![\"Kuchar](\"http:\/\/theaposition.com\/teemoore\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2013\/10\/matt_kuchar_02.jpg\")
<\/a>Kuchar lines up with the Model 2<\/p><\/div>\n
That\u2019s why I\u2019ve been particularly intrigued with the conforming arm-lock putting method popularized by Matt Kuchar. I mean, here\u2019s a Tour player who was a darn good conventional putter (Top Ten in Tour putting in \u201908 & \u201909) and then several years ago switched to the locked arm method. As Kuchar said, \u201cI was a good putter but I wanted to be more consistent and that\u2019s why I switched.\u201d<\/p>\n
Last month, I went to see PGA Teaching pro Mike Boogaard of The Pines in Grand Rapids. Boogaard specializes in putting instruction and has worked successfully with noted Michigan amateurs Tom Werkmeister and Randy Lewis. Boogaard demonstrated the effectiveness of the lock-arm method. \u201cIt\u2019s a system that forces you to rock the shoulders in the putting stroke,\u201d said Boogaard. \u201cAnytime you can take the hands out of the stroke, you\u2019ll minimize the nerves.\u201d As someone who plays competitive senior events, I was all ears on that last note. I\u2019m a decent putter and hole my share of putts, but in competition I\u2019m too inconsistent and uncertain. So with Mike\u2019s advice on a properly fitted putter for me, I committed to giving the arm-lock method an off-season trial run.<\/p>\n
For the putter itself, I opted for an obvious choice: the one Matt Kuchar is using and now endorsing. Manufactured by the Illinois-based Bettinardi Company, the Kuchar Model 2 (suggested retail is $375) is a pear-shaped mallet. Boogaard recommended a 39\u201d length and it provided a comfortable fit. It\u2019s important to be fitted and measured for the proper length or otherwise the shaft will be too long or too short for one\u2019s forearm. It also has 7 degree of loft. Why? Because the Model 2 features a double bend shaft with a 2.5 shaft offset. With that much built-in offset, added loft is needed to impart a better roll off the face. Otherwise, with conventional loft the ball would skid off the face.<\/p>\n
I’ve used the Kuchar Model 2 for several rounds so far and it’s exceeded all my expectations. First and foremost, its design and appearance are clean and elegant, sporting a soft carbon steel with pewter finish. Second, its feel is solid and well-balanced. I also like how the ball rolls off the face. After using a mallet with a rubber-face insert for years, I was worried this putter would deliver more \u201chit\u201d to the ball.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Milled to perfection<\/p><\/div>\n
According to Sam Bettinardi, V-P of Sales and Marketing, the Model 2 has a patented F.I.T (feel-impact-technology) Technology that is the key to its softer feel. \u201cIn the milling process, we make a second horizontal pass over the face of the putter which removes three grams of weight,\u201d said Bettinardi. \u201cBy reducing 55% of the face material, a softer feel is guaranteed.\u201d He also mentioned that when the company first started making putters in 1999 it used a vertical milling process on the face which delivered not only a handsome honeycomb design but also a flatter face than with the typical horizontal face milling.<\/p>\n