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SPORTS
McCord unveils Face On Putting
CBS golf analyst Gary McCord unveiled his new Face On Putting on Monday at the Huntington Classic.
Purchase this photoHUNTINGTON -- Gary McCord grabbed the audience's attention Sunday night at the Huntington Classic's pairings party with his renowned humor-based story telling.
Monday morning, the professional golfer, CBS golf analyst, instructor, speaker and actor added innovator to the mix. He held the attention of the players on the practice green at Guyan Golf and Country Club with an invention of sorts. During his casual clinic, McCord unveiled a new putter and style that the golf world will see this weekend when he competes in a Champions Tour event, the 3M Championship in Blaine, Minn. The Golf Channel will carry all three rounds.
McCord calls it FOP/Face On Putting. It's a sidesaddle style with a long putter (adjusted shaft angle) that allows players to see their line with both eyes and strike the ball with a pendulum motion. The right shoulder is all that moves.
"I've done a lot of strange things in my life," McCord said.
"It's so precise. It'll be a killer if it works. You watch people's reaction. It's 'what the hell is he doing'?"
McCord said he got the idea for the putter about a month ago. He thought he was on to something until he found out about the Web site www.puttmagic.com. There, visitors learn Karl Higham in Las Vegas has a similar putter available. It's called the ComfortZone Rebel.
"They're dedicated to this," McCord said of Higham. "They have stuff on You Tube (video). It's an unbelievable exhibition. They make everything. You can be more efficient."
McCord let Huntington Classic participants test his new 52-inch putter before they teed off. A company developed a shaft extension he removes to get the putter down to 44 inches for travel purposes. He settled on 52 inches because he's 6-foot-2. Height adjustments would be necessary.
"It's fun. It might reinvent the game," said Rick Slater of Charleston and tournament sponsor Dixon Hughes CPA. "If the putter works, it could end up a cult. It could be have an influence on the game."
"I fiddled around with it," said Barney Thompson, the pro at Eagle Ridge Golf Course at Yatesville Lake State Park in Louisa. "It looks really good. You can't hardly go wrong. I hope he plays good next week."
Legendary Sam Snead turned his putting around in 1967 with a croquet-style stroke that the United States Golf Association would eventually outlaw because he straddled his line. Snead got around that by moving to the side.
McCord said he's checked with the USGA and PGA Tour and the putter has clearance from both.
"I'm sure if I win five in a row they'll take a look at it," McCord said of the USGA.
Before tournament players would putt, McCord had them toss a ball at a hole with an underhand motion. Then they'd go back to their putter and stroke. There were many styles including long, split-shaft and belly.
"I give someone a ball, ask them to roll it at the hole and look at the motion they use," McCord said. "Then I ask them why they go from the side. They don't have an answer. It's tradition. Everybody's willing to try something new to find a better way to do things. I've gotten so much better in one month."
The Golf Channel will do a segment on McCord's putter during the weekend. He's also scheduled to write an article on it for Golf Digest.
"I told them I wouldn't write it until I play a tournament," McCord said. "I couldn't go back to the other way. It's totally inferior. This offers a better opportunity to make putts all the time. If you get the right speed, it's going in. The distance control is frightening.
"I should get a good ribbing this weekend. I'll have a ball with it and drive the old guys nuts. I'll probably have half of them doing this by the end of the year."
With conventional putters, you hear about players pushing or pulling putts, eye dominance issues and fighting the yips. That's out with McCord's FOP.
"No excuses. I'm flabbergasted," said McCord, thinking about how big clubheads for woods and irons have gotten over the years along the new wave of hybrids. "It's 2008 and no one's done this."
Classic participant Barry Taylor said having McCord in made for a great two days.
"He's an extremely talented guy. He knows what he's talking about," Taylor said. "He's funny. He can really tell a story. He's innovative. He's willing to chase new things."
