Choosing a Putter

[skwon11]

I bet this has been talked about extensively but... suggestions? I know that standard arc vs. straight back and through but... how do I know short of a putter fitting... can I do it myself? Trying putters on astroturf is not the same as the real thing so... I just don't want to go and get comfortable there and get to the course and... blah.

Suggestions on figuring out if I'm an arc putter vs. straight back and through? Insert vs. non insert? Degrees of loft? Any suggestions welcome...

[alomar123]

I think you can figure out pretty easy what style you have. Just putt with a piece of wood right next to the ball and see if you hit it. Degrees of loft have very little difference since you should be de-lofting it anyway with a forward shaft lean. So, standard is near a one-size fit all. And insert vs non-insert depends on your feel, no fitting can tell you this.

You might want to look into the weight of the putter, as I find this to be a huge factor.

[Thwak-Thwak-Ting]

Putters are all about feel.

If you hit "the one", even on astroturf, you'll know.

[Shooter McGreenkeeper]

the putter shaft length is critical too.
my tip, go and get a ping anser or ping scottsdale and get the shaft length so you can get you eyes directly over the ball and then fit it with a thicker grip that you like...

[WUTiger]

skwon,

A clubfitter I talked to said that most people could use a heavier swingweight in their putter. Might check it out locally, see what pros and clubfitters say.

[jamo]

At a few Golf Galaxy stores that I have been to they have a Ping putter fitting tool that is a putter with a telescoping handle and a hinge on the hosel to fit you to length and lie. Loft is generally not something you can change on a putter, I wouldn't even worry about it. I'm more of a non-insert fan, but you can find insert and non-insert putters to fit any need.

[relentlesswhitey]

well we cant help you a whole lot. as mentioned, putters are all about feel. if i could suggest some tips i would say that when you are trying out putters, always use the ball that you play with, so you know what it will feel like in a real round. i have found it critical to get the correct length on a putter, as most people have theirs too long.

just to furthur prove my point, i bought a scotty cameron about 3 months ago and it is about 35' or so and i dont use it. i still use my ol' beater 32' white hot XG rossie, just because i feel more natural over the ball, and it has so so so much more control. hope you find a beauty, and dont be biased when it comes to putters! find what works for you

[mcgriff]

Hey, if you figure it out let me know. I still use a Bullseye putter. Think the thing to do is buy what looks best to you at address, has the appropriate length, and fits your swing type. I think putters are like Christmas tree ornaments. You get more every year, but the same ones keep going on the tree.

[srjorion]

Feel and look are the two things that matter to me. I just don't feel comfortable over a putter that doesn't look good to me. I've always liked the Anser style putters and gravitate towards those models that look the same. From there I hit balls on the indoor putting greens and then usually give it a day or two before pulling the trigger. Of course I've only bought three putters my whole life, but it works for me.

[newtogolf]

Putters are definitely about feel. I convinced myself the Rossa Corza Ghost was a great putter because of all the reviews I read. I really liked the look and bought into the whole concept. I thought I'd get a feel for it, and be able to control distance with it, but it never happened.

I can't blame it all on the putter because I'm a novice golfer and still learning, but the blade putters like the Ping Anser and SC Newport felt much better. I ended up with the Newport 2 and in the short time I've had it my putting has improved on practice greens. The true test will be on a real course.

[SuperSonic]

I look at 2 things: Feel and Look. Look is a simple. The major problem is feel and you gotta figure that out yourself.

[themightytimmah]

I just picked out the 5-10 putters that I thought I would hit the best (based on looks), and putted 5 balls each from about 10 feet or so. I found the winner easily - 3 balls holed compared to at most 1 for the other putters.

[etlreams]

As others have said.... putters are all about feel. Sure, there area all sorts of commonly suggest tips/techniques - such as keep you hands away from your body, set up with your eyes directly over the ball, etc. etc. But personally and IMHO, putting is as unique as your character. Forget about "correct" set up. Forget about matching stroke type to style of putter head.. You just have to find a stroke and putter that feels good to you. The only way you can do that is test out every putter you can get your hands on. You'll know when you find the one the looks and feels right.

[adamg]

I would like to share my experience last spring at the Pinehurst Golf Academy. I was in the market for a new putter. I asked them to help "fit" me for a putter. They watched me putt on camera, measured me (to determine shaft length), and watched me putt some on the green. They said my swing was pretty good, and my problem (like most golfers) is green reading (based on a study they ran).


Their advice was to first and foremost practice green reading. They did a study and learned most people can't read a green well. They tend to blame their putter because they think they "push" or "pull" putts. While people do push and pull putts, many times there is a small break at the very beginning of the putt people miss. You can only see this if you watch your putt from behind. To your eyes looking above the ball, it's a push or pull. In actuality, you hit it where you aimed. They recommended practicing by rolling balls on a green. Do not use a putter. This allows you to watch ball movement from the very beginning. You like kind of silly doing it, but it does help.

So where am I going? Based on this study, I decided not to focus on lag putts and distance control when I picked a putter. I have struggled to hit my distance consistently from 30+ ft. I was not expecting to find a putter that I could control distance well. I started to branch out and try different putter styles. I have always used mallets because I am not an arch better. I decided to try some blades. Heavier blades worked well for me. My distance control with it was superb. I struggled on short putts compared to the mallets. Despite this, I decided to trust the instructors at Pinehurst and worry about distance control and green reading. I went with the putter I hit best from far.

Now it's a few months later, and I love my choice. I have focused my practice time on green reading. I am now hitting more putts inside 10 feet than ever. And because I focused on distance control when I selected a putter, I don't have many 3 putts from a long distance anymore. If I had not focused on distance control when selecting a putter, I would not have been able to shave as many putts off per round.

To net it out, focus on distance control and not accuracy on short putts. Don't worry about work is supposed to work for your swing. Focus on what actually works. Then practice, practice, practice green reading.

This does not have all the information they gave me in person, but they did publish some of their findings - http://www.pinehurst.com/pdf/SecretstoReadingGreens.pdf

[Gapwedge]

2 things I look for in a putter is feel and length.  For feel I like a putter with a swingweight of at least D0 to D2 with an insert.  The swingweight range will vary from C5 to D6.  A heavier feeling head for me offers better distance control.   I have used a Bulls Eye for years and recently switched to Ping Anser 2 Scottsdale with a swingweight of D0 and 34".  I am less concerned about loft and lie.  This is one of the most subjective club purchases you will make next to a driver.  I am also going to experiment with a Winn mid size paddle grip as my hands are beginning to get a little stiff due to age. (Age 59 in January)..

[k-troop]

Is there some aspect of your putting that needs improvement?  I.e. distance control, starting the ball on line with shorter putts, etc?

For starters, I think putting is the one aspect of the game that everyone should do basically the same.  Eyes directly over the ball, hands hanging below the shoulders, straight back and through.  There are lots of ways to get to a good impact position with a 5-iron, but really only one way to do this with a putter.

I struggled with consistency in my putting for years.  About 7 years ago I started fiddling with putters and I discovered that for me, setting up so that I could see the line I was trying to putt the ball down--and getting the ball started on that line--was all that really mattered.  That's when I found the odyssey 2-ball center shaft putter.

It was awkward at first because I had always used heel-shafted blades.  However, with the center-shaft 2-ball I found that I could easily align the center of the clubface with the intended line.  Then it was simply a matter of arranging my stance so that my body was oriented properly on that line.  After that, it was just back and through.  Now my putting from 25 feet and in is very consistent, and occasionally I'll get hot and start holing everything.

It's a tradeoff, though.  That style of putting makes it slightly more difficult to judge distance control on really long putts.  Distance control is really about practice though--if you set up and stroke it the same every time, it just takes a little practice to groove distance.  Another thing I did to help with distance control is to pace off the distance of every putt, every time.  If you know exactly how long every putt is, then you know how far you hit each putt and your body registers that feedback.  After a few hundred putts, your body will start to inherently know how hard to hit each putt.

[k-troop]

BTW I find this very odd.  The average tour player is 6"0 or 6"1.  The majority of putters used by tour players are 34" or 33.5".  Why is the stock length for a putter in your local golf shop 35"?  Makes no sense to me.

[dbwood]

  k-troop said:

Originally Posted by k-troop

BTW I find this very odd.  The average tour player is 6"0 or 6"1.  The majority of putters used by tour players are 34" or 33.5".  Why is the stock length for a putter in your local golf shop 35"?  Makes no sense to me.

I'm 5' 9" with 34.75" wrist to floor and use a 33".  I found that length to be the easiest for me to use and keep my eye directly above the ball with a comfortable, reasonably proper posture.

I'll agree with others and say it's mostly about feel and what makes you feel confident.  I monkey with putters all the time in the store just to feel what different ones feel like.