Putter choice

[London mike 61]

I have been looking at putters with a view to buying a new one and there is so much choice I really don't know where to start. I realise a lot of it is down to feel , looks etc but there are things like what is the difference between a offset blade putter and a straight shafted one? And is a blade suited to a certain type of stroke and a mallet to another?
any opinions would be greatly appreciated .

 

[Dave B]

Mike to be honest there is so much hype now about what you should use and what you shouldn't use, it's easy to get confused. I'm not an expert however for me it has to look, right and feel right.

Forget swing arcs, face balanced and all the rest. Most clubs will let you take a putter on the green so try them all in the shop pick a selection of the ones with the right feel, balance and weight that appeal to your eye, try them on the green and go from there. Once you've narrowed it down if they do an insert and milled face and see which one you prefer.

The one thing you need to bear in mind is that you can have a love hate relationship with all of the other clubs in your bag but you have to love your putter as it is the one club that can drastically alter your scores.

 

[London mike 61]

Mike to be honest there is so much hype now about what you should use and what you shouldn't use, it's easy to get confused. I'm not an expert however for me it has to look, right and feel right.

Forget swing arcs, face balanced and all the rest. Most clubs will let you take a putter on the green so try them all in the shop pick a selection of the ones with the right feel, balance and weight that appeal to your eye, try them on the green and go from there. Once you've narrowed it down if they do an insert and milled face and see which one you prefer.

The one thing you need to bear in mind is that you can have a love hate relationship with all of the other clubs in your bag but you have to love your putter as it is the one club that can drastically alter your scores.

I know deep down you are right but the damn things are so expensive I just hoping to get another perspective on what to look for , after all I have only ever had about three putters since I took the game up.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Putters don't have to be expensive and there are plenty of budget makes out there. It is so personal whatever one person on here recommends may or may not suit. Go somewhere, ideally a club pro or range rather than giving the cash to a store (pros need to make a living, AG will get by - just my own two penneth) and try a few different styles out and maybe a few different lengths.

 

[Foxholer]

Try as many as you can! And as many different lengths as you can.

One, or several, will feel 'right' and that's the one/style for you!

The various styles DO have tendencies to fit with certain styles of players, but that isn't necessarily the be-all/end-all imo.

I totally agree that confidence with the Putter is essential to good scoring! I missed several make-able putts last weekend purely because I had doubts about my (spare) putter that I wouldn't have had with my 'gamer'!