My Edel Putter Fitting

[iacas]

First, the grip is an issue.  I am surprised that a company selling $400 putters don't offer every grip under the sun.

I'm not going to make excuses, but it makes sense that they offer a round grip and a few others. Offering "every grip under the sun" would be a stock nightmare, particularly when you can change the grip yourself so easily.

The stock grip is round because it doesn't require you to put it on within half a degree of accurate. A grip that's off by a few degrees can throw off your aim, nullifying all the effort you put into finding a putter you can aim.

First, the grip is an issue.  I am surprised that a company selling $400 putters don't offer every grip under the sun.  I was using and have been using the same Golf Pride "Special" grip for the last 6+ years.  After playing one round with Edel's grip, I have since changed it twice.  Unfortunately, Golf Pride no longer makes the grip I've been using, so I am now using a Winn.  It's not bad, but the angles are taking some getting used to.  Plus, the softer grip may be affecting my feel.

It could certainly be contributing to your poor touch.

You also changed the balance and weight of your putter if your fitter didn't account for (or you didn't after the fact) the grip you were going to use. The bigger grips weigh more.

Next, the vibration (or feel) and sound at impact are different for me.  My previous Never Compromise gave a different sensation and sound - more of a medium-pitch, pong noise.  By contrast, my Edel has a solid whack feel and thud noise.  My distance control is fine, but the sound and feedback I receive makes me think mishit.  Thus, I believe this is translating into a lack of confidence in the putter.  It's not with all strikes, but with most.

For all we know you're hitting the ball off the toe or heel. Maybe you actually ARE mishitting it.

I am planning a trip back to my fitter to re-evaluate the putter setup.  I think there may not be enough loft.  The thud I mentioned above may be because I'm striking the upper half/ridge line of the putter face.  The metal of these putter is so soft it leaves marks.  I have a lot of stike marks across the top part of the putter face and less in the center.  There have been strikes where things feel supper sweet.  I suppose those were the center hits.  Either my forward press and stroke are the culprit or not enough loft.

The metal probably isn't being marked up from hitting golf balls… Are you sure it's not from putting the club back in your bag or something?

[cipher]

First, the grip is an issue.  I am surprised that a company selling $400 putters don't offer every grip under the sun.

There is a big reason for the round grip and not offering others.  I am surprised the fitter did not make you aware of that.

Edit:  Erik went into more detail above.

[saevel25]

There is a big reason for the round grip and not offering others.  I am surprised the fitter did not make you aware of that.

Edit:  Erik went into more detail above.

Even though I haven't had an Edel fitting. That is one thing I have stolen, the round grip. With putting needed to be exact, the slight mis-alignment of a flat grip would spell disaster. I've tried to regrip my putter before, and it is a pain to try to get that thing perfectly aligned. Round grip is the way to go.

[cipher]

Even though I haven't had an Edel fitting. That is one thing I have stolen, the round grip. With putting needed to be exact, the slight mis-alignment of a flat grip would spell disaster. I've tried to regrip my putter before, and it is a pain to try to get that thing perfectly aligned. Round grip is the way to go.

Exactly.

@amac the Edel grip did feel foreign a bit to me at first as well.  But you gotta give it more than one round to get used to it .  I am used to mine now and really like it.  It does what it is supposed to do.

[RFKFREAK]

Anyone from the New York/Connecticut/NJ area have experience with any of the local fitters? After checking out the Edel website, it looks like I will need to drive about 1.5 hours to either New York or New Jersey (I'm in Connecticut) to get a fitting done and I was hoping to get some feedback on any of the fitters in this area. I am also willing to go to Massachusetts, so if anyone has had a fitting with either of the fitters located there please share.

After reading all of the reviews here it seems that getting a fitted Edel is completely worth the time and money so I am pretty excited to get a fitting set up.

I'm up in Albany, NY so the closest one to me seems like it's around an hour and forty minutes away on the border of CT and MA by Springfield MA.

That said, I'm really feeling this so I'll probably go there instead of in NJ as it doesn't seem like they have any fitters in NY.

[amac]

iacas, the added weight of the grip was/is a concern, but hasn't seemed to affect my lag putt.  I addressed my grip concerns at the time of my fitting and was given the same response you mentioned.  I understand, but doesn't mean I have to agree or like it.  I went into this knowing/planning on changing out the grip.  I was unaware that my Special grip was discontinued.  I will continue to search and try grips until I find the one that gives me the feel and confidence I'm after.

As for the marks on the putter face, they are not from returning the club in my bag unprotected.  I always put the cover on before doing so.  I am sure the little lines/marks being left are from ball strikes.  And YES, I am mishitting the ball on occasion becuase there are marks on the heel area as well as the toe.  But, I've made enough strokes in my 25 short years of playing golf to know how to make center hits and what that feels like.  I'm not getting the response out of this putter like I'm used to.  The weird thing is the ball rolls to the hole every time.  By the sound of it, I'd swear the ball would come up short.  My touch is fine.  My stroke might not be.

[MPtheKid]

I'm up in Albany, NY so the closest one to me seems like it's around an hour and forty minutes away on the border of CT and MA by Springfield MA.

That said, I'm really feeling this so I'll probably go there instead of in NJ as it doesn't seem like they have any fitters in NY.

Hmm I must have missed the guy near Springfield when I looked. That would probably be the most convenient for me as well.

Post if you end up going out that way for a fitting. I'd be really interested to hear what kind of experience you had. Thanks.

[RFKFREAK]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RFKFREAK

I'm up in Albany, NY so the closest one to me seems like it's around an hour and forty minutes away on the border of CT and MA by Springfield MA.

That said, I'm really feeling this so I'll probably go there instead of in NJ as it doesn't seem like they have any fitters in NY.

Hmm I must have missed the guy near Springfield when I looked. That would probably be the most convenient for me as well.

Post if you end up going out that way for a fitting. I'd be really interested to hear what kind of experience you had. Thanks.

Not sure how far you live from NYC but it looks like they have a new fitter for the NYC Metro area.

[MPtheKid]

Not sure how far you live from NYC but it looks like they have a new fitter for the NYC Metro area.

I'll have to look into that. I am only about an hour outside of NYC so that would make a lot of sense. Thanks for the info.

[awil95]

I just had an edel putter fitting , would you guys re commend having a sound slot added to the putter or not ?

[amac]

i've made an appointment to go back to my original Edel putter fitter for a check up.  In the meantime, I have been reflecting on my first fitting session and then just read this article from another Edel fitter on Golf WRX. This artilce is about putter design and its affect on aim. I am now questioning whether my fitter new what he was doing.  According to this referenced article, I got the exact opposite of what I needed!  What to do?

[iacas]

I just had an edel putter fitting , would you guys re commend having a sound slot added to the putter or not ?

That's up to you. Note that it can subtly change the way you line up because there's no sound slot in the test putters used, so that alone might be a reason to avoid it. I don't recommend it to anyone.

i've made an appointment to go back to my original Edel putter fitter for a check up.

…

According to this referenced article, I got the exact opposite of what I needed!  What to do?

Send me a PM with the name of your fitter. I'll talk with David Edel or Bobby or someone and point them to this thread.

Also, I'll add more to this post after I've read the article. Some things in putter fitting are tendencies - there are very few rules that apply 100% of the time.

Yeah, that's what it was:

In other words, it might work 67% of the time, but there are plenty of people in the 33% too. Everyone is subtly unique, too - someone might aim right with a rounder putter but do the opposite when you add more lines.

[Ernest Jones]

That's up to you. Note that it can subtly change the way you line up because there's no sound slot in the test putters used, so that alone might be a reason to avoid it. I don't recommend it to anyone.

Send me a PM with the name of your fitter. I'll talk with David Edel or Bobby or someone and point them to this thread.

Also, I'll add more to this post after I've read the article. Some things in putter fitting are tendencies - there are very few rules that apply 100% of the time.

Yeah, that's what it was:

In other words, it might work 67% of the time, but there are plenty of people in the 33% too. Everyone is subtly unique, too - someone might aim right with a rounder putter but do the opposite when you add more lines.

Interesting. I have 3 putters in the house right now, all with single line alignment aids and I did a crude aim test using the lines on my hardwood floor. Basically just tried to aim straight down a floorboard seam with out looking at the alignment aid (just looked at the face) and then check to see if my alignment aid line was perfectly aligned with the seam. My Carizma was slightly to the right and appeared a tad closed when I aligned it to the seam, my dad's old Karsten had me aiming a touch left and appeared slightly open when aligned with the seam and (happily) my Yes! Athena putter was bang on the seam so I guess I just got lucky that the putter I love and play appears to suit my eye as well. I know his is a pretty crude test but it seems it would be at least as accurate as seemore triangulator test.

The Athena is ugly as sin but it gets the job done for me!

Sorry, maybe a touch OT as none of these are Edels but we are talking about aim bias so I thought it was interesting to see with my own eyes. I'm tempted to buy or jerry rig a triangulator to see if the results are the same.

[billchao]

my Yes! Athena putter was bang on the seam so I guess I just got lucky that the putter I love and play appears to suit my eye as well.

Maybe that's why you love it so much?

[iacas]

Sorry, maybe a touch OT as none of these are Edels but we are talking about aim bias so I thought it was interesting to see with my own eyes. I'm tempted to buy or jerry rig a triangulator to see if the results are the same.

The thing is… you don't have seams on the putting green, so for all you know, you aim your favorite putter left, and have a block stroke compensation, in real-world use. :)

[Ernest Jones]

The thing is… you don't have seams on the putting green, so for all you know, you aim your favorite putter left, and have a block stroke compensation, in real-world use. :)

Do you think a triangulator or homemade version is worthwhile? I mean, I'm pretty sure I aim my putter well because I sink a lot of putts but I'd be curious to see if I'm just lucky or really good at compensating. Then again, perhaps ignorance is bliss as long as I generally have less than 36 putts a round.

[iacas]

Do you think a triangulator or homemade version is worthwhile? I mean, I'm pretty sure I aim my putter well because I sink a lot of putts but I'd be curious to see if I'm just lucky or really good at compensating. Then again, perhaps ignorance is bliss as long as I generally have less than 36 putts a round.

You also miss a lot of greens, so… I don't know. If you think you're a good putter, stick with that.

[Ernest Jones]

You also miss a lot of greens, so… I don't know. If you think you're a good putter, stick with that.

I think I'm a good enough putter that I shouldn't spend a lot of time working on it because, as you've pointed out, it's the missed GIR that are holding me back more than anything else. My practice ratio % right now is around 95-5-0. In the summer it's more like 80-20-0, so yeah, putting is definitely not my issue. I'm sure that as my ball striking improves my putting will show some weaknesses but I'm lucky insofar as I seem to have a pretty good natural ability to feel speed and see lines. Anyway, way OT but thanks for steering me back to reality. ;-)