Question:
I am still looking for an ideal putter. There seems to be mixed opinion about using my cheapo steel one complete with insulation tape. I would like to maximise my chances of buying the most appropriate one. I am advised that it is a personal thing, but I don’t feel that there is enough time or space when trying them out to really decide on the best one for me. I just wondered… What are the advantages of a heavier, perimeter weighted mallet type – does is do much of the work for you and help keep the putter face square and on line? or do you lose a feel for distance etc? What are the advantages of a light putter? Do you get more of a feel for distance? How do you get the distance for extremely long putts? can you use an Iron on the greens? What are the advantages of a soft face? -Isn’t it likely to get marked easily? Isn’t the ball more likely to provide the "softeness"? (Can you swap the ball for a softer 3-piece one on the green? – I’m sure that’s a silly question, nevertheless…) Which face is best eg stainless steel, milled steel, brass, brass, Isopur, Isoforce, nubbin, platinum, terrillium, stronic, polistronic, Which features of a putter woul;d you advise a relative beginner (25 H’cap) to look for? Many thanks for all your help. I’ll get there soon! — Jim Lodge
Response:
Jim: Can’t speak to all of your questions, but I can put in 2 cents about a mallet-type putter, which I use. Let me preface by reiterating something you already said–much, perhaps, most of this is simply personal preference. I use a Titleist Caliente mallet-type putter. It’s heavy and, as you indicated, can kind of "do the work for you." It’s especially effective on shorter putts, as you can really get a nice pendulum stroke going with it. Because it’s heavy (this is a theory I have), you have to use the big muscles a bit more, and it’s more conducive to using them. The momentum keeps it on line, and makes it easy to "follow through." Good technique for me (I got this from Ralph Mann’s site, the "Swing like a pro" guy) is to have the follow through be about 1 1/2 times the backswing. In other words, let the putter follow the ball to the hole (or along the line you’ve chosen). I find this easy to do with my mallet. I used to use a heel-toe weighted putter (an old slotline with a big head). When I tried out my Caliente in the store, I sank putt after putt. Wasn’t as effective with the others. The salesman, after watching me just nail putt after putt, from different angles, said "You better buy that one–you can’t miss with it." I then negotiated a deal with him (the putter had a small nick at the edge of the face, didn’t affect performance one iota), and walked out with it for 2/3 the normal price. One thing I like about my putter is that it has aim lines on the top of the head. They’re about 2 1/2 inches long, three of them lined up parallel. I find this is helpful to line up the putter to the hole, or to a mark on the green in front of the ball. Obviously, you don’t have this on a blade-type putter. Something important to get in a putter: Make sure it’s face balanced. You should be able to balance the putter by holding out your finger and letting the shaft rest on it. When you do that, the face of the putter should be parallel to the ground. If it’s not face balanced, then one end of the head is heavier than the other, or the shaft isn’t centered properly. This will tend to cause twisting at impact that turns the putterhead and prevents it from staying true on the the line you’ve chosen. It’s similar to what happens when you hit a putt off center. Distance control: As far as distance, I have a little difficulty on really long putts (40+ footers) but I think everyone does. I’m learning a method of distance control related to length of backswing that I’m beginning to be excited about. I’ve found that much of this distance control is just learning good technique. Feel: You have to just decide what feels best. My putter has no face insert, and when I hit a distance ball with it, there’s a distinctly different sound than when I hit a Titleist Professional or a Callaway Rule 35. I much prefer the feel of a soft ball on the face of my putter. If you hit distance balls, in order to get that feel you might want to explore putters with face inserts. They will help soften the blow, giving a feel somewhat like hitting a softer ball. Finally: Buying a putter is, really, mostly about personal preference. You have a stroke and a technique and a style with the putter that is likely different from mine; thus you need to find a putter that fits what you do. Maybe mine would work well for you (I doubt it; statistically-speaking, that’s unlikely). Maybe you respond better to the look and feel at setup of a more blade-style putter. Maybe a mallet. Maybe even an old bullet-type putter. But so much of putting is attitude and confidence, and the only putter that really gives you the best result is the one in which you have that confidence, regardless of what it looks like. If you’re really serious about this, you need to do some comparison testing. Not necessarily like the pros do (I read about one testing regimen that took hours over several days!), but enough to tell whether you and the putter are compatible. Borrow a putter you’re considering, if you can, and spend an hour on the putting green with it. See if you can sink the 4-footers consistently (they’re the most important putt of all). See if you can tell how you would learn to control distance with it (not that you can do it right off the bat, but that you can adjust your stroke to what the putter is and does). Try some breaking putts both right and left; does the putter seem to cause you to miss one or the other? If I were you, I’d look at all the mallet types I could find, and pick out one that is aesthetically-pleasing to me at setup. I’d find a blade that felt the same way, a putter with a face insert that felt the same way, etc. I’d test them a bit in the store, finding those that felt better. And then I’d work on narrowing it down from those, doing real-green testing. One final comment: Again, what makes a good putter is very personal. You have to try out several (or if you were Randy Brown, hundreds), and then make a commitment to the one you choose. Not unlike marriage, actually, when you think about it, except that your putter won’t care if you stay after 18 holes to have a beer or two. You must learn to love your putter, because only then are you going to trust it. (My 2 cents). Mike Dalecki – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am still looking for an ideal putter. There seems to be mixed opinion about using my cheapo steel one complete with insulation tape. I would like to maximise my chances of buying the most appropriate one. I am advised that it is a personal thing, but I don’t feel that there is enough time or space when trying them out to really decide on the best one for me. I just wondered… What are the advantages of a heavier, perimeter weighted mallet type – does is do much of the work for you and help keep the putter face square and on line? or do you lose a feel for distance etc? What are the advantages of a light putter? Do you get more of a feel for distance? How do you get the distance for extremely long putts? can you use an Iron on the greens? What are the advantages of a soft face? -Isn’t it likely to get marked easily? Isn’t the ball more likely to provide the "softeness"? (Can you swap the ball for a softer 3-piece one on the green? – I’m sure that’s a silly question, nevertheless…) Which face is best eg stainless steel, milled steel, brass, brass, Isopur, Isoforce, nubbin, platinum, terrillium, stronic, polistronic, Which features of a putter woul;d you advise a relative beginner (25 H’cap) to look for? Many thanks for all your help. I’ll get there soon! — Jim Lodge
Response:
"Jim Lodge" wrote … I am still looking for an ideal putter. There seems to be mixed opinion about using my cheapo steel one complete with insulation tape. I would like to maximise my chances of buying the most appropriate one. I am advised that it is a personal thing, but I don’t feel that there is enough time or space when trying them out to really decide on the best one for me.
So many putters. So little time. Hehehehhehe … this is my life. My name is Randy, and I’m a putterholic. I just wondered… What are the advantages of a heavier, perimeter weighted mallet type – does is do much of the work for you and help keep the putter face square and on line? or do you lose a feel for distance etc?
Depends. (Read on.) What are the advantages of a light putter? Do you get more of a feel for distance? How do you get the distance for extremely long putts? can you use an Iron on the greens?
Advantage of a light putter: Works well on slow greens where your stroke requires more of a "pop" at the ball. How do you get distance for extremely long putts? Practice and experience. Even then, it’s very inexact. Even the pros will 3-putt from long range. And yes, you an use an iron on the greens (assuming there’s not a local rule prohibiting it). However, if you take a divot out of the green, the greenkeeper may personally castrate you. What are the advantages of a soft face? -Isn’t it likely to get marked easily?
They are susceptible to getting marked, but then again, so is the old brass Bullseye putter, and people putted just fine with those for years. Most all the putters that have an insert (and nowadays, many that don’t have inserts) come with a "complimentary" putter head cover. Use it. It will protect the face. Isn’t the ball more likely to provide the "softeness"? (Can you swap the ball for a softer 3-piece one on the green? – I’m sure that’s a silly question, nevertheless…)
The rules prohibit changing balls on the green. Yes, you can use a soft ball, which will provide a softer feel putting. Problem is, you typically give up some yardage with a soft ball on full shots, and like I said, the rules prohibit using a different type of ball on the greens. Which face is best eg stainless steel, milled steel, brass, brass, Isopur, Isoforce, nubbin, platinum, terrillium, stronic, polistronic,
Hype or no hype, what "feels" the best to me won’t necessarily feel the best for you. It really is a matter of personal preference. Although I would say as for a "nubbin" putter, while I know some people have ‘em and like ‘em, I personally would never putt with a ping-pong paddle. Which features of a putter woul;d you advise a relative beginner (25 H’cap) to look for?
The same things I’d advise any golfer to look for. They are: (1) Balance. Get to know what type of stroke you have, whether it be a square-to-square-to-square stroke, or a "swinging gate" type of stroke, or some variation. Different putters are balanced differently. Balance a putter by its shaft on your finger, parallel to the ground sometime and you’ll notice some putters will gravitate to a position with the toe down, some with the face up (or down), some with the toe quarter-down. Each one of these balance characteristics will tend to be more suited to different players depending on the type of stroke they have. The square-to-square strokers will tend to prefer a face-balanced putter (balances with the face up/down). The swinging gate strokers will tend to prefer a heel-shafted putter (balances with the toe down). Those whose strokes are somewhere in between (most of us) might prefer the ones that balance in a quartered-down position. The reason this is important is because a properly balanced putter, in the hands of someone who has their stroke fairly grooved, will tend to "help" square up the blade, but if you have a putter not suited to your type of stroke, you’ll be constantly fighting with it. There’s no way, however, to give you any definitive advice on which one is best for you. You’ll have to find out for yourself. (2) Feel. Because this is such a personal matter, what I think is good feel may or may not be right for you. Suffice it to say many players prefer a softer feel with the blade. That’s why there’s been so many putters with soft inserts flood the market in recent years. However, depending on the softness of the ball you’re using, some of those putters may combine with the hardness of the ball to create TOO SOFT a feel, so players will compensate with a crisper feeling blade. (3) Optics/aesthetics. Find a putter that’s pleasing to your eye. Whether having lines on it or not having lines on it best suits you, either is fine. Some putters are just flat-out ugly (in the eye of the beholder), and therefore won’t inspire confidence. And of course, the opposite is true, too. It’s a matter of personal preference. That’ll give you some things to think about. But in the final analysis, the only real measuring stick that matters is whether the putter you choose will MAKE PUTTS. I prefer to gauge it by standing in the shop and putting 4 and 5 footers. Those are the ones every putter should make. No putter will consistently make 60-footers, though some — because of the factors mentioned above — will tend to allow you to lag more consistently to makeable range. But like all things equipment-wise in golf, it ain’t the arrow, it’s the indian. Good luck. Randy
Response:
I am still looking for an ideal putter. There seems to be mixed opinion about using my cheapo steel one complete with insulation tape. I would like to maximise my chances of buying the most appropriate one. I am advised that it is a personal thing, but I don’t feel that there is enough time or space when trying them out to really decide on the best one for me.
Then MAKE the time and find the space… There just is no formula to determine what will work for you. What are the advantages of a heavier, perimeter weighted mallet type does is do much of the work for you and help keep the putter face square and on line? or do you lose a feel for distance etc?
I use a heavy mallet (bobby grace "fat lady" clone) and my opinion is that this is a good style for a player with lots of touch and natural alignment ability (as an example, I can often hit three balls in a row 30 feet and have each tap the previous ball). The heavy putter requires less application of force and allows for more finely tuned shots. Which face is best eg stainless steel, milled steel, brass, brass, Isopur, Isoforce, nubbin, platinum, terrillium, stronic, polistronic,
No it’s not hype…each material has it’s own distinct characteristics. My BG style mallet has a milled face, I do NOT like using harder balls and have little success putting them…But with softer balls it’s great. As an experiment I built Dynacrafts new D-12 putter, which is also a heavy mallet. It has a polymer insert though, and if Maltby EVER manages to get my grip order delivered, I’ll see if it improves my putting with the harder distance style ball…Maltbys will also be bringing me one of their putter kits (heavy, flanged, semi mallet) that’s on SALE this Month for $25…it also has an insert… Which features of a putter would you advise a relative beginner (25 H’cap) to look for?
CHEAP… AT least until you are SURE about what you like. OR think about gluing up a few yourself and trying the different styles to see how they work for YOU…it’s easy…and FAST (if the shipping dept cooperates)…In your case, due to the tape thing, I think you might like something with a BALLATA insert. Just about ANY style of putter can be built for between $8 and $25… ]]]Z[[[
Response:
I am still looking for an ideal putter. There seems to be mixed opinion about using my cheapo steel one complete with insulation tape. I would like to maximise my chances of buying the most appropriate one. I am advised that it is a personal thing, but I don’t feel that there is enough time or space when trying them out to really decide on the best one for me. Then MAKE the time and find the space… There just is no formula to determine what will work for you.
I ENTIRELY second this. I have wound up with two putters that work almost unfailingly with me — a DF 990 and a Scotty Cameron Newport. Unfailingly as in, I don’t blame my putter for my misses, and I give it credit for helping my poor strokes. It’s also my observation that the stainless steel anser-like PING with the translucent insert works just like the Odyssey. For me. (I’d buy one but what would be the point?) But getting to this point I’ve been through a number of other putters, mostly but not all face-balanced, that worked some days and not others. A Wilson micro-groove, two Rossie IIs (one broke, and I bought another while it was being repaired), a Bullseye, and a few others. You will find some putters that harmonize with your stroke on some days but not others, others that just don’t seem to work at all, and when you’re lucky, one or more that always seem to help you get the most out of your stroke. Is there a formula for determining what kind of putter you should use? Not really. People say, if you have an in-square-in stroke, you might be better off with a blade-style putter, and if you have a pure pendulum stroke, you might be better off with a face-balanced heel-toe Anser-like putter. Mallet putters are for the in-between? Maybe or maybe not. Personally, the putters I’ve done best with are face-balanced heel-toe weighted with extra weight at the toe. The DF 990 is a great example of that. But the Newport, which is apparently perfectly symmetrical, works for me too–but … I only use it on faster greens (bentgrass mostly), and it’s not nearly as wide as the Odyssey. What works for you may be the same as what works for me, or it might be totally different, or anything in between. If you go through 10 putters before you find "the one" you’re probably lucky. I’ll say right up front that the hardest thing to get well matched for is a putter that hits 45+ foot lag putts in the right direction with the right speed. This is something you really can’t test in a store. A putter that helps you make 4 footers on a bad day is the second hardest thing to find but equally important. -joseph