Hi Paul. Would you say this drill proves the take away means very little as long as the path to the ball starts the ball on the correct line? Worrying about a perfect putting back stroke is counter-productive because this drill proves good putts are dependent upon an accurate approach to the ball and the target.
By the way, I’ve never seen this drill anywhere else!
Doing a perfect backstroke means nothing. It is the through stroke going to the target. When people focus on a perfect arc or straight back straight through and don’t do this they turn into a nervous wreck.
You haven’t seen this drill anywhere else because I thought of it. I like to think outside the box and not teach what others are teaching. My stuff works.
Mr. Wilson, you continue to give me hope. Went out this morning to try this and I can’t believe the results. Would never have guessed what the feeling is to someone who has tried forever to have a smooth back and through motion in putting. You are absolutely correct that I tended to drive myself crazy instead of concentrate fully on the “through” part to the target. Whenever I started to get tense during practice, I concentrated on a zig zag backstroke and amazed myself with how smooth and accurate the forward stroke became. I’m definitely going to use this in my putting routine. Definitely a follower of your “out of the box” putting philosophy from now on. Also shot 75 last week with only four arm swings, the rest were what I felt were powerless arms. You got me back in the game and I am most appreciative.
Bruce
Ps. I’m also going to chip on fringe shots greater than a foot!
I always get a strange look when I show this to people. I don’t just make this stuff up. I just think about why you are doing something and why you need to do it. If you know why you will do it or understand it. If you don’t you are just guessing. Guessing will get you nowhere.
Nice round. I like the fact you are counting how many times you are using your arms. I will shoot a tip on this asap.
Good idea on the chipping. Gets you used to it under pressure.
Paul ,A good drill to be target oriented is to put the head of the putter just behind the ball and without taking any backswing just “push the ball ” towards the hole.
It also teaches at the same time to have a good follow through
Hi paul
Was wondering if you have any tips on how to play out a full 18 holes?
I find myself often having a great front 9 only a few over then i go out the other side and it blows up.
Getting rather frustrating now
Ps love the putting tips
This is in my book. You are playing well on the front which is getting you out of your comfort zone. Now you start thinking about it and you fall apart to get back into your comfort zone. I went through this and everyone I know has gone through this trying to get to different levels. You just have to keep playing enough and getting to this level enough that you expect to be there. Right now you are surprised to be there. Once you expect to be a this level you will jump the hurdle.
Thanks
That sounds like a great answer.
Have never been hitting the ball better than i am now with your swing
My playing partners often comment that my swing looks nice and easy and yet im out driving them well most of them theres always the few gorillas.
Cant believe i wasted so much tome trying to beat the hell out of the ball
Still much to work on but its getting better every day
Many tanks
Paul,I’ve put THE ” wiggle ” preliminary move to the test on the golf course:it works particularly WELL ,especially on the long puts ,15,20 ,25 feet from the hole .It helps to have a loose ,OILY swing with the putter .It’s less useful on the shorter puts .
Paul, I just viewed the video on the “Waggle” exercise for putting. Before I go out to the practice green to try it out a question I have is, do you focus your eye’s on the back of the ball or on the hole you’re putting to? Thanks for all your tips.
John
Hi Paul, I tried your putting wiggle am hitting the ball too far. If you have a short putt, how to you manage to wiggle the putter with only a small back swing? It seems, from your video, that you do not reset the putter still in back of the ball after the wiggle; and then take a new back swing. The wiggle and putt are a continuous motion.
Thanks,
Earle R. Halsband
Hi, Paul
Season’s Greetings to you!
Any particular distance you recommend this from?
In some of your other tips, you talk about practising long putts and shorts putts, not medium ones. Would that be the same for this tip?
Thanks.
Antony
This is just a drill to work on your putting stroke, I would suggest anywhere from 5′-20′ in distance. Practicing the short and long putts are for working on your general putting, different drill.
Hi Paul. Thanks for all the great tips. Right now I am working on keeping that flex in the right knee in the backswing. My short game has improved so much thanks to you. I am watching the regions and the commentators are saying how the players release the putter head can you explain that to me please
I would think that some of the tour players are more relaxed when they putt. Not super stiff wristed, like some people would want. I describe it as a throwing motion, when you throw a ball with your hand you are not keeping the wrists totally locked up, you would release your wrist. This would probably be what they are talking about, being a little freer when you putt and not totally locked up and super tight.
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24 Responses to “Putting – Wiggle Drill”
September 16, 2015
RonCalabreseHi Paul. Would you say this drill proves the take away means very little as long as the path to the ball starts the ball on the correct line? Worrying about a perfect putting back stroke is counter-productive because this drill proves good putts are dependent upon an accurate approach to the ball and the target.
By the way, I’ve never seen this drill anywhere else!
Thanks, Ron
September 16, 2015
Paul WilsonRon,
Doing a perfect backstroke means nothing. It is the through stroke going to the target. When people focus on a perfect arc or straight back straight through and don’t do this they turn into a nervous wreck.
You haven’t seen this drill anywhere else because I thought of it. I like to think outside the box and not teach what others are teaching. My stuff works.
March 20, 2016
BruceBergMr. Wilson, you continue to give me hope. Went out this morning to try this and I can’t believe the results. Would never have guessed what the feeling is to someone who has tried forever to have a smooth back and through motion in putting. You are absolutely correct that I tended to drive myself crazy instead of concentrate fully on the “through” part to the target. Whenever I started to get tense during practice, I concentrated on a zig zag backstroke and amazed myself with how smooth and accurate the forward stroke became. I’m definitely going to use this in my putting routine. Definitely a follower of your “out of the box” putting philosophy from now on. Also shot 75 last week with only four arm swings, the rest were what I felt were powerless arms. You got me back in the game and I am most appreciative.
Bruce
Ps. I’m also going to chip on fringe shots greater than a foot!
March 20, 2016
Paul WilsonBruce,
I always get a strange look when I show this to people. I don’t just make this stuff up. I just think about why you are doing something and why you need to do it. If you know why you will do it or understand it. If you don’t you are just guessing. Guessing will get you nowhere.
Nice round. I like the fact you are counting how many times you are using your arms. I will shoot a tip on this asap.
Good idea on the chipping. Gets you used to it under pressure.
September 16, 2015
RaymondCHASTELPaul ,A good drill to be target oriented is to put the head of the putter just behind the ball and without taking any backswing just “push the ball ” towards the hole.
It also teaches at the same time to have a good follow through
September 16, 2015
JOELOMBARDOPaul In this wiggle tip are you advising this only in practice or also on the course?
Joe
September 16, 2015
Paul WilsonJoel,
In the tip I explained to do this 25 times before you play. You could do it on the course I guess but you really don’t need to.
September 16, 2015
DavidCalvertHi paul
Was wondering if you have any tips on how to play out a full 18 holes?
I find myself often having a great front 9 only a few over then i go out the other side and it blows up.
Getting rather frustrating now
Ps love the putting tips
September 16, 2015
Paul WilsonDavid,
This is in my book. You are playing well on the front which is getting you out of your comfort zone. Now you start thinking about it and you fall apart to get back into your comfort zone. I went through this and everyone I know has gone through this trying to get to different levels. You just have to keep playing enough and getting to this level enough that you expect to be there. Right now you are surprised to be there. Once you expect to be a this level you will jump the hurdle.
September 17, 2015
DavidCalvertThanks
That sounds like a great answer.
Have never been hitting the ball better than i am now with your swing
My playing partners often comment that my swing looks nice and easy and yet im out driving them well most of them theres always the few gorillas.
Cant believe i wasted so much tome trying to beat the hell out of the ball
Still much to work on but its getting better every day
Many tanks
September 17, 2015
Paul WilsonDavid,
Glad you are doing well. Unless someone tells people not to hit they will never do it. Too bad. Lot of people wasting their time out there.
September 16, 2015
TIMADAMSPaul I must admit that’s the craziest thing I’ve ever seen as a drill
September 16, 2015
Paul WilsonTim,
It is different but it works. Try it.
September 17, 2015
RaymondCHASTELPaul,I’ve put THE ” wiggle ” preliminary move to the test on the golf course:it works particularly WELL ,especially on the long puts ,15,20 ,25 feet from the hole .It helps to have a loose ,OILY swing with the putter .It’s less useful on the shorter puts .
September 17, 2015
Paul WilsonRaymond,
Yes, it does work. You don’t need to be doing it on short putts. No time to wiggle it.
October 13, 2018
AnthonyScarfoneHi, Paul.
Love the out of the box thinking. I will give the wiggle drill a try, for sure.
Bruce mentioned chipping fringe shots greater than a foot. Did I miss something?
Thanks,
Anthony
October 15, 2018
Paul WilsonAnthony,
If you are one foot off the green chip it. This way you hit more chips under pressure and get good at it.
October 13, 2018
StephenClutterWhat a great tip! Do you think this would work on short irons? Waggle for about the first 2 feet of the back swing? I’m going to try it.
October 13, 2018
jonteePaul, I just viewed the video on the “Waggle” exercise for putting. Before I go out to the practice green to try it out a question I have is, do you focus your eye’s on the back of the ball or on the hole you’re putting to? Thanks for all your tips.
John
October 27, 2018
EarleHalsbandHi Paul, I tried your putting wiggle am hitting the ball too far. If you have a short putt, how to you manage to wiggle the putter with only a small back swing? It seems, from your video, that you do not reset the putter still in back of the ball after the wiggle; and then take a new back swing. The wiggle and putt are a continuous motion.
Thanks,
Earle R. Halsband
December 29, 2020
AntonyFieldsHi, Paul
Season’s Greetings to you!
Any particular distance you recommend this from?
In some of your other tips, you talk about practising long putts and shorts putts, not medium ones. Would that be the same for this tip?
Thanks.
Antony
January 3, 2021
Paul WilsonThis is just a drill to work on your putting stroke, I would suggest anywhere from 5′-20′ in distance. Practicing the short and long putts are for working on your general putting, different drill.
May 8, 2021
rodbeuthinHi Paul. Thanks for all the great tips. Right now I am working on keeping that flex in the right knee in the backswing. My short game has improved so much thanks to you. I am watching the regions and the commentators are saying how the players release the putter head can you explain that to me please
May 13, 2021
Paul WilsonI would think that some of the tour players are more relaxed when they putt. Not super stiff wristed, like some people would want. I describe it as a throwing motion, when you throw a ball with your hand you are not keeping the wrists totally locked up, you would release your wrist. This would probably be what they are talking about, being a little freer when you putt and not totally locked up and super tight.