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Different Strokes for Different Folks
Mar. 10, 2008 - Putting…Like the lyrics in the 60’s hit “Everyday People,” it’s all about “different
strokes for different folks.”
Watch ten good putters and you may see ten different putting styles…and putters. Each of the ‘flat
sticks’ gets the job done but may have a very different look, weight, length and loft and though there
is a wide variety knowing a few of the basics of proper fit can help you find just the right one.
Putter selection, what works for you, is personal preference… the looks, the feel …each are
confidence builders. A putter’s feel is determined by the weight distribution between head and
handle, the hardness of the face material plus the sound and vibration feedback when striking the
ball. Thus one with a very soft face insert and lots of weight in the handle will feel entirely different
than one with a relatively heavy head and a milled metal face. So feel is truly a matter of individual
perception.
Mar. 10, 2008 - Putting…Like the lyrics in the 60’s hit “Everyday People,” it’s all about “different
strokes for different folks.”
Watch ten good putters and you may see ten different putting styles…and putters. Each of the ‘flat
sticks’ gets the job done but may have a very different look, weight, length and loft and though there
is a wide variety knowing a few of the basics of proper fit can help you find just the right one.
Putter selection, what works for you, is personal preference… the looks, the feel …each are
confidence builders. A putter’s feel is determined by the weight distribution between head and
handle, the hardness of the face material plus the sound and vibration feedback when striking the
ball. Thus one with a very soft face insert and lots of weight in the handle will feel entirely different
than one with a relatively heavy head and a milled metal face. So feel is truly a matter of individual
perception.
Face-Balanced: A face-balanced putter, this one a
mallet-style, is best for strokes that go straight back and
straight through.
mallet-style, is best for strokes that go straight back and
straight through.
Toeweighted: Players whose strokes make a
pronounced arc should try toe-weighted putters.
pronounced arc should try toe-weighted putters.
A stroke with a moderate arc from inside to square
to inside fits well with a midweighted putter.
to inside fits well with a midweighted putter.
Fitting your putter to your stroke is vital so we
talked with Blair Philip, Technical Services
Manager at Yes! Golf the makers of C-Groove
putters, to get an insider’s view about proper
fitting.
talked with Blair Philip, Technical Services
Manager at Yes! Golf the makers of C-Groove
putters, to get an insider’s view about proper
fitting.
continued, “Golfers need to consider the correct fit of the putter to their stance and putting stroke to become better.”
The correct fit begins with getting the shaft length right. How tall you are of course has something to do with it but
just because you are taller than average doesn’t necessarily mean you need a longer putter. In fact Philip says the
current trend is towards shorter shaft lengths rather than longer.
Correct shaft length is really about the distance from the heel of your left hand (for a right handed player using a
conventional grip) to the ground when in your normal putting stance. To measure that distance be sure your eyes
are over the line of the putt and you have enough bend from the waist so your arms hang naturally and that’s all
there is to it.
Try a few putters with different lengths and you’ll soon find the right one. Golf shops have mostly men’s 35 or 34
inch models and ladies models in 33 or 34 inches. Your set up may however require an inch shorter or longer and
in the case of men’s putters, 33 inches is becoming increasingly popular.
Lie, or the angle the sole of the putter makes with the ground, is the next most important specification. The sole
should be ‘flat’ on the green at address to allow the putter to strike the ball as near to the sweet spot as possible.
If when you assume your normal stance, the putter toe is off the ground the club is said to be too upright and
should the heel be raised, it’s too flat. However, if you like a putter and the lie is incorrect it can be easily fixed by
any golf shop.
Philip says one of the often overlooked factors is a putter’s loft. Putters do have loft, around 4 degrees, or roughly
one-third of a driver’s loft. “When sitting on the green the ball makes an indentation in the grass so you need
some loft on the putter to lift it out and get it rolling,” said Philip.
Loft is best looked at in two ways. First is the amount when the putter is soled behind the ball and then the
effective amount of loft as the ball is struck. If you have a forward press of your hands that effectively decreases the
loft and you may need more loft to compensate.
The way in which the weight of the putter head is distributed is also critical and often not considered. Philip
commented, “People will buy a putter without thinking about whether the head weight fits their stroke. There’s a
big difference between a face-balanced putter and one with the weight in the toe and it shows in the putting
results.”
Face-balanced refers to an equal weight distribution from toe to heel so that when the putter shaft is balanced on
your finger the face is horizontal, good if your stroke is straight back and straight through. Conversely, if the toe
hangs straight down the putter suits a stroke that moves in an arc, back to the inside then forward to be square to
the desired line and then back to the inside of the line just like a full swing.
So in a nutshell, concentrate on a putter’s feel and then select one which is the right length, loft and lie. It will help
you to become a better putter and hole more putts.
Putting accounts for roughly half of our strokes and as Philip says, “Having a putter that is right for you is just as
important as the right driver.”
Note: Images are courtesy of Yes! Golf
The correct fit begins with getting the shaft length right. How tall you are of course has something to do with it but
just because you are taller than average doesn’t necessarily mean you need a longer putter. In fact Philip says the
current trend is towards shorter shaft lengths rather than longer.
Correct shaft length is really about the distance from the heel of your left hand (for a right handed player using a
conventional grip) to the ground when in your normal putting stance. To measure that distance be sure your eyes
are over the line of the putt and you have enough bend from the waist so your arms hang naturally and that’s all
there is to it.
Try a few putters with different lengths and you’ll soon find the right one. Golf shops have mostly men’s 35 or 34
inch models and ladies models in 33 or 34 inches. Your set up may however require an inch shorter or longer and
in the case of men’s putters, 33 inches is becoming increasingly popular.
Lie, or the angle the sole of the putter makes with the ground, is the next most important specification. The sole
should be ‘flat’ on the green at address to allow the putter to strike the ball as near to the sweet spot as possible.
If when you assume your normal stance, the putter toe is off the ground the club is said to be too upright and
should the heel be raised, it’s too flat. However, if you like a putter and the lie is incorrect it can be easily fixed by
any golf shop.
Philip says one of the often overlooked factors is a putter’s loft. Putters do have loft, around 4 degrees, or roughly
one-third of a driver’s loft. “When sitting on the green the ball makes an indentation in the grass so you need
some loft on the putter to lift it out and get it rolling,” said Philip.
Loft is best looked at in two ways. First is the amount when the putter is soled behind the ball and then the
effective amount of loft as the ball is struck. If you have a forward press of your hands that effectively decreases the
loft and you may need more loft to compensate.
The way in which the weight of the putter head is distributed is also critical and often not considered. Philip
commented, “People will buy a putter without thinking about whether the head weight fits their stroke. There’s a
big difference between a face-balanced putter and one with the weight in the toe and it shows in the putting
results.”
Face-balanced refers to an equal weight distribution from toe to heel so that when the putter shaft is balanced on
your finger the face is horizontal, good if your stroke is straight back and straight through. Conversely, if the toe
hangs straight down the putter suits a stroke that moves in an arc, back to the inside then forward to be square to
the desired line and then back to the inside of the line just like a full swing.
So in a nutshell, concentrate on a putter’s feel and then select one which is the right length, loft and lie. It will help
you to become a better putter and hole more putts.
Putting accounts for roughly half of our strokes and as Philip says, “Having a putter that is right for you is just as
important as the right driver.”
Note: Images are courtesy of Yes! Golf