My first putting lesson as a professional was given to me by Jack Coogan PGA
Although I considered myself a rather good putter I was keen to see what this experienced golfer thought.
Mr Coogan’s playing record included QLD Sate Amateur Championship record 6 times, represented Australia in the United Kingdom, the United States, in South Africa and New Zealand. Rated QLD’s best amateur golfer in 1961. With a steadfast game from tee to green, it was around and on the green that Jack was supreme.
Putting advice; on equipment, grip, stance and method.
As a trainee professional to Jack Coogan, he advised me to adopt a style and stick to it. Putting is more touch than a hit, he would say, and if you watch the to and fro movement of a pendulum, it will help a lot for you to make the putter do the same.
We adjusted the lie of my putter and made it 1 Deg more upright. I used this upright position with the feet fairly close together, the back arched and the putter held at full length.
He was most particular that I hold the putter along the lifeline of the left hand, holding it in with the tips of the fingers.’ An unusual feel when first tried’, I remonstrated to Jack at the time. You overlap the fingers of your right hand with the forefinger of your left hand. Jack replied that “this grip keeps the face of the club pointing towards the hole all through the pendulum swing”.
There were other things that he would say about how it will give the ball more run and keep it on a truer line. I figured that these things would look after themselves and I did not have to consider. The main thing was to develop the grip and stance.
Putting lesson two
Method
There was always so much control to Jack’s putting. How did you achieve this I asked? ‘In the stroke see that the angle of the hands in relation to the line of the putt remains the same throughout’. ‘Left hand on the way back and right forward’ was his reply.