August 1999 AUSTRALIAN GOLF DIGEST


Conventional putting is fundamentally flawed, feels Aussie inventor
Bruce Kennedy, so he has conceived a radical new style and a
Revolutionary blade called the Pendulum. And he rarely misses,
Reports Playing Editor Michael Etherington…

'I witnessed the most amazing display of pure putting I had ever seen, ever'

A couple of years ago Bruce Kennedy went out for his first ever round of golf and never made it past the putting green. A mate said, "This is what you use to putt and this is how you do it.
Perplexed, Bruce said, "You're kidding, right?There has to be a better way to do it than this."
His curiosity aroused, Bruce went to task…
He doesn't look much like a golfer. He has hands that would crack nuts and forearms like "slugger" Mark McGwire. That's not surprising as he's a carpenter by trade and has spent years in the building industry, as well as facing up to Don King in numerous world title fight promotions.
He doesn't suffer fools and comes across as a no-crap kind of guy. Despite this he has a charisma and a salesman's air to him that at first made me skeptical. It's easy to knock a guy bucking convention but I gave him the benefit of the doubt.
His first strand of credibility came when I discovered his mother was 82 year old Beryl Kennedy, also known as Guru, the most eminent and non-conventional (and still practicing) physiotherapist of our time.
 
Beryl's ideas on human function have revolutionized the field and made a huge difference in both conventional thinking and also the results for many outstanding athletes. It was in this environment that Bruce grew up and would influence his thinking when it came to finding the absolute best way to do something.
In the case of putting, of course, it is to get the ball in the hole as repetitively and consistently as possible.
While Bruce's background in human function, his problem-solving skills and knowledge of physics certainly helped him to take this on, more importantly it was the non-acceptance of golfing convention and "clean slate" approach that enabled him to produce something better.
For inspiration, Bruce looked to lawn bowling. If bowlers were able to nudge the jack from different lengths he could not understand why golfers didn't employ the same technique. Shouldn't you look at the target, not the ball?
Armed with this conviction Bruce began tinkering. You not only need the right technique but also the right tool and he left no stone unturned in coming up with his Pendulum putter.
In a nutshell, the Pendulum is a center shaft putter, which is designed to take the hands out of the stroke. It creates a more solid feel and truer roll, but the outstanding feature of the putter is the

weight (offset by a de-energising insert that results in its incredibly soft feel).
Bruce experimented with the swing weight of the putter to find the perfect balance for the designed function, literally starting at opposite ends of the spectrum with a sledge hammer and a feather. The Pendulum putter is the result.
The conventional Pendulum putter has a thick, long, rounded grip that has to be custom made on a lathe. It's designed to facilitate a weak left hand, split grip, which takes the hands out of the stroke and encourages a shoulder stroke; hence the pendulum action. But to use the putter without the correct instruction is akin to putting an F-16 fighter in the hands of a drop-duster pilot…you just won't be able to do it justice.
Basically, Bruce says there are two methods that make putting the most effective and repetitive (though there are four models). One is the "bowling" or "side saddle" method made famous by Sam Snead (winner of 84 US PGA events), who laments that someone showed him early on how to putt conventionally and he wasn't side-saddle his whole career.
The second is a more conventional split-handed stroke from a standard address position. Though Bruce suspects the side-saddle putting style will be more effective in the long run, he is equally accurate both ways and realizes convention will dictate the latter to be more widely accepted.
Bruce has taken his wares to a number of pros and his fan club among them is growing. Professional golfers would stand on their heads to putt if it made them more successful and it seems the only sure thing among the pro ranks is that before long everyone will have at least tried the Pendulum putter.
The strength of the retention rate will be dictated by both correct instruction and the fickleness of the pay-for play ranks, but all a genuine manufacturer really wants is a fare shake.


WHEN I FIRST DECIDED to meet with Bruce on the putting green at Sydney's Bonnie Doon Golf Club I was curious as to what kind of putter this tinkerer had come up with, but I also thought it might make a nice little local piece for the magazine.


  
What I left with, three hours later, was a sense of great respect for a man, with no golfing background, who had totally convinced me of his credibility with a line of fundamental, functional logic and instant results for me ( a streaky putter). But more importantly I witnessed the most amazing display of pure putting I had ever seen, ever. The practice green at Bonnie Doon had just been cut and was running, at a guess, at about 9 to 10 on the stimp. After chatting to Bruce for about an hour I was a bit antsy to give it a go and we went out for a test run.
I immediately started having a few mediocre stabs at the ball with my questionable stroke and Bruce pulled me up for some instruction. He nonchalantly knocked in a few 10-footer, both side-saddle and conventionally and again observed my stroke with a pained expression on his face.
I felt like a learner driver grinding through the gears of a Lamborghini! Again he patiently instructed me on the hand-less action and suddenly, bam! Pure putt, pure roll.
"That was better," smiled Bruce. I could really sense it, the pendulum stroke, the soft feel. Then my mobile sounded and I was annoyingly distracted. As I took the call I watched Bruce take the conventional putter and a ball onto the green.
He warmed up by holing a 10-footer across the slope, then lipped out a down hill, sliding 20-footer. Seemingly a bit miffed at this miss he then holed a right to left 30 footer, then another 30-footer straight up the slope. As he holed his third 30-footer in a row, this time straight down a slope I was having trouble concentrating on the phone call.
Bruce lined up a 20-footer across the slope from the left, straight in. My call thankfully ended and he smiled and lined up a final 30-foot putt back to my feet. It tracked like it had radar, perfect pace, straight in the heart.
"Pretty bloody impressive," I said. "Just correct human function and the right tool, Mike." I couldn't argue with that and I forthwith dispensed with the ratty, dented, tinny putter that had graced my bag for nine years and that I once swore I would be buried with.
Pride of place now belongs to my Pendulum. As they say, the proof of the pudding is in the tasting, and as far as Bruce Kennedy and his Pendulum putters are concerned, it's worth a nibble. You just may go back for seconds.

 

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