The changes in putting surfaces since the early days of golf in America, which were discussed in last week's column, have led to an ongoing explosion in both new putter technology and new putting stroke methods.

The putter used by Jim Barnes when he won the first PGA Championship in 1916 was wooden-shafted, with a blade made of iron. The head was ground from one piece of iron so the weight across the face of the putter was a constant. The putter had no alignment aid of any kind and was set with approximately six degrees of loft. It had a wooden shaft length of 34 inches with a leather wrap grip, though some players of that era used no grip and simply held the wood directly for more feel.

The posture and stroke that Jim Barnes perfected to adjust for the putter and green conditions included bending very far forward from the waist, placing most of his weight on the forward leg. He held the grip firm in both hands, and his arms moved very little, as the bending of the trail wrist created the motion. His lead elbow was pointed toward the hole, and his head was down, looking directly at the ball. This downward stroking motion lofted the ball to the top of the grass, which helped keep the first bounce it took on line toward the hole.

Less than two weeks ago, at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, thousands of different putters were on display. The shafts were made of space age materials designed to transfer feel to today's players and balance with the head designs. The grips were of a molded form with specific size texture, weight and hand placement guides. The head designs were endless and, for the most part, engineering marvels.

The faces of the putters were balanced across to create a large sweet spot and often contained an insert to change the feel of the roll. Some putters had changeable weights placed far back of the putter face to create lift as they may have had as little as one degree of loft. There were hundreds of different alignment aids available, and you could choose your style of shaft bend, color of finish, weight and of course, designer styling. There were also long and belly putters of the type put to use by a handful of PGA Tour stars.

The most-common posture and stroke used today is one of eyes over the ball (or just inside), with your arms hanging freely. The motion comes from the torso and shoulders with little or no wrist motion. This keeps the putter path lower and starts off the roll of the ball with less skid and bounce. The long and belly putters are preferred by some golfers because they anchor the top end and create a centered stroke.

With putting accounting for such a large percentage of your total score, the correct putter and stroke - with proper practice - can pay big dividends. But choosing the correct putter and finding the right stroke can be difficult without expert advice. That's why before you buy, always consult your local PGA Professional. His or her expertise should put on the right path toward finding the right equipment and sinking those score-saving putts!

To find a PGA Professional near you, visit www.PlayGolfAmerica.com and use the Zip Code search tool. Meanwhile, if you'd like to get a copy of Jim Barnes' book, "Picture Analysis of Golf Strokes: A Complete Book of Instruction," originally published in 1919, for your home library, visit the PGA.com store at www.PGA.com.

Until next time, here's to better golf!

Rick Martino is Director of Instruction for The PGA of America. He teaches at the PGA Learning Center in Port St. Lucie, Fla., and is ranked among the Top 50 instructors by Golf Digest Magazine. The author of the PGA Manual of Golf (Warner Books/$34.95), Martino can be reached at (800) 800-GOLF or by email at pgalearningcenter@pgahq.com.