directionally more accurate. But when you're off with that style, you're fighting high/low issues. No substitute for practice and confidence no matter what the style.

Ron Russel was an awesome putter. He went against the grain(in terms of style). the winner of PAW PAW also takes a no think approach to putting. Puts down his mini a, looks up, and BAMN>

he also goes against the grain....HE IS A MULLET

I just saw a video clip of Ron putting at the Brent Hambrick Memorial. His style is very similar to the one I have adapted in the last couple of days.



Oh, so you have your feet pointing a target about 100 degrees left of the basket, don't look at the basket, the putt, sorry I mean throw, it with massive ammounts of annyhyzer.

While I think Chuck is correct, for top level players it's more about confidence than style, take a look at the two most dominant players in the past few years, Kenny and Barry. Both use a direct on lift putt; one with a straddle the other with a traditional stance. This putt leaves you working in two dimensions, up and down. Ron's putt leaves you working in almost every possible dimension. Up down, side to side, and at an angle. Too many variables. Even a push putt leaves you working in three dimensions. It's better than Ron's putt but still not as simple as the lift putt.

This reminds me of Jeff Bagwell. Worse batting stance ever invented, yet highly successful. But one has to ask, how much more successful would Bagwell have been had he used a simpler, more controlled stance?

Ron had good success with his putt but I also saw him muff some very easy putts (video and live). I've also seen Barry muff some very easy putts (video). Barru's missed putts seem to be due to his straddle putt and a tendancy, due to that stance, to drop the nose of his disc on release.

Only Kenny seems to be very immune from this (although I have seen him miss some easy putts, it seems to be exceedingly rare... again in video footage).

The one advantage of Ron's style is on longer putts; he gets a lot more snap than the lift putt and a cleaner ride. This can be acheived with fewer variables by using the traditional push putt.

BTW - look at Juliana's push putt. Smoothest I've seen and deadly accurate. There is a reason she won all those championships.

I've been fooling around with the Ron Russel putting style for about a week now...one thing I HAVE noticed is that if I take a check swing (think about it) I miss! But if I stay true to Ron Russel form and step up and putt without hesitation I rarely miss.

But then again...take this info with a grain of salt as it is coming from a 901 rated MPM!

Lyle I think what you have to say is true. But its really almost impossible to say "what if......Russell had done it like this and that."

I know Jim Furyk has been told that his stick golf swing was just way too unorthodox and too loopy.
I heard he tried to do it more "traditionally" years back but it only made it worse.

I guess I can say as well as millions of others how they wish they could strike the Ball like Furyk. Much like many say how they wished they could Putt like Russell !!

This putt leaves you working in two dimensions, up and down.


are you a graduate of the Nick Kight School of Geometry?

up and down are in the same dimension, silly rabbit. lets call it the Y axis. it is the forward motion towards the basket that adds the second dimension. that one's called the X axis. veering left to right would bring the third dimension, or Z axis, into play.

This putt leaves you working in two dimensions, up and down.


are you a graduate of the Nick Kight School of Geometry?

up and down are in the same dimension, silly rabbit. lets call it the Y axis. it is the forward motion towards the basket that adds the second dimension. that one's called the X axis. veering left to right would bring the third dimension, or Z axis, into play.



At least I knew it was in two dimensions... :D

Lyle I think what you have to say is true. But its really almost impossible to say "what if......Russell had done it like this and that."

I know Jim Furyk has been told that his stick golf swing was just way too unorthodox and too loopy.
I heard he tried to do it more "traditionally" years back but it only made it worse.

I guess I can say as well as millions of others how they wish they could strike the Ball like Furyk. Much like many say how they wished they could Putt like Russell !!



I can't argue that but if you are learning from scratch, why learn the more difficult method?

I think this could be said about most good putters, it's Ron's fearless confidence, not necessarily his particular style that contributed more to his putting success. By stepping up and taking little time to look and prepare, it reduces the chance negative thoughts will creep into your mind and it prevents over thinking a process that should be grooved from much practice.

If his style works for you, then the confidence you gain from practice and success offsets any benefits from using different mechanics if there are any. My observation is that when Ron is off, his style leads to left side spin outs. But each style has its tradeoffs. I think Barry's straddle style is directionally more accurate. But when you're off with that style, you're fighting high/low issues. No substitute for practice and confidence no matter what the style.


That seems to be right on the money. Now, while I am not using this style to the extreme that Ron does, the putts I have been missing hit left chains and come out. The putt I ahve been working on is more of a push/lob putt. When I miss I am usually high or low, but on line most of the time. With this new style I am usually at the right height most of the time. I used to putt with a little hyzer and alot of spin and a stradlle stance. While this worked most days, when I was off I was left with like 20-25 foot comeback putts. I wish my circumstances didn't lead me to take so much time off from the sport because my putting is suffering. My driving is still good, but it means nothing when you have no confidence in your putt.