Straight Back and Through Putting Stroke – Thoughts?
V
Vincent Ulibarri
1 year, 2 months ago
Hi everyone,
I’m currently reading Hole It, a great book that was recommended here, and something caught my attention.
I’ve always tried to manipulate my putting stroke to achieve as much of a straight back and through motion as possible. It’s what feels most intuitive to me. However, John Dunigan says in the book that striving for this is a cardinal sin and that you’ll end up “manipulating it for life.”
It got me thinking: aren’t we all “manipulating” the stroke in some way, regardless of the style? For me, straight back and straight through seems the easiest to master and most recognizable during the stroke itself.
I’ve always heard this style isn’t how you’re supposed to model your putting stroke, but I’ve never come across a truly compelling argument as to why. With the growing popularity of LAB putters, it seems easier than ever to execute a straight back and through stroke effectively.
What are your thoughts on this? Tyler (or anyone else with insights), I’d love to hear your perspective!
Looking forward to your input.
2 Replies
T
Tyler Ferrell
Coach
1 year, 1 month ago
Hi Vincent,
The argument against a straight-back-straight-through stroke is that it's illegal to have a putter with a lie angle of 90 degrees, which is the tool you would want in order to make a truly straight back stroke. Since the putter is on an angle, then if you swing the shaft along that angle, then it will have some amount of curve. Practically, that curve can be really small on a short stroke. If you look at the putting templates, right through impact, the putter face and path tend to match closely to a straight back/through approach. So it can be useful for start line on short putts.
I think in general, it's helpful to train putter face rotating only as much as the arc creates, rather than having independent twist of the face. This sometimes feels like more of a straight back and through method. I never throw out a feel, but I think in practice, we won't have a straight back and through stroke on any putt of length.
Thanks for the question,
Tyler
V
Vincent Ulibarri
1 year, 1 month ago
That’s a great insight, and I appreciate you sharing your thoughts! Dave Pelz makes a strong case for SBST (Straight Back, Straight Through), and his research is always compelling, but like you, I’ve noticed that almost no elite players actually use a pure SBST stroke. The natural biomechanics of the putting motion seem to favor some degree of arc, which is why Stan Utley’s perspective resonates with so many great putters.
I’ve also been diving deeper into putting recently, and I’m starting to believe that while stroke mechanics matter, they’re probably not as critical as green reading, speed control, and setup. It seems like the best putters are the ones who make the read, commit fully, and roll the ball with great touch—regardless of their stroke style.
I really appreciate the discussion, and I’m excited to put some of these ideas into practice with my players this season. I’m coaching the girls’ high school team, so I’ll definitely be sharing more as we work through these concepts. Thanks again for the feedback—it’s incredibly helpful for both me and my students!