The putter or the driver? Of course both?

A Putter or Driver… That is the question?

I’m interested in everyone’s thought process regarding whether you would purchase a putter or driver to improve your game, given the circumstances that both needs improvements.

I am interested in getting the White Hot Sabretooth putter for it’s just simply amazing in how much I can control it from power/alignment perspective. I’m not even going to go through the mumbo jumbo of why I feel this way but after taking it hole after hole from borrowing it from a friend, it almost a difference between night and day with what I currently have.

Why the driver?
Well, if no one knows about the prior post I made about my slice issue with my burner, I learned to live with trying to improve myself versus going out to purchase a driver to correct the issue. However, I was given the chance to borrow the FTI from Callaway (my original though process to try out) from a friend and all of the sudden, my slice is gone! Once again, don’t ask me how it just disappeared? I’ll be honest, I sliced probably two times but I actually meant to do it or better yet, I knew it was going to slice based on how I positioned, gripped, aligned, etc. myself.

My thing is the following…I know equipment is not what is supposed to drive a person but I actually took “these” out to play a course with to ensure that it wasn’t just me. I know a good percentage is probably me but maybe it was my confidence? I really don’t know but using the driver or the putter if I said, quack, it quacked!

Nevertheless, my point is, I can pinpoint the fact that I can improve at two points of my game. The question is which should I focus on first? I would love to just go out and replace my putter and driver and say that’s that in one shot but that’s a good $350.

Lend me your thoughts…

You say you were trying to slice the 2 times you did it, that must be what you were doing with the burner. Do the same things you do with the ft-i and your burner will be fine too. It's the Indian not the arrow. Good luck.

Keep your eyes on the forums and I'd bet you can get both used for under $300.

As someone in the same general hcp range as you (i.e., needs to drop 10s of shots per round), I'd probably focus on the driver first, but I'm generally pretty good at putting. I definitely average better than two-putting, so there just aren't many strokes left on the table there. If I could put more drives out in the fairway, I think there's more opportunity for saving 1-2 strokes per hole.

But, I think it really depends. If you're taking 45 putts a round, then there's a lot of improvement there. If not... well, maybe it'll give you confidence, but ask yourself whether the improved feel is really going to affect your score.

Personally, I need to work on my striking -- most of my "excess score" is due to badly hit balls, chunked irons, etc. Even an improved driver and putter won't get me where I want to go...

Given the choice of the two, I would pick the driver.

Putting is more about feel and consistancy -- regardless of what you are using. I could grab a putter from a mini golf course and my putting wouldn't drop off that much. The feel would be lost probably, but after a few holes that would come back. Putters aren't all that different from one another. The weighting and length may vary but for the most part they are built the same and play the same. It is the feel of them that is different.

Drivers on the other hand can be very different. Change the loft and the shaft of one driver and you could get completly different results. Multiply that by all of the shaft options and driver heads and the combinations are pretty endless. There is probably a driver combination that anyone can hit, it is just a matter of finding it.

So basically, you can practice and get good with whatever putter you have. The driver you could practice all day every day and if the shaft and head aren't right for your swing, you may never be able to hit it well.

Yes, that's the thing, both the driver and putter did shave off strokes..although I do on average 2 putts on the green. The drive to the rough is what kills me. But I'm pretty confident with my short game.

Well, if you already average two strokes per green, it's going to take a heck of a putter to improve by, say, 10 strokes. It seems like there's a lot more to be gained in the rest of your game, which sounds like it means driver to you.

I would love to get a putter with more feel, I think I'm loosing my touch around the greens. I used to be able to sink 10-20 ft putts without thinking too much but now I think I've lost touch with my putter, litterally. At this point though I am still a decent putter and would rather get a better driver. If I can hit bomb drives and putt fairly well then all I have to do have good approaches. This is all in theory of course... :)

Hard to say...not sure which will give you the most confidence.

I've kept the stats on my own game to know that my normal range is 35-40% of my strokes in an average round come from putting. In that same average round, I may hit my driver ten times.

Just looking at the stroke count one could clearly surmise that the best money for me is in the putter.

Taking it a step further, though....poorly struck drives leave me angry and grumbling stepping off those ten tees. Having to hit second shots from undesirable places will yield more frustration. Finally reaching the green in too many strokes leaves me with a tense feeling standing over putts, knowing I "must" hole out the putt to make a decent score. Thus the driver adds pressure to putting....yet poor putting adds pressure to driving.

I'd submit to you that adding either one could potentially "unlock" things for you. It all comes down to confidence.

After your round is over....and someone asks, "How was golf?". What is your immediate measuring stick which to use to evaluate your game to respond to the question? Is it having the satisfaction of busting out some nice drives? Is it 2 putting your way through the round? Is it your overall score?

A few months ago my knee jerk reaction would be to respond either positively or negatively based soley on how I drove the ball. At the time I was really strugging with this. I changed my stick (larger, more forgiving head...clearly hotter.....whippier shaft) and drives were much more favorable.

I think that this allowed me to relax. Much better distance and accuracy....way few recovery shots....more confident on approaches.....able to move on to the next focus area....

Now....my main interest is on improving my putting because gains made here will really help me shave away at that 40% category.

One area builds on the next. It's sort of a cycle or chain. You just jump in where you think the biggest impact can be made and the chase it around striving for refinement all the way through.

I think you may be able to trade in your putter for one of the Odyssey putters you like...maybe even straight up...certainly for very little cash outlay on your part. So maybe both sticks are "do-able".

Ya just gotta love golf...and endless search for the right gear.

I own 1 driver and 15 putters.......

You can putt with anything from an old Augusta to the Spider.

The driver is a different story. You are better off getting a customized club for your swing. However, get some feedback from your instructor to make sure its the swing that you should improve before another purchase. Check out Search for the Perfect Club or the Right Sticks by Wishon.

Thanks for this advice. That's really my quams in deciding one over the other. I usually two putt my way through the holes but my approaches really have to be there...usually is.

Then again, that is if I didn't slice with my driver. Overall I do think that the driver is what I probably will need but really I think both will have to be the case in the long run. I guess the question is which to go first.

Very good points.

Also, why not invest in some lesson? Or at least a few books that will help with improving confidence. Bobby Jones, Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, Walter Hagen, they could all break par with the equipment of their day, I say, try to improve you as a player, not the equipment.

I have a similiar problem but with the driver its just that i hit it really high, even though its a stiff speeder.. Whereas my puttings pathetic & i think that a new putter will improve my putting by not being bent for 1 (its not that bent, but bent is still bent) & a new putter would improve my confidence alot

well, think of it this way. as important as putting is, you're pretty freakin close to the hole. The most improvement can be easily made and seen through better driving. But truthfully, if you've got a name brand driver already, a new one won't fix your game. (unless your shaft is wrong) I just bought a new putter and it's working great, but that's probably because I want to practice with it more. it depends on if you're happy with your current club, not because you want a new one, if that makes any sense. If you hate your putter, get a new one! get one that you'll be happy to work with and gives you joy when you use it, no matter the result.

Not to go against what you said but the equipment of their day is most probably the equipment they chose and replaced at some given point in time to "excel" what they did well.

It's like someone saying many years from now that I have broken par with the equipment of my day, that is with the odyssey putter, and Callaway FT-i, nevermind the clubs I had troubles with... Of course, I do agree that equipment shouldnt' be the first thing to change up.

Don't get me wrong, these decisions were not made because I want "new" stuff or I'm tired of "current" equipment. The putter I can do away with and practice a lot more with what I have. I did try the sabretooth and the reason I am thinking of getting is due to the comfort level. We all know that most of us have at least 2 putters. Now hopping the band wagon but i truly don't feel it with my putter. The sabretooth on the other hand, was just amazing to me and the confidence in my putts went up, especially looooong putts. I do average two putts on the green so it's safe that I can probably just live with what I have. The driver on the other hand, I'm truly struggling. I have tried different techniques, I have been critiqued on what to change, and I have borrowed the FTI to try and that was probably the most pleasurable moments...fairway fairway fairway! I did bring along my Burner and at one hole I use it again and 2 balls went in the rough. So just to shake it off, I borrowed a friend's Nike sumo...first ball, dead center on the fairway. Grabbed the borrowed Callaway on the next hole, right on the fairway. So I did a lot before coming to this crossroad. From everyone's consensus, improvements with the driver is the best road to travel.

I think you need to compare the FTi to the Burner. What did you do different between them?

Take both to the range. Hit the FTi to get yourself warmed up and in a positive frame of mind. Then switch to the Burner and swing it just like the FTi. Same grip, same stance, same swing... everything. I bet with minimal adjustment you'll hit them about the same. Maybe some of the launch conditions will be a bit different, but assuming both clubs are same shaft stiffness, same offset, same length, and same face angle, they should hit about the same.

This all assumes you use the same swing and tempo. Don't go trying extra hard with the Burner because you are afraid you will slice it. Trying harder = bigger slice.

Now if the Burner is a stiff shaft and the FTi a regular, or one is 9.5 degree and the other is 12.5, well... we'll have other issues to talk about.

Just a note, the Burner is both lighter and longer, which although it translates to higher swing speeds, really calls into question if you are hitting the center of the clubface. Take some tape, sunscreen, or talcum powder to the range to find out.

And I agree with Ben Hogan. Driver is the most important club in the bag. Putter may take the most strokes, but Driver accuracy and distance determines how you play golf itself.