Feel in putters

[keller19xc]

When I talk about feel Im talking about the sound and the actual feel in the hands when the face insert hits the ball. I am currently using the spider ghost, I really enjoy the technology on getting the face more square at impact, it has helped tremendously 4-8 footers are no problem. The feel however is horrendous even when I use prov1's a very soft ball. I'm looking at an odyssey #9 as I understand this may not be as easy to get the face square at impact, but the feel is amazing, I also have very good distance control with it as I don't with my spider. (tried it at a local golf store) So do I sacrifice a square club face for good distance control and great feel-or do I do vice versa? Thanks

[GaijinGolfer]

Thats really a question of personal preference.  Personally, I prefer having the feel of a blade over the stability of a mallet.

[TMBridgestone]

Originally Posted by GaijinGolfer

Thats really a question of personal preference.  Personally, I prefer having the feel of a blade over the stability of a mallet.

Yes!

[indyvai]

Why do you think the #9 is harder to square at impact?

[keller19xc]

I'm not saying it's harder but I compare my spider and the odyssey side by side and I tended to pull/push more putts than I would with my spider

[TMBridgestone]

I'm not saying it's harder but I compare my spider and the odyssey side by side and I tended to pull/push more putts than I would with my spider

yeah, it's obvious that the spider would be more square and stable at impact. A higher MOI will cause this.

[kcarile]

Went from the Spyder to #9 last season.. Hard to get used to but overall better putting. Feel is like butter. Now in playing the Nike method core.. Feels like a dream.. Only had 14 putts today. Pretty nice.

[GaijinGolfer]

Originally Posted by indyvai

Why do you think the #9 is harder to square at impact?

By its very nature, the #9 is going to have more face rotation.  Thats one of the nice things about a bigger mallet: less face rotation, so theres more stability throughout the stroke and more stability at impact.

Ive dabbled with a few of them and did hit some very straight putts but I personally have problems with distance control with them.

[keller19xc]

Well I found a odyssey #9 on Craigslist for 40 good condition, going to get it. If I don't like it it's not like it's going to be a huge loss

[indyvai]

By its very nature, the #9 is going to have more face rotation.  Thats one of the nice things about a bigger mallet: less face rotation, so theres more stability throughout the stroke and more stability at impact. Ive dabbled with a few of them and did hit some very straight putts but I personally have problems with distance control with them.

By it's nature it's a putter, and doesn't rotate by itself. Weighting is feel, and as the OP noted, he's more consistent with something more face balanced. Mallet and moi aside, I'd try a face balanced blade or close to for a comparison...

[tomvk77]

Well putting is all about feel and confidence. You don't get that with the spider.

However if you take the odyssey you struggle with good contact. In both cases

you pretty much no holing any putts. but if your distance control is better with the

odyssey you pretty much take out the 3 putt zone and that helps also.

So my advise go with the odyssey and try to improve your putting stroke.

by doing some drills on the putting green --> putt 2 tee's just outside your putter head on 9 footers and make some strokes, after a while your stroke will be straighter and better

( altho i don't feel the same way about the feel about the TM putters )

[newtogolf]

Seems higher MOI putters are the new big thing these days.  Odyssey just released  "The Tank", TM, the Daddy Long Legs and Adam Scott won The Masters with Scotty Cameron's new Futura X Prototype.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by TMBridgestone

yeah, it's obvious that the spider would be more square and stable at impact. A higher MOI will cause this.

Originally Posted by GaijinGolfer

By its very nature, the #9 is going to have more face rotation.  Thats one of the nice things about a bigger mallet: less face rotation, so theres more stability throughout the stroke and more stability at impact.

Ive dabbled with a few of them and did hit some very straight putts but I personally have problems with distance control with them.

Though I get that you both mean well, please stop buying into the age-old crap about how "toe hang" causes lots of face rotation and how "face balanced" putters are better for a less arcing stroke (and thus less face rotation).

Toe weighting would actually discourage rotation - the toe would lag behind during the backswing, and again during the downswing, slowing rotation while a face-balanced putter would be the easiest to rotate.

But it really comes down to what a player wants to feel. Do they want to feel the weight of the toe, or not?

[TMBridgestone]

Though I get that you both mean well, please stop buying into the age-old crap about how "toe hang" causes lots of face rotation and how "face balanced" putters are better for a less arcing stroke (and thus less face rotation). Toe weighting would actually discourage rotation - the toe would lag behind during the backswing, and again during the downswing, slowing rotation while a face-balanced putter would be the easiest to rotate. But it really comes down to what a player wants to feel. Do they want to feel the weight of the toe, or not?

Good to know!

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by keller19xc

When I talk about feel Im talking about the sound and the actual feel in the hands when the face insert hits the ball.

I am currently using the spider ghost, I really enjoy the technology on getting the face more square at impact, it has helped tremendously

4-8 footers are no problem. The feel however is horrendous even when I use prov1's a very soft ball.

I'm looking at an odyssey #9 as I understand this may not be as easy to get the face square at impact, but the feel is amazing, I also have very good distance control with it as I don't with my spider. (tried it at a local golf store)

So do I sacrifice a square club face for good distance control and great feel-or do I do vice versa?

Thanks

What's more important, good feel or holing putts?  For 99.9% of players (and I'd wager that the percentage is probably higher than that) making putts is going to trump feel.  My putter has an odd feel to to it, but I make a lot of short putts (and I lag long putts better too) that I missed with my Odyssey.  I wouldn't let my putter go for anything in the world.  The Spider is a nice putter, and when TM came out with the original model several years ago I'd have probably bought one despite the ridiculous price (my putter was built for under $90) if I hadn't already had one which is dependable for me.

[keller19xc]

What's more important, good feel or holing putts?  For 99.9% of players (and I'd wager that the percentage is probably higher than that) making putts is going to trump feel.  My putter has an odd feel to to it, but I make a lot of short putts (and I lag long putts better too) that I missed with my Odyssey.  I wouldn't let my putter go for anything in the world.  The Spider is a nice putter, and when TM came out with the original model several years ago I'd have probably bought one despite the ridiculous price (my putter was built for under $90) if I hadn't already had one which is dependable for me.

Totally agree holing putts is a lot of fun and I don't really notice the feel when I make a good putt, I just focus on the speed and line, maybe I'm over thinking it?

[arturo28mx]

For a long time I used light putters and did not putt very well. I decided to try an Odyssey Dart belly putter, but did not like it either. So I cut down the belly putter to 34" length. I was concerned about the swingweight, as the head weighs 400 grams (most putters heads for standard length are around 350 grams). Well, it's the best putter I've ever had, not only in terms of direction, but most importantly, in terms of distance control. I'm putting better than ever.

[caniac6]

I use an old Ping Anser 2 patent pending putter. I've tried putters with inserts, but I always come back to the Ping. I find that putters with inserts mute the feel.