Chapter 3

Methods of Putting(推杆方法)

3.1 Simple Is Better （简单即合理）

There are many different ways for golfers to putt. No one stroke works perfectly for everyone while no strokes, even perfect ones, make all their putts.

Before I discuss some of the many methods you could employ, let me pass on to you the one thought, the one axiom that governs all my theories on putting. It is this: Simple is better. The less you give yourself to do (and still get the job done), the more consistently you can learn to do it. Whereas the more compensation that must be make in your putting stroke, the more difficult it will be to repeat in such a way that it actually makes your putts. The simple and easier the stroke is to execute, the more precisely and repetitively you’ll be able to learn to execute it.

 

推杆的方法很多，但没有一种是适合所有人的，也没有一种是能确保推进的。在我们选择合适的方法之前，我们要明白一个放之四海而皆准的道理，那就是：简单即合理。在确保动作完成的基础上，动作越简单，越稳定，补偿动作多就意味着难以重复，就难以使推杆达到高重复性和准确。

 

3.2 The Easiest Way to Putt, but they don’t utilize a stroke according to the USGA.

（简单但不符合USGA规则的推杆方式）

*** The True Roller  （滚轴）

 

*** Shooting Pool （台球式推杆）

 

3.3 It Gets More Difficult（稍难一些）

*** Croquet-style （门球方式）

Next on the “easiness” scale is standing so you face the putting line and putt croquet-style between your legs. It gave the golfer the best view of the line before the putt. The view provides critically important feedback that golfers generally miss when putting in the conventional style. It also removes all rotational motion of the forearms (which opens and closes the putterface during conventional putting), and it creates the perfect in-line stroke path, straight down the intended putting line. Croquet putting is so easy that it was used by no less a legend than Sam Snead in the mid-1960s（when he was in his middle-fifties） to counter a case of the yips. Perhaps is was deemed to reduce the skill required to play the game-in any case, croquet-style putting was quickly outlawed by golf’s powers.

山姆史尼德和他的门球推杆

门球方式是站着直对着推击线进行推杆，这个方法让球手能非常直观地瞄线, 极大地避免传统方法中瞄线的失误，还避免了前臂转动而导致的杆面打开或是闭合，使球能沿着预期的推击线，与推击方向一致的线路行进。传奇人物山姆史尼德在六十年代中期(那时他五十多岁)曾用这种推杆方式来抗衡比赛中的焦虑。但是，或许是因为它弱化了竞技性，这种推杆方法被当局禁止了。

So Sam modified the method slightly, changing to “sidesaddle”, doing everything as much as he could the same, except bringing both feet to the same side of the target line. Snead continued to putt this way until the end of his competitive career. Putting sidesaddle allowed him to bend over slightly and look down the line of his putt. But more important, it still did away with the breakdown of his wrists.

山姆史尼德和他的横骑推杆

山姆稍稍修正了站位，尽量靠近原来的方法，但是让两只脚站到了推击线的同一面——横骑推杆。山姆一直用这个方法，直到他离开赛场。横骑推杆能让球手弯曲腰背以便于更好地看到推击线，更重要的是，保持了手腕的稳固。

 

3.4 The USGA Way  （USGA 允许的推杆法）

One of the tenets of the USGA, the ruling body of golf, is to protect and maintain the integrity of the game, in part by preserving its challenge and difficulty. If we lost the challenge in the game, it wouldn’t be nearly so much fun. In keeping with their tradition of maintaining the game’s challenge, the USGA would prefer that golfers putt in what they describe as the “traditional style”: standing perpendicular to the intended line and make what appeared to be a miniature golf swing. It make down-the-line vision difficult, involves a slight rotation of the body, and encourages rotation of the forearms. This also encourages rotation of the putterface, provides far more power than is needed, and brings to bear critical timing requirements, all of which make putting so difficult and traumatic to so many golfers.

USGA 的其中一个信条就是通过保持高尔夫的挑战性和难度，保护这项运动的诚信，如果挑战性降低，那么高尔夫的娱乐性也同时减少。为了维持高挑战性的传统，USGA 规定推杆必须以传统的方式：与推击线垂直站立，上杆下杆如同挥杆。这使得球手很难直视目标线，这还引起身体的转动，手臂的转动，还会导致杆面的转动，推击力量的失控，很难把握的推击时点，所有这一切使得推杆对于球手来说成了一项困难重重很难让人自我满意的运动。

 

3.5 More Methods That Work（更多被许可的推杆方法）

*** Body Putting （身体推杆）

One putting method your rarely hear about is “body putting”. The arm, wrists, and hands are locked onto the body, so the putter is swung by the rotation of the body around the spine. Body putting does help eliminate the wrist collapse and forearm rotation problems so many golfers suffer from. However, the body turn is so powerful, it doesn’t allow golfers to develop the delicate touch for dealing with fast greens. Body putting also relies on the very thing that most golfers want to avoid on the green, and that is unwanted body motion, body motion is one of the leading causes of inconsistency and havoc in traditional putting.

身体推杆球手躯体绕着脊柱转动

身体推杆比较少见。手臂，腕，手紧贴身体保持不动，杆的挥动是由身体以脊柱为中心的转动来实现的。身体推杆减少了许多球手面临的手腕松动和前臂转动问题，但是，由身体来挥动的推杆，身体传导的力量会很强，对于一些快速果岭就会面临问题。而身体推杆所依赖的身体转动造成的多余的身体动作正是很多球手尽力避免的，多余的身体动作正是传统推杆不稳定的一个根本原因。

*** The Power Stroke（动力推杆）

A number of very fine players putt with what I call the “power stroke”, by which I mean a stroke in which the power comes from the muscles of the hands, wrists, or forearms. Some power-strokes use their wrist muscles, hinging their wrists the way Arnold Palmer did very successfully in the early part of his career. Another power-stroke, Tiger Woods, doesn’t break his wrists, but supplies power with his arm muscles.

No matter what provides the power, there are two big drawbacks to a power stroke. First is the likelihood of a “power surge”, which can be caused by adrenaline resulting from anxiety of excitement; this significantly degrades the touches of most players under pressure. Second is the uncertainty of controlling the wrist hinge, if there is one, when the muscles are tight under pressure. Either way, consistency usually suffers.

阿诺德的腕力和伍兹的臂力

许多优秀的球员采用的推杆方式是动力推杆，这种推杆方式是用手、手腕或者前臂的肌肉发力。有的用手腕肌肉，把腕作为转轴，阿诺德帕尔默在他早期的职业生涯中采用这种方式取得很大成功。另一个动力推杆的使用者是老虎伍兹，但他手腕不松动，靠的是手臂的力量。

不管推击力量来自哪部分肌肉，这种推杆方式有两大缺点。首先是焦虑和兴奋会使得肾上腺素分泌而引起的“动力高峰”，这个使得许多球员在压力之下触球感下降。第二是在压力之下手腕肌肉僵硬使得手腕作为转轴的可控性下降。这两种情况都会导致推杆的不稳定。

*** The Pop Stroke（敲拨推杆）

Next down the easiness scale comes the “pop stroke”, which was used quite successfully by both Gary Player and Johnny Miller early in their careers. The backstroke is shorter than Norman and there’s virtually no follow-through after impact, so the ball is “popped”, or jabbed, forward. Neither Miller nor Player stuck with the pop stroke through his career, because they said it lacked consistency; when I’ve asked them about this method, neither would recommend it. However, both won many tournaments popping their putts, so it may not be as bad as they recall.

The pop stroke does have one advantage, and that is it keeps the putterface angle essentially square at all times, which is good thing. However, it uses the muscles of the hands and arms for power, and is, therefore, a difficult method to use if you want to develop really good touch.

约翰尼米勒和加里普莱耶--敲拨推杆

接下来的是，加里普莱耶和约翰尼米勒所采用敲拨推杆，上杆很短，而且几乎不送杆，所以感觉球是被敲出去或者是被拨出去的，但是最终他们都放弃了这种方式的推杆，他们都认为这种方式缺乏稳定性，他们都不推荐敲拨推杆。但是在采用这种推杆方式期间，他们都赢得了好多场冠军。所以，也许敲拨推杆并没有那么糟。

敲拨推杆有一个优势，就是能保持推杆杆面的方正；但是由于使用手和手臂作为动力，要想获得很好的触球感还是比较困难。

***The Cut Stroke（斜切推杆）

It is possible to cut across the path of one’s putts which is precisely what Chi Chi Rodriguez did while winning more than 30 tournaments in his career. Chi Chi actually putted fairly well in the early years of his career, consistently cutting across the ball by swinging the putterhead outside-to-inside across the line. But his putting failed him later on, because a cut stroke makes putting more complex than it needs to be. It takes a talented athlete like Chi Chi to swing his putter to the left while holding the face open to the right, and successfully make his ball to straight. But even he couldn’t do it all the time.

罗德里格斯采用的斜切推法

有一种推杆方式，是职业生涯赢了30场比赛的琦琦罗德里格斯采用的斜切推法，杆头切过推击线。在琦琦的早期职业生涯中，他用这种方法推了很好。outside-to-inside杆头稳稳地切过推击线。但是随后，这个方法不灵了，因为这个方法太复杂了。即使像琦琦这样的天才球手要控制好杆面向右打开杆头向左推击，同时击出的球却是直线向前，也是很困难的。

*** The Wrist Stroke（腕推法）

Another unusual – I wouldn’t go so far as to call it unique – putting style was put to good use for many years by Billy Casper. He locked his arms against his stomach and powered his putts purely by hinging his wrists. Once again, Casper no longer uses this method and steers others away from it, saying that it took far more time, patience, and practice to keep sharp than the pendulum stroke that is now popular among Tour pros.

比利加斯波尔的腕推法

另一个非同寻常的推杆是比利加斯波尔的腕推法，他把手臂贴紧肚子，仅仅靠转动手腕发出的力量来推杆。可是，后来，加斯波尔不再使用这种推法，而且力劝他人不要采用这种方式。他认为这种方法比起现在流行的钟摆推杆来更费时费心。

*** The Blend Stroke（和谐推杆）

Next on my list of strokes is the “blend” stroke, a combination of the power stroke and a pure pendulum stroke, usually employing a slight wrist hinge. A number of fine players putt this way, including Brad Faxon, Lee Janzen, D.A Weibring, and Ben Crenshaw. Every one uses a predominantly pendulum motion with just a little bit of power provided by the hand muscles. The small amount of wrist hinge each employs is done down the line, so it doesn’t cause directional difficulty. When I’ve asked them about this motion, they all say that their best putting days come when the stroke is more pendulum and less wrist.

和谐推杆

和谐推杆，是我接下来要说的一种方法，是动力推杆和钟摆推杆的结合，还借用一些腕力。许多优秀球员采用这个方式。布拉德法克森，李简森，D﹒A维布瑞和本克伦肖。主要是钟摆的动作再加上一些手的力量。沿着推击线手腕有一些小小的转动，但不至于引起方向的改变。当我征询他们关于这个方式的优缺点时，他们一致认为，当更多地使用钟摆方式而不是手腕动作的时候，他们的推杆感觉最好。

*** The Push Stroke(推击推杆)

The “right-hand push”, or “push stroke”, used by Jack Nichlaus has been a repeatable, reliable performer for a long time. Jack has putted consistently well throughout most of his career. Even today, Jack’s putting remains unshakable, perhaps the strongest part of his game.

You can see his right arm and hand are behind the left, pushing the putter through imact like a piston firing straight down the line there is no putter rotation, no forearm rotation, and no wrist breakdown through the impact zone.

尼克劳斯采用的推击推杆

右手推或者叫做推击推杆是尼克劳斯采用的重复性高，稳定性强的一种推杆方式，在杰克尼克劳斯的职业生涯中，他用这种方法，相当稳定。时至今日，杰克的推杆依然是不可撼动的，是他的最强项。

可以看到他的右臂和右手在左手的后面，推动杆头就像活塞一样沿着线抽动，整个推杆过程，杆身没有任何转动，前臂没有转动，手腕没有松动。

*** The Long Putter（长推杆）

We are nearly at the simple end of the USGA-approved putting techniques. And it’s here that you encounter the long-putter method, which is probably one option the ruling body would like to outlaw. But as long as it remains legal, I suggest you give it a try (if no other reason than to experience the feel and vision of a true pendulum motion). When done properly, the long putter creates a wonderful simple stroke. The solid shaft of the long putter eliminates any chance of wrist hinge or breakdown and minimizes the tendency to rotate the putterface with your forearms.

The negatives of putting with a long putter are learning to roll putts the right distance, and occasional instability in windy conditions. However, both problems can be handled with a little practice leading me be believe they aren’t inherent problems but caused by a lack of experience.

杆把抵至下巴和胸的长推杆

我们快要揭开USGA允许范围内的最简单推杆了，这之前，说一下也许是规则委员会最想禁止的一种推杆方式——长推杆。只要还没有禁止，我建议大家试试，就是为了体会那种正真的钟摆式的感觉和视觉效果。如果动作正确，长推杆是最简单的方式。长推杆固定住的握把，减少了手腕转动和弯曲的机会，也就最大程度减少了杆面随着手臂转动的可能性。

长推杆的负性效果是距离的控制较难学，有时在风中偶尔会出现不稳定。但是这两个负性因素都可以通过练习来得到解决，所以，我认为不是本质问题，不过是需要经验的积累而已。

*** The Pure Pendulum Stroke（钟摆推杆）

And that brings us to the simplest, easiest, most repeatable, most reliable, and therefore best way to putt-the pure, no-hit, pendulum stroke. By this I mean a putter swinging in rhythm with the arms and hands, with no power input from the hands and wrists whatsoever. If the pendulum is pure an swings down the line with no face rotation, it is as simple a motion as can be make under the Rules of Golf. And that’s why it is the method I recommend most often to my students. And I recommend it to you.

The list of others who make pure-pendulum strokes reads like a who’s who of great putters, including Bob Charles, Greg Norman, Dave Stockton, Andy North, Loren Roberts, and Phil Mickelson. My book is mostly about why, what, and how to do it.

右下角是米克尔森

现在我们来说说最简单容易的一种推杆方式——钟摆推杆，易重复，稳定性高，非撞击。手臂和手有节奏挥动，手和手腕不加添推力，如果钟的摆动就是沿着线的没有转动的简单摆动，那么这种推杆方法就是高尔夫规则允许的最简单方式。这就是为什么我把这个方法推荐给我的学生们的原因，我也把这种方法推荐给你。

采用这个简单的钟摆推杆方法的球员听起来都是一些伟大的人物，鲍勃查尔斯，格雷格诺曼，大卫斯托克顿，安迪诺斯，劳伦罗伯茨，和菲尔米克尔森。我的这本书就是讲为什么选这种推杆，这种推杆到底是怎么回事和怎么去进行这种推杆。

 

3.6 The simplest Okay Way

Simpler is better. Because the mechanics of a pendulum motion get the job done, and because they are the simplest, then they must be the best. And they are the best because they are easier to learn and master than any of the more complex motions.

There is not just one single pendulum motion. A pendulum stroke can be swung down the line, around the body, or across the lie. It can be swung with the face rotating or with the face kept square. It can be pushed or pulled, or allowed to swing in a consistent, natural rhythm.

The best of all these is the simplest of the simple, the pure-in-line, vertically swinging, face-always-square, natural-rhythm pendulum. It is the way to go if you want to putt your most consistently and most successfully.You must believe in the stroke you have committed to,and stay with it until you groove it and own it.

简单即合理。钟摆式的摆动完成推杆动作，是被允许的推杆中最简单的，而且容易学和掌握，所以是最好的。并不是只有一种钟摆方式，可以沿着推击线摆动，也可以绕着身体摆动，或者斜切过推击线摆动；摆动时脸可以转动，也可以保持方正不动，不管是推或拉，都是以稳定而自然的节奏来摆动杆头。

最值得推荐的原因是因为这种方式是简单方式中最简单的，沿着推击线，垂直摆动，头部保持不动，自然的摆动节奏，如果想要有个稳定和成功率高的推杆，这个钟摆推杆，可以作为我们的选择。我们要对自己的选择有信心，坚持练习，直到掌握并熟练应用。