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As any golf instructor will aver, there is no better way to lower scores than improving one’s putting. It is with that goal in mind that Pat Goss and Sam McKenney created a commercial version of the Putting Board and then brought it to market.
The product was born more than 15 years ago when Goss, the longtime director of golf and player development at Northwestern University and coach to PGA Tour standouts such as Luke Donald, fashioned a makeshift version of the aid to help his players move their putters “on plane” more consistently.
Then a few years ago Goss and McKenney, a teaching professional and the director of player development for Wildcat Golf Academy, decided to make a better version in an effort to help golfers of all abilities. What they came up with, they say, is a device that trains proper path and acceleration as well as face angle, lie, loft and stroke length in ways that best fits a golfer’s setup. The product comes with a shaft clip that assists in maintaining face angle through the stroke and a speed board to help golfers with stroke length on putts of 4, 7, 10 and 13 feet.
“Luke became arguably the best putter in professional golf based on the principles of the Putting Board and has used prototypes as well as the most current retail version for the past 15 years,” said Goss. “The Putting Board is based on my philosophy of neutrality in putting and the importance of moving the putter on plane for a more consistent and repeatable putting stroke.”
Not surprisingly given the results of his work with the product, Donald is a fan.
“The best way to be consistent with your putting is to maintain loft and lie throughout the stroke,” said the Englishman, who three times ranked No. 1 in strokes gained putting on the PGA Tour while employing the Putting Board. “It is the best aid around to work on this, and it is one of the few training aids I use on a regular basis.”