When Is it Time to Purchase a New Putter?

[thegolfhackr]

19 hours ago, phan52 said:

You appear to be focused on your score so One thing I would tell you is, don't give yourself putts. Make them all. I see many casual golfers swipe away a 2-3 footers and, when they have to make it in a competition, they actually have no experience making them. A three foot putt is not a gimme, you have to be focused to make it, let alone 5-10 footers. Practicing longer putts is useless until you start making the three footers all the time. 

As far as what putter to use, get fitted for one. You use it more than every other club in your bag so it may as well fit you.

@phan52 funny you say that - my coach has told me to just start practicing the 3-footers over and over until they are red hot and almost automatic, and then start moving to the longer putts.

You sound as though you have some experience - but I filmed my last putting lesson with Caroline if you're interested to have a watch:

On 12/8/2021 at 2:18 PM, ChetlovesMer said:

I'm not sure where you are located. But looking at putting together a group to come have an AimPoint lesson in Erie, PA in late March. AimPoint would probably go a long way towards improving your putting. 

Here's the link to the lesson discussion.

 

Appreciate the thought @ChetlovesMer – I am in London myself so it might be a bit far to travel 😄

[iacas]

2 hours ago, thegolfhackr said:

You sound as though you have some experience - but I filmed my last putting lesson with Caroline if you're interested to have a watch:

 

Caroline (and you) should read this topic:

 

[ChetlovesMer]

2 hours ago, thegolfhackr said:

 

Appreciate the thought @ChetlovesMer – I am in London myself so it might be a bit far to travel 😄

Maybe ... But it would be worth it.... 😃

[ChetlovesMer]

2 hours ago, thegolfhackr said:

@phan52 funny you say that - my coach has told me to just start practicing the 3-footers over and over until they are red hot and almost automatic, and then start moving to the longer putts.

You sound as though you have some experience - but I filmed my last putting lesson with Caroline if you're interested to have a watch:

 

Holy Crap, is that a 3-ball putter?
I remember when those things came out. I bought one. I still have it. I think I'm like one of only about 12 people in the US who actually liked that damned thing. 

[Double Mocha Man]

14 minutes ago, ChetlovesMer said:

Holy Crap, is that a 3-ball putter?

In my closet of 26 putters I have a few 3-putt putters.

[ChetlovesMer]

4 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

In my closet of 26 putters I have a few 3-putt putters.

No kidding. The 3-ball is akin in my mind to parachute pants. They were only popular for a very shot time. Only a few people remember them, and even fewer still have them. 

My 3-ball is cracked. A tragic bag-falling-off-the-golf-cart-incident took its life. 

[boogielicious]

3 hours ago, Double Mocha Man said:

In my closet of 26 putters I have a few 3-putt putters.

[Double Mocha Man]

With you being a Moderator when you use the word "banished" you make me worried...

[mdl]

On 10/4/2021 at 11:28 AM, Pretzel said:

The only time you "need" to buy a new putter is if the face or face insert becomes damaged or worn enough to cause issues when putting with a reasonably repeatable putting stroke. No matter how old a putter is, they don't wear out in the same way the face of a driver or the grooves on irons/wedges might and the only issues are usually caused by intentional/unintentional damage to the face (most often from bag chatter if you don't use a headcover) or softer inserts wearing down over time (which has been noted to happen in both PING and Odyssey insert putters, but over the course of 100,000+ putts rolled with the same putter consistently from the same spot on the clubface).

Buying a new putter that properly fits your eye for easy alignment and properly matches your putting stroke in terms of toe hang can be an immediate boon however, if you current putter is a poor fit in either of those categories. 

I got fit for a (spendy) Edel putter and (via ArcCos) gained ~2 strokes per round! It's a bit lighter than my older putter but more importantly felt to me, when I set up in drills where I knew 100% I was on line, like I was setting up way left. But the numbers don't lie And confidence over the putter does wonders too!

But as others said, learn at least "not-wrong" mechanics and develop a consistent stroke first.

[clhacker]

My 2 cents which is worth about as much as a wooden nickle is: do you like the look and feel of your current putter? if yes then keep practicing with it. if no then go try some. PIck one that you like. make sure the ball rolls strait off it. Putting is a lot mental and if the putter looks and feels good it will help. 

[WilliamB]

On 3/8/2022 at 1:09 PM, clhacker said:

My 2 cents which is worth about as much as a wooden nickle is: do you like the look and feel of your current putter? if yes then keep practicing with it. if no then go try some. PIck one that you like. make sure the ball rolls strait off it. Putting is a lot mental and if the putter looks and feels good it will help. 

I agree. Putters and drivers I put into the same category, if I'm not hitting one of them confidently I will look for a new one. Not like a short bad spell, but more consistently hitting it bad and losing confidence in it. Then I will go and get a new club. This could be a yearly event as well. To me, it's exciting standing over and gaming a new driver/putter. This is an official warning to my existing driver/putter!

[jmanbooyaa]

My 2 cents. When you want a new putter is when to buy a new putter. Nothing else. 

[roejye]

Probably late to the original question, but if you can get fitted, do so. At the very least you can find out what kind of stroke you have. I had one recently and found out I had an arc stroke instead of straight back and through. I was trying out putters at the store yesterday and just finding one with the amount of toe hang I need, and my stroke just felt more natural.