The Art of Putting: The Revolutionary Feel-Based System for Improving Your Score

I'll start this of by saying that I am a lower double digit handicap, and I've had some major issues making putts when I needed to. Just a couple days after finishing the book and it is clear that this will greatly improve my putting. Before the book I would rarely make a putt outside of 10ft, and I would struggle at times with the 3-4ft testers when it meant something.I'm just getting into my new swing and can already see a huge difference in consistency of putts. My mindset of what was logical for putting was 100% backwards of how reality is, and this book helped me realize it. I was a guide-the-ball to the hole kind of putter, especially when it came to short putts. Removing this flaw from my game and making a consistent swing is already making those shorter putts less daunting.If you are a high handicap, this book will likely reform your putting stroke. You will have a great understanding of why this stroke makes sense, and will come out of the book believing that you now have the tools to make a consistent putt. You will start to make putts when they matter.If you are a low handicap, this book may reform your stroke, or it will at the least help you understand the putting stroke you already have.The hardest part for me is that I am a visual learner. While the photos in the book do a great job for some parts, it is a bit hard to completely grasp the swing by just them and the text. I was often up with my putter in between pages trying to replicate what I read. After I finished the book I was still a bit concerned on whether I was doing things properly. Luckily there are a series of videos of Stan Utley on youtube where he describes bits and pieces from the book. Watching those gave me complete confidence in what I was doing.If there is anything lacking in the content of the book, it would be how to read greens. It doesn't go into much detail about building your putt line, surveying the green stating at the whole and working out, or really picking your line. It does a good job of explaining what you need to do once you have your line, just not the former.The book itself is a very easy read. Coming from someone who is a fairly slow reader, I buzzed through this in two nights. That included lots of breaks to make swings and hit practice putts in between.I would suggest this book for anyone who isn't happy with their current putting game. If you are often missing putts you think you should make or have a handful of 3-putts per round, this book is for you.

Like most golf books (other than Harvey Penick's little red book), the concepts are a bit rehashed followed with numerous name dropping of PGA Pros during the time the book was written. I've been into golf for about 8 years, and really took it seriously for the past 3 years. I started with lessons and found that while it sets a good foundation, there's no way I could afford to continuously take golf lessons so I had to figure out a way to practice on my own. Putting was an area that was very on/off for me. After seeing how PGA pros spend 10+ hours a day putting, and often switching putters every other tournament while clutching dozens of training aids with them, I could understand that there's no exact science behind putting - it's more about feel unless you're a robot equipped with calibrated sensors.I used to think I had a very strong arc until I measured my actual swing angles. I didn't have fancy sensors or golf swing aids to do this (and most of them aren't very reliable), and found I tend to have a slight arc (within 3.5* of arc). I tried every style of putter imaginable, and I didn't just play with them in the store. I have face balanced mallets, Ansers with 40* toe hang, Ansers with 60* toe hang, Seemore FGP, counterbalanced putters, etc.. I found that a high MOI counterbalanced putter like the TMAG Daddy Long Legs actually dramatically reduced my putting average, but it lacked feel and accuracy beyond 10 feet. The Ansers with a full shaft offset and plumber's neck provided me with the most confidence, but I tended to have trouble at close distances.That's when I started to read this book to get some ideas. Utley mentioned that Scotty Cameron recommends keeping the left eye about 1" to the right and 1" below the ball. I tried this, and it makes no sense because I am right eye dominant and Utley is telling you to keep the putter head in the center of the stance. Now, if I kept my right eye about 1 inch inside of the ball and to the right of it, it works a lot better.I agree with Utley on the slight arc, and the use of an Anser putter with slight toe hang (about 40*) but I can still make it work with a face balanced putter. I did not agree with his generalization that putters should be 69* lie with 5* loft. That is a very strong generalization, but I understand his point - most putters may be too upright at 70* to 71* lie off the rack.However, to sum everything up, I felt that Harvey Penick's chapter on putting was far more useful than Utley's book and most of the other golf books. When I took lessons from a PGA instructor, he too recommended Penick's red book above all others.Overall: 3/5 stars, very short, good concepts but I don't agree 100% with them. There's nothing revolutionary here, and I hope you didn't pay full price. I recommend Harvey Penick's Little Red Book (I lost my paper copy, so I bought the Kindle edition).

Unlike most instructional books, this one makes its points and does not repeat them incessantly just to create pages. I wish Stan Utley and his editor could be involved in simplifying not only the message but the language and grammar employed in other golf instruction books. Just like the putting stroke should be repeatable, books should be readable instead of having to decipher them. Mr. Utley achieves that in his book. An example of one that requires constant re-reading for the purpose of trying to understand just what is trying to be said is Jim Hardy's book about the release. I found it interesting that Stan Utley mentioned in his book that he sought help from Jim Hardy to work on his full swing. I hope working with Mr. Hardy in person worked better for him than trying to decipher what Mr. Hardy says in his book. Not only is it written and edited very poorly, but just as much time is spent telling the reader what he's about to tell you, and what he'll get to later, versus simply telling you. If you can decipher it, the points are helpful. As for Mr.Utley's book about putting, it is a very fluid read, and the points he makes are well worth the read. That is very much appreciated. I'm able to go to a practice green and pick up on Mr. Utley's approach to putting very easily and feel more confident about the stroke.

Book is great; however, arrived without jacket cover. Very disappointing.

I have used the "Pelz" straight back & through method for the last 5 years - watched Harold Swash's video (Yes putter fame!) over and over again and my putting was just as poor as it was 5 years ago. I recently had a short game lesson with an advanced PGA teaching pro who urged me to abandon the straight path and my face balanced putter for the curved path approach using a toe weight bias. After a short spwll of adjustment I saw early improvements which have progressed rapidly since using Stan Utley's excellent book. The annoying thing for me is that I bought the book a couple of years ago but I didn't have the courage to make the radical changes from the Pelz / Swash approach. If your struggling with the straight path approach don't hesitate to buy this book, get yourself a new putter and just enjoy the results. Thanks Stan!

If you're interested in improving your putting, this book is worth a read. Stan Utley states his preference for an arc style stroke and includes his fundamentals. I found that it was presented in a user friendly simplistic manner with nothing complicated, just good basics.I've read the Pelz stuff and found that worthwhile too. However, this fits better with my understanding of putting and fits in well with what I've been taught in the rest of the game. I found the overhead picture of the stroke quite eye-opening and I've always lent towards the idea of the stroke been on an arc.I do believe that when collating the book, the use and sequencing of pictures in relation to the text is one area that could be improved.

A great book for all golfers looking for help in the art of putting. Well written and clear to understand principles of putting.It has helped me with my confidence to make positive changes to my putting technique with great results.Well worth a read!

Really helped with my putting problems. Simple, easy to follow guide. The set-up and technical advice has given me more confidence over putts within 5 feet.

Interesting read