“Putters – Let’s Roll the Rock”
I love putting…and putters. I have more putters than my fingers can count but that is a story for another day. Putting and putters are one of those aspects that a golfer loves, hates, or is just indifferent. It is a club that is used on every hole on the golf course and it can make or break a tournament, match, or friendly game. I would consider that important. The main goal for putting is to get the ball in the hole in the least amount of strokes. To do this, having good speed control, being able to start the golf ball on line, and having green reading skills is a must. The start line and speed control are two factors that going through a putter fitting can help improve.
Start line – Are you able to start the golf ball on your intended line? A couple of factors that can affect the start line are the loft and lie angle of the putter, but knowing if you are lined up to your intended line and are able to start the golf ball on that line is another question. The alignment of the putter can also be influenced by the shape (mallet or blade), the amount of offset (where the shaft is relative to the putter face), and where the alignment aid is located on the putter (top or bottom). Getting the ball started on your intended line is important in being able to determine and analyze your own green reading skills paired with speed control.
Speed – Are you able to control the speed or energy of the putter? Having good speed control can help eliminate three putts as well as increase the probability of making more putts. One thing that can help with this can be adding weight in the grip end of the shaft to see if the stroke and strike point are more consistent. Adding weight to the top of the shaft or towards the lower end of the grip can have an influence on the stroke and therefore the consistency of the speed of the putter.
These factors of having the ability to control the intended start line and controlling speed are important in becoming a good putter. Having the correctly fitted putter can help eliminate doubts of the start line and speed control which can, at the end, free you up and just have fun playing the game. We use SAM PuttLab and other technologies to make sure you fit into the best possible putter for you! Also, going through some putting drills won’t hurt.
Putters available and soon to be available in the shop –
Rickie Fowler Putter – Odyssey Versa Jailbird
Scotty Cameron Champion series
Bettinardi
