Rinker’s Golf Tips June 1st Guest David Orr. David Orr grew up in Watertown, NY and used to ride his bike with his clubs on his back to the golf course 3-4 miles away. He had a real passion for the game at an early age and told a story about a former tour player, Jim Rusher, who gave him his first lesson. It mainly consisted of watching Jim hit balls, but Jim gave him the fundamentals including a good grip and set-up. David started his career off working with good players that he had competed against on the mini-tours. Most assistant pros start off teaching beginners, juniors, and higher handicap ladies. He learned a lot from Mac O’Grady and Michael Hebron who taught him how to take something technical and make it simple.
I asked David about his approach to coaching putting and he said that he was like an Italian suit maker. Everyone is inherently different and looking for the best method to putt, as opposed to what is their best method is. Can’t fight what’s natural. Under the gun we are going to go back to what’s more natural in the way that we move the putter. It’s all about refining what we do naturally. David said that people have an image that the arms form a triangle, and they swing it like a pendulum, with no wrist action. He said with his 3D research that is not the case, and everyone that he has measured, has some small wrist action. The reason it doesn’t look wristy, is the arm swing is more in sync with the hands, and the arm speed is in sync with the body. Golfers are trying to be too rigid, and locked, and therefore not putting.
I asked David about his coaching template and it starts with strategy. Do you putt to a spot or a straight line, or do you see the ball curving into the hole? Next is managing direction, then how do you generate speed, with your shoulders, or arms and hands, and if the arms and hands which one is more dominate? Then putting orientation, do you have a putter that fits your stroke with the basics of length, lie angle, and loft? Are your fundamentals of set-up and aim good, and are your skills of reading, controlling speed, controlling path and face where they need to be? Finally mental state, how is your self talk? Everyone needs to know what their tendencies are in their putting strokes, where they aim, face at impact, how their putter is rotating, and how they are moving the putter. People that putt with their trailing hand tend to have more wrist action.
The window is very small and precise in putting. From 10’ one degree right is right edge and one degree left is left edge. Modern thinking- The majority of people think that less rotation is better. That’s seems logical. The amount of twisting in the upper arms, forearms, and side bending of body is a very complicated movement. Putting straight back and straight through is biomechanically an inferior way to putt. Trend- Everyone is building face balanced putters with big grips to take out rotation. For someone bent over, or with bent elbows at set-up, that can work. But there is a certain amount of rotation based on how you set up to the putter. People reducing rotation are also reducing speed. Increasing rotation increases speed. Secret to the grip is not the size but how it fits in your hands. The whole purpose of the grip is to stabilize the handle. Finding grip size and shape is important to stabilize the handle. For more information on David visit DavidOrrGolf.com.