Insert vs milled face putters

[Wooky]

My putting has been truly awful lately.
My usual putter has a insert in the face which produces a nice soft feel & a nice roll, but at the moment I have just lost all confidence with it, my distance control has deserted me.

So, I am trying out a milled face putter, at the moment it feels awesome, my distance control is really good, I just wonder if it's all down to the slow winter greens?
I am getting a lot more feel off the face of the milled putter, in contrast I seem to have to hit the insert faced putter much harder which appears to be playing havoc with my accuracy.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

I know a few players who swap away from an insert putter when the winter months arrive - they say they feel they need to hit too hard at times

 

[Waitforme]

I play with a SC combi putter , think it is aluminium head and face.
Tried an Odyssey today at AG with the Pro insert, felt really nice , I think I prefer the softer feel on the strike.
Also tried the same putter with the Hot Metal ( I think that's what it was called ) and although my putting was the same I preferred the softer feel of the Pro insert.

 

[fundy]

Find an insert a nightmare on all but the fastest greens, great for the guys on tour who play on quick greens but dont work for me on UK greens, tend to feel springy, so distance control becomes very difficult, personally will only buy milled or aluminum faces nowadays

 

[Paperboy]

I've just got a Odyssey Pro insert in my new putter. My problem is I think I'm only tapping it, then it just flies off the putter face

 

[Imurg]

Gone down the milled route too.
The White Hot Tour insert is supposed to be a little firmer than normal inserts but I found I was struggling to make a positive enough contact from 8-15 feet, leaving many putts well short.
Got a Ping Redwood Piper on the cheap and it's a revelation.
So sweet a contact, it means I can be more positive on those mid range putts so they either go in or I'm left with a tap-in. Distance control is much easier too.
Definitely a convert....

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Will you use it through the summer as well when the greens are quicker ?

 

[Wooky]

Gone down the milled route too.
The White Hot Tour insert is supposed to be a little firmer than normal inserts but I found I was struggling to make a positive enough contact from 8-15 feet, leaving many putts well short.
Got a Ping Redwood Piper on the cheap and it's a revelation.
So sweet a contact, it means I can be more positive on those mid range putts so they either go in or I'm left with a tap-in. Distance control is much easier too.
Definitely a convert....

Yes.
This is exactly my problem.
I leave everything short with the insert putter.
However, with the milled face putter the contact feels so much more positive & I just seem to instinctively know how hard to hit it.

 

[Wooky]

Will you use it through the summer as well when the greens are quicker ?

Good question.
I am wondering that as well.

 

[Imurg]

Will you use it through the summer as well when the greens are quicker ?

Unless I start overshooting by yards-yes...

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Unless I start overshooting by yards-yes...

Cheers - been contemplating trying a milled face but happy with my spider at the moment.

But going to try a friends - only ever used an insert putter - is there a remarkable difference ?

 

[tsped83]

Gone down the milled route too.
The White Hot Tour insert is supposed to be a little firmer than normal inserts but I found I was struggling to make a positive enough contact from 8-15 feet, leaving many putts well short.
Got a Ping Redwood Piper on the cheap and it's a revelation.
So sweet a contact, it means I can be more positive on those mid range putts so they either go in or I'm left with a tap-in. Distance control is much easier too.
Definitely a convert....

I've gone the other way. From mainly using only milled putters, I now use a White Ice insert. The softer feel, and less hot off the face feeling encourages me to put a more positive stroke on the ball to get it to the hole. I sometimes found with certain milled putters that they had a hot spot which would send the ball shooting past. Or that may have been the clown using it...

 

[Imurg]

Yes I think there is...especially if you're using a soft ball
I struggled to feel the ball off the insert but it's there in spades with the Piper

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Cheers for the info :thup:

How's Aylesbury Park ? Not suffered too much with the water I hope ?

 

[fundy]

Cheers - been contemplating trying a milled face but happy with my spider at the moment.

But going to try a friends - only ever used an insert putter - is there a remarkable difference ?

Massive difference imo, but it boils down to personal choice at the end of the day. More than welcome to borrow the Kombi to compare but ultimately if what you have is working dont change it (says the guy who auditions 5+ putters a yr and ends up back with the current one lol)

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Massive difference imo, but it boils down to personal choice at the end of the day. More than welcome to borrow the Kombi to compare but ultimately if what you have is working dont change it (says the guy who auditions 5+ putters a yr and ends up back with the current one lol)

Cheers - that's great of you :thup:

I seem to change mine each year but massively confident with current one. But have that itch to try a harder face

 

[Imurg]

Cheers for the info :thup:

How's Aylesbury Park ? Not suffered too much with the water I hope ?

It's been taking it pretty well but I played today, had 3 rain breaks and the back 9 was submerging.
Since then it's been biblical rain so I suspect at least half the course will be closed tomorrow.

 

[LanDog]

Alternatively to the OP you could try the Odyssey Metal X range, they're an insert putter yes, but I find that from my own experience thar they definitely give off a firmer feel than the regular insert faces. What's your current putter?

 

[fundy]

Cheers - that's great of you :thup:

I seem to change mine each year but massively confident with current one. But have that itch to try a harder face

If Id have known 3 mths ago I couldve offered 4 or 5 to try but have cleared the decks completely. there again give me a few weeks lol

 

[Deleted member 15344]

It's been taking it pretty well but I played today, had 3 rain breaks and the back 9 was submerging.
Since then it's been biblical rain so I suspect at least half the course will be closed tomorrow.

Yeah it hasn't stopped all evening

Never played over that side of Aylesbury - did you pick up the guys from the other Aylesbury Golf club which closed ?