The Packed Parking Lot

As we drove around the corner leading into our favorite course my wife said, "Oh jeez, look at all the cars in the parking lot." The adjoining driving range was closed for the season, but because of the unseasonably warm weather the course was hopping. She went on with concerns about a tournament and wondered if we could get out. Drawing on my experience of managing high volume golf courses, I assured her that there would be no problems. We were a foursome that included our two boys, ages five and two. This was our family outing for the week and we were not going anywhere else.

We grabbed our gear, snacks and drinks and started toward the group of people collecting behind the 18th hole. The variety of people made the atmosphere inviting. There was a lot of jabbing while others told tall tales of high flying shots and low roped bullets. A clank at the 18th sounded like chained tires in the snow as the crowd stirred in disbelief at the hole-out from some 30 yards. As we made our way through I could see the first tee. There was a single player loosening up posing like a windmill as he stretched his back. Once I got through the crowd I could see his approach.

The first is a short par 3 down a subtle slope to the left. He needed only to manage a smattering of trees that were widely scattered between he and the hole. Then he made his move. He started from well behind the tee markers side stepping toward the line. He was right handed as he wound up turning his upper body away from the target. Once his momentum reached max speed toward the target his lower body came to a screeching halt as his whirling arm and hand released a stinging disc down the right side. It bent around the first set of trees on the right with a gentle bend to the left landing within scoring distance. He had a great start. This wasn't his first day at the Sedgley Woods Disc Golf Course.

We play disc golf almost every weekend, spring through fall. Today, just several days before New Years in Philadelphia the temperature was above 50 degrees. My experience is always the same. Complete satisfaction! A perfect blend of exercise, sport, exploration, and child rearing. I have skied and golfed since I was five years old. I have done a little backpacking and even bagged a few "fourteeners" while living in Denver. Throw in a mountain bike and a pair of trail runners and I'd say I've dabbled with a fair share of outdoor sports. Disc golf fills the void for outdoor activity with an edge.

Complete satisfaction!

A perfect blend of exercise, sport, exploration, and child rearing

Maybe it's the desire to lower my standards regarding course conditions. Maybe the time needed. Maybe the cost. Maybe the thrill of the hike or jog which is more exploratory than ruled by etiquette. It's okay to be loud. It's okay to run on the greens (there are none). There is no pressure from behind. There is rarely any wait despite the course being full. And while my two year old was slung on my back for 12 holes, he trailed and wandered along with us for the final six. It was muddy. Boots and sneakers were a mess. The atmosphere was completely relaxing, aside from the occasional stress of losing a disc, which is only slightly more expensive than the Titleist balls in my golf bag. The time was almost thoughtless. If nothing else, I was mindful of where my kids were, never out of sight and most often out of danger of a high flying arrant disc.

Yes, there are disc golf professionals, and serious tournaments that mirror the regional golf pro ranks. But, even that group is completely inviting for a family of four to take part during the day. There is no worry of un-raked bunkers, missed pitch marks on the green, and no worry of waiting. The emphasis is not particularly on the length of time. It is on the amount of time we need to play. Playing through a group or vise-versa has no stigma on a disc golf course. Not once in seven years playing at the same course have we encountered any stress related to the pace, regardless of whether we were slow or fast. And we've been both. 

This idea makes me think about recent efforts by the PGA of America and golf associations to pick up the pace at your club. I wonder if that is actually hitting at the core. I agree the pace needs to increase. But does that mean the experience should be better for some and not for others. Should a foursome of friends that know they will play comfortably in four and a half hours be pushed, ridiculed or reported. If the foursome behind typically play in 3:45, this is a recipe for disaster, conflict, and ill feelings. I, for one, don't like conflict.

The PGA tour is partially at fault. I know, I know... they are playing for a gazillion dollars. But I don't think that should factor in at all. None. The game has a time limit and that rule is broken every weekend. If it seems like a gray rule, they simply need to enforce it. What if my free throw routine was three minutes long? I would never run the court. Or my pitching routine was five minutes? I would never play in any league. 18 holes of golf was never meant to be played in six hours. Or even five, but I've played courses that warranted that amount. So, again, it's not simply about the time allotted. It's about the time my group needs to finish the round, within reason. There's that gray color again. Where is the line drawn?

The reason there is no pace of play issues at my local disc golf course on a packed Saturday afternoon is because everyone is cordial. There is no stigma with letting someone play through. Those that are playing through are patient. It happens fast and early in the round if necessary. It is seamless because all players involved play together for a short time moving their disc forward, a process I have always suggested on the golf course. It's a version of "ready golf" for about two minutes. Too often the slow group stops to wait, further slowing themselves down and increasing the backup behind them. Is simply pushing people to play faster really the answer?



Do you have thoughts about the pace of play at your club? How about the PGA Tour? Do you play disc golf? Leave a comment and let's chat about it. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Low-Straight-Push

The proper bowing effect of the hands and wrists combine into a feeling of downward extension at impact. This is essential for solid ball striking. This is true for a chip, pitch, punch or full swing. At the core is the ability to delay the hands as long as possible. And when the hands become active they unload in a de-lofting fashion. Think about how the club face "opens" away from the target when the swing starts. The club must "close" in order to be square at impact. But simply closing the club face, by itself, does not accomplish the proper angle of attack into impact. Loft must be reduced resulting in the club head remaining low after impact.

The unloading act leading into impact has the effect of compressing the hands, especially the right palm as it braces for impact. A reasonably proper grip places the palm of the right hand more on top of the handle and the pressure is downward keeping the hands relatively low through impact.

TEST IT

While holding a club with a generally good grip take the set up and simply apply more pressure with the pad of the right thumb. Don't swing it. Simply apply the pressure. The toe of the club will naturally move a little left and the hands will press forward, de-lofting the club. 

Zach Johnson

If you are going to have a fault, be ahead of it and de-loft the club. The ball will launch low. De-lofting the club requires the opposite action of flipping the hands, typical of the average golfer. Learn to de-loft the club head regardless of where the body's overall weight is. It is very difficult to hit a ball hard and low when the weight is too far back or away from the target. Maybe even impossible. I find most students can resolve this fact by reacting to the feedback from each shot. The pattern of the ball flight's trajectory will represent the success. Don't sneak onto your back foot and try and add loft. That process is counter to solid ball striking. While practicing this approach I would expect a lower ball flight that is either perfectly strait or a low strait push shot.

Below are two related posts and the original Golf Digest article featuring Zach Johnson.

Punch It
Anchor The Turn
Zach Johnson How To Get Back To The Ball

Wild Bill Mehlhorn

I received a signed copy of Wild Bill Mehlorn's book, Golf Secrets Exposed in 1985, from a college recruiter. He was recruiting players for Florida International University. At 16 years old I had no idea who Wild Bill Melhorn was. Back then Florida seemed like a foreign country.

"Whether you are young or old, thin or fat, whether you move fast or slow, if you walk, run, dance, or swim, whether you throw a ball or hit one. Whether you swing an ax or cut grass with a grasswhip you never think of how you move any part of your anatomy. Why should golf be any different."
  - Bill Mehlhorn

"The best I ever saw from tee to green was Bill Mehlhorn"

  - Ben Hogan, Golf Magazine January, 1975

Face Angle and Swing Path

To change the typical shot pattern or curvature of the flight of your ball, first learn the combination of face angle and swing path that typically creates the curvature. This is the beginning of understanding your own swing. The next most important factor is to understand the relationship of the initial starting direction of the ball. The initial direction of the ball flight is directly related to the club face angle at impact. Generally, where the club is aiming at the moment of impact is the direction the ball starts. How it then curves is the relationship of the path to that club face angle. While the intended target and your success in aligning toward it is also imperative, the beginning of your understanding of your swing starts with path and club face.







Understand and embrace your golf swing. Own it. Even if it's peculiar, quirky, or eccentric.

Skiing From The Back Tees

I stood at the top looking down the chute. We had crossed the rope 100 yards back leaning into the wind. It was windy all day until we cut through the trees off the top of the Four Points lift. It was my third experience crossing the boundary line at this mountain. Unfortunately, it would prove to be just as disappointing as the first two. Skiing out of bounds at Steamboat Springs was legendary within my circles. But I must have missed those opportunities.

The trek was more pulling versus skiing. As we rounded the bend, we were reminded of the importance of being quiet and to tread lightly on our skis. Avalanche danger was real and we were on top of the massive snow pack that overlooked our destination, like a large white orb that blocks and skews the horizon line.

All photos in this article were pulled from
http://www.onthesnow.com/colorado/steamboat/ski-resort.html

The disappointment did not set in until we traversed down to the top of the "Chutes". Even though it was beyond the ropes it had a name, however ominous it was. Our intended path was looking straight down a massive 300 foot dropping slope that appeared like a large ice slick made for a sled. Straight down hill and no powder to speak of. We trudged through mounds of snow getting to the outcropping that would act as our starting gate. The whipping wind slowed. There was simply less snow on that side of the mountain, contrary to all the tall tales around the fire at the lodge. "Best powder ever. It's always deep and light."

Since my early experiences skiing at Steamboat, the Chutes
are no longer out of bounds. 

Not today. Fast and furious with nothing to pad the skis in to. The goal today was to keep upright for 300 feet. The trees at the bottom would slow things down. Or at least the powdered tree wells would provide a backstop, but only if there was others to pull you out of the hole that was more like freezing quicksand.

Powdered tree well danger. That is another story.

"Skiing from the back tees," was a phrase coined by a friend of my father's. In our circles growing up it seems everyone skied and golfed, all at a better-than-average ability. Competition was just as great on the slopes as it was on the golf course. What began as a description of always demanding the toughest black diamond slopes, soon became double diamond. Usually steeper with unending moguls. But as I have aged and changed so to have the back tees. Slopes are steeper. Cool is being dropped off by helicopter. Golf courses are longer. Technology has advanced. Physical fitness is more priority. At the top levels, airtime is the preferred extreme.

I grew out of the "X" generation, always thinking that we were so extreme. Then came the "Y" generation that simply asked, why not fly further? Why not question everything and force the extremes of previous generations. In the two recreational activities that I grew up immersed in, the levels at the top have continued to expand, as has most everything else.

The PGA suggests a "Tee It Forward" program to help promote and increase the pace of play. Not to mention, that if most check their bravado at the door, they will have more fun. But I can not help but think of how many times my father and I played a new course and demanded the back tees. We wanted all it could dish out. Occasionally we were throttled by the demands of an unfamiliar mountain course. Just as the outer bounds of a ski mountain had the upper hand on most days. Thankfully, both experiences were always worth the pain. both mentally and physically. 

Good Vision

A contradiction occurs at impact because of the momentum of the body's uncoiling motion combined with the extension of the arms, hands, and club. One pulls away from the other. Taking advantage of the energy requires good vision. See the impact!

Check this previous post http://fintusgolf.blogspot.com/2012/04/see-impact.html

Notes About A Centered Golf Swing

For most golfers the hands must stay relatively low and the club head relatively high when the swing starts.

More golfers should practice hitting punch shots to encourage the body to move toward the target and the club head to remain low after impact.

Compress The Divot Pattern At The Driving Range

We have all seen it. We walk onto the driving range grass tee and see a massive pocked area full of divots. We all want to hit off grass versus the mats. But are we doing our part? Take a look at this short video aimed at spreading a new initiative at Little Mill Country Club and beyond.

New Views At Little Mill

Bank It Off The Backboard (Practice Creativity)

Creativity during a short game practice session can be the difference between a productive hour versus beating balls around the practice green. When chipping, pitching, and working in the sand one must determine what the goal is for the time allotted. Specifically, if practicing a new method that requires a fair amount of thought and repetitive motion, choosing a fixed target is important. Hitting to the same target, involving a consistent distance and landing area, helps build muscle memory. However, if preparing for on-course conditions, choosing many different targets and terrain becomes more important. A student in this scenario is better off hitting an individual shot every few minutes to different targets and from different ground conditions. While someone building muscle memory might hit four or five shots in a minute.

Track Results

A good practice session for muscle memory includes a simple tracking method for your results. Choose one target and 11 balls. After hitting all the balls to your target remove the five closest and the five furthest from the hole. Place a marker at the eleventh ball. This is your median point. Now you can measure the distance and come back another day or reload and start the process again trying to better your previous results. This is also a fun way to compete with your friends. You do not have to use eleven balls. It is only important to use an odd number in order to find the median distance.

We experience a host of different conditions on the course. I give many short game lessons where the goal is to instill a solid and basic understanding of how to hit a chip shot. We hit balls from the edge of the green because that is the most often condition we face whether from long grass or a tight lie in front of the green. The ability to hit a chip shot and to understand the way a ball responds to impact and the green is important. Preparing for on-course conditions requires that we move around the practice green hitting long, short, high, and bump-and-run shots. We may use different lofted clubs with the goal of making the same swing for either a chip shot, pitch shot, or some variation regardless of the club we choose.

Be Creative

This process reminds me of a basketball practice from my youth. Several practice sessions included two hours of spinning a basketball off the backboard from anywhere inside the paint. We used both hands with the goal to understand the way the ball spins and how we could affect how much it spins. While the act of shooting a basketball and making quick choices under pressure is obviously more reactive than the act of hitting a golf ball, the process has stuck with me. During this session we worked on banking the ball off every spot on the backboard. Even high in the corners and low shallow angles from the side. Regardless of where we stood we had to figure out what action to put on the ball to make it drop. It forced us to be creative in our execution.

Practicing the short game and creating on-course conditions requires a lot of creativity. There are an endless number of conditions. So the next time you are practicing at the short game area move around and hit many different shots. Even when the shot requires a low bump and run, try to loft it up. And when you think it requires a lofted shot, try bumping the ball through the rough or into the bank. Be creative. There are different ways to get the ball close to the hole. Try landing the ball high on the fringe so that it takes a completely different track to the hole using the slope of the green. It might be necessary to throw a ball under hand at the trajectory you think it should land. This will also provide helpful feedback.

Whether you are trying to practice your bread-and-butter shot through repetition or creating numerous on-course conditions, be creative and make it fun.

The Unsung Hero

It is true that 27 holes of golf at Little Mill Country Club is much like playing 27 different games. The fourth hole on the Red Nine (Devils Glen) follows the same cue by presenting itself in a different light, or should I say color, than the rest. Very few tee shots at Little Mill are a forced carry challenge with a driver in hand. And no others are as visually daunting, with the yellow native grasses and sand dunes that create a trough to collect balls. It's the one hole that reminds us that we are only an hour from the shore but still trapped among the pines. So well beaten are the outskirts of the dunes that down trodden travelers have created their own path up the left side. Maybe it's the ticks and chiggers, but rarely do we see wary golfers hiking the trough in shorts. If we do we think, "He doesn't know." Or, it's a $4 golf ball hiding in the wispy grass.

Once the ball is in play the hole has a similar goal regardless of the golfers length: position your second shot for a clear view from 100 - 150 yards. The big hitters rarely "go-at-it" unless they are fortunate to have bombed the drive. But even then it is a blind shot to a well protected green.

The hidden green is tucked back and further left than we ever think. It is not until we see the aerial view that its dogleggedness is revealed. A front pin is tempting with the tiered backstop. But the front bunker, appearing more like a waste area, catches most misses. In fact, the entire green is very elusive with subtle breaks and bounces that launch the ball away from the pin.
Putting on the lower tier is confusing when the ball breaks toward the back of the green. Or like many greens at Little Mill, rolling the ball up the slope or a simple tap to get it moving down the hill can make anyone a head-scratcher.

Four Red, the unsung hero, is rarely discussed. It's nestled furthest away from the clubhouse and in the middle of the nine. It is never regarded as a game changer. But only because the round rarely ends there. One thing it has going for it is its expected five shots to complete it. Which it usually takes for even the best.

Swing Easy Into The Wind

Image Credit

Most people swing too hard when faced with a shot into the wind. I think it's a natural tendency. When you swing hard, or harder than normal, the chances of increasing the spin on the ball go way up. Spin is your enemy in the wind. Use more club and swing easy. If hitting a driver, focus on swinging with a smooth tempo and test out different teeing heights. It may seem obvious to tee it lower. But in reality the ball spins less when hit high on the face of the club. Overcoming the natural tendency to swing hard into the wind is a great step to lower scores.

Weather Forecast: Open Face With A Slight Chance Of Draw Spin

Doppler radar is now used extensively to track the golf swing and the flight of the ball. The ability to see impact in great detail is moving golf instruction and its students forward at a pace never seen before. It has been in use for several years. It is only recently that those studying and translating the data and helping to refine the technology are ready to share the information. Its use is beginning to hit the general public. While recent articles subtly suggest that the information is so revolutionary that students of the game may have been misinformed in the past, I do not believe that to be true. However, the data is refined to the nearest 10th degree in some cases, just a little better than my eyes can see at 110 mph with or without video. Below are a few factual points that I pulled from recent seminars.

O N E

Where the club face is aiming at impact has a 75 - 85% affect on the ball flight direction. For example, when a solid struck ball starts left and slices to the right, the club face is aiming left at impact. The left to right curve on the ball means that the path was even further left of the intended target. Understanding the relationship between face angle and path is not new. What seems to be alarming many students of the game is the fact that in the scenario above the club face is absolutely aiming left at impact.

Image Credit

T W O

In order for a right handed golfer to hit a nice little draw with a six iron, the swing path must be 4 degrees to the right of the target, while the face angle is 2 degrees right of the target. The face of the club needs to be open to the target (aiming right) at impact in order to hit a right to left curve at the target. And the swing path must be aiming further right. This 2:1 ratio seems to be consistent for the mid irons regardless of who is hitting the shot. The ratio becomes slightly more extreme for a driver. About 3:1.

T H R E E

Gear effect has a greater impact on the curvature of the flight than originally thought. Gear effect is the phenomena that occurs when a shot is mishit. If impacted on the toe of the club the ball flight DRAWS back. If hit off the heel, the ball flight typically FADES back toward the intended target. In many ways mishit shots tend to trump good swing path or good face angle. Which also means that mishits can correct or confuse bad swing path and bad club face angle, launching the ball toward the target even when the shot felt bad and clunky.

F O U R

The effective loft at impact has the greatest amount of influence on the trajectory of the ball flight. That might seem pretty obvious. Hitting the ball low has always been the core of my personal golf swing philosophy. I used to think that the idea of a punch shot or low trajectory ball flight was rooted in learning to play golf in the high winds of Wyoming. Years later I now understand that a sound impact position is simply a moment in time where the dynamics of the swing is reducing the loft of the club face. It is not really the effect of trying to hit it low. In fact, the downward angle at impact spins the ball creating lift and the proper trajectory. When teaching the proper impact position, the masses are mostly on the other end of the spectrum. They flip the club through impact adding loft which is the opposite of hitting down on the ball. This flipping motion usually results in short weak shots. So in essence, I spend a lot of time teaching people to hit it low. Or at least lower than they usually hit the ball. What is now understood better about the trajectory is that the angle of attack leading into impact has very little to do with the trajectory of the ball flight. Playing the ball further back in the stance may have the affect of reducing loft, but the steepness of the swing does not play much of a factor.

Our understanding of the golf swing is improving faster than ever through the use of swing and ball flight tracking devices. Over the last year I have had the opportunity to sit with many leading instructors. All of which are using some sort of today's Doppler radar technology. Their understanding and translation of the data is key to the fast paced learning curve of the game of golf. It almost seems a bit ironic to suggest that golf's learning process would be fast. But examples are showing more and more that students of the game are starting to understand and own their golf swings and game improvement is faster.

SCHEDULE YOUR GOLF SWING ANALYSIS NOW AND LET'S MAKE A FAST PACED PLAN TO IMPROVE

High Winds Of Wyoming

Hitting the ball low has always been the core of my personal golf swing philosophy. I used to think that the idea of a punch shot or low trajectory ball flight was rooted in learning to play golf in the high winds of Wyoming. Years later I now understand that a sound impact position is simply a moment in time where the dynamics of the swing are reducing the loft of the club face. It is not really the effect of trying to hit it low. In fact, the downward angle at impact spins the ball creating lift and the proper trajectory.





The excerpt above is a quote from an article written about the details of impact and launch angle. Follow the link below for the full article.

 Weather Forcast: Open Face With A Slight Chance Of Draw

Sean Foley Profile

I wish I knew more about Sean Foley before he started working with Tiger. It would have seemed less trendy for me to comment on his successes. As I read and watch more about his approach to teaching, what he teaches, and how he balances his life, I am continually impressed. I agree with almost every basic swing outline and coaching method that he exhibits. It is refreshing to know that where many of my swing thoughts and methodology have often seemed counter to the mainstream, they are now moving to the forefront of swing coaching and instruction. I was relieved to hear that he does not immerse himself in golf swing research. Rather, his studies are very wide giving him a balanced approach toward communicating with people. Half of the battle to being an effective teacher is creating an atmosphere on the lesson tee that makes individuals feel confident in their abilities. I have always said to younger professionals that are entering the business or recently finishing up their studies, that to be a successful teacher has as much to do with effective communicating and making people feel confident as it does with their knowledge of the golf swing. People will always perform better when they feel good and confident. Many of my students comment on their ability to hit solid shots while I am watching, as if they would rather it be broken giving us good reason to fix it. But in reality they are comfortable and focused. There is a lot to be learned from that experience.

Enjoy this short profile video about Sean Foley.

What... I have to choose?

I am often asked about my swing methodology. The question is posed as a selection between the "Traditional" method versus the opposing "Stack and Tilt" method. Recently, the "Foley" method is among the choices. Thank you Tiger. I am always taken back by the specifics of the question. As if there are two or three ways to swing a golf club and that I must fall into one of these categories. No one ever asked if I taught the Harmon method, or Leadbetter method. How did we get to Traditional, Stack and Tilt, or Foley? Maybe I didn't care as much when Harmon and Leadbetter were mainstream. Oh yeah, they are one of the top five instructors on pretty much any list. Are they the "Traditionalists"? If they are, they are not talking much. And what about Ben Hogan and Sam Snead? I am sure if I simply stuck to Hogan's Five Lessons and advocated hitting balls with bare feet I would have covered just as much ground.

The Blank Canvas

A freshly prepared canvas, smooth and white. An invitation for expression, color, or merits, as in a football helmet plastered with stars. That is how I saw the white club-head invasion into the golf industry several years ago. Maybe it's my artistic prowess or the multitude of stickers in my two-toddler house. But it only seemed like a matter of time before a new product would come out to fill the blank canvas on our driver.

I recently played in the PGA Magazine Pro-Pro event on the Nicholas course at Reunion Resort in Orlando. One sponsor for the event was a small company called Club Crown. I found their product to be fascinating. They had a wide selection of designs created to be overlaid on any driver or fairway wood. I took a few pictures to show the wide selection that was so simply arranged on the table. The colors were great, and it made for a dynamic presentation.

Considering I possess the unique combination of artist and golf aficionado it is fitting that I combine my creativity with the blank white club-head. Below are a few of my pieces and how they would present themselves on a driver. Interesting, if nothing else. View more artwork at www.fintus.com.

Balancing Bird

Masquerade Party for Him

Masquerade Party for Her

Cross-Handed Putting Grip

I changed my putting grip and reduced the amount of three-putts per round. I looked at the number of putts, and kept in mind the short putts under pressure that dropped. In 2012, I can recall numerous rounds without a three-putt.

I have given many putting lessons and discussed every type of grip. Aside from a short bout with a long putter I have never made a dramatic change to my putting grip. So in 2012, I changed to a cross-handed style. My new grip positions the left hand low and the right hand high. For me, the right hand settles more securely on the putter and gives me a better sense of connection to the putter head. The overall position forces the body to tilt more toward the target line. This repositioning compliments an open stance and squares the upper body. It also helps alignment for shorter putts by aligning the shoulders more parallel to the ground.

Because it is different, and the dominant hand is now at the top of the grip, essentially a weaker position, the sensation is a lack of feel. Initially longer putts are tougher to gauge. There might be an up side to this lack of feel by simply creating a softer impact on the ball. A cross-handed grip provides for better alignment, but the lack of feel results in a loss of power. Think about a baseball player hitting a bunt. He places his hand further toward the middle of the bat giving it stability. There is very little "swing" during a bunt. So the stability gives the batter control by leveraging the bat closer to the middle. This analogy is akin to a conventional putting grip. In my case it would be my old grip, left hand high. My right hand would be further down the shaft adding stability to the back of the putter (shaft). With stability lower on the shaft the impact is more solid.

Considering my tendency to hit mid and long putts too hard, I do not need more solid impact. This does not diminish the importance of striking the ball in the middle of the putter's face. It is the difference between hitting a ball with a 2x4 versus a 1x2.

Also the distance from my dominant (right) hand to the putter head has increased with the new cross-handed grip. This in turn increases the overall distance from my right shoulder to the putter head. The increased length, acting like a lever, creates a small amount of additional lag in the putter head. Although tough to see and feel, there is lag and release in a proper putting stroke. The lag creates a softer feel during impact. A small amount of give or shock absorption in the hands. I think it depends on the individual and their tendencies. If someone generally needs to hit putts softer, increasing this length will increase the lag, thus softening the impact on the ball.

There are many benefits to a cross-handed putting grip. Much of them outweigh the downside. And if you have similar tendencies as me, that is to say you would like to make more short putts and you often hit your longer putts well beyond the hole, there may be no downside. Enjoy making more putts!