ZealousGolfer.com

While a focus on swing mechanics is nothing new to dedicated golfers, the average hacker has rarely given much attention to their putting stroke. Indeed, though putting woes affect virtually every golfer, whether evidenced in a player's struggles to sink three footers or terrible control from long distances, many golfers have failed to address their faults in this part of the game.

Thus, the Putting Arc, which the company claims is used frequently by over 700 professional golfers, may revolutionize your game.

Background:

The Putting Arc was the product of the vision of three men: V.J. Trolio, a teaching professional from Mississippi drove the idea of "the perfect putting stroke," Joey Hamilton, an engineer who was responsible for perfecting the math and physics behind the product, and Dave Hamilton, who handled manufacturing as an expert engineer-inventor himself.

Today, the Putting Arc is found on every professional tour. Fans who have attended professional events over the past several years have almost certainly encountered this product when watching players on the practice green.

Naturally, with so much support from golf's best players, ZealousGolfer.com was extremely excited to review this product.

Technology:

For the review, I played for several months with the MSIII Putting Arc, which, unlike the other models, is made out of black plastic. Nothing too exciting here. However, this Arc weighed in at only two pounds at 33 inches in length. While not a technological advancement, the company definitely got it right in making a product that most players could manage to put in their bag, cart, or locker after walking off the putting green.

More importantly, the arc of the Putting Arc is what makes the product so successful. While my lack of a degree in physics most likely prevents me from doing the sophistication of this product justice, I will do my best to explain based on the company's explanation. If you are still interested in how this works to perfect your swing, I strongly urge you to give the Putting Arc's website a look.

Basically, the putting stroke functions much like the full swing in that the easiest way to control distance and accuracy is by maintaining a certain "plane" over the course of the movement. Indeed, deviating from said "plane" leads the putter to come toward the ball offline. Consequently, golfers who continually practice this poor, off-plane motion will be forced to compensate by manipulating the putter head during the swing in an attempt to bring the putter face back to square in order to hit the putt on line. Unfortunately, when added motions like this are ingrained into a player's putting stroke, the probability of error increases substantially. Thus, players looking to strike the ball with more accuracy and better control of distance must change the putting stroke to remain on plane.

The Putting Arc teaches a player to strike the ball with the "perfect stroke" because its designers have deduced mathematically the radius of the swing plane based the axis of rotation, a golfer's spine angle, the height of the shoulders propelling the putter forward and backward, and many other factors. However, those these factors change from golfer to golfer, the Putting Arc still provides the perfect radius based on the combination of the geometric properties of these factors.

The next question is, "Does it work?" Or more simply, "Is this necessary?"

My Thoughts:

Yes and yes. The Putting Arc is an effective means by which a golfer can retrain himself or herself to putt consistently on the correct plane. Mind you, it takes time. Just like any other swing change in the game of golf, a player will only find success with this product if they are dedicated to making the swing change.

On the bright side, this product makes it relatively easy to devote yourself to making the change. For one, the manufacturer made an excellent decision when placing small holes on the far ends of the Putting Arc, which make it very easy to peg down the product when putting on any green. However, when you cannot place tees in the ground to keep the Putting Arc in place, you still are pretty safe. The product has strips of griptape permanently attached to the bottom, which stick very well to carpet (just in case you would like to putt within your home or in the office).

While the product is only 33" in length, it is long enough to hit basically any length of putt.

Another stellar feature for the Putting Arc is the "Arc Glider" attachment. The attachments costs slightly less than $8.00 and can be found on the company's website. As they say, the Arc Glider turns the Putting Arc "into a putting machine." Indeed, with the attachment connected to your putter with Velcro or rubber bands (included with attachment), becoming a better putter requires virtually no effort on your part: your body feels what the correct movement feels like as the club stays on track with the attachment.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the Putting Arc is a spectacular way to improve your putting. One of the biggest problems golfers face with their full swing is not knowing what a "correct swing" feels like. This issue simply isn't a problem on the putting green after you have used this product.

Quite simply, anyone can become a solid putter by using the Putting Arc frequently. Though, becoming a master of putting requires quite a few hours of practice (keep in mind the professionals still practice while using this aid), at least you now have the tools to become successful.

The Putting Arc may be purchased at many major golf retailers, but also may be purchased from the Putting Arc's website for $69.95. Because of its ease in use and the amazing results, ZealousGolfer.com gives the Putting Arc 5 out of 5 stars. Good work.

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