Okay, so I’ve been messing around with my putting stroke lately, and I saw Patrick Cantlay’s setup and thought, “Hmm, that looks interesting.” So, I decided to give it a shot and see if it could help me sink a few more putts.
Experiment Time: Trying Out Cantlay’s Putter Style
First things first, I grabbed my putter – it’s not the same model as Cantlay’s, but hey, we work with what we’ve got, right? I spent some time watching videos of him putting, really trying to nail down the key things he does.
- He’s got this pretty neutral grip, nothing too crazy.
- His stance is kinda narrow, feet closer together than I usually do.
- And the big thing – he really locks in his lower body, almost no movement there.
So, I headed out to the practice green. The first few putts? Woof. Felt super weird. My feet felt all cramped, and I felt like I was swaying a bit, even though I was trying to stay still like Cantlay.
But I stuck with it. I started with some short putts, just to get a feel for the new stance and grip. Slowly, it started to feel a little more natural. I focused on keeping my lower body quiet, like a statue from the waist down, just like I saw Cantlay doing.
My Findings
After a good hour of practicing, I can see why this might work for some people. It definitely promotes a more pendulum-like stroke, which I guess is good for consistency. Did I magically start draining every putt? Nope. But I did notice a bit more control, especially on those shorter, nervy ones.
For me, the jury’s still out. I’m not ready to completely overhaul my putting style just yet, But it’s a good example of how to change your style, I might keep experimenting with parts of Cantlay’s technique, like that stable lower body.
