The Sprint to the Middle
This is the fifth part of a regular series in which Maggie Ewen, one of America’s top putters, will break down her technique step by step.
Up until this point in the throw, I have been very lower body dominant. The upper body was simply along for the ride while my hips, legs and feet moved me through the ring. Now it is time for the upper body to get involved. As we move into this section, remember that I am detailing my ideal goal of these positions. As is clear from the photos provided, we don’t always hit our ideal positions. I am my biggest critic, so I constantly see all the discrepancies between the goal and the execution. I like to think about that as all the ways I can improve and eventually throw further! Anyways, let’s get to it.
As I continue to squeeze the adductors together, I am looking to land in the middle with my right toe, knee, hips, shoulders (literally everything) facing 9 o’clock or, as I call it, 270º. While my shoulders are facing 270º, I want my left arm reaching straight ahead of me also towards 270º (in an ideal world). This is where the separation begins.
As my feet continue to turn, they will start to rotate my hips around towards a stand throw position.
While this happens, I am actively trying to keep the left arm reaching back. Initially it reaches toward 270º, but as the hips continue to turn the left arm will reach more towards 0º or the back of the ring. It is tricky to explain; however, the overall goal of the left arm reach is to land in the stand throw position with the left arm reaching back towards 0º and the shoulders square to 0º. So the left arm is still straight ahead of the body and not wrapping across the chest.
Once the left arm is reaching towards 0º, the left foot should be coming down at the front of the ring (in an ideal world). I want it down as early as possible so I can get the legs and hips involved in my finish for as long as possible. If the left foot comes down late, the right foot/hip has nothing to work into. This means the hips are simply turning and not actually generating more speed and power.
Through this entire phase, I am
balanced over my right foot and it has been actively pivoting.
Once it touches the ground in the middle, the right foot will never stop turning until the hips are square to the throw and the ball is coming out of my hand.
This is a phase of the throw where patience is the key. Since I am in single support I cannot add speed or power. I simply have to be patient and give the legs/system time to turn through this phase. While I am being patient with the lower body, I am focused on holding back the shoulders and creating separation. It is a very important phase of the throw since this is the last step before I actually deliver the ball. In my opinion, outside of the strike itself, this is the most important phase of the throw.
Tune in next month to learn about the finish!
About The Author
