How to get in the "slot" at the top of the putting stroke

Ben Hogan imagined the ideal backswing plane as a pane of glass extending from the ball through the player`s neck. But what worked for Hogan might not work for you.

Keep your hands more in front

In my experience, the image that Hogan used tends to set the golfer`s hands too deeply across the chest--that is, too far around and behind it. This can lead you to simply lift your arms to complete the backswing, ultimately arriving in a weak, noncoiled position at the top.

A more helpful image shows a golfer standing within a curved sheet of glass. This is ideal for the backswing, because the curve in the glass represents the slight, gradual steepening of the plane.

Keeping your hands more in front of your chest allows you to move from the halfway-back position up to the perfect "slot" at the top simply by completing your shoulder turn--the ideal way to complete the backswing.