The Sprint to the Middle
This is the fourth part of a regular series in which Maggie Ewen, one of America’s top putters, will break down her technique step by step.
Let’s talk about zero support!
I’ll be the first to admit that not a lot happens through this phase. When we are not in contact with ground, there is little we can do to actually add to the throw. So the main focus of this phase tends to be controlling the left arm (keeping it from over-rotating) and being patient until the right foot comes down in the middle. But as you’ll see in the upcoming paragraphs, there is more going on than meets the eye. Let’s get into it!
As I sweep out of the entry, I am still hinged at the waist. The right leg is now in front of my body and driving into the direction of the sector. As it continues to sweep forward, I want my torso to move forward with the right leg.
Essentially, the right leg is leading my center of mass across the ring.
This allows my weight to move off my left foot sooner which in turn allows me to pick up the left foot earlier.
With my left up early, I can keep my knees tight as I move into the middle. Initially, the knees are not tight to each other, but they are tight to my midline axis (the axis that splits the right and left sides of the body). My left leg is clearly behind me but since the left knee is still tight to my midline, I am not dragging. Dragging is when the knees start drifting apart, causing the left leg to float wide and lag behind the rest of the system.
Once it begins dragging, it spends the rest of the throw trying to catch up to the midline/right leg, causing a slower rotation through the middle and often leads to the left foot coming down late in the front of the ring. It’s like the example of a spinning figure skater. Wide arms (dragging left leg) causes slower rotation. Arms tight to the body (knees tight to the midline axis) causes faster rotation.
I do not push or flick off my left foot (at least not consciously). I am pulled off of my left by the center of mass and right leg moving across the ring. Once the left is off the ground, I am squeezing the adductors together to reduce the distance between the knees even more.
Through all of this, the torso position should remain as neutral as possible.
I will start to be active with the upper body and begin to create the separation between the hips and the shoulders.
Tune in next month to learn about the landing position and initiating separation between the hips and shoulders!
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