Shopping for a new putter

[Ernest Jones]

Hi All,

Just got $75 gift certificate for Golf Town

Planning on getting a new putter (willing to kick in some of my own cash) and wanted to get some suggestions of peoples favorites. I'm leaning towards a Yes putter as I like the idea behind the c-grooves. I plan on spending an hour or so trying out different ones to see what fits my tendencies but, as they have literally hundreds of putters, I was hoping my fellow trappers could help me narrow the list so I'm not there for days!

Currently using a half-mallet and will probably gravitate towards something similar as I like the weightier putters.

[lumpuckeroo]

Depends on how much extra you want to spend.  I'm a huge Scotty Cameron fan and my new putter for this year is the Fastback 1.5.  I would consider it a mid mallet.

If you don't want to spend that much, look at the Ping Scottsdale line, they have several mid-mallet to mallet versions.  I've putted with the B60 and like it, but you might look at the Shea or the Half Pipe.

[Beachcomber]

I like the look of the Ping Nome. [VIDEO]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CGLH80wnIY[/VIDEO] The new Odyssey White Hot XG #7 is solid. I tried it at Golf Galaxy and liked it. http://www.odysseygolf.com/global/en-us/products/putters/white-hot-xg/white-hot-xg-7-putter.html The Ghost Spider from TaylorMade is sweet too. I've got a few buddies playing it and they like it. The insert makes the ball roll so nice. http://www.taylormadegolf.com/products/putters/ghost-spider-putter The Nike Method putters have gotten good reviews too. But I haven't tried one.

[namkrats]

Have u tried a scotty?

[sean_miller]

Try them all (within reason).

Originally Posted by Ernest Jones

Hi All,

Just got $75 gift certificate for Golf Town

Planning on getting a new putter (willing to kick in some of my own cash) and wanted to get some suggestions of peoples favorites. I'm leaning towards a Yes putter as I like the idea behind the c-grooves. I plan on spending an hour or so trying out different ones to see what fits my tendencies but, as they have literally hundreds of putters, I was hoping my fellow trappers could help me narrow the list so I'm not there for days!

Currently using a half-mallet and will probably gravitate towards something similar as I like the weightier putters.

[Ernest Jones]

JACKPOT!!

Just came back from golftown with my new Yes! putter. For some reason it was tagged at $25, I asked the sales girl to scan it and it scanned at $118, she called the pro (or whatever you call a golftown dude) and he looked at it and said, "sticker says $25 so $25 it is."

It's a Yes! Athena mallet. It's only a 34" shaft so its too short for me but they can extend the shaft for a paltry $7 so it looks like today was my day!

C-grooves work like a charm and I was lagging 30 footers to 6 inches on the artificial putting surface, couldn't be happier. Felt like I was stealing, but in a good way!

[TheGeekGolfer]

Wow...great deal!

[Mr. Desmond]

Hope it works ... on grass.

[GaijinGolfer]

Yes!, makes some nice putters.  IMO, you did great on that putter.

I personally wouldnt spend more than $100 on a putter.  You can get a really nice putter new for that much money.  You dont need to go out and spend $300 on a Scotty.  Its just a putter and the name, "Scotty Cameron" stamped on the bottom of a putter isnt going to make you hole more putts.

Ive owned enough high-end putters (a couple Camerons, a few T.P. Mills and several Bettinardis) to know that an expensive putter is just a waste of money.  I putted just as well with a Cleveland Classic or a standard Ping Anser as I did with any of the Scottys, T.P. Mills or Bettinardis.

[SVTGolfer]

I was gonna say try a Nike Method, but it looks like you got a great deal on another good putter, so congrats! And enjoy!

[mlf16507]

Originally Posted by Ernest Jones

JACKPOT!!

Just came back from golftown with my new Yes! putter. For some reason it was tagged at $25, I asked the sales girl to scan it and it scanned at $118, she called the pro (or whatever you call a golftown dude) and he looked at it and said, "sticker says $25 so $25 it is."

It's a Yes! Athena mallet. It's only a 34" shaft so its too short for me but they can extend the shaft for a paltry $7 so it looks like today was my day!

C-grooves work like a charm and I was lagging 30 footers to 6 inches on the artificial putting surface, couldn't be happier. Felt like I was stealing, but in a good way!

Make sure you leave the price on the  putter!  If you don't ever take it off,the putter doesm't you bought it.  Soon as it is aware you bought it knows and will go to hell in a hand basket.  If tag is still on. it thinks you are still trying it out and will behave,  Trust me on this!!!  I have been a teaching golf pro for  38  year sand playing golf for57 years.  Make sure you use a good grade of  packing  tape, so it will not come off!!

[iacas]

Originally Posted by TitleistWI

Yes!, makes some nice putters.  IMO, you did great on that putter.

I personally wouldnt spend more than $100 on a putter.  You can get a really nice putter new for that much money.  You dont need to go out and spend $300 on a Scotty.  Its just a putter and the name, "Scotty Cameron" stamped on the bottom of a putter isnt going to make you hole more putts.

Ive owned enough high-end putters (a couple Camerons, a few T.P. Mills and several Bettinardis) to know that an expensive putter is just a waste of money.  I putted just as well with a Cleveland Classic or a standard Ping Anser as I did with any of the Scottys, T.P. Mills or Bettinardis.

And in the opposite corner, I suggest you investigate spending $300+ on a putter. One time.

Get fitted for an Edel. It's the last putter you'll need. Buy four $100 putters and you'll be wasting $400. Buy one $350 putter that's custom fit to you and you'll have the top quality AND a putter that you can align and control AND customized stamping, etc.

[Harmonious]

Originally Posted by iacas

Buy four $100 putters and you'll be wasting $400.

That's a bit extreme.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Harmonious

That's a bit extreme.

Perhaps. Depends on your definition of "waste." I view wasting money and time as doing something less than optimally in cases like this.

It's kind of like what they say with tripods. You can spend $50 on a tripod. Then $200. Then $500. Then you spend a thousand on a tripod that's actually good. Or you can just spend the thousand and skip the $750 you spent beforehand. Same is true in other worlds like bikes, etc. Now you might be happy with a $99 bike, but you're not very serious about biking and you'd be the golf equivalent of a guy that plays four times a year. If you're serious about biking, the ones you're interested in start at $500 and go to several thousand. Fortunately in golf the lower end prices are almost the same but the higher-end prices top out at a significantly lower price. :-)

Better, IMO, to skip to the end of the line and buy a putter you'll use the rest of your life rather than wasting money and time on putters that aren't a custom, perfect fit.

People tend to accumulate putters.

[Ernest Jones]

Originally Posted by Mr. Desmond

Hope it works ... on grass.

LOL, me too! Putter seem to deteriorate the moment they are exposed to sunlight and fresh air.

Originally Posted by SVTGolfer

I was gonna say try a Nike Method, but it looks like you got a great deal on another good putter, so congrats! And enjoy!

Nike ran a close second, as did a wilson staff that I tried, but in the end the combination of the way the ball came off of the c-grooves and the $25 price tag won me over.

Originally Posted by mlf16507

Make sure you leave the price on the  putter!  If you don't ever take it off,the putter doesm't you bought it.  Soon as it is aware you bought it knows and will go to hell in a hand basket.  If tag is still on. it thinks you are still trying it out and will behave,  Trust me on this!!!  I have been a teaching golf pro for  38  year sand playing golf for57 years.  Make sure you use a good grade of  packing  tape, so it will not come off!!

That is a better idea than it appears to be

Originally Posted by iacas

Perhaps. Depends on your definition of "waste." I view wasting money and time as doing something less than optimally in cases like this.

It's kind of like what they say with tripods. You can spend $50 on a tripod. Then $200. Then $500. Then you spend a thousand on a tripod that's actually good. Or you can just spend the thousand and skip the $750 you spent beforehand. Same is true in other worlds like bikes, etc. Now you might be happy with a $99 bike, but you're not very serious about biking and you'd be the golf equivalent of a guy that plays four times a year. If you're serious about biking, the ones you're interested in start at $500 and go to several thousand. Fortunately in golf the lower end prices are almost the same but the higher-end prices top out at a significantly lower price. :-)

Better, IMO, to skip to the end of the line and buy a putter you'll use the rest of your life rather than wasting money and time on putters that aren't a custom, perfect fit.

People tend to accumulate putters.

I do agree with this in general. I also think it's not a bad idea to tinker around in the lower range to get an idea of what you like before pulling the trigger on Mona Lisa. In my case, I'm not experienced nor good enough to know what suits me best, not to mention the fact that my putting stroke is subject to frequent change as I am not yet that proficient. I also do not have the funds to dive into the $500 putter market, although I am not at all opposed to the idea. Up till now I have spent a grand total of $40 + $25 = $65 on putters and both are very decent to excellent putters. Now if I get to the point where I am considering spending big-boy money on a putter ($300+) I would absolutely look into custom fitting, to spend that kind of cash for off-the-rack is insane! I believe that the difference in performance from a custom fit putter will far outweigh the monetary output and possibly be more beneficial than every other dime I've spent on golf (instruction not withstanding). Now I have two very different putters of respectable quality that should help me hone my preferences so that if and when I pull the trigger on the customized/fitted masterpiece I'll have some idea of where to start.

They also say, " Marry your driver, date your putter!"

I don't own a tripod, I use a lawn chair and my I-Phone

[Harmonious]

I agree that people who putt badly tend to accumulate putters.  That's due to their constantly seeking that one magical putter that will overcome their terrible stroke, or their inability to correctly read greens, or both. Good putters (whether in reality or in their own mind)  tend to keep the putter that they feel good about.

I'm sure Edel makes a good putter.  So do a lot of companies. Some will sell for $400, and some will sell for less than $100. Whether any of them become a lifetime putter will depend upon whether one is successful using it. Granted that a perfectly fit putter would probably be more likely to help one's putting than a poorly fit one, without a decent stroke and the ability to correctly read greens there won't be any improvement.

[GaijinGolfer]

Originally Posted by iacas

And in the opposite corner, I suggest you investigate spending $300+ on a putter. One time.

Get fitted for an Edel. It's the last putter you'll need. Buy four $100 putters and you'll be wasting $400. Buy one $350 putter that's custom fit to you and you'll have the top quality AND a putter that you can align and control AND customized stamping, etc.

Why not just get fitted for a $100 putter?  Does all that customized stamping and gizmos help you make more putts?  Id definetly agree with you about getting fitted but I wouldnt advise anyone to go out and spend $300+ on ANY putter.

Id love to have a custom Never Compromise Gambler.  Theyre a beautiful forged putter but again, its not going to help you make more putts.

One of the guys in my golf league has an Edel putter and its a beautiful club.  He let me try it out on the practice green when he first got it and its a nice putter but I wouldnt call it anything special or much different than what any of the other high-end putter manufacturers are doing.  The variable loft, variable weights and other gizmos are cool but in the end, it all comes down to having a reliable stroke.

Id still go out and spend $100 and get fitted for a putter and spend the other $200 on putting lessons.

[GaijinGolfer]

Originally Posted by Harmonious

I agree that people who putt badly tend to accumulate putters.  That's due to their constantly seeking that one magical putter that will overcome their terrible stroke, or their inability to correctly read greens, or both. Good putters (whether in reality or in their own mind)  tend to keep the putter that they feel good about.

I'm sure Edel makes a good putter.  So do a lot of companies. Some will sell for $400, and some will sell for less than $100. Whether any of them become a lifetime putter will depend upon whether one is successful using it. Granted that a perfectly fit putter would probably be more likely to help one's putting than a poorly fit one, without a decent stroke and the ability to correctly read greens there won't be any improvement.

I agree 100%!  Of all the clubs in the bag, people seem to give the most blame and have the least patience for their putter.  Ive been guility of it too.  Just recently I bought a used Bettinardi BC7 on Ebay.  I always loved the way they look and always wanted one but didnt want to pay $200+ for one, so I waited until the price came down.

I finally bought one, tried it out for about a week, hated the feel of it and traded it into the local pro shop.