Putter Question

I have a question regarding putters. I have been playing for a while and i consistanly shoot in the low 80's. What is holding me back i belive is my putting. I have been working really hard on it over the past two years. I have used a "Wal- Mart" special for a long time and finally, before last season, purchased a Odessey White Steel #1. the progress I had made went out the door. I had no idea where the ball was going and not feel for distance. I went back to my Wal -Mart putter around July and felt comfortable again. But I don't always get a consistant feel/roll from my putter. I know the old saying...you get what you pay for. Should I seriously consider upgrading my putter? If so, any recomendations (I like to have a soft feel). Or should I stay with what I am comfortable with right now? I am still a little gunshy about changing again knowing what happened last time. It got me off on the wrong foot last season and I never really recovered. Any advice?

Hi cs,

Is the Walmart special the same type of putter as the Odyssey? Are you a pendulum (straight back and straight forward) or arc putter?

Ted

The Wal Mart special has a "insert" in the face and the Odyssey had a steel insert. Both were blade putters which i like. I am a straight back and straight through.

Hi cs,

The reason I asked is I did not know if the problem was because the putters were different styles, So, it's the soft insert versus the harder face, which you can't get used to. The Odyssey is obviously a very good putter. If you want to keep it, you could consider going for softer feeling balls. There are balls that are very soft off the face.

Otherwise go to the putting area in the store and try a similar style Odyssey with the insert, and other putters and see if it makes any difference.

I've seen people putt the lights out with cheap low tech putters, and others with $300 Camerons who are awful putters.

Ted

from personal experience i found the cheap putters good, but not great. the cheap putter i had was great within 12ft, but outside this distance and it felt like no matter how hard i hit the ball it never went the same distance twice. i upgraded to an Odyssey putter and have never looked back.

similiar to what rotator said.... go into the shop and take the balls you use to putt with and try out the different putters that way.

Do you use the same balls round after round? if you don't this is going to kill your game.

Alternatively change the ball your using. I choose the ball i play with from the way it feels off the putter before anything else.

I have personally used an Odyssey putter for many years. All the latest ones out there are very good, high quality putters. No need to change anything there.

About 3 months I made a small change to my putting stroke that has really helped my game.

Being right handed I focused on my left hand that holds and controls the majority of the putter. I made a conscious effort with the left hand (with the right just supporting) to take the putter blade back and keep it as one movement with both shoulders when performing the stroke. In other words not allowing the wrists to break and keeping the blade square right through impact.

If you keep the left hand supporting the putter and your shoulders as one throughout the entire stroke it keeps the blade square and you perform a much more consistent stroke. This obviously results in more holed putts.

I hope this helps.

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Putters are personal preference, however 90% of people don't get putters that suit them. In other words they adapt to the putter, because they like the looks, it's a name brand, etc....etc...what most pro's do, that hardly any amateur does, they MATCH the putter too them, not the other way around. This means shaft length, weight, lie that works with the style of putting they make...

Start by getting into a comfortable stance without a putter in your hands, set a ball down directly under your eyes (you'll need help for this) what you think is under eyes, may not be, you need to set your arms so the upper arm (shoulder to elbow) is at the same angle as your spine. Now you need to get a putter or modify a putter that goes into your hands (without having to move them from the above position) and sits behind the ball centered and correctly soled.

Here is what usually happens, every one getting an Odessey, so you get one, problem is when soled, which is usually the way you will put it down behind the ball, makes you stand to upright, or bend over too far, your eyes will be inside the target line or outside making it almost impossible to see the line correctly. You mostly play fast greens and you got a lite putter, or you are bad at short putts, where you should be playing a heavier putter and the lists goes on....so my advise, find a good club fitter and get something suited for you and forget the name or looks.

As a general rule on types of putters, if you an arc type putter, a blade (non mid shaft) is generally better then a mallet or center shafted putter. Straight back and thru type putting is better off with those type putters and a more upright shaft angle.

edit: By the way, trial and error is the best way to find the correct putter weight for you, find a six footer and makes some putts with different weight putters then move out to 15 or 20 footers try to find a wgt that works naturally for YOU and at both distances. If you play different types of grass at difference courses you may need more then one putter, or get the lite one and add temp wgt to it when needed. I know many players that do this, some times they do it on the same course from day to day, because their feel just changes from day to day. You can't modify your putter once you start play, but you can tweak the hell out it before you start...lol