Side Saddle

Beginner here, great website . Ok, I'm in my living room with 5 balls and a putter practicing using the coventional method I learned from watching Ben Crenshaws instructional video. At some point I had to pick up my balls quickly and leave. I approached each ball from behind with my right hand low on the club,facing the target and without thinking put all 5 balls in a beautiful cluster around the target. I played around with this a bit more with continued success, then went online and learned that as long as I dont straddle the line, this "side saddle" method is legal. What are your opinions on this both negative and positive? I dont have a club for this yet and since this is Buffalo, NY havent tried it on a course yet. My next step in learning will be targeted to the short game and I'm willing to try different things. I seem to have a better , more natural view of the hole this way. I have the feeling of gently tosssing the ball underhand to the hole. Is there a feeling with some of you that this method is disrespectful to the traditon of the game? Thank You, Paul

Hi Paul,

Can you describe the position from which you are striking the ball alittle more, or even better attach a photo of the method you are using.

Thanks

here is a picture from one of the special side saddle putter makers showing a stance. this isnt to say I would have to duplicate this position exactly.

The R&A Rules of Golf state the following:

"Rule 14 - Striking the Ball:

In making a stroke, a player must not:
a. accept physical assistance or protection from the elements; or
b. allow his caddie, his partner or his partner's caddie to position himself on or close to an extension of the line of play or the line of putt behind the ball.
PENALTY FOR BREACH OF RULE 14-1 or 14-2:
Match play - Loss of hole; Stroke play - Two strokes"

Hope this helps.

as I have described earlier , the side sadlle method is leagl as long as ypu do not stand on or straddle the line. I am aware of this , and would want to stay within the rules of golf. I should phrase my question differently. Has anyone tried or does anyone use the side saddle method?. If so, what do you think? thanks

Just about everything there is to learn about sidesaddle is here:
http://puttmagic.com

Karl

I am a little confused wityh this method.

I have read that "Remember... it is not USGA legal to make a putt while standing on, astride or directly behind your line of putt while on the putting surface. "
Although, from the photo below it appears that the person is standing behing the line of the putt, which is against the rules isn't it?.

Is this line, the line between the ball and the hole or the line that the player is aiming down? This must be very difficult to monitor as you are inevitably going to get people who will move closer to standing directly behind the lin eof the putt.

So long as both feet are on the same side of the "intended" line of the putt, it is a legal stance. That line extends through and behind the ball. That line is not determined by the position of the hole.
Karl

The putter must have lie angle not greater than 80 degrees. You can hold at 90 but when soled it must be 80 or less. Most long putter are 79 or 80 degrees.

hi
i have been putting side saddle for over a year now. i use a broom-handled putter and the shaft.
being a 50 inch shaft it goes from the shoulder of my right arm right down my right side. i grip the top with my left arm across my chest and when i put i just swing my right arm back and fro like i do when i am walking. the only parts that move are my right arm.
both eyes are on the hole and i find long putts are much easer to gaged the pace of the putt.
i did get a lot of ribbing at first from my playing partners but when the realized how good my putting seemed to be that soon stopped.
there is a Picture of Dave Pelz using this system in his book the putting bible on page 39.
you stand facing the hole with both feet pointing to the left side of the hole and both feet on the left side of the putting line. and all your really doing is swinging your right arm, it a bit like tossing a ball under hand at the hole. if you were to toss a ball like this you would look at the hole and not the ball so that what i do when putting too.
it works and my putting had gone from Ok to good and the biggest difference is in the longer putts.
cheers
bill

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