Putters of Choice?

[Groucho Valentine]

Ive used a quarter offset "ping zing" type of putter literally my entire golfing life.  The brands have changed over the years (Odyssey, ping, Scotty Cameron etc.) but the type has been identical. I dont think ever scored a 18 hole round without that type of putter in my hand. Ive been using a Odyessy Protype #6 for the last 5 years or so.  Im not really sure if its the "right putter" for me or not, but Ive been using this style of putter for so long that everything else I've tried just seems awkward and uncomfortable when i stand over them. I guess it has to do more with psychological comfort than anything else. 

Edited February 12, 2018 by Groucho Valentine

[Sclaffer]

I had a putting lesson and the pro suggested that a face balanced putter might suit me better than my old Ping Anser style putter with slight toe hang. So I got a Ping Scottsdale Wolverine C putter and, of course, it was fine for a few days. It is over a year now and my putting is worse than ever.

There are a lot of folks say use a face balanced putter if you have a SBST stroke and use a putter with some toe hang if you are an arc putter.

If we take the line from ball to hole on a straight put to be our reference line (not an inclined plane) then on any put over a few feet, I cannot see how you can physically take the club SB or ST without all sorts of manipulations, unless you bend over 90 degrees so that your shoulder axis is above the line of the putt?

Does that make face balanced putters irrelevant?  Obviously not.

But now I am utterly confused.

[colin007]

  On 1/12/2019 at 5:41 PM, Sclaffer said:

I had a putting lesson and the pro suggested that a face balanced putter might suit me better than my old Ping Anser style putter with slight toe hang. So I got a Ping Scottsdale Wolverine C putter and, of course, it was fine for a few days. It is over a year now and my putting is worse than ever.

There are a lot of folks say use a face balanced putter if you have a SBST stroke and use a putter with some toe hang if you are an arc putter.

If we take the line from ball to hole on a straight put to be our reference line (not an inclined plane) then on any put over a few feet, I cannot see how you can physically take the club SB or ST without all sorts of manipulations, unless you bend over 90 degrees so that your shoulder axis is above the line of the putt?

Does that make face balanced putters irrelevant?  Obviously not.

But now I am utterly confused.

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You are absolutely correct about having to massively manipulate your setup if you're trying to do a strict SBST. The hands would have to move more or less in line with the initial line of the putt.

Face balanced putters aren't irrelevant, but the most important thing about a putter is  Can you aim it and hit it the right distance?

[GOATee]

All putter strokes are arcs.  If you bow 90 degrees and use a super short putter straight down, you can get a SBST stroke.  Otherwise, any bow at all above 90 degrees will cause an arc.

Try some putts on flat surface with no lie.  If your natural stroke arcs too little, you will miss right (or left for left-handers).  If your natural stroke arcs too much, you will miss left (or right for left-handers).

If you want your stroke to arc more, get more toe hang.  If you want your stroke to arc less, get less toe hang or face balanced.

If your putter works well, don't change it unless you can get something very close to the same specifications in every way.

[iacas]

  On 1/22/2019 at 3:33 AM, GOATee said:

Try some putts on flat surface with no lie.  If your natural stroke arcs too little, you will miss right (or left for left-handers).  If your natural stroke arcs too much, you will miss left (or right for left-handers).

If you want your stroke to arc more, get more toe hang.  If you want your stroke to arc less, get less toe hang or face balanced.

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Neither of those things are really very true.

[GOATee]

more toe hang, less toe hang and face balance putters have different feeling.

this feeling causes different people to close the arc more or less.

it is unpredictable how a different feeling affects a different golfer's stroke path, put it that way.

so get fitted.

 

In general, more toe hang makes a putter toe feel heavier relative to the heel in the stroke, which can cause different people to use this heavier toe feeling to arc more and others to fight this and arc less.

Face-balanced feels more neutral, which is easier for some and causes others to feel like they are missing the sway of a toe hang putter and they may over-close the arc.

So it is very complicated.

 

Edited January 22, 2019 by GOATee

[iacas]

The forces and torques around toe hang, arc length, etc. are negligible. And people miss right or left for a LOT of reasons, so attributing it to "arc strength" is only one of many, many possible causes.

[GOATee]

  On 1/22/2019 at 3:48 AM, iacas said:

The forces and torques around toe hang, arc length, etc. are negligible. And people miss right or left for a LOT of reasons, so attributing it to "arc strength" is only one of many, many possible causes.

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I agree that the magnitude of actual physical forces are negligible.

The toe-hang's major impact is on feel.  And feel changes the golfer's putting stroke.

If you feel the toe is heavier than the heel, it may for some reason cause a tiny change in how you putt and this can totally affect arc path.

Edited January 22, 2019 by GOATee

[iacas]

  On 1/22/2019 at 3:52 AM, GOATee said:

I agree that the magnitude of actual physical forces are negligible.

The toe-hang's major impact is on feel.  And feel changes the golfer's putting stroke.

If you feel the toe is heavier than the heel, it may for some reason cause a tiny change in how you putt and this can totally affect arc path.

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I disagree.

[GOATee]

Get fitted, be it by Edel or SAM Puttlab.

General theory is too easy to get tangled up in.  Getting fitted is specific customization which works.

Edited January 22, 2019 by GOATee

[iacas]

  On 1/22/2019 at 3:57 AM, GOATee said:

Get fitted, be it by Edel or SAM Puttlab.

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Those are two totally different classes of things.

One's an equipment company that makes a pretty versatile putter fitting system and the other is a putting stroke analysis tool.

FWIW I'm an Edel fitter and a SAM PuttLab owner.

[DrMJG]

I actually had my first putter fitting last year with my golf pro, who does to have a marketing push for one style or brand over another.  I was replacing a putter I was given as a promo from Canadian Club many years ago and was based on a model from (or even made by)  decades ago. Slightly bent out of shape, it was time to replace.  We must have looked at 15 putters based, in no small part, on price, the way I looked at the ball in relation to the putter, my stroke.

We took about a week to get it down to three or so I liked. So he finally asked: which one do you trust to give you the putts you need?  I could tell no great difference except weight and my ability to aim the putts.  For whatever reason, the choice came down to the one I have.

In reality, I think, he was right to ask "what putter do you trust the most" was, for me, the correct decision maker.  My son, for example like the feel of my putter, but it is heavier than the one he has.  I have friends who have also said "you bought THAT thing?" The bottom line is, of all the clubs in my bag of weapons, putters for me have always been the most personal.