Putters

Arguably the most important club in the bag ! I wondered how folks approached things with the flat stick ......

What type is in your bag at the moment ?

Do you change your putter regularly or stick with Old Trusty through thick and thin ?

Do you stick with a similar style of putter even if you do change on a regular basis ?

What do you not like ?



Mine is a Slotline blade putter with a slight flange at the back, traditional type/style, toe hang as I prefer to putt with a "swinging gate" motion [could be argued that I might be better with a gate on occasion!], milled face.

I have not had many putters during my golfing life and they have invariably been very, very similar to the one I use now. Anything else I look at just does not seem to suit my eye.

I have an aversion to belly putters/longputters a la Adam Scott, ones that look like Stealth Bombers, face balanced.

Putters are an enigma, when you finally find the right one IMO you should always stick with it through thick and thin. After my old trusty Scotty was half inched by some thieving chav last year i've been through a shed load of them trying to find something comfy, I've had Pings, Scotty's, Odyssey, Taylor Mades etc.

I've tried them all, finally I found one I liked the look of, the feel of and works for me. Its arguably the cheapest putter i've bought to pound for pound and is not from one of the Major OEMS. Which proves the theory of it doesn't matter what it is or who makes it, just as long as it's right for you.

The putter I finally settled with cost me a mere sum of £50 (RRP £65 got a good deal) Its a Benross Doral Pure Red Blade putter, extremely classic look shape putter you;d associate with the Likes of Ben Crenshaw and early in his Career big Phil style.

It's 33" with a midsize grip, has a precision milled face and a stepless shaft.
This is the wee beauty http://www.benrossgolf.com/index.php?page=doral+pure+red+putter&img=2

I will not be changing this putter for love nor money, she will be in my bag for time ever after, I just love how she feels in my hands and will continue to use her to caress my balls on the putting surface!!!

It;s the first putter of this design i've had and hopefully will be the last as right now I cannot envisage a reason for change.

What do I not like.

Belly putters and long Putters I have no issue with whatsoever, some are quite nice looking.

What I really can't stand personally Is the oerly massive mallet Spider Ghost putter jason Day and Goose wield, having looked at one and had a quick putt with it I think its the most unsightly putter i've seen, along with the old one Nick Price used to wield which I believe was called "Fat Lady Swings"

At the moment I swap between a Yes Marylin and a TaylorMade T.P.A XIV. Although I'm currently on the lookout for something new...Really like the Rife Cayman Brac and the Scotty Cameron Newport 2.5.

I have numerous putters, ranging from scotty teryllium, through ping anser to a real golden goose, with lots of others in between and have tried many, many more! I really struggle with putting and I know it's because I don't practice at all.

At the moment, I have a couple of non descript, unnamed putters that I am pimping up or down, whichever way you look at it. I shortened a slazenger black and weighted with lead strips and I seem to be better than normal with that, but wanted to see how far I could go...........so.

I have truncated an old wilson prostaff to a 30" shaft, that I wanted to try weighted, but didn't want ugly lead strips wrapped around the shaft. So I filled the shaft with 40 grammes of moist cement mix, rammed solid and then capped it and put a new 60 gramme Lamkin grip on it. Having taken off 4 inches of shaft, I believe I have lost 4 swing weights, which needs 10 grammes per weight added back and I also want to add a further 50 grammes to the head, which would make it a heavyweight at 730 grammes total weight. Fortunately, this putter has a couple of useful recesses that will nicely take some softened and hammered lead and should bring the weight up nicely.

Yeah I know, it seems like a lot of faffing around, just to twitch the damn thing off the green, but I enjoy doing it.

Nightmare as i've got a garage full, so to speak. Oddesy 2-ball worked well for me when I got her, which was then replaced with a Rife which was better for me. I then discovered a fantastic looking piece of kit that felt good and is of the same design type as Mav's Benross, a forged KZG blade and had a big grip put on her, and she was with me for 3-years with some great results, which then tailed off badly. I got a great deal on a Bettinardi BB25 and bought it, to sell on really, but when i got it and tried it, it felt good, so she's still in my bag. The roll off the honeycombed milled face is phenominal. Best results yet, but still a carp putter ....

I was quite a poor putter in my youth but in my mid 20's I found a Wilson Billy Casper which seemed to really suit me. Used it for 30 years then one day as I lent on it to pick a ball out of the hole the head broke at the neck. I was nearly in tears.
Used many putters since currently have a Two Ball and an old Bullseye for very fast greens.
Picked up an old Golden Goose style putter the other day for £1. It is in mint condition, was made by Letters and has Ford stamped on it. It sits really well so I might give it a go.

I've had a Yes Sofia 33" for 3 seasons, I am not one for changing putters frequently. I had a centre shafted Taylor Made Rossa Corza trimmed down to 31" before that which I kept for about 4 seasons. My dad borrowed it after falling out with his Yes Tracy putter and he won't part with it now.

I suspect my putter is the last club in the bag I would change just now. I fancy a whole new kit out, but I am also saving for a wedding so I'll need to be patient for another year or so.

Cannot mess too much with putters.Only had/have 2 a ping L blade and oddessy white hot centre shaft which is beautifully balanced for the short putts.
Like most clubs they seem to work better when you borrow rather than buy

Putters are a very personal thing. One man's Bella Emburg is another man's Mirka Federer .

When you putt left-handed, you can't afford to be choosey. Go into any shop (pro or otherwise) and you'll be lucky to find anymore than two to choose from.

When I was struck down with the unmentionables 12 years ago, changing to left-handed putting proved to be my salvation. However, at that time, the only putter I could find comfortable to putt with cost just $12 (in a Florida golf store). When asked what the head was made of, I seem to recall re-constituted car batteries being mentioned. It was fantastic though. I putted really well with it right up to the point of the first round of the club championship when, having just holed for birdie at the fifth hole, I leaned on the putter to pick the ball out of the hole and the blimmin head fell off. With only right-handed clubs left in the bag, suffice to say I was a basket-case after that.

Fiddled about a bit over time with putters. Been anti-Scotty for quite a long time (price, being one of the sheep etc) and then tried out (or, made the mistake of trying out) a Newport 2.6 just over a season ago. Couldn't miss with the thing so now it has pride of place in my bag. Actually, it's been even better than when I first tried it after increasing the weight by ~30g.

i've had a scotty ss newport 2 for three and a half years now. this season it's not been particularly hot but i'm excusing myself on grounds of inconsistent putting surfaces at our club over the summer due to a series of intensive tining and top-dressing sessions. the week i had up north at my away club when playing on really consistent greens was the best few rounds i've had on the greens by far.
no plans for a change, i'm generally pretty loyal with my putters as i know 90% of my frustrations are down to my own lack of skill / or lack of time to practice.

When I started playing golf in the mid 60s I used a putter that looked like a 1 iron but was marked as an 11 iron and about 35" long. You really had to hit this properly to putt well - an excellent grounding IMO. For many years I used a Callaway Tuttle putter cut down to about 30". This too worked well until, as these things happen with putters, I started missing "makeable" putts and my distance control went awol.
I replaced this with a centre shafted McGregor V5, which worked really well for a number of years until the old problems re-appeared.
This was replaced with an Odyssey White Hot #9 (heel shafted) which I have been using for a few years. Up until a few weeks ago, I really loved this putter but I can sense a parting is fairly imminent. It could be that my current malaise is due to the poorer quality of the greens at this time of the year so will probably reassess the situation when the greens improve.

super_realist wrote:Putters are a very personal thing. One man's Bella Emburg is another man's Mirka Federer .

Brilliant

Maverick wrote:

I will not be changing this putter for love nor money, she will be in my bag for time ever after, I just love how she feels in my hands and will continue to use her to caress my balls on the putting surface!!!

"

Mav

How do you sex a putter ?

SetupDeterminesTheMotion wrote:

Maverick wrote:

I will not be changing this putter for love nor money, she will be in my bag for time ever after, I just love how she feels in my hands and will continue to use her to caress my balls on the putting surface!!! ;)

"

Mav

How do you sex a putter ?

'she's' called ben, and has a 'mid-size' grip - sounds to me like mav's on the turn but in denial.

SetupDeterminesTheMotion wrote:

Maverick wrote:

I will not be changing this putter for love nor money, she will be in my bag for time ever after, I just love how she feels in my hands and will continue to use her to caress my balls on the putting surface!!!

"

Mav

How do you sex a putter ?

Maybe the putting green is the only time Mav's going to get to dip his wick if Mrs Mav has any sense. I think Mav just shows it to her and she gets pregnant.

Unless there are nurses present and then all bets are off

She's called Dora short for Doral!

Sex a putter like a car isn't it no man wants to hold anothers shaft so to speak! Unless that's your thing. So my putters a lass a thing of beauty if I had to choose between her and the wife well I'd help the Mrs pack!

As for not being allowed near the Mrs that's pretty accurate right now but when there's nurses nearby then stand back and watch the fireworks "cos that party time"

Just bought a new 2012 Scotty Cameron California Del Mar. Used it once and am already in love with it.

I tend to avoid plumbers neck putters like the plague, and generally go for the heel-shafted variety.

I'm not really a Scotty fan, but I do like the look and weight of the Squareback.
No need to replace the Yes Maralyn just yet though.

Marcus wrote:Just bought a new 2012 Scotty Cameron California Del Mar. Used it once and am already in love with it.

I tend to avoid plumbers neck putters like the plague, and generally go for the heel-shafted variety.

Marcus

after just one date with her I don't think you can call it love, I'd say at this stage it's still lust

I use currently TM Rossa Daytona with a Jumbo Grip. Those magic inserts make it roll damn good. I also have an Odyssey White Hot that I sometimes turn to.

My son has a TM TP by Kia Daytona (the most expensive of the 3). Have tried it but its not for me.

I also have a rusty Oil can Scotty Cameron that I use on the nice fast greens in Spain.

I have an old ping anser,
a mizuno bettinardi mallet
a mizuno bettinardi ping style
a scotty coronado that is about 10yrs old

but I am currently using "never compromise" milled series

all putters were second hand bought between £20 - £60

There's nothing worse than trying out putter on the practice green and holing a 25 footer first time of asking. They always behave impeccably until you part with your cash and it then turns into 3 feet snake that you have by the tail.

I started out with some big Cobra mallet thing as I couldn't get to grips with a blade style putter. I moved onto an Odyssey 2 ball, original version, and upgraded that a couple of years ago to an Odyssey Sabretooth partly because it was awkward to pick/flick the ball up with the 2 ball.

The only modification I've done is to change the grip for a jumbo size one. I do wonder whether it is fractionally too long for me at 34", I've been meaning to see my club fitter to check it out.

I have three putters, but rarely change from my Ping Pal 2.

The other ones I own are a Ping O - Blade and a Wilson 8813 (Palmer) blade.

The Ping Pal I have had for years and love everything about it, i only change to either of the other two, if I am playing on particularly fast greens!

Maverick

Your Benross Doral is almost identical to the putter I have. Like the look of that. Really decent price too.

goodwalkspoiled wrote:Maverick

Your Benross Doral is almost identical to the putter I have. Like the look of that. Really decent price too.

When I saw it in the shop it just jumped out at me. Regardless of make and price all the models and brands were there but the Doral just really stood out for its classic clean lines and soon as I picked it up it just felt right. The price was exceptional can't argue with the quality of the putter its superb and the price just proves a good club doesn't need cost the earth

I use an Odyssey two ball (ladies version - 32"). Last year, while playing with a work colleague, I had a few putts with his TM Ghost Corza, and was seduced by the honeymoon effect of the new toy. Bought myself the ladies version, but the romance never fulfilled the early promise, so it's currently on the naughty step.

I'm fairly steady with the Odyssey, so I now avoid the putter rack in the pro shop, just in case my flighty eye alights on any new arrivals.

Mary

I had exactly the same experience with my Corza, my Scotty is now back in the bag. The Corza might come back out in the winter when the greens are slow and woolly.

Well my amended Wilson prostaff 111 is now finished.

It is overall from the ground to the top of the shaft a scant 31", has a concrete filled shaft for extra weight and some compressed lead in the head. It now weighs in at just a tad over 700 grammes as opposed to my Scotty te that is the same amount over 500 grammes.

Feels nice on my carpet, but is a little skittish on the wood floor. I wonder what the stimp meter reading is of my floor. Hang on, I've got a bit of guttering here and a protractor........20degrees.........Oh who cares, I still wont be able to putt worth a damn!

os, are there any limits you've got to pay attention too so as not to 'break the rules' with your tweaking?!! Filling the shaft up with concrete sounds extreme - get a hundred of those and you could use them as piles for a garden chalet!

ban_bam wrote:os, are there any limits you've got to pay attention too so as not to 'break the rules' with your tweaking?!! Filling the shaft up with concrete sounds extreme - get a hundred of those and you could use them as piles for a garden chalet!

I know, it sounds crazy, but it was the only thing I could easily lay my hands on!

This is just a trial as well - I want to see how it works and if it does, then I will be getting a more permanent replacement that is made to these specifics. However, it needed to be fairly permanent, because as Mary and D4S have pointed out, there is a definite 'honeymoon' period with putters.

I hadn't thought about piling for my shed, I have tended to use unwanted bats as sticks for the peas!

Blaming the putter is simply stupid, its not the putter that missing the hole but the mug whose hands its in.

I have had my putter now for over 10 years,in fact it could be longer than that, as I cant remember when I got.

Its finding the style of putting that suits you best, I know during the summer months, I play the ball slightly more forward in my stance, and have a very short back swing, but as the greens get slower, I now play the ball more central or slight back in my stance and increase the amount of back swing.

If you can get into the mindset that it is not the putter that's the problem, but the way you are swinging it, and try out different styles, could save you money and also make you a better putter

oldparwin wrote:Blaming the putter is simply stupid, its not the putter that missing the hole but the mug whose hands its in.

I have had my putter now for over 10 years,in fact it could be longer than that, as I cant remember when I got.

Its finding the style of putting that suits you best, I know during the summer months, I play the ball slightly more forward in my stance, and have a very short back swing, but as the greens get slower, I now play the ball more central or slight back in my stance and increase the amount of back swing.

If you can get into the mindset that it is not the putter that's the problem, but the way you are swinging it, and try out different styles, could save you money and also make you a better putter

I refer the honourable gentleman to my earlier response when I did state.......'I really struggle with putting and I know it's because I don't practice at all.'

I don't blame the putter, I have always blamed the monkey on the other end of it and I am still trying to find the style that suits me. It is however entirely possible that playing about with the weight and the length of the putter may just, by some fortunate happenstance, prove to help me with that. But even if it doesn't, I enjoy doing it.

Sorry did not mean to offend anyone, by my last post.

We have a crowd at my golf club, who change putters more often than I change my vest, none of them putt any better for doing it.