Why does your putter matter?

[ghoul31]

If you hit any  putter correctly, it will go straight.

Then you just have to judge the break and the speed of  the put. And that doesn't have anything to do with your putter.

[jamo]

You still have to be able to aim it straight, return the clubface straight, and swing the putter with the right speed (distance control). Different putters are also designed to handle off-center hits differently. And people like them to feel nice.

[geauxforbroke]

If you hit any  putter correctly, it will go straight.

Then you just have to judge the break and the speed of  the put. And that doesn't have anything to do with your putter.

That's a really big "if".

[tefunk]

Good point... If I just hit every club in my bag perfectly, then I could shoot an 18 on 18 holes. I never realized it was that simple... And now with a little less sarcasm... Not every putter is the same. The length, the weight, the feel, the grip of my putter is what works for me. Different styles of putters work better for different people... Whether its due to weighting, alignment marks, etc., or even just mental.

[MS256]

If a putter doesn't fit your stroke you won't make a perfect roll. A perfect roll doesn't always mean a putt made but the percentages go way up.

Get a few putters and make a chalk line on the practice green and put a line around your ball. Then roll the ball down the chalk line and watch the line on the ball as it rolls. It would surprise me a lot if you (or anyone else) can roll every ball with every putter without any wobble in the line on the ball (like a car tire).

More than likely you will find one putter rolls the ball more consistently than the others.

P.S. I see people that play in our Saturday game (and even some pretty good players) that make a horrible roll and then wonder why they missed the putt.

[GaijinGolfer]

Some putters allow you to mishit the ball a bit and still make it go straight, not to mention some putters have better alignment aids that help you get the ball started on the correct line.

[boogielicious]

All putters at golf shops will always hit the ball straight and sink 40 foot putts inside the store. Outside in the real world is another story.

[tomvk77]

I still think putting is all about feel.

However a "good putter" will makes things easier.

1. face balanced ( easier to keep club on line )

2. gets the ball rolling after contact in stead off sliding over the grass

3. have a nice soft feel

4. will have minimal loft ( yes putters usually have about 1 deg. loft )

The game is just not as easy as you say, that's why we use all the help we can get with equipment.

[PirateJim]

If you hit any  putter correctly, it will go straight.

Then you just have to judge the break and the speed of  the put. And that doesn't have anything to do with your putter.

As the saying goes, the Devil's in the details.  In this case, the slight detail of hitting the putter correctly.  People are different, and the evidence suggests that various putters work better for some golfers than others. One big thing is how the putter aligns for you.  Some putters "fit your eye" much better than others, and it isn't always the one with the monster alignment aid or we'd all be gaming Odyssey DARTs.

To answer the larger original question, 'Why does your putter matter?' I would say because it is easier to get the ball those last few feet into the cup with a putter than a wedge.

[iacas]

Because, a properly fit putter makes it easier for you to:

- Hit the ball where you think you're aiming.

- Hit the ball the distance you desire.

A poorly fit putter decreases the odds of those happening, often substantially.

And that's not even to begin talking about how a putter can help with off-center hits.

[RickK]

Well, let's think about it, let's say you hit every fairway, every green in regulation and yet you only shoot even par. On a par 72 course, 36 of your strokes came with the PUTTER! Yep, I would say it plays some importance in your bag. I have seen people who are playing absolutely horrible, replace their putter and suddenly their confidence is back and they are playing well. Placebo effect...sure it is but who cares if you the game comes around.

[Slice of Life]

Because, a properly fit putter makes it easier for you to:

- Hit the ball where you think you're aiming.

- Hit the ball the distance you desire.

A poorly fit putter decreases the odds of those happening, often substantially.

And that's not even to begin talking about how a putter can help with off-center hits.

Stupid question, but you can get your current putter "fit" to you, right? I love my putter, and don't want a new one, but if there's stuff they could do to make any kind of improvements, I'm all for it.

[Jeremie Boop]

Stupid question, but you can get your current putter "fit" to you, right? I love my putter, and don't want a new one, but if there's stuff they could do to make any kind of improvements, I'm all for it.

I believe you can add weight to the head and the grip to help with balance and swing weight and it will help you out. However you can't really do much about alignment aiding on the putter.

[Slice of Life]

I believe you can add weight to the head and the grip to help with balance and swing weight and it will help you out. However you can't really do much about alignment aiding on the putter.

I was thinking more weight wise and and lie angle adjustments than alignment.

[Jeremie Boop]

I was thinking more weight wise and and lie angle adjustments than alignment.

Yeah, I would say those are very much adjustable on a putter.

[boogielicious]

Stupid question, but you can get your current putter "fit" to you, right? I love my putter, and don't want a new one, but if there's stuff they could do to make any kind of improvements, I'm all for it.

I did that.  The fitter adjusted the length by 1/2" and loft and lie.

[iacas]

Weight and lie angle are adjustable, yes (within reason - it'd be tough to add 50g to a putter head). But your alignment could still be all screwed up.

[boogielicious]

Yes.  And a proper fitting should look at aim as well.  That is the first thing my fitter did.  He had me aim my putter at a pin 10 feet away and used a laser attachment to see where the face was actually aimed.  Mine was about 1/2 hole left of center.  After the lie adjustment, it was dead center.

Loft was adjusted by how much shaft lean I had at setup and impact.