Friday, September 2, 2011

The Hunter Putter: components of balance!


The Hunter Putter: the components of balance!

Jim Hunter. creator of the Hunter Putter, talks about the components of the most balanced putter in golf. The design places weight above the players hands, allowing for a more natural release of the putter. This unique weighting system greatly stabilizes the putter head, allowing the player to relax the hands and feel a great deal more throughout the putting stroke



Do you want to putt better?

Thursday, September 1, 2011

The Hunter Putter: why is balance so important?

The balance point of the Hunter Putter is directly in the middle of the putter - making it the most balanced putter in golf. But why is balance so important and how does it apply to the putting stroke?



The human body in motion can be a very beautiful thing. Athletes make the difficult look easy. No matter what sport you turn to, each top-tier athlete has one trait in common: balance. The efficiency with which a professional athlete moves is astounding. There is no wasted movement - a point that cannot be highlighted enough. The proper execution of an athletic movement requires a consistent, efficient, and repeatable coordination of the body. 


Albert Pujols is one of the best hitters in baseball history. Not only does he have incredible power, he also hits for a very high average, and has been the model of consistency since his MLB debut. 
Notice the incredible balance - his head is squarely in the middle of his body, not leaning forward or back. The swing could very easily be described as being very quiet. 
There is no possible way that Pujols is feeling any tension in his hands, wrists, torso, etc. It is by keeping his head still that he is able to make consistent contact with the baseball - no wasted movement!



Peyton Manning, like Albert Pujols, has consistently been one of the top performers since his rookie year. When talking body mechanics and balance, we would be remiss if we left him off our list. There is no doubt that Manning has very active feet in the pocket, but when he goes to deliver the football, his mechanics are very quick, efficient, and balanced. 

Once again, notice the still head, squarely in the middle of the torso. His shoulders are level. There isn't any swaying one way or another. He is in perfect position to throw a quick, accurate pass to his receiver - no wasted movement! 





 
 Luke Donald is not the #1 golfer in the world. 

Notice how balanced he is just after impact. Golf, perhaps more than any other sport, requires a consistent approach, free of wasted motion.


Through the years, I have seen thousands of amateur golfers struggle from having too much wasted movement. The more movement there is in the golf swing, the more difficult it becomes to hit the golf ball purely. 




So how can a balanced putter help you make more putts?




Now that we have established that balance is perhaps THE key component to athletic success, how does it apply to the putting stroke and the Hunter Putter specifically?

The putting stroke requires surgeon-like precision and stability. Any extra movement, especially from an unbalanced position, can send the ball off target. Most putters today have been taught to "lock" their hands and wrists in an effort to eliminate this wasted movement. In many players, however, this creates massive tension, which often leads to a far more unbalanced stroke - the result often being jabbing at the ball.



The balance point of the Hunter Putter is exactly in the middle of the putter, far closer to the player's hands than any other putter in the game. Where would you rather have the balance point? The closer the balance point is to the hands, the easier it is to control the putter. Very simply put, a more balanced putter allows for a more efficient, repeatable putting stroke.

The more relaxed your hands are, the easier it will be to repeat a smooth putting stroke. Combine that with the Hunter Putter's balance point, and you will have a far more natural release, allowing you to make a higher percentage of your putts.

Get balanced at www.hunterputter.com

Happy Putting!