I noticed K.J. Choi has recently gone to the method and Sam Snead did very well with it. Given all funky putter designs, different lengths and weird grips desperate putters try, why don't more people experiment with the method?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100713/ap_ ... n_notebook

I've tried everything but sideways. I'd try that too, I just have not found a suitable putter. Regular ones are not usuable that way and I don't know anyone that has one.

I didn't quite understand the explanation in the link as to what is a legal or illegal way to putt. I don't understand why you couldn't use a croquet mallet between your legs if you wanted to, but, I think this was considered illegal. Even though I owned those dread horses for years, I couldn't quite equate what side-saddle meant as regarding a golf stance.

I think because every shot is addressed from the side of the ball in the game of golf. Allowing a different setup for one type of shot is not allowed. I think that seeing the line would be much easier from behind the ball and would take away from the challenge of perhaps the MOST challenging aspect of the game.

It didn't used to be illegal. When Sam Snead got the yips later in his career he went to the full-on croquet stance and had great success. So much success that the USGA then changed the rule to ban that stance firguring that it made putting too easy. The wording of the new rule was that you couldn't straddle the line of the putt, that's when Snead went side-saddle. Again, he had a lot of success that way and the USGA couldn't ban it.

Here's a pic of the croquet style



and one of the sidesaddle




Shank's original question here is a very good one. Snead was a really really strong putter croquet style and way above average sidesaddle. When guys get the yips they try the claw/saw grip, they try crosshand, they try belly, they try broomstick and they try pretty much every other method under the sun. Why don't more people try sidesaddle? The theory behind it is solid and it worked great for Sammy.

Thanks for the pics.
I know it wasn't always illegal. That wasn't the question I was responding to. WHY it was made illegal was part of the question and that is what my response was in regard to.
Personally, it hurts my back just looking at those pics.

Personally, I think that making putts cures a whole lot of lower back pain. Or missing them causes a whole lot of lower back pain. Whichever, when you putt well you feel better.

Dave Pelz claims the best putter he ever saw putted sidesaddle and described it in his "Putting Bible" as the simplest and easiest way to putt.
I've been putting and teaching this way for over 50 years and don't yet understand why more golfers don't adopt it... especially since it seems to completely eliminate the "YIPS". KJ needs to make some changes in his shaft length and technique if he wants to be more consistant... too short and too low. I have been tinkering with sidesaddle putters for as long as I have been playing and have designed a much better putter and advocate a more natural and intuitive technique. Published my web site nearly 16 years ago... interest and acceptance of sidesaddle has really increased dramatacally recently... check my profile... more than you need to know regarding this remarkable putting technique.

Karl
~the Putt Guru

As a person who suffered the maximum cas eo f the yips I can tell I have tried everything. Here's a list off the top of my head.

Side Saddle
Left handed
one handed
cross handed
left handed one hand
right handed one hand
left handed long putter
the claw grip
closing my eyes during the stroke
using an ultra short putter ( about 20")
using a extremely heavy putter ( ray cook of some sort gold in color)
and now I use a 49" long putter and have for about 12 years I have never looked back and have never putted better. I still have bad days but I have yips a putt in 12 years.

It got so bad I would miss 3 out of 5 putts from 1 to 2 feet

to this day if I try a regular putter I will yip it, regardless of where I am using it. Hell I can yip a regular putter on my carpet at home.

The side saddle offered no hope for me as it just didn't feel right. The claw worked for a couple years and worked very well but eventually I learned to yip that as well.