Why I Even Bothered With Bryson’s Putting
My putting was a mess, honestly. It got to the point where I dreaded getting on the green. My buddies were probably tired of watching me three-putt everything. I’d see Bryson DeChambeau on TV with his unique, almost robotic putting style – that arm-lock thing – and while it looked a bit strange, the guy sinks putts. So, I thought, why not? I had nothing to lose, really.
Getting Started: Figuring Out This Arm-Lock Business
So, I started looking into it. Watched a fair few videos of him, trying to understand what he was actually doing. The big thing seemed to be pressing the putter grip against his lead forearm. The whole point, from what I gathered, was to stop the wrists from getting all flippy and inconsistent. Make it more of a solid, one-piece takeaway and follow-through, powered by the shoulders. Seemed logical enough when I thought about it.
My First Awkward Attempts on the Practice Green
Alright, so I took my regular putter out to the practice green. Tried to set up with that arm-lock position. It felt incredibly awkward. Seriously, like I was trying to putt with a splint on my arm. My first dozen putts were comical – some shot off to the right, others barely made it halfway to the imaginary hole. I was just trying to get a feel for it, but man, it was tough. I could feel a few eyes on me, probably wondering what on earth I was attempting.
Digging In: Trying to Make It Work
I’m not one to give up easily, though. So, I decided to break it down and really focus on a few key aspects I’d observed:
- The Lock Itself: This was crucial. I fiddled around with how much pressure to apply with my forearm against the grip. Too tight, and I was stiff as a board, no feel at all. Too loose, and it wasn’t really locked, defeating the purpose. It took a while to find a comfortable, stable connection.
- My Stance and Posture: I noticed Bryson stands quite tall, eyes very much over the ball. I tried to copy that, getting a bit more upright than my usual slouch.
- The Stroke Motion: This was the biggest change. I consciously tried to keep my wrists completely passive. The movement had to come from rocking my shoulders, like a pendulum. Back and through, back and through. Keeping it smooth was the goal.
I must have spent a good few hours just rolling short putts – three-footers, five-footers. Just trying to get the ball to start on my intended line and roll end-over-end, without any weird side-spin from my wrists.
What I Found Out: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (for me)
After a lot of practice, things slowly started to improve. My consistency on short putts definitely got better. That was the first big win. The ball seemed to hold its line much more reliably. The arm-lock method really did seem to quiet down my often-too-active hands. That felt great.
However, it wasn’t a miracle cure for everything. There were downsides for my game:
- Distance Control on Long Putts: This became a real struggle. Taking the feel out of my wrists made it super hard to judge the pace on longer putts. I’d either send them way past the hole or leave them embarrassingly short. It was like learning to putt all over again for anything over 20 feet.
- Feel for Breaking Putts: While the start line was better, the arm-lock didn’t magically help me read greens or get the speed right on breaking putts. That’s still a dark art to me, and this technique didn’t simplify it much.
- It still feels a bit… odd: Can’t lie, it doesn’t feel as natural as a more conventional stroke, even after practice. And yeah, you might get a few looks.
So, Am I Sticking With It?
It’s a mixed bag, to be honest. I haven’t gone full DeChambeau; I haven’t bought a special arm-lock putter or anything like that. I’m still using my trusty old flatstick.
But, I have incorporated elements of it. For shorter putts, especially those nervy ones inside six feet, a version of that arm-lock feel has really helped me. I feel more stable and the ball starts on line more often. That’s a definite keeper.
On longer putts, I’m still playing around. Sometimes I try a ‘softer’ lock, other times I revert to a more traditional stroke if I need more feel. It’s an ongoing experiment.
Ultimately, trying Bryson DeChambeau’s putting style didn’t transform me into a PGA Tour pro overnight. But it was a valuable exercise. It forced me to think about my stroke mechanics in a different way and helped me identify some of my bad habits. It’s another tool in the toolbox, I guess. Definitely worth the effort to see if parts of it could help my game, and some of it did!
