Putter Offset

[laxbballgolf]

I never understood why the majority of players prefer offset putters.

I play a White Hot XG #9 which has a half shaft of offset, but I tried out a SeeMore FGP with zero offset, and it really suited my eye even more than my current putter. And when I hold a putter with a full shaft or more of offset it really does not look right to me.

I started to wonder, why do most players prefer putters with offset? A lot of good players tend to prefer irons with minimal offset, but those same people seem to gravitate towards the usual full-shaft offset putters.

Anyone care to weigh in? If you prefer an offset putter, what makes you like it?

[iacas]

I believe it mostly depends on your hand position at impact. Most people prefer to have their hands a little forward, and with the shaft a little forward it keeps the ball back a little.

There are other reasons, but that's big part of it.

[tricky]

Isn't it a dominant eye thing, as well?

If you are left eye dominant your sighting is further forward then if you are right eye dominant. Therefore if you are right eye dominant an offset putter helps by moving the face of the club towards your dominant eye-line, whereas a non-offset putter helps for left-eye dominant sighting.

Clearly stance and hand position plays a major role in this.

Don't shoot me if I'm wrong, but I definitely read it somewhere (maybe somewhere in relation to putter fitting on the rife website - or somewhere else on putter fitting). Anyway, this is one of a myriad of things I'm working on (developing an action to get my dominant eye sighting up putts, when over the ball) - can't say that I can give you a definitive answer on whether it is doing any good yet, as I've not spent enough time on it.

It wouldn't be a major stretch to imagine that most players are right eye dominant, and thus prefer offset putter.

[iacas]

  tricky said:

Isn't it a dominant eye thing, as well?

That could be it as well. Now that you mention it, I think I've heard that reason used as well.

[laxbballgolf]

Thanks. Both of those reasons seem to make sense.

Coincidentally, I am right-handed but left-eye dominant (I learned this way back during riflery at summer camp), so that could have something to do with my preference.

And also, I've never been much of a forward presser, either.

Like most things, it seems to be personal preference, and the less offset suits me the best.

[ryohazuki222]

how do you figure out which eye is dominant?

I'm with the OP. I don't understand offset whether it be putters or any other club. It messes with my head.

I putt best with no offset, im pretty sure -- i settled for half offset in my putter due to other factors.... but i cant deal with more than that.

[tricky]

  ryohazuki222 said:

how do you figure out which eye is dominant?....

Have a look on

wikipedia . Using the miles test (number 1), if I close my right eye then the target is no longer in the frame of my two hands, but closing my left eye it remain unmoved. Therefore I am one of the two-thirds of people who are right eye dominant. If my contention is correct, then playing with an offset putter should help me. Which is good, because I do play with one. It must be another reason that I'm a mediocre putter at best.....