Putter Advice

[JonMA1]

Pretty simple question (I think).... If a proper fitting is not possible, should I just try out putters and go with the one I like the best?

I have a straight back and through style of putting (my poor putting is often caused by a failure to start the backstroke straight which effects my bead). Conventional wisdom says to go with a face balanced putter. I also bend at the waist quite a bit so shorter 34" or 35" putters are a better fit.

I tried some out today at a local golf shop. I stayed away from the Scotty Camerons and tried out ones around $220 and under... Odysseys and TM. I then tried the less expensive Wilson ($120) and TourEdge putters ($65). For reference, I'd been using a very cheap putter the last few years. At the time, I seemed to putt better with it (at the store anyway) so I couldn't come up a good reason to pay more. I still don't believe my putting woes are going to be fixed by throwing money towards a more expensive piece of equipment, but I felt that I should at least try using a putter of higher quality.

I hate to say it, but the more expensive putters felt better. Trust me, I was really hoping that wouldn't be the case and tried to be as objective as possible. The TourEdge putters felt too light. The Wilson they carried seemed much better than the one I used when I started golfing. They were comparable to mid range ones besides not having as "soft" of a feel. I'm not a fan of TaylorMade (for whatever reason), but there was one that I really liked over the others. The Odyssey putters felt good as well.

As far as weight balance, the TM I liked had a little more weight in the toe than the face balance ones. I seemed to get more roll from the same swing. I felt that particular putter might help me control speed a little more.

[saevel25]

1 minute ago, JonMA1 said:

I have a straight back and through style of putting (my poor putting is often caused by a failure to start the backstroke straight which effects my bead).

I don’t recommend a straight back thru. The putter will want to go back on an arc. Trying to go SBST just adds complications. 

Unless you have good eyes for angles, it would be hard to find a putter you can aim correctly. 

As for distance control, that is based on your putting stroke (not accelerating) and proper weighting. It might be you need a heavy putter with some back weighting. 

 

[Patch]

What ever putter you decide on, try to get a money back guarantee. At least see if you can try the putter on a real green before the final purchase.  

I can almost guarantee you that what feels great, and putts well in the store, can play differently on a real green. I learned this the hard way, and is probably the reason I accumulated so many putters over the years. 

I am also of the opinion that higher priced equipment does not always mean lower scores. 

[JonMA1]

2 hours ago, saevel25 said:

don’t recommend a straight back thru. The putter will want to go back on an arc. Trying to go SBST just adds complications.

I'd never heard this, but then again, I haven't ready many of the threads regarding putting. I don't think it's possible to go completely straight back and through, but thought the preference for some was to minimize the arc.

I really haven't spent enough time improving this part of my game. It costs me a lot of strokes to the point of it being a glaring weakness. The thing is, I can handle bad putting easier than I can bad full swings.... 3 putts are a normal part of my game.

Thanks for the info @saevel25.

11 minutes ago, Patch said:

What ever putter you decide on, try to get a money back guarantee. At least see if you can try the putter on a real green before the final purchase.  

I can almost guarantee you that what feels great, and putts well in the store, can play differently on a real green. I learned this the hard way, and is probably the reason I accumulated so many putters over the years. 

I am also of the opinion that higher priced equipment does not always mean lower scores. 

I can't argue with any of this. The golf shop would be the costliest way to go (initially), but they have outdoor practice greens to try them out on. Not sure about a money back guarantee. That's probably not going to happen.

I guess if it's this much of a crap shoot, I should just continue to use $20 putters. It's not like I expect a new putter to make a substantial difference. But there's that slight chance it might save a stroke or two per round.

[colin007]

You have to at least put a mirror on the face and shoot a laser at it to see where you're aiming. At the very least.

[Typhoon92]

I don't know how tall u are etc... But try a couple of women's putters to see how the length feels.  They have some 32 and 33" putters where you'll have a hard time finding men's putters at that length on the shelf.   Most people should cut down their putters.  Let your arms hang down with your eyes just inside the line.

[MarvChamp]

@JonMA1 in addition to what has been said, please pay attention to and research the effects on your putting of weight, heel-shafted putters vs. center-shafted (i.e., where the shaft attaches to the putter), and how the shaft is bent. Try to figure out what's best for you. Best, -Marv

[criley4way]

Focus on the putting that matters most and do it in a controlled way. Find a straight putt 3-4’ and see which outter lines up the best and you make the best stroke with. Then repeat at 8-10’. Last tey some longer putts for soeed control. This should give you a decent idea on which one works for you. Do this several times with many reps but not more than a few in a row with the same distance and putter.

If 2 are very close figure out which one you like better. Putting is 100% about getting it in the hole. Therory is great but unless you are going to spend a ton of time workkng on the stroke, figure out what works and go practice sleed control and face control.

[JonMA1]

16 hours ago, Typhoon92 said:

I don't know how tall u are etc... But try a couple of women's putters to see how the length feels.  They have some 32 and 33" putters where you'll have a hard time finding men's putters at that length on the shelf.   Most people should cut down their putters.  Let your arms hang down with your eyes just inside the line.

Not a bad idea. Even with a 34" putter, the fingers on my right hand extend slightly below the grip.

8 hours ago, MarvChamp said:

in addition to what has been said, please pay attention to and research the effects on your putting of weight, heel-shafted putters vs. center-shafted (i.e., where the shaft attaches to the putter), and how the shaft is bent. Try to figure out what's best for you.

I did try several varieties as you mentioned above but didn't take note of the shaft location. I liked the heavier putters and while I did like some of the the face-balanced, the one I preferred was slightly toe-weighted. I think (but am not certain) it was this putter...

https://www.taylormadegolf.com/TP-Red-Collection-Ardmore-3/DW-WZ807.html?cgid=taylormade-putters#start=23&

Is 355G considered heavy?

7 hours ago, criley4way said:

Focus on the putting that matters most and do it in a controlled way. Find a straight putt 3-4’ and see which outter lines up the best and you make the best stroke with. Then repeat at 8-10’. Last tey some longer putts for soeed control. This should give you a decent idea on which one works for you. Do this several times with many reps but not more than a few in a row with the same distance and putter.

If 2 are very close figure out which one you like better. Putting is 100% about getting it in the hole. Therory is great but unless you are going to spend a ton of time workkng on the stroke, figure out what works and go practice sleed control and face control.

This makes a lot of sense. I like the idea of starting off with a shorter distance and then progressing to longer distances to test for both bead and speed control.

If I do end up spending more than $200, I need to take this advice. As others have said, trying putters on an indoor, flat putting surface with the hole 6' away is not a good test.

---

Thanks to everyone for the help!

[criley4way]

17 hours ago, JonMA1 said:

Not a bad idea. Even with a 34" putter, the fingers on my right hand extend slightly below the grip.

I did try several varieties as you mentioned above but didn't take note of the shaft location. I liked the heavier putters and while I did like some of the the face-balanced, the one I preferred was slightly toe-weighted. I think (but am not certain) it was this putter...

https://www.taylormadegolf.com/TP-Red-Collection-Ardmore-3/DW-WZ807.html?cgid=taylormade-putters#start=23&

Is 355G considered heavy?

This makes a lot of sense. I like the idea of starting off with a shorter distance and then progressing to longer distances to test for both bead and speed control.

If I do end up spending more than $200, I need to take this advice. As others have said, trying putters on an indoor, flat putting surface with the hole 6' away is not a good test.

---

Thanks to everyone for the help!

355 is on the heavy side but will depend on shaft length. There are 2 weights: Actual weight and swing weight (perceived weight). Shaft position is key as it will affect the natural tendency of the putter to open and close.

I'd disagree that indoor is not a good test. A flat indoor area is perfect. The key performance you should be looking for is the ability to start a put on line at the correct speed. The only other feature I would consider critical is loft to get the ball up and rolling. If you can start a putt on line with the right speed the rest is reading greens. Doing initial testing on breaking putts with real grass allows for you to misread the green, mishit the putt and make it. This is a scientific study process. Reduce variables

[MGN]

On 5/1/2018 at 5:37 PM, JonMA1 said:

Pretty simple question (I think).... If a proper fitting is not possible, should I just try out putters and go with the one I like the best?

I have a straight back and through style of putting (my poor putting is often caused by a failure to start the backstroke straight which effects my bead). Conventional wisdom says to go with a face balanced putter. I also bend at the waist quite a bit so shorter 34" or 35" putters are a better fit.

I tried some out today at a local golf shop. I stayed away from the Scotty Camerons and tried out ones around $220 and under... Odysseys and TM. I then tried the less expensive Wilson ($120) and TourEdge putters ($65). For reference, I'd been using a very cheap putter the last few years. At the time, I seemed to putt better with it (at the store anyway) so I couldn't come up a good reason to pay more. I still don't believe my putting woes are going to be fixed by throwing money towards a more expensive piece of equipment, but I felt that I should at least try using a putter of higher quality.

I hate to say it, but the more expensive putters felt better. Trust me, I was really hoping that wouldn't be the case and tried to be as objective as possible. The TourEdge putters felt too light. The Wilson they carried seemed much better than the one I used when I started golfing. They were comparable to mid range ones besides not having as "soft" of a feel. I'm not a fan of TaylorMade (for whatever reason), but there was one that I really liked over the others. The Odyssey putters felt good as well.

As far as weight balance, the TM I liked had a little more weight in the toe than the face balance ones. I seemed to get more roll from the same swing. I felt that particular putter might help me control speed a little more.

I had similar feelings about TM in general, but recently switched from my Odyssey XG mallet to a TM Ghost Monte Carlo which like the XG has more toe weight but not the white face-insert.  I found I could roll the ball better and had better feel off the putter face.

Please share which putter you ended up with.

[JonMA1]

1 hour ago, MGN said:

I had similar feelings about TM in general, but recently switched from my Odyssey XG mallet to a TM Ghost Monte Carlo which like the XG has more toe weight but not the white face-insert.  I found I could roll the ball better and had better feel off the putter face.

Please share which putter you ended up with.

I will do that. The decision may come down to economics unless I find something that just feels much better than the others.

[ncates00]

I have tried many putters.  My Seemore's always end up back in the bag.  Love the line up lines for address and the "hide the red dot."  I really just use the red dot thing for setup and alignment.  I don't look at it during a putt, but I may practice some trying to get the slight arc.

[iacas]

12 hours ago, criley4way said:

355 is on the heavy side but will depend on shaft length.

Meh.

My 33" putter is 370g with a 60g counterweight.

I fit a lot of people for putters and most are better with 355 to 375g head weight.

[saevel25]

11 hours ago, iacas said:

I fit a lot of people for putters and most are better with 355 to 375g head weight.

It definitely helped me out. I think it helps in letting the putter do more of the work than having the golfer feel like they need to accelerate.

It really is shocking how much weighting can improve distance control very quickly.

[JonMA1]

On 5/3/2018 at 11:16 AM, MGN said:

Please share which putter you ended up with

After spending a bunch of time trying out a variety of putters and coming close to buying an Odyssey, I was ready to just use a back-up blade putter I have here at the house. For the last few nights I'd been using it on my practice green. I'd only ever used mallet putters was convinced that's what I'd end up purchasing, but when I started making a higher percentage of putts with it, I changed my mind.

I ended up buying a cheaper brand putter. The shaft is a bit longer than I thought I needed - 35" as opposed to 33". It's the heaviest blade I could find and is slightly toe weighted (45°?). 

Not that it matters much, but the reason I went with this one is that it had the characteristics that seemed to allow more control. While I need to work on all three skills, the one that seems to hurt the most right now is a difficulty in keeping the backstroke online, which had an adverse effect on my bead. While conventional wisdom indicates a face-balanced putter is better for this, I found that the slight toe weight helped the most. I also found that the blade design didn't make any more difficult and, in fact, the narrow and long shape may be easier to keep perpendicular back and through. Time will tell of course. 

I really liked a couple of the TM and Odyssey putters I tried at the golf shop - they just felt very solid. In the end, it was tough to justify spending more on a putter than I did on my (previously never-used) 915 D2 driver. While I believe that the higher-end putters are better products, my poor mechanics and lack of skill is far and away the main reason for averaging 40 putts per round. If this new putter helps even a tiny bit, it will be worth the $30 and could justify being fitted for an Edel some day... once/if I develop a decent putting stroke.

[billchao]

On 5/5/2018 at 12:02 PM, JonMA1 said:

Not that it matters much, but the reason I went with this one is that it had the characteristics that seemed to allow more control. While I need to work on all three skills, the one that seems to hurt the most right now is a difficulty in keeping the backstroke online, which had an adverse effect on my bead. While conventional wisdom indicates a face-balanced putter is better for this, I found that the slight toe weight helped the most. I also found that the blade design didn't make any more difficult and, in fact, the narrow and long shape may be easier to keep perpendicular back and through. Time will tell of course. 

Just a couple of things I want to point out:

1. There's no such thing as SBST with a conventional putter. You're always going to have issues with your stroke if you're trying to trace a line.
2. Face-balance and toe-hang don't affect the putter stroke the way people think they do. The forces involved are very small and the position of the neck in relation to the CoG will not affect how the putter rotates through the stroke. What different necks really do is affect your sight lines which affects how you aim the putter.
3. Alignment aids on a putter can affect your stroke. When I went through my putter fitting, we found out that having a line on the top of my putter made me take the head outside the target line, which resulted in me pulling the putter left while trying to hold the face wide open so I didn't pull everything. This was all measured on SAM PuttLab, BTW, so small stuff you can't measure on your own. The only feedback on my end was "this feels weird". Same exact head I was fit into, but a single line significantly changed the results.

[JonMA1]

Thanks for the info @billchao. I'd read that those who use the SBST are not doing that and there's some video that shows there is always some arc. I'm really out of my element discussing this however. I'm just starting to read up on some of the topics here on TST.

I don't know all the different techniques, but I did try to use an arc and it just seemed impossible. Not to say it isn't a better way, it's just that trying to "open and close the gate" required timing that I can't even come close to controlling. 

As far as using a conventional putter (blade?) for my stroke, it has been working far better yesterday and today than it ever had with the mallet. Again, not saying you're not correct or I'm understanding your point, just that I have a lot to learn.

---

Of the 35 putts I took today, there were only a few that didn't start on my intended line or with my intended speed. Many of the misses were due to not enough speed (due to poor judgement) but I ended up making some longer 2nd putts that I normally don't make. The short putts were a bit better. I did miss one and had another go around the lip before dropping.

One round is not a very good indication, but I can say without any hesitation that this putter fits my stroke at least a little better than my previous putters. Time will tell for sure.