Possibly modifying my putter....should I or not???

[Dub]

Thinking of modifying my putter shaft.

Please stop me now if you think this is gonna be a huge no no.

I'm talking about my Odyssey 2-ball. I love everything about this putter except the length. It's a stock putter in 36 length.

I grip down near the bottom of the grip.....generally with my right thumb over the Odyssey swirl mark at the bottom of the grip. This puts my hands at the skinniest part of the grip. As a result things can get a bit "wristy". To counter this I've grown in the habit of keeping my right index finger pointing down the shaft/grip.....

The other issue is that my set up yeilds a body position that has my elbows wide apart.

I have no complaints about my putting.....in fact it's the strongest aspect of my game since returning to golf last month. I'm a spot putter and generally two putt my way around the course.

I'm strongly considering cutting 1.5"-2" off my shaft and regripping with a oversized Winn paddle. This will put my hands on the "meat" of the grip while the thicker grip will get my right index wrapped around the grip vs down the shaft.

I'm not scared to make the change, but on the other hand I don't want to commit a crime, either.

The cost for this is only about $16.

Should I proceed or shelve the putter for a bit and try a shorter putter....I've seen some 3-ball Odysessys for sale for $99....I could try one in a shorter length. If it isn't to my liking then I can always trade / sell it to a buddy.

[907golfer12]

Unless you Odyssey was custom ordered then it is 35", because that is the stock length of all of their putters. Now I think you will be okay getting it cut down and such, but if you want the 3-ball I would say go for it.

[elchene]

Go for it, you can always buy a shaft extender if you want to restore it to the original length. Just a warning though, the putter will feel significantly lighter if you cut it down. Longer putters are made with lighter heads while shorter putters have heavier heads. I cut down a Circa 62 from 35 to 33 and it was way too light to putt with. Ended up wasting my time.

[Pyranha]

Go for it. I had a 35" 2ball cut down to 33" and a Tiger Shark (very oversized) grip installed. Been playing it for about a year with no regrets at all.

-C

[tmoult]

If you think it will help go for it. I bought a 2-ball a couple months ago and quite honestly im really not liking it, it hasn't helped me at all.

[Terrier]

A good master clubfitter will fit you. They have the tools/equipment to do it; and having your putter fit is just as (if not more important than) getting the rest of your bag fitted.

My regular playing partner just had the same putter (2-ball) bent. It's no big deal to get your specific flatstick fitted and will probably cost you $5.00.

I'm 2-degrees upright on my irons and 1-degree flat on my putter. Something to consider before hacking shaft lengths, etc.

HTH

[StrmStlkr]

Originally I was going to suggest to forgo it since you are already happy with your putting and I thought it would be more expensive. But after hearing it was only going to cost 16 dollars. I say go for it but I would consider what elchene said about the weight difference. It could mess with your feel and distance control. If it were me I would wait until the end of the season so you could spend your off season getting use to it.

[Dub]

I never knew the weighting would be different.....this is something odd.

I know the grip may be a tad heavier, but didn't realize their were differences in the head weights.

I think I'm gonna do it. I always grip well down on the putter so the end is useless. The larger grip would get my index finger off the side of the grip and wrapping around it where it should be.

I'll post up some pics when I get it done.

[beung]

Unlike some putters, the head of your putter is not dictated by the length of the shaft. Some putters heads are lighter the longer the shaft, so cutting one of those would require you to put some weights in to counter not only the lose in shaft weight but also the change in the club's dynamics.

Since you choke down on the putter anyways the swing weight should be very much different. Once you cut the shaft and you can grip the putter closer to the end you should feel more connected to the putter.

[Double Bogey]

My situation is a bit different but you need to think about one thing that Beung touched on.

When I had my Yes! putter extended 5 inches, I tried to putt a few an the had to get a counterweight put in the handle to balance it out. You will know as soon as you make that first putt if any thing might need to be done.