Choosing a new putter - What to look for!?!

[TPO77]

As the title says guys I'm after some help.

I bought a new putter last year - an Odyssey white hot pro # 7 - when I was trying to use a SBST path and based on my eye position the eyeFIT system recommended this as one to try.

Long story short it's a nice putter but not for me. I've been using my WS BLK 8881 that I inherited and doing a lot of putting work the last few weeks and now have a much more natural feeling slight arc to my stroke. I started off using the WH #7 with this new set up but accuracy was an issue (perhaps due to being face balanced) and I'm more accurate with the BLK but I just don't like it. With my birthday coming up next month it seems only right that I spend hours trying putters and HID picks up the bill

I know picking a putter is personal so I'm not looking for someone to tell me an exact model to buy and I fully intend to try as many as possible. I just want to know how others went about finding their own putter and what to look for.

For a slight arc what kind of toe hang is best? Is there a particular head shape to avoid or favour? Is there any significant advantages to choosing a firmer or less firm putter or is all personal preference?

 

[North Mimms]

From reading many threads on the subject, I gather that the perfect putter is always the next one that you buy.
One said putter is bought, it is not longer perfect,
But the next one will be...

 

[Hacker Khan]

From reading many threads on the subject, I gather that the perfect putter is always the next one that you buy.
One said putter is bought, it is not longer perfect,
But the next one will be...

Sums it up nicely. And of course a bad put is always the fault of the equipment and never the person.

 

[CMAC]

As the title says guys I'm after some help.

I bought a new putter last year - an Odyssey white hot pro # 7 - when I was trying to use a SBST path and based on my eye position the eyeFIT system recommended this as one to try.

Long story short it's a nice putter but not for me. I've been using my WS BLK 8881 that I inherited and doing a lot of putting work the last few weeks and now have a much more natural feeling slight arc to my stroke. I started off using the WH #7 with this new set up but accuracy was an issue (perhaps due to being face balanced) and I'm more accurate with the BLK but I just don't like it. With my birthday coming up next month it seems only right that I spend hours trying putters and HID picks up the bill

I know picking a putter is personal so I'm not looking for someone to tell me an exact model to buy and I fully intend to try as many as possible. I just want to know how others went about finding their own putter and what to look for.

For a slight arc what kind of toe hang is best? Is there a particular head shape to avoid or favour? Is there any significant advantages to choosing a firmer or less firm putter or is all personal preference?

without sounding too glib, you really just need to try as many as you can.

It has to suit your eye
It has to 'feel' right
It has to sound right when putting and
It has to give you confidence when addressing the ball

IMO totally ignore the toe hang or SBST advice thats suited to your swing. Putting is as individualistic as handwriting and one style does not suit all.

I have a very strong arc yet a face balanced mallet is a joy to use.

 

[nemicu]

Like anything else in putters, toe hang is all down to personal preference. Toe hang is basically how the CoG of the putter relates to the shafts axis - if you allow the putter head to hang freely while supporting the shaft, the toe will drop down or "hang" a certain amount based on its balance. A bit of a misnomer really, because nobody makes a putting stroke with the head hanging down while holding the shaft horizontal! If you have a really light grip with a slight arc putting stroke, you will probably favour a putter with a mid toe hang or toe flow - this is usually a classic blade type putter - the amount of toe hang depends on the shaft where it joins the head and the heel toe weighting. This means putters with an offset neck and heel toe weighting (like the classic Anser design) will tend to be used by players with a classic slight arc stroke, but this is by no means a hard and fast rule.
Firmness and weight of the head is also totally player dependant on preference. You just need to find the right one, but I hope this has given you some insight.

 

[TPO77]

Thanks lads,

It helps a lot being told to ignore the "what should work" saves me from getting too bogged down in things I'm not clued up on. Looks like it could be a round trip of every golf shop in Aberdeen to try as much as possible at the weekend :clap:

 

[ScienceBoy]

I guess just swing a bunch and choose the one you like, or get fitted. I chose the former a few years back and have never looked back. I chose to work on my stroke with the putter, I feel I have grown into it AS I have become a better putter rather than finding one that suited my stroke.

 

[Evesdad]

I recently bought a versa #1 which has slight toe hang to match my slight arc swing as recommended on the iping app. This has really helped by putting. Distance control has improved and so has my putting. I did however spend about 4 hours on the putting green (not all in one go!) trying out lots of different types. The only down side is it can be tricky to line up as no sight guides etc just the white black white lines. Very happy so far.

 

[JCW]

Have you tried getting fitted for one , Ping got some good gear in the putting lines , book a fitting with Ping or anyone and see what they say , what you got to lose , i have 3 putters , My scotty , a white hot and a Ping B 60 , I swap around when i go through a bad spell and a change is as good as any .....................................EYG

 

[joer422]

I think the most important thing to consider when looking at buying a new putter is to make sure you are happy with your putting stroke for years i would buy different balanced putters, different shaft angles bla bla to try help my stroke. basically i was buying a putter to try fix my swing (which does not work) rather than buying a putter to enhance the swing i am already happy with.

If you are happy with your stroke just try loads and loads of putters, the guys in the my local shop where probably laughing at me when i spent 2 hours in the back of their shop trying putters but I'm glad i did it. In the end i went for the scotty cameron GoLo 5 which i am loving and cost me very little after i sold my previous impulse purchased putters

i may have just rambled on there so if i did please forgive me

 

[freddielong]

If you have a good putting stroke you can putt with anything, do not fall into the trap that it is the putter that holes putts it is not.

I find if I am struggling the best thing to do is take out a putter where there is nowhere to hide I have a Wilson Staff 8802 original that you simply have to put a good stroke on or you are 3 and 4 putting all over the show, it really gets you back to basics and gets you putting well.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

If you have a good putting stroke you can putt with anything, do not fall into the trap that it is the putter that holes putts it is not.

I find if I am struggling the best thing to do is take out a putter where there is nowhere to hide I have a Wilson Staff 8802 original that you simply have to put a good stroke on or you are 3 and 4 putting all over the show, it really gets you back to basics and gets you putting well.

I'm not sure I totally agree. You have to know what sort of putter you are (back and through, slight arc, big arc) and choose accordingly. Once you know what type you are, and you have a consistent stroke with that path, then I'm with you and it's the indian not the arrow. If I was the OP, find the type of putter you are, find a putter that fits that and then try as many in that category and with as many face types as you can

 

[freddielong]

I'm not sure I totally agree. You have to know what sort of putter you are (back and through, slight arc, big arc) and choose accordingly. Once you know what type you are, and you have a consistent stroke with that path, then I'm with you and it's the indian not the arrow. If I was the OP, find the type of putter you are, find a putter that fits that and then try as many in that category and with as many face types as you can

You are over complicating it, putting is rolling a ball in a straight line on the ground, you can do that with anything.

 

[ScienceBoy]

You are over complicating it, putting is rolling a ball in a straight line on the ground, you can do that with anything.

I think the answer is halfway between the two, if you have a strongly ingrained a stroke and finding a putter that fits your stroke will help, this stroke may be ingrained as you have always played with a putter of a certain type and changing will not help.

It is also possible that your body just moves a certain way so some extra help from weighting would help.

From my own experience just picking up a putter you like and sticking with it can also make you a good putter if you put the time in and put good practice in (such as using a V-Easy). I just bought my ping redwood zing because I liked it, I feel I have grown into this putter and grown to putt well with it. Give me any putter shape back then and I would have probably grown into that instead. Give me another putter type and a few months and I will probably convert with no issue at all.

 

[freddielong]

I think the answer is halfway between the two, if you have a strongly ingrained a stroke and finding a putter that fits your stroke will help, this stroke may be ingrained as you have always played with a putter of a certain type and changing will not help.

It is also possible that your body just moves a certain way so some extra help from weighting would help.

From my own experience just picking up a putter you like and sticking with it can also make you a good putter if you put the time in and put good practice in (such as using a V-Easy). I just bought my ping redwood zing because I liked it, I feel I have grown into this putter and grown to putt well with it. Give me any putter shape back then and I would have probably grown into that instead. Give me another putter type and a few months and I will probably convert with no issue at all.

I know what you are saying but you are wrong, you are both listening to the marketing claptrap that is fed to you.

The most important thing about a putter is being comfortable about the speed it is going to come off the face and there for the distance it will roll. If you believe that your swing and therefor your faults are ingrained in some way then you will never improve, Trust me you can putt with any putter.