# Is it against the rules of Golf to adapt a putter surface?



## Mark_G (May 28, 2011)

I struggle with putting and was thinking of trying a few things with my existing putter to try and improve things. Its a steel blade putter with no insert, now I was thinking of fitting a very thin layer of rubber to the face to see if this makes it easier to use. Is this against the rules?


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## bluewolf (May 28, 2011)

I don't know about how legal it would be, but I would have concerns about fitting rubber to the face. I would think that rubber would give differing results based on temperature, condition, age etc. This could mean that every putt through the round may have a slightly different result.


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## Ethan (May 28, 2011)

You used to be able to get putters with a rubber face, like a cheap ping pong bat. I think TM sold one. 

The Rules of Golf contains a description of the acceptable playing characteristics of a club and so long as the club conforms to that, you should be fine. 

I doubt this will be the answer to your putting issues, though.


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## Mark_G (May 28, 2011)

I am sure you are right, but I cant help thinking what effects I might be able to adapt, to possibly help my putting.


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## USER1999 (May 28, 2011)

You used to be able to get putters with a rubber face, like a cheap ping pong bat. I think TM sold one. 

The Rules of Golf contains a description of the acceptable playing characteristics of a club and so long as the club conforms to that, you should be fine. 

I doubt this will be the answer to your putting issues, though.
		
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It was called. Tm nubbins I think. Nasty looking thing. Dead feel to it.


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## Imurg (May 28, 2011)

Mark O'Meara won the Masters and The Open with one.

And yep - they were horrible


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## Mark_G (May 28, 2011)

But whats better, a plain faced putter or one with an insert with grooves?


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## Imurg (May 28, 2011)

One that gets the ball in the hole - simples

You can get good contact and roll from either.

Try it - nowt to lose....


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## Mungoscorner (May 28, 2011)

Taylor Made Nubbins,some people swore by them,others hated them.
There was another company who made a putter with a rubber face,think it was STX or something like that,"T" shaped head.


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## CrapHacker (May 29, 2011)

I struggle with putting and was thinking of trying a few things with my existing putter to try and improve things.
		
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Forget messing with your existing putter.

You're a beginner, so I'm guessing you have relatively little experience of the game.  The bottom line is that there is a level of quality where investment = improvement.

IE For me the day I invested Â£50 in a Benross driver I saw a  *huge*  difference with my old Dunlop piece of tat.  But I noticed  _relatively_  little difference when I upgraded again to a Ping K15.

The same with putters.  If you are putting with a simple blade, and your stroke is less than perfect you will struggle to get consistant results.  Get on a green with as many decent putters in the price range you can afford and try them all out until you find one that gives you the horn - it  _does_ exist, trust me.

Then you can practise with it knowing it is the right club, so you will improve much quicker.

It's the club you use the most.  Invest in the best you can afford.  It will pay you back many times over. ( My first decent putter was a Ping B60.  I spent so long choosing it that I was never tempted to swap it every time my putting went downhill.  I kept it for 8 years until I gave the game up in 1996 - a fair return on a Â£50 putter, which was a lot of money in those days. )


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## Mark_G (May 29, 2011)

I am definitely using a cheaper type putter, and although my technique is not fantastic, and I am practicing, I feel a change of putter or an adaption might help.


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## palindromicbob (May 29, 2011)

I'm not a expert by any means but I am a very enthusiastic beginner.

I invested in an Odyssey White Hot XG #7 and my putting improved drastically thanks to it. As long as I am on or relatively near the putting surface I can usually be pretty confident that I'm looking at 2 putts max unless looking at a monster of a first putt. 

Prior to this I was using a cheap Dunlop putter that had nice weight but that was about it. I never understood what people meant by "feel" when putting until I invested in a decent bit of gear. 

Experiment with a few and remember to try different lengths of shaft as well (I switched to a 34" from a 35") 

It is the most used club in the bag yet for some reason the one that people most overlook when investing in a set.


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