improving performance
Improve Your Putting Dramatically with the LEAN LOCK Putter
photo by Ginny Dixon
B
rian Tennyson started playing golf at seven years old hitting whiffle balls into soup cans in his backyard. By age 14, he was shooting in the 60s
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for 18 holes. Tennyson became a top junior and collegiate golfer winning eight NCAA titles before qualifying for the PGA Tour when he was 24 years old. He finished 29th on the PGA Tour money list in 1990. Despite playing golf at the highest level and being a great ball striker, Tennyson struggled with his putting. He tried every instruction theory and putting method available. Frustrated and confused even more, Tennyson went searching for the answer to a simple question, “What needs to happen to strike a putt pure and how could he control his stroke to make that happen consistently? Through a lot of trial and error, Tennyson discovered three key elements to striking a pure putt. According to Tennyson, a pure putt is determined by the aim of the putter face, the path of the club head, and the attack angle at which the putter approaches and strikes the ball. He labeled this concept - the “APA” – Aim, Path, and Attack Angle.
With this as his guiding principle, Tennyson invented the groundbreaking LEAN LOCK putting method and patent-pending LEAN LOCK putter. The company officially launched at the 2022 PGA Merchandise Show this past January. A quick glance at LEAN LOCK’s website (www.leanlockputting.com) offers several dozen reviews by golfers who have purchased the putter giving high praise for the method and the putter. For starters, the LEAN LOCK putter appears to be one of the most innovative putters in terms of design features in decades. The putter’s distinctive 13 degrees of forward shaft lean (compared to standard putters) when the bottom of the putter is resting flat to the playing surface in the normal address position. The putter has a milled face with three degrees of loft. LEAN LOCK’s forward-leaning shaft is combined with an extra-long, slightly rotated grip. When the putter is held properly against the target side of the leading arm, and the hands and wrists are comfortably positioned on the flat portion of the rotated grip, the wrists cannot break down at impact. Any tendency to do so only strengthens the “locking” effect of the stroke. This helps to minimizes face rotation returning the putter face to square at impact. Golf Central • Volume 23, Issue 4
