This video is an absolute gold mine. I doubt most people will recognize the value in this video because it's so short and simple -- but let me assure you this advice is priceless.
What you should take away from this is that putting is a deceptively simple part of the game. Reading a put is easy for the most part. The putt might go uphill right to left. Once you have that it's time to trust your instincts. Let your brain figure out how hard to hit the ball based on how far your eyes perceive the hole to be.
Once you start believing how simple the concept is you'll realize the different between a good putter and a great putter is practice. Tiger Woods has an amazing work ethic and he spends the appropriate amount of time working on his short game. That amount of time should be over 50%. I know it's boring to take hundreds of puts instead of blasting drivers. But the truth is that at most you'll be hitting the driver 14 times during a round. At the least, you'll be taking 18 putts. Think about it.
Blade Putters
Blade putters are considered to be the most traditional putter form. Taking their visual cues from irons, the blade putter is actually a derivative of blade irons. When the game of golf was young, greens were no where near as smooth as they are today. When golfers got close to the hole they looked for a club that would keep the ball as close to the ground as possible. The blade putter was ideal because it had a short shaft, which provided the golfer with increased control. It also had very little loft which kept the ball close to the ground and got it rolling quickly. The blade putter is the ideal putter for traditionalists who want the most feel from their putting game.
Peripheral Weighted Putters
Peripheral Weighted Putters categorize some of the most popular putters on the market today. The idea behind the peripheral weighting is to expand the sweet spot of the putter so that golfers can have more consistent results despite hitting the ball in a different part of the club. This is good for professionals but even more so for amateur golfers because their club stroke is more inconsistent. The major putters included in the peripheral weighting category are the Ping Anser and the Titleist Scotty Cameron Newport. I personally play with a putter in this category and chose to because it has my preferred combination of feel and forgiveness.
Mallet Putters
Mallet Putters are designed to bring the weight of the putter behind the ball which provides the golfer with a smooth stroke. An added benefit of the weighting system is great distance control. These putters are often lacking in the feel department but usually the golfers who choose to play them don't really mind. As a general rule of thumb, I like to use these putters as a default for all sorts of putting conditions. They work great on slow and fast greens alike. The Callaway Odyssey 2-Ball putter is perhaps the most recognizable mallet putter on the market today. There are countless others as well.
Putter Faces
Besides the design of the putter head, putters come with different inserts in the faces which change the feel upon impact. Putter designers experimented for years with different materials to change the weighting of the putter. The weighting effects the putter stroke and the overall feel of the putter. Around 1995, Odyssey was the first to successfully convince the golfing world of the benefits of putting an insert into the club face. The insert can be a different material than the rest of the putter. So while your putter is mostly comprised of a very hard material, the putter face is soft and it feels nice to put with. The most well known putter insert is the white golf pall cover on the Callaway White Hot putter series. There are also rolled face putters from Teardrop that work really well to get the ball rolling quickly. I have used those putters and I would recommend them without hesitation.
This video discusses a number good point about how to choose a golf putter.
It's important to remember that finding a putter is about finding something that works with your putting stroke. There is a lot of debate about what comes first -- the putter or the stroke -- but we think it's the stroke. That being said, you want to first find a putter that looks good to your eye. There are a bunch of different putter styles so the best thing to do is go with your instinct. What looks nice? What inspires confidence?
Once you've selected a style, take the putter outside onto the putting green. You're looking for a good fit. Remember that a putter can be customized to fit your body and swing type. You should now be looking to see if the lie is flat on the ground. If the putter is too upright for your stance, the heel will be in the air. If the putter is too flat, the toe will be in the air. You want the putter to lie flat on the ground -- otherwise you'll have a tendency to push or pull your putts.
Next you want to consider the length of the putter. Taking your normal stance, does the putter sit on the green or is it short? If you're finding yourself gripping down on the putter or if you feel like your stretching to hit the green, you're going to want to get this changed. A new putter shaft is a very simple process for a local pro shop. You'll also want to find a grip that suites your preferences.
Choosing a golf putter is all about finding the right putter that fits your putting stroke. There are hundreds of putters on the market today and the choice can be overwhelming. It's important to remember that putting is about feel -- and finding a putter that appeals to you visually and one that you feel comfortable using will improve your putting game immensely.
You can spend a lot of time reading through reviews of golf putters and they will give you plenty of insight about the technology used to make a putter and how other people like using it. But until you spend some time at your local putting green with your new putter in hand, you'll never get an accurate read on the putter.
The first thing I like to do when trying out a new putter is to take three golf balls and drop them down on the putting surface. I'll start with close putts within 5 feet because I'm just getting warmed up. Take a smooth stroke and see how the putter feels. Make sure to take note of how many puts go in and how the putter is feeling at that point. When I've done about three passes at this length, it's time to move back to 10 feet. Repeat this process with a few more lengths until you've started to take some lag putts. This process will give you a really good idea of how the putter feels at all sorts of different putting lengths.
One thing you won't be able to figure out from this test is how the putter reacts on different putting greens with different green speeds. Unfortunately, there's no quick way to test this. I'd recommend keeping a few putters in the trunk of your car. There are a ton of cheap putters out there, especially on eBay, so it's easy to afford more than one. If you plan ahead, take a few minutes to test out two or three different putters on the putting green before your round if you haven't played on that course before. Notice which one feels better and suits the particular type of green you're going to be playing that day.
When evaluating a putter, there are a few things besides feel you want to look for. The first thing is lie. When you take your normal putting stance and insert the putter into your hands, the sold of the putter should lie flat on the ground. If you push your hands forward, you'll notice the heel is sticking in the air and if you pull your hands closer to your body, you'll notice the toe sticking up. If the putter isn't sitting right for you at your normal stance, you'll have a tendency to push or pull puts. Get this adjusted.
The second thing to look for is shaft length. Remember that every golfer is different. The shaft length is determined by where your hands come down naturally. Take your normal putting stance and let your arms hang down at your side relaxed. Then clap. When your hands touch together make sure to keep them there. That's where your natural putting stroke should start, and thats how long your putter shaft should be.
Remember that when choosing a putter the most important thing is to find a putter that feels natural. The more comfortable you are with your putter, the better your putting game will be. It's that simple.
I am all about getting great golf clubs for really cheap just because they’ve been used and they are a few years old. There’s really nothing wrong with them, scratches and dings don’t affect ball play enough to make a difference. What we really want with our golf game is the right set of clubs. One’s that make us feel good when we go out to the course.
For each golfer it’s different. For me, I know I want a set of traditional golf clubs that aren’t easy to hit. I want to work for the perfect shot. I want to be able to shape the ball. On a cold day, when you hit a shit off the sweet spot, I want it to hurt. But maybe that’s not what you want.
You may want a set of clubs that let you hit the ball straight nearly every time. Or perhaps you want a set of clubs that no one else has. One’s that were made strictly for touring pros. When you go to the country club, you want your buddies to be a little bit jealous when they look in your bag. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT!!!!
So here’s what I’ve found for you, the person who wants to fill their bag with rare clubs for touring pros.
This Scotty Cameron Putter my friends is the absolute most awesome thing you can find. Look at the lettering, the care that goes into these putters, the cool orange coloring to the typography. I can guarantee no one else has this.
Scotty Cameron Newport Putters are pretty much my favorite design that he makes. I personally use a modified oil can Newport Putter with a cut down shaft, to 34’ and a ping grip, the same thing that Tiger uses. Tiger uses a the platinum covering on his putter, which is a little bouncy for me. What I like about the oil can is that it’s soft and yet crisp at the same time. On another post I’ll find a really nice Oil Can Newport putter for you guys, but this one is about the rarest of the rare COA attached Newport Scotty Cameron Putters.
Whatever, $900 is obviously a lot to spend on a putter, but this is a collectors item.
I’ve got a bit of a secret to share. I have always wanted the Titleist 962b, but I was afraid that I wasn’t good enough to play them. My logic doesn’t really make sense because after high school I played golf every single day. I played 52 holes a day and within two months I was a 2 handicap. I guess at that point, I decided to get really blades, the Titleist Tour Models like I was talking about in my last post. But if I had the choice to do it over again I would certainly have considered the Titlesit 962b.
These are great clubs. The Titleist 962b is a classic design with a bit of added forgiveness when you compare them to forged blades. The great thing about these clubs is they are so cheap. You can probably pick these up for about $100 and even though they might look a little used, they are still going to work great.
It’s interesting to look and hit these clubs even though they are probably close to ten years old at this point because you’re going to see just how small the club face really is. For control, these irons are great. If you’ve never played blades before, you’re going to be in for a completely different golfing experience. It’s more of a traditional relationship with the ball, the course, and the clubs. It’s more natural in my eyes because you really connect with it all.
When you’re planning out your shots, you really need to think about what’s going on there. It’s hard to hit these clubs, it’s no secret. But when you prepare for your next shot, certain things become apparent to your sense of play that wouldn’t be if you were just going to hit the ball straight every time.
Say there’s a sand trap on the front left portion of the green and trouble to the left. You’re going to need to take out a longer club and assure yourself that you’ll be hitting a longer shot 90% of the time than you really need, but if you miss, you’re probably not going to wind up short of the green and in trouble. Most people hit the ball to the right when they take a longer club because they don’t have the swing speed to keep everything in sync. Also because your club head is shallower and more upright with a longer club, the margin of error is smaller. With a wedge, if you miss hit the ball a bit, the distance will change in a smaller amount than if you hit the ball with a longer club. The same concept applies to your margin of error for hitting the ball to the left and too the right.
Anyway, I’ve always liked the 962b because of it’s sheer aesthetics. If you can pick these clubs up for cheap, they are worth every penny and I can guarantee you’ll have a new appreciation for the game and the thinking that really goes into it.
Blade Putters
Peripheral Weighted Putters
Mallet Putters
Putter Faces
I’ve got a bit of a secret to share. I have always wanted the Titleist 962b, but I was afraid that I wasn’t good enough to play them. My logic doesn’t really make sense because after high school I played golf every single day. I played 52 holes a day and within two months I was a 2 handicap. I guess at that point, I decided to get really blades, the Titleist Tour Models like I was talking about in my last post. But if I had the choice to do it over again I would certainly have considered the Titlesit 962b.