What putter do you use?

[ATL96Steeler]

Then good luck and keep blindly putting.

Congrats on your game...not many players not playing on a tour somewhere will ever have a + index.

Putters do matter, but if you're not a good putter, the best quality, best fitted, most expensive putter in the world is not going to make you better. Conversely, we've seen tour level players that got a putter from the pro shop the week of an event and putted well.

One guy in our group has a Scotty Cameron $450 putter, got a fitting, etc....the other guy has a $125 Odyssey, and I have a $240 Taylormade Spider.

The worst putter of the 3 of us is the $450 putter...he's not a bad putter, but certainly the worst of the 3....everything is lag speed, dying at the hole instead of getting the ball past the hole if it doesn't go in.

 

[ill]

Congrats on your game...not many players not playing on a tour somewhere will ever have a + index.

Putters do matter, but if you're not a good putter, the best quality, best fitted, most expensive putter in the world is not going to make you better. Conversely, we've seen tour level players that got a putter from the pro shop the week of an event and putted well.

One guy in our group has a Scotty Cameron $450 putter, got a fitting, etc....the other guy has a $125 Odyssey, and I have a $240 Taylormade Spider.

The worst putter of the 3 of us is the $450 putter...he's not a bad putter, but certainly the worst of the 3....everything is lag speed, dying at the hole instead of getting the ball past the hole if it doesn't go in.

exactly

if you aren't a good putter, spending a ton on a putter isn't going to fix your game.

I am not terrible, but if I don't practice or don't have a good feel for the speed (usually the case), the putter isn't going to make a difference.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

exactly

if you aren't a good putter, spending a ton on a putter isn't going to fix your game.

I am not terrible, but if I don't practice or don't have a good feel for the speed (usually the case), the putter isn't going to make a difference.

This true.

I have a cousin who plays about 15 rounds a yr (normally in about a 4 or 5 mo span)...a good day he will post 92-95.

His chipping/pitching are weak, but get him on the green and you would think he's a mid 80s player. He has this innate ability to make putts.

But you said it best...you must have good speed control to be a reasonably good putter...if you're facing 6-8' putts or longer all day, you're going to struggle...the type of putter is not going to help that much.

You need to putt well to score regardless in most cases, but I think the better you are, the more important the putter becomes.

 

[THUNDER]

7 iron.

 

[ill]

This true.

I have a cousin who plays about 15 rounds a yr (normally in about a 4 or 5 mo span)...a good day he will post 92-95.

His chipping/pitching are weak, but get him on the green and you would think he's a mid 80s player. He has this innate ability to make putts.

But you said it best...you must have good speed control to be a reasonably good putter...if you're facing 6-8' putts or longer all day, you're going to struggle...the type of putter is not going to help that much.

You need to putt well to score regardless in most cases, but I think the better you are, the more important the putter becomes.

exactly

and while getting a putter that best fits your style, you can be a great putter without spending hundreds on some super special putter. As long as the face you are hitting with is flat, you can be a good putter.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

exactly

and while getting a putter that best fits your style, you can be a great putter without spending hundreds on some super special putter. As long as the face you are hitting with is flat, you can be a good putter.

I think with most golf technology...(including putters) it benefits the very best players in the world far more than it does us AMs. I think the original Callaway Big Bertha driver was one of the 1st clubs to really impact the weekend golfer's game in a positive way.

 

[ill]

I think with most golf technology...(including putters) it benefits the very best players in the world far more than it does us AMs. I think the original Callaway Big Bertha driver was one of the 1st clubs to really impact the weekend golfer's game in a positive way.

it comes down to what you are comfortable with. If you need a big mallet putter to ensure you are bringing the club straight back and straight forward, go for it. I have always used a blade putter and I have been happy with the results. I feel like you get the same kind of feel with a mallet...like putting a vibration dampener on a tennis racquet.

Golf is all about gimmicks and new technology that consumers just eat up. Between golf and tennis, I am not sure there is any sport more affected by changes in tech.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

it comes down to what you are comfortable with. If you need a big mallet putter to ensure you are bringing the club straight back and straight forward, go for it. I have always used a blade putter and I have been happy with the results. I feel like you get the same kind of feel with a mallet...like putting a vibration dampener on a tennis racquet.

Golf is all about gimmicks and new technology that consumers just eat up. Between golf and tennis, I am not sure there is any sport more affected by changes in tech.

Yeeeaaah...I guess.

There are arc putters, and straight back straight thru putters, some people are handsy putters....I mean style of putters (players)...some putters will benefit that player more than others. But we're talking subtle benefits.

I was pushing a lot of putts and missing right with my blade style putter...this pro that I was getting lessons from at the time said your stroke looks fine to me, you're not cutting across the ball, try this putter. It was a mallet style putter, heavier, face balanced...it worked better for me in that regard so I've been using a mallet style putter ever since...you said it at the top...comfortable, I don't feel like I have to consciously do anything to square up the face.

The blade is working for you, you stay with it for certain. As we've said...speed control is the number one component to putting...reading greens is probably the 2nd imo.

 

[Hang_On_Sloopy08]

Sloopy, yours doesn't appear to be face balanced, is that correct?

That's correct.

 

[NEhomer]

I found that face balancing makes the short ones much easier for me. Much less opening and closing the face.

 

[Hang_On_Sloopy08]

Congrats on your game...not many players not playing on a tour somewhere will ever have a + index.

Putters do matter, but if you're not a good putter, the best quality, best fitted, most expensive putter in the world is not going to make you better. Conversely, we've seen tour level players that got a putter from the pro shop the week of an event and putted well.

One guy in our group has a Scotty Cameron $450 putter, got a fitting, etc....the other guy has a $125 Odyssey, and I have a $240 Taylormade Spider.

The worst putter of the 3 of us is the $450 putter...he's not a bad putter, but certainly the worst of the 3....everything is lag speed, dying at the hole instead of getting the ball past the hole if it doesn't go in.

exactly

if you aren't a good putter, spending a ton on a putter isn't going to fix your game.

I am not terrible, but if I don't practice or don't have a good feel for the speed (usually the case), the putter isn't going to make a difference.

Thanks @ATL96Steeler, I was blessed enough just to have started at a very young age, grew up on a golf course, and had a head pro who's primary focus was on his juniors. Golf is a hard sport at any level, it's all relative. The low handicapper experiences the same frustration level as the high handicapper. Both want to play perfect and keep improving, neither is ever the case consistently. I have way more respect for those golfers who pick the game up as an adult, kids can pick up anything rather quickly, adults don't have the time to do that.

@ill , you're correct in your assertion that an expensive putter won't fix your game, no piece of equipment can fix anyone's game, that's the Indian not the arrow as I call it. But with that said, equipment can enhance your game and limit mistakes or offer forgiveness if fitted properly, including putters. You mentioned that why would anyone have a putter fitted? The dispersion of a mishit putt causes both alignment issues and speed control issues. You said you suffer from both yes? Well it's no coincidence 9 out of the top 10 players in the world use a mallet. It's scientifically proven that a mallet offers better forgiveness. If you mishit a put just barely off center assuming you're aimed correctly, that's more than 8-10 inches in dispersion to your line on a 20 foot putt. That's a HUGE difference when you factor in a 2 foot putt versus a 3 putt for your comeback putt which can result in a three putt. On shorter putts its the difference between a lip out and a putt that curls in. All putters of varying degrees of loft and balance, why wouldn't you get a putter fitted to maximize your launch angle and reduce ball skid? Once again, you're blindly putting if you're just using what looks and feels good. Doesn't matter your skill level, a correctly fitted putter increases your odds of making putts that you'd otherwise miss from short range or leaving you longer come back putts from long range.

 

[ill]

Thanks @ATL96Steeler, I was blessed enough just to have started at a very young age, grew up on a golf course, and had a head pro who's primary focus was on his juniors. Golf is a hard sport at any level, it's all relative. The low handicapper experiences the same frustration level as the high handicapper. Both want to play perfect and keep improving, neither is ever the case consistently. I have way more respect for those golfers who pick the game up as an adult, kids can pick up anything rather quickly, adults don't have the time to do that.

@ill , you're correct in your assertion that an expensive putter won't fix your game, no piece of equipment can fix anyone's game, that's the on the Indian not the arrow as I call it. But with that said, equipment can enhance your game and limit mistakes or offer forgiveness if fitted properly, including putters. You mentioned that why would anyone have a putter fitted? The dispersion of a mishit putt causes both alignment issues and speed control issues. You said you suffer from both yes? Well it's no coincidence 9 out of the top 10 players in the world use a mallet. It's scientifically proven that a mallet offers better forgiveness. If you mishit a put just barely off center assuming you're aimed correctly, that's more than 8-10 inches in dispersion to your line on a 20 foot putt. That's a HUGE difference when you factor in a 2 foot putt versus a 3 putt for your comeback putt which can result in a three putt. On shorter putts its the difference between a lip out and a putt that curls in. All putters of varying degrees of loft and balance, why wouldn't you get a putter fitted to maximize your launch angle and reduce ball skid? Once again, you're blindly putting if you're just using what looks and feels good. Doesn't matter your skill level, a correctly fitted putter increases your odds of making putts that you'd otherwise miss from short range or leaving you longer come back putts from long range.

thank you, good post

 

[Hang_On_Sloopy08]

I found that face balancing makes the short ones much easier for me. Much less opening and closing the face.

I'm an arc putter so I love the toe hang balance putters. But there's nothing wrong either with straight line putters such as yourself if that's what feels best.

 

[Hang_On_Sloopy08]

thank you, good post

Just want my fellow Hooplans making putts and cashing checks off their friends

 

[BTHOtu]

 

[BTHOtu]

Pretty inexpensive putter. Spend about an hour at Dicks while my wife was shopping and was trying different putters and this one just felt comfortable and I sank nearly every putt.

Since I’ve been playing with it I’ve dropped my putts/hole from 2.6 to 1.9. I’ll save the big money putter investment for when I learn how to putt really good. May not need a new one. Like a friend of mine once told me when I was getting into golf. Buy cheap clubs and learn how to hit first.

Right now my coach is done working with me on my full swing and starting on pitching and chipping. Putting might come next spring.

 

[ill]

Just want my fellow Hooplans making putts and cashing checks off their friends

I've considered the idea of a mallet putter, but I have been fine with my blade, I just need to make sure I concentrate on my swing as it is a harder putter to hit, from the sounds of it. When I do focus, my putts go where I want them to be.

maybe I will look into a cheap mallet and see what happens.

 

[Hang_On_Sloopy08]

I've considered the idea of a mallet putter, but I have been fine with my blade, I just need to make sure I concentrate on my swing as it is a harder putter to hit, from the sounds of it. When I do focus, my putts go where I want them to be.

maybe I will look into a cheap mallet and see what happens.

I keep two putters on me and go with what's feeling good at the time. If I get into a putting slump I mix it up, the SIK mallet above is by far my favorite putter but there's just days and weeks sometimes I'm not in sync and feel better with something else. Always good to have a backup.

By the way, have you ever read Putting Out of Your Mind by Dr. Bob Rotella? Very short and good read, but talks a lot about mental approach to putting as well. I pop that out on audio every now and then too and always seems to help me refocus and get back to putting it well when in a funk.

 

[Hang_On_Sloopy08]

Also @ill , if you do tool around with a mallet, I think the Odyssey 2 Ball is one of the best mallet's ever made and very cheap now days, so if you see one laying around it's a good putter you can get second hand on the cheap to try.

 

[ill]

I keep two putters on me and go with what's feeling good at the time. If I get into a putting slump I mix it up, the SIK mallet above is by far my favorite putter but there's just days and weeks sometimes I'm not in sync and feel better with something else. Always good to have a backup.

By the way, have you ever read Putting Out of Your Mind by Dr. Bob Rotella? Very short and good read, but talks a lot about mental approach to putting as well. I pop that out on audio every now and then too and always seems to help me refocus and get back to putting it well when in a funk.

I will check it out. Thanks.

and I will keep an eye open for a mallet putter. Definitely not a bad idea.