Question:
anybody that pays $500 for a putter is a fool. I don’t know of many $500 putters. Mine was about $100 less than
that. the original post in this thread was asking about the advantages of a $500 cameron putter for a bogie golfer. my contention is that for under $100 he could find a putter that would provide equal results. imho, $400 is far too much to pay for a putter. but, if you’ve got the money why not help titleist stockholders get rich. a putter hits the golf ball with so little force compared to a driver or an iron, that there’s not much you can do with the design of the putter to correct off-center hits or hits made with an improperly aligned club face. That may be true, though tests indicate otherwise.
can you give me a url where i can read about this? ping’s web site doesn’t claim anything like that. the advantages they claim to get all come from custom fitting of a putter. There’s more to finding a putter you like than just alignment and balance. They’re also feel. Most three-putts are caused by players failing to accurately gauge the distance of the first putt, leaving a long second putt. This places emphasis on the feel of putting. I, for one, don’t get the same feel from "a hunk of metal on a stick."
in this example, "feel" can be acquired with any putter. all it takes is for a person to go to the practice green. pace off a long putt and then make that putt numerous times until he develops a "feel" of how hard to hit a putt of that particular distance. i doubt that with the same amount of practice, your $400 putter would provide you with any better "feel" than my $25 golfsmith putter. I much prefer my Scotty Cameron.
for the $400 you paid for your cameron, i can build somwhere between 10 and 40 putters depending upon how much i spend on components. Having tried (and owned) over a hundred putters in my life, I can attest that there’s more than just a little difference between them. But of course, YMMV.
exactly, which is why my original recommendation was for the guy to not pay $500 for a cameron putter. imho, putting is mostly mental. look how many times players change putters. do they change because their previous putter is somehow not as good as it used to be? no, they generally change because something in their mind has changed. once you lose confidence in your putter, you won’t putt as well. if you believe that a $400 putter will help your putting, then it probably will. if you believe that a $20 putter will help your putting, then it probably will. i have used 3 putters over the last 10 years. with each of them, i have putted incredibly well for some period of time. the most expensive one was $40. unfortunately, i’m at the stage right now where i have lost confidence in my current putter as well as my putting stroke. what am i going to do? build a new putter for about $20 and work on my putting stroke. maybe i’m cheap, but i can’t justify paying hundreds of dollars for a putter. practice and confidence will do more to improve your putting than a $400 putter will. charlie Before you buy.
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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – <snip I will contend that I can duplicate the feel, balance, and performance of any $300 putter for $50, and you won’t know the difference with a blindfold on. To put it simply, expensive putters are no better than well-designed $50 ones. They all can be described by material, inertia, balance, face inserts, loft, lie, length, and grip. All the rest is fluff going into someone’s wallet who deserves it more. That’s about as personal as it gets.
My best friend (just an average player) has always been an outstanding putter – using a cheap Wilson model purchased at K-Mart. He "upgraded" to an Odyssey several months ago – and his putting has never recovered. He could go back to the old one, but he’s determined that the "better" putter is the one to use. I guess it’s hard to leave the $100 putter in the garage and take the $10 one to the course! — http://home.midsouth.rr.com/joecartpath RSG Roll Call: http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/reedj.htm
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<snip I will contend that I can duplicate the feel, balance, and performance of any $300 putter for $50, and you won’t know the difference with a blindfold on. To put it simply, expensive putters are no better than well-designed $50 ones. They all can be described by material, inertia, balance, face inserts, loft, lie, length, and grip. All the rest is fluff going into someone’s wallet who deserves it more. That’s about as personal as it gets.
Well, as an owner of a Scotty Cameron putter (one which was referred to as the liner of Mr. Cameron’s pockets), I’ll have to agree with Mr. Geesaman. I can’t really tell the difference blind-folded, when compared to a similarly designed but differently priced putter. But the SCs do *look* good! And that’s probably one of the most important difference: looks. I believe golf is mostly a mental game once you have your swing acceptably grooved. So seeing a butt ugly putter which I *think* I can’t putt with is just as bad as having a putter that really *is* a hunk of metal on a stick. Therefore, my excuse is that the money that could go towards a sports psychologist is going into an expensive putter. Not that I go to sports psychologists you’ll understand. 
Finally, I’ll have to disagree with one of the other posters who implied that they can control putt distances better with "feel" putters. My argument is that the ball is only on the putter’s face for a very short time. So short in fact that I’ll wager that the golfer can’t really respond to such a "feel" input. What I think really happens is that with practice, the golfer is accustomed to the response of a particular putter and thus can control it better distance-wise. This can be done with both cheap and expensive putters, provided that they’re well made and thus consistent. Think about it: if "feel" putters can be controlled by merely feel, you wouldn’t need to practise with those putters at all. Now, I’m not claiming that all putters feel the same! For example, putters with weird inserts (such as the Odysseys and some Pings) feel significantly different from putters without inserts; blade putters also have a different feel than heel-toe weighted putters. However, in my experience, price has no correlation to the feel given the same design; in fact, playing with a balata ball (vs. a 2-piece rock like Top-Flites) confers a much bigger difference in feel than any club can provide. Wow, that turned out to be long, Benzzoy — Benz OuYang www-ucsee.eecs.berkeley.edu/~benzzoy
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My putting in 1999 (my first golf year) is 419 putts/261holes. average putt/hole= 1.605363984674.
and followed up with… 50-1 putts, 145-2 putts and 50 3+ putts
According to your second group of statistics, you actually putted on 245 holes and had [(50x1)+(145x2)+(45x3)+(5x4)] = 495 putts. I assumed that only 5 of the 50 "3+ putt" greens were 4 putts. Average putt/hole = 2.02, a not-insignificant difference of 0.415 putts/hole or approximately 7.5 strokes per round. Sorry to pick your figures apart like this, but you *did* give us a whole heap of information! So which is the right calculation? Richard
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a putter hits the golf ball with so little force compared to a driver or an iron, that there’s not much you can do with the design of the putter to correct off-center hits or hits made with an improperly aligned club face. That may be true, though tests indicate otherwise.
I’m itching to find some actual evidence that expensive putters are any better than regular good ones. I’ve never seen any evidence that shows (or even suggests) that a putter over $100 has better feel or balance. The best putters in the world don’t need an expensive putter to be the best, it’s that simple. I’m not talking about your cheapass Wal-mart varieties, but I will say that a putter made of ordinary metal and rubber grip can be made to match an expensive one for double-digits. I don’t want to offend your choice of putters, but I am well assured that spending huge $$ on a putter has absolutely no special effect than any other less expensive model, and is not to be recommended or glorified to be a game improvement. Dave
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Honestly, I don’t know if I can or can’t tell the difference. I’ve never tried a $300 putter. It’s just common sense that tells me that as long as it’s solidly put together (head’s not loose or anything) and it fits you then there just can’t be any material difference in performance. All you’re doing is bumping the ball with a flat surface (slightly lofted) to get it rolling. If you have never picked up a $300 putter then how can you criticise it’s use ?
I can because the best putters in the world can perform equally well with a <$50 putter in their hands. Imagine that. $300 is the most expensive putter commonly available, to my knowledge. There is no new technology, no fitting, no improvement, just an elitist price tag. If elitism makes you play better, you need to recline in a leather couch and talk to someone for $300 per hour. I know pool players that pay thousands for cues, skeet shooters that pay thousands for their guns, and why ? balance. Same with putters, balance. Does great balance make you a great shooter or putter ? Of course not. But a well balanced piece of equipment will make a good putter better.
Pool players can feel the difference in good cues. At the high end, there isn’t much difference, but they’ll all admit that most of the dough goes into looks beyond a certain price point. That price point is well below the equivalent of a $300 putter. Guns can be balanced, it’s a simple as a muzzle brake. The real $$ goes into better machining/materials (better performance), and looks (cute engravings and stocks). There is such a thing as a no-frills, well-balanced, high-performance gun, and it costs less than the equivalent of a $300 putter. Let’s take it to a more personal level, a surgeons scalpel, steak knife……
The difference between these items is simple. With their eyes closed, a surgeon can feel the difference in performance of good scalpel, a sharp steak knife cuts better, and a fast car goes faster. This much is obvious. A $300 putter is not so. I will contend that I can duplicate the feel, balance, and performance of any $300 putter for $50, and you won’t know the difference with a blindfold on. To put it simply, expensive putters are no better than well-designed $50 ones. They all can be described by material, inertia, balance, face inserts, loft, lie, length, and grip. All the rest is fluff going into someone’s wallet who deserves it more. That’s about as personal as it gets. Dave
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anybody that pays $500 for a putter is a fool.
I don’t know of many $500 putters. Mine was about $100 less than that. But to get the feel I’m getting from the putter I now have, it would have been worth it to me to spend the extra $100. imho, there is really not much you can do to a putter to make it putt better.
Except put it in the hands of someone who can putt. it’s basically a hunk of metal on a stick.
And I’m guessing that if that’s someone’s attitude toward putting, they’ll probably putt like someone who uses a hunk of metal on a stick for a putter. a putter hits the golf ball with so little force compared to a driver or an iron, that there’s not much you can do with the design of the putter to correct off-center hits or hits made with an improperly aligned club face.
That may be true, though tests indicate otherwise. you’ve just got to try a few putters and pick the one you like best. the first place i’d look, wal-mart or k-mart. you can find a putter there for around $20 that will match the style of more expensive putters. if you build clubs, then find the style that you like at a golf shop and then go build a clone of it.
There’s more to finding a putter you like than just alignment and balance. They’re also feel. Most three-putts are caused by players failing to accurately gauge the distance of the first putt, leaving a long second putt. This places emphasis on the feel of putting. I, for one, don’t get the same feel from "a hunk of metal on a stick." I much prefer my Scotty Cameron. Having tried (and owned) over a hundred putters in my life, I can attest that there’s more than just a little difference between them. But of course, YMMV. Randy
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Honestly, I don’t know if I can or can’t tell the difference. I’ve never tried a $300 putter. It’s just common sense that tells me that as long as it’s solidly put together (head’s not loose or anything) and it fits you then there just can’t be any material difference in performance. All you’re doing is bumping the ball with a flat surface (slighly lofted) to get it rolling.
If you have never picked up a $300 putter then how can you criticise it’s use ? That is like saying a BMW 740 is no better than a Chevy Caprice and you’ve never even driven a BMW. Of course some people don’t even know how to DRIVE a car, they just sit in the seat and push the gas, so a BMW would be a waste on them. (Speaking of which, I hate seeing little old ladies and men in Mercedes 560SL’s or Porsche 911’s that obviously have never had it over 60.) Anyway, they are both cars so why buy the Beemer. And why not buy a Yugo instead of a Caprice, it’s a car too. I know pool players that pay thousands for cues, skeet shooters that pay thousands for their guns, and why ? balance. Same with putters, balance. Does great balance make you a great shooter or putter ? Of course not. But a well balanced piece of equipment will make a good putter better. Let’s take it to a more personal level, a surgeons scalpel, steak knife…… Geoff
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It does if you cannot use it. Consistancy is the key with any golf game. I use two different types of putter, but I can do well with either. I take the $8 putter and use it on business trips, putt putt golf or other non show places. When I am golfing to show off, I bring out the $50 putter, (which I got for free with a golf bag). I am just as proficient with this either because I practice for consistancy and feel. Needs vs. Wants Desert Fox, Tucson www.dryheatglass.com * Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet’s Discussion Network * The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet – Free!
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Skooter, I share your sentiments re idiot price tags. I can only say this; the first test of a putter is how it "sits" when you set up. My experience of cheaply designed & produced clubs is that they don’t – they toe in or out & you have no sense/feel of the club head. When you find one that sits well, then proceed to make your stroke. If all is well, stroke a few putts with your type of ball. Narrow your selection down to the ones that feel and stroke great. Note the model & length. Leave the premises and find a clean used copy for half the price or less. I keep several putters, some of which were picked up for next to nothing. They all sit great & have never set me back more than $45. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – skooter wrote; Please explain specifically the actual difference in performance between Walmart putters and $300+ putters. Weighting/balance/materials/construction/ range of choice = Feel. Pings can be picked up for as little as $35 on e-bay. The expensive ones might be better made, but what difference does that really make in a club that you use to roll the ball with? It doesn’t take a lot of punishment like the other clubs in the bag. As above Sorry, but you didn’t even attempt to explain how the ball is going to react differently when stroked with an expensive putter vs. a cheap one. I already admitted the expensive ones are probably better made on average, but does that really translate into better performance? I know there’s the intangible "feel", which might give you more confidence and cause you to make a better stroke. I just think you can find plenty of putters that feel good for considerably less than the name brands. Your argument about the pros using Ping putters is irrelevant. Walker Cup players are amateurs. Ok, I should have read Harry’s note a little closer. Thought he was talking about pros. But even the case of Walker Cup players, most of them must have an ample supply of money to get to that level and play at country clubs where they wouldn’t be caught dead playing with off brands. Obviously you won’t hurt your game playing with expensive putters. I just think they’re over-rated. Even if I couldn’t tell a bit of difference between a $9 putter and a $300 putter, I’d go with the expensive one if it was free. If you cant tell the difference [& your post suggests you couldn't] then Walmart is for you. The $500 Cameron’s are basically copies of well-liked putters. Honestly, I don’t know if I can or can’t tell the difference. I’ve never tried a $300 putter. It’s just common sense that tells me that as long as it’s solidly put together (head’s not loose or anything) and it fits you then there just can’t be any material difference in performance. All you’re doing is bumping the ball with a flat surface (slighly lofted) to get it rolling.
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skooter wrote; Please explain specifically the actual difference in performance between Walmart putters and $300+ putters. Weighting/balance/materials/construction/ range of choice = Feel. Pings can be picked up for as little as $35 on e-bay. The expensive ones might be better made, but what difference does that really make in a club that you use to roll the ball with? It doesn’t take a lot of punishment like the other clubs in the bag. As above
Sorry, but you didn’t even attempt to explain how the ball is going to react differently when stroked with an expensive putter vs. a cheap one. I already admitted the expensive ones are probably better made on average, but does that really translate into better performance? I know there’s the intangible "feel", which might give you more confidence and cause you to make a better stroke. I just think you can find plenty of putters that feel good for considerably less than the name brands. Your argument about the pros using Ping putters is irrelevant. Walker Cup players are amateurs.
Ok, I should have read Harry’s note a little closer. Thought he was talking about pros. But even the case of Walker Cup players, most of them must have an ample supply of money to get to that level and play at country clubs where they wouldn’t be caught dead playing with off brands. Obviously you won’t hurt your game playing with expensive putters. I just think they’re over-rated. Even if I couldn’t tell a bit of difference between a $9 putter and a $300 putter, I’d go with the expensive one if it was free. If you cant tell the difference [& your post suggests you couldn't] then Walmart is for you. The $500 Cameron’s are basically copies of well-liked putters.
Honestly, I don’t know if I can or can’t tell the difference. I’ve never tried a $300 putter. It’s just common sense that tells me that as long as it’s solidly put together (head’s not loose or anything) and it fits you then there just can’t be any material difference in performance. All you’re doing is bumping the ball with a flat surface (slighly lofted) to get it rolling.
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writes Sorry Charlie YOU are so wrong……. on all counts.
damn! i thought harry had left rsg. a putter hits the golf ball with so little force compared to a driver or an iron, that there’s not much you can do with the design of the putter to correct off-center hits or hits made with an improperly aligned club face. You are so wrong
why don’t you tell me then what you can do to a putter to make it hit the ball better when the ball is hit with an improperly aligned club face? – Try reading some of the info’ available by Karsten (Ping) on Putters
i just did. the advantages they claim to get are achieved through custom fitting of a putter. – they still make the worlds best putters
that’s simply your opinion. even though some of the Tour boys use Titleist’s "Scotty Cameron" range – and usually because they are paid to do so.
so, all those tour players playing the cameron putters are handicapping themselves. they are accepting endorsement money from titleist to hit an inferior putter. i wonder how many tournaments tiger could have won if he’d been hitting a ping putter???? if you build clubs, then find the style that you like at a golf shop and then go build a clone of it. Interesting – can YOU build me a look alike "Scotsdale Answer MB" / 2 degree’s upright / 34in shaft – please and let me know how much I have to pay you for it?
sure i can. i’ll charge you $10 over the price of the components. (mine cost the equiv’ of $330
good for you. mine putter cost me about $20 to build and i might be just as good of a putter as you. I think you should maybe consider the advise you give to people
Charlie? you’ve turned my advise to the original poster into a nice attack against me. go look at the original post. the guy was considering buying a $500 cameron putter from someone in rsg. to spend $500 on a putter that is NOT custom fitted to you is insane. i ask you harry, which is more important, the putting stroke or the putter? charlie Before you buy.
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skooter wrote; Please explain specifically the actual difference in performance between Walmart putters and $300+ putters.
Weighting/balance/materials/construction/ range of choice = Feel. Pings can be picked up for as little as $35 on e-bay. The expensive ones might be better made, but what difference does that really make in a club that you use to roll the ball with? It doesn’t take a lot of punishment like the other clubs in the bag.
As above Your argument about the pros using Ping putters is irrelevant.
Walker Cup players are amateurs. Even if I couldn’t tell a bit of difference between a $9 putter and a $300 putter, I’d go with the expensive one if it was free.
If you cant tell the difference [& your post suggests you couldn't] then Walmart is for you. The $500 Cameron’s are basically copies of well-liked putters.
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SO why do people spend $400-500 for a driver but $10 for a putter. The putter is one of the important and personal of all the clubs in a bag. Mind you, my favorite putter is not the $99 nubbins its the Mizuno 0803 (forged) that I got when I traded my $89 Odyssey blade.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The reason I ask this is because there is a posting a little further down this newsgroup with a Scotty Cameron putter for sale. The asking price is $500. That’s more than my set of Taylor Made LCG’s cost. For that much money that putter better putt for me. Isn’t putting all about technique? Why are they so expensive? This is something that I just can’t figure out. If I’m a good putter, I should be good whether I use a $25 club or a $500 club, right? The $500 club isn’t going to improve my swing, is it? Thanks anybody that pays $500 for a putter is a fool. imho, there is really not much you can do to a putter to make it putt better. it’s basically a hunk of metal on a stick. a putter hits the golf ball with so little force compared to a driver or an iron, that there’s not much you can do with the design of the putter to correct off-center hits or hits made with an improperly aligned club face. you’ve just got to try a few putters and pick the one you like best. the first place i’d look, wal-mart or k-mart. you can find a putter there for around $20 that will match the style of more expensive putters. if you build clubs, then find the style that you like at a golf shop and then go build a clone of it. charlie Before you buy.
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Gee Harry, quit being so wishy-washy. How do you really feel about Charlie’s post? You want him to read what Karsten says about putters? Don’t you think that just might be a little biased? Please explain specifically the actual difference in performance between Walmart putters and $300+ putters. The expensive ones might be better made, but what difference does that really make in a club that you use to roll the ball with? It doesn’t take a lot of punishment like the other clubs in the bag. Your argument about the pros using Ping putters is irrelevant. Even if I couldn’t tell a bit of difference between a $9 putter and a $300 putter, I’d go with the expensive one if it was free. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Sorry Charlie YOU are so wrong……. on all counts. anybody that pays $500 for a putter is a fool. If a person has the cash, can afford to spend $500 and they like a club, etc, why not – not a case of being a fool – it’s all relative to the value a person puts on something they like and whether they can afford the cash. imho, there is really not much you can do to a putter to make it putt better. Not true at all – I haven’t seen any $9.95 putters in the hands of the ‘better’ players! it’s basically a hunk of metal on a stick. So is a shovel but do you hit golf balls with it? a putter hits the golf ball with so little force compared to a driver or an iron, that there’s not much you can do with the design of the putter to correct off-center hits or hits made with an improperly aligned club face. You are so wrong – Try reading some of the info’ available by Karsten (Ping) on Putters – they still make the worlds best putters even though some of the Tour boys use Titleist’s "Scotty Cameron" range – and usually because they are paid to do so. Did you know that 15 of this years Walker Cup Players (both Teams) played Ping Putters – that is a better example of the worth of a club than any comparison to the Pro ranks as these guys get their equipment Free, have their choice of anything on the market, don’t get paid to use it – and yet 75% choose Ping Putters! That speaks volumes. you’ve just got to try a few putters and pick the one you like best. the first place i’d look, wal-mart or k-mart. Agree with the first bit – try a few (read lots) but you won’t find anything decent at Walmark!! (BTW, when did you last see a Walmark Putter in the hands of a decent player?) I cannot understand you saying this – all you find at Walamrk, etc, are cheap and nasty bottom of the range "metal on a stick" type of equipment – if a player wants to perform there are no shortcuts. With decent equipment at least they have a head start and a chance. BUT – the equipment side is only one of the FIVE main factors in the making of a player becoming a "good" putter (read also Player):- 1) Equipment 2) The Right Coach / lessons 3) Practice 4) Practice 5) Practice If you don’t want to be a good putter (Player) follow Charlies advise and buy a $9.99 to $20 ‘chunk of metal on a stick’ you can find a putter there for around $20 that will match the style of more expensive putters. Style – well maybe from a ‘look alike’ point of view BUT NEVER in terms of material, shaft, precision machine tolerances, lie, loft, feel, etc, etc – it just is not possible. if you build clubs, then find the style that you like at a golf shop and then go build a clone of it. Interesting – can YOU build me a look alike "Scotsdale Answer MB" / 2 degree’s upright / 34in shaft – please and let me know how much I have to pay you for it? (mine cost the equiv’ of $330 – if I’d I could get the equiv’ from Walmark, etc, at a mere $20 I’d have bought 100 and sold them to all to Ping!) I think you should maybe consider the advise you give to people Charlie? Harry. charlie Before you buy.
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Sorry Charlie YOU are so wrong……. on all counts. anybody that pays $500 for a putter is a fool.
If a person has the cash, can afford to spend $500 and they like a club, etc, why not – not a case of being a fool – it’s all relative to the value a person puts on something they like and whether they can afford the cash. imho, there is really not much you can do to a putter to make it putt better.
Not true at all – I haven’t seen any $9.95 putters in the hands of the ‘better’ players! it’s basically a hunk of metal on a stick.
So is a shovel but do you hit golf balls with it? a putter hits the golf ball with so little force compared to a driver or an iron, that there’s not much you can do with the design of the putter to correct off-center hits or hits made with an improperly aligned club face.
You are so wrong – Try reading some of the info’ available by Karsten (Ping) on Putters – they still make the worlds best putters even though some of the Tour boys use Titleist’s "Scotty Cameron" range – and usually because they are paid to do so. Did you know that 15 of this years Walker Cup Players (both Teams) played Ping Putters – that is a better example of the worth of a club than any comparison to the Pro ranks as these guys get their equipment Free, have their choice of anything on the market, don’t get paid to use it – and yet 75% choose Ping Putters! That speaks volumes. you’ve just got to try a few putters and pick the one you like best. the first place i’d look, wal-mart or k-mart.
Agree with the first bit – try a few (read lots) but you won’t find anything decent at Walmark!! (BTW, when did you last see a Walmark Putter in the hands of a decent player?) I cannot understand you saying this – all you find at Walamrk, etc, are cheap and nasty bottom of the range "metal on a stick" type of equipment – if a player wants to perform there are no shortcuts. With decent equipment at least they have a head start and a chance. BUT – the equipment side is only one of the FIVE main factors in the making of a player becoming a "good" putter (read also Player):- 1) Equipment 2) The Right Coach / lessons 3) Practice 4) Practice 5) Practice If you don’t want to be a good putter (Player) follow Charlies advise and buy a $9.99 to $20 ‘chunk of metal on a stick’ you can find a putter there for around $20 that will match the style of more expensive putters.
Style – well maybe from a ‘look alike’ point of view BUT NEVER in terms of material, shaft, precision machine tolerances, lie, loft, feel, etc, etc – it just is not possible. if you build clubs, then find the style that you like at a golf shop and then go build a clone of it.
Interesting – can YOU build me a look alike "Scotsdale Answer MB" / 2 degree’s upright / 34in shaft – please and let me know how much I have to pay you for it? (mine cost the equiv’ of $330 – if I’d I could get the equiv’ from Walmark, etc, at a mere $20 I’d have bought 100 and sold them to all to Ping!) I think you should maybe consider the advise you give to people Charlie? Harry. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -charlie Before you buy.
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I think it’s fair to say that putting is such an individual thing — and *feel* is even more so — that whatever works for you is all that matters. There’s no question that some players will putt just as well or better with a 5-dollar putter they pick up at a garage sale than they would with a $500 Scotty Cameron. But that’s not to dismiss the notion that to certain other players, the feel they’re looking for is available only from an expensive model. It just depends on what you’re looking for. There’s no telling where you’ll find it. The only thing that’s certain is, once you *do* find it, hang on to it. Randy website: http://wwwgolfer.home.mindspring.com RSG Roll Call profile: http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/brownr.htm "You can’t teach an old dog math."
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The reason I ask this is because there is a posting a little further down this newsgroup with a Scotty Cameron putter for sale. The asking price is $500. That’s more than my set of Taylor Made LCG’s cost. For that much money that putter better putt for me. Isn’t putting all about technique? Why are they so expensive? This is something that I just can’t figure out. If I’m a good putter, I should be good whether I use a $25 club or a $500 club, right? The $500 club isn’t going to improve my swing, is it? Thanks Pritam
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If you re-read the post you are referring to, it implies that the putter is a Prototype. This may or may not make it a more valuable club to a collector. I have a putter that was around $90 and I love it. If I had $200 right now, I would buy either a SCotty Cameron Pro PLatinum or an Odessey Tri-Force. Not because of the price or a status symbol, but I like the way they both feel when I putt with them. Steve – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The reason I ask this is because there is a posting a little further down this newsgroup with a Scotty Cameron putter for sale. The asking price is $500.
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All that I think matters is that it gives you a flat face to hit from. My putter is a 15$ Anser imitation with chipped paint. It works just fine, and if you did some kind of robot test you probably won’t see any difference comparing it to a real Ping. What’s more important is if the putter is bent at all. Its very easy to have a slightly bent putter and not know it. Dave – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The reason I ask this is because there is a posting a little further down this newsgroup with a Scotty Cameron putter for sale. The asking price is $500. That’s more than my set of Taylor Made LCG’s cost. For that much money that putter better putt for me. Isn’t putting all about technique? Why are they so expensive? This is something that I just can’t figure out. If I’m a good putter, I should be good whether I use a $25 club or a $500 club, right? The $500 club isn’t going to improve my swing, is it? Thanks Pritam
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I have a friend who is a putting fiend. I honestly believe that it is physically impossible for him to 3 putt and I have never seen him miss from inside of 6 feet. His putter cost US$6.00 in parts and about 1 hour of assembly time. Of course, he cannot driver and has no short game, but he’s good enough that once on the green I would put him up against that sandbagging Randy Brown (R&B), current holder of the Elvis Cup. The reason I ask this is because there is a posting a little further down this newsgroup with a Scotty Cameron putter for sale. The asking price is $500. That’s more than my set of Taylor Made LCG’s cost. For that much money that putter better putt for me. Isn’t putting all about technique? Why are they so expensive? This is something that I just can’t figure out. If I’m a good putter, I should be good whether I use a $25 club or a $500 club, right? The $500 club isn’t going to improve my swing, is it? Thanks Pritam
– Dan Driscoll RSG Roll Call http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/driscolld.htm Current USGA/NCGA handicap index 15.7
Response:
The reason I ask this is because there is a posting a little further down this newsgroup with a Scotty Cameron putter for sale. The asking price is $500. That’s more than my set of Taylor Made LCG’s cost. For that much money that putter better putt for me. Isn’t putting all about technique? Why are they so expensive? This is something that I just can’t figure out. If I’m a good putter, I should be good whether I use a $25 club or a $500 club, right? The $500 club isn’t going to improve my swing, is it? Thanks
anybody that pays $500 for a putter is a fool. imho, there is really not much you can do to a putter to make it putt better. it’s basically a hunk of metal on a stick. a putter hits the golf ball with so little force compared to a driver or an iron, that there’s not much you can do with the design of the putter to correct off-center hits or hits made with an improperly aligned club face. you’ve just got to try a few putters and pick the one you like best. the first place i’d look, wal-mart or k-mart. you can find a putter there for around $20 that will match the style of more expensive putters. if you build clubs, then find the style that you like at a golf shop and then go build a clone of it. charlie Before you buy.
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The reason I ask this is because there is a posting a little further down this newsgroup with a Scotty Cameron putter for sale. The asking price is $500. That’s more than my set of Taylor Made LCG’s cost. For that much money that putter better putt for me. Isn’t putting all about technique? Why are they so expensive? This is something that I just can’t figure out. If I’m a good putter, I should be good whether I use a $25 club or a $500 club, right? The $500 club isn’t going to improve my swing, is it? Thanks Pritam
Response:
I have three putters, one "medium" expensive one. The one I’m using right now cost $9.95. Found it in a sale bin in a sporting goods store and it called out to me as soon as I picked it up. I’m doing considerably better with it than I was with either of the other two. I don’t think there’s any reason a putter that suits you should have to cost $200, much less $500. Zane – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The reason I ask this is because there is a posting a little further down this newsgroup with a Scotty Cameron putter for sale. The asking price is $500. That’s more than my set of Taylor Made LCG’s cost. For that much money that putter better putt for me. Isn’t putting all about technique? Why are they so expensive? This is something that I just can’t figure out. If I’m a good putter, I should be good whether I use a $25 club or a $500 club, right? The $500 club isn’t going to improve my swing, is it? Thanks Pritam
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You answered the question yourself. It’s the Indian, not the arrow. Ricky
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Pritam, I’ve gone through 4 putters already in the span of 4 years I’ve been playing this game. None too expensive like the Cameron putters, but still put a dent in my wallet by the good folks at Nevada Bobs. But the favorite I found was when I went to one of those miniature golf places with my family which was in an indoor golf range and the putters they were using blades. No alignment markers, no offsets, nothing. But the reason I fell in love with it is because it had just the right weight to the head. It was nice and heavy and what pleasantly surprised me was that it gave me good feedback on off-sweetspot hits. The indoor range place also had a proshop, so I asked the "pro" there who also ran the miniature golf thingy about buying the putter with a new grip. He said gimme ten bucks, went to the back to put on a new grip for me and I walked outta there with a big grin on my face and when I played golf that weekend, I never 3 putted, which was a first for me. I think, especially with putters, the right one will have this intrinsic, almost an inexplicably "right" feel for you. That’s the best I could describe it and I believe that’s a good way to choose a putter, not for the satin finish on the putterhead, the name or because some pro on the tour uses it. Just my 2cents Steve K. Lee