Jump to content

side saddle putters - what putter are you using?


brentflog

Recommended Posts

I am making the switch to side saddle putting. I have had too many rounds of 71 or 72 with 34 putts. I was curious what kind of putters are my fellow side saddlers using? right now i am trying bobby grace heavyweight champ cut down to 42 inches. it has a pretty big head though so I have a wack-e L on the way to try.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm toying with it, Odyssey WHP long center shafted cut to 43". I like Bobby Grace's F-35, and I'd like to try Gianinni's "Butchie", but I've been using the WHP as an entry point.

Titleist TSR3 9* w/ GD UB-6 (S)
Titleist TSR2 15* & 21* w/ GD UB-7,8 (S)
Titleist u505 22* w/ Atmos Blue HB 85 (S)
Titleist T200/150 5-PW w/ Steelfiber i110 (S)
Vokey SM8 50*, 55*, 60* w/ S300
Scotty Cameron Toolbox
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Currently using a 42" two ball style putter. It lines up well as you would expect, may be a little short for me and you can't really get the shaft fully verticals due to the width of the head. I have a PR Dione GP putter on the way to me in 47" and I look forward to trying it

Driver - Cobra Speedzone

Hybrids

      Cobra 17
      Wishon 775 21

      Wishon 775 24 
Irons - Callaway Apex MB 6-A
Wedges - Maltby 54 60 TSW DRM
Putters - L.A.B Blad.1 and L.A.B. DF 2.1 Long
Titleist Yellow ProV1x / AVX 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

Currently using a 42" two ball style putter. It lines up well as you would expect, may be a little short for me and you can't really get the shaft fully verticals due to the width of the head. I have a PR Dione GP putter on the way to me in 47" and I look forward to trying it

 

So, how has the GP Putter worked for you?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

fast forward a year and looking back I kicked the face forward putting the first part of this year. I have gone back to traditional putting and have settled in on a couple of Seemore FGP putters. On the face forward putting, I went through about 4 different putters over about a years time. The GP putter is well made but it has a very small head. It is easy to get the shaft verticle with the narrow head which depending on how you have been putting face on, may be of benefit.

 

Overall I putted pretty good with it, especially within 20', but my lag putting on long putts was never very consistent. I went to face on putting to help out with shorter putts as short misses were costing me a lot of strokes. face on putting definatly helped with the shorter putts, but overall due to poor lag putting, i did not get the overall improvement that I was wanting. (and I practiced a LOT with the 4 different putters).

 

Although a part of me really likes the aspects of face on putting, I just felt I lost my touch and feel of putting with the face on style.

Driver - Cobra Speedzone

Hybrids

      Cobra 17
      Wishon 775 21

      Wishon 775 24 
Irons - Callaway Apex MB 6-A
Wedges - Maltby 54 60 TSW DRM
Putters - L.A.B Blad.1 and L.A.B. DF 2.1 Long
Titleist Yellow ProV1x / AVX 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the update. Unfortunately, it's not very encouraging as I am just starting to tinker with the face on style. Thus far, distance control is the most difficult aspect. I am still fiddling around with technique as well.

 

Keep working at it, it may be a fit for you. i think from the standpoint of getting a ball on the right line from 10' and in, face on is tough to beat once you get a process down in your set up. When I first went to it, I purchased the L2 putter which has a huge head on it. I actually found his technique to be very good from long distance, but the putter was just too large and heavy for shorter putts and that is when I moved on to the two ball putter and then the PR Dionne. I ended up pretty good on shorter putts with the PR Dionne, but I never was able to get real confident on longer putts (one of the strong points of my traditional stance putting). LOL, at one point I thought about carrying two types of putters!

Driver - Cobra Speedzone

Hybrids

      Cobra 17
      Wishon 775 21

      Wishon 775 24 
Irons - Callaway Apex MB 6-A
Wedges - Maltby 54 60 TSW DRM
Putters - L.A.B Blad.1 and L.A.B. DF 2.1 Long
Titleist Yellow ProV1x / AVX 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No, I have never tried the Juan putter. I figured trying 4 putters for that style was enough!

Driver - Cobra Speedzone

Hybrids

      Cobra 17
      Wishon 775 21

      Wishon 775 24 
Irons - Callaway Apex MB 6-A
Wedges - Maltby 54 60 TSW DRM
Putters - L.A.B Blad.1 and L.A.B. DF 2.1 Long
Titleist Yellow ProV1x / AVX 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Been using the JuanPutt for most of the last 16 months since I converted to Face On. I've tried two different Bobby Grace versions, the GP putter, and even an STX, which is the one that Randy Haag uses, I believe. None of them match to the JuanPutt for weighting and ease of alignment; I think it's just a great piece of equipment.

 

BTW, if you are considering ordering one, remember that Mr. Elizondo includes a putting trac that is fitted to his putter. I think it is a KEY piece of the puzzle in learning to trust the Face On stroke. I'm not trying to shill for him, but I DO think he's figured some stuff out about all of this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have the L2 lateral line putter. And it is a solid putter. It is however extremely heavy. If you enjoy heavy putters and want to try side saddle then give this a go. I just looked at the juanputt putter and am very interested in this putter. Anyone with first hand experience using this putter please chime in.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's neat that this subject just popped back up as I heard over the weekend, and just verified that Bryson Dechambeau is considering this very putting style. I didn't see it mentioned here, and may have missed it, but thought I'd throw it out there in case anyone hadn't heard it.

 

It is my understanding that Dechambeau did indeed putt sidesaddle but was tired of all the attention and questions that he was getting about putting this way. So he switched to conventional putting and now uses an edel brick putter. I don't remember where I read this it was probably here lol.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's neat that this subject just popped back up as I heard over the weekend, and just verified that Bryson Dechambeau is considering this very putting style. I didn't see it mentioned here, and may have missed it, but thought I'd throw it out there in case anyone hadn't heard it.

 

According to Haag and another source (Gary Van Sickle) he has said he will switch back to side saddle after he secures his tour card, which he did this year. If he does I think this will have a greater effect of changing the game than his single length irons. I think most of us who have posted on this thread agree it is a better way to putt. Of course under current leadership, the usga and r&a will probably try to ban it. I have no idea how they could but never underestimate the usga.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have the L2 lateral line putter. And it is a solid putter. It is however extremely heavy. If you enjoy heavy putters and want to try side saddle then give this a go. I just looked at the juanputt putter and am very interested in this putter. Anyone with first hand experience using this putter please chime in.

 

See my post above. I've been using the JuanPutt for nearly a year and a half, but have used (and still own!) several other Face On models. None are as good as the JuanPutt.

 

I'd add this; the guy who designed the JuanPutt, Juan Elizondo from Omaha, is a PGA professional who teaches out on Tour. He provides not only an instructional DVD with his putter but also a putting trac made specifically for his putter that I found invaluable and still use from time to time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's neat that this subject just popped back up as I heard over the weekend, and just verified that Bryson Dechambeau is considering this very putting style. I didn't see it mentioned here, and may have missed it, but thought I'd throw it out there in case anyone hadn't heard it.

 

It is my understanding that Dechambeau did indeed putt sidesaddle but was tired of all the attention and questions that he was getting about putting this way. So he switched to conventional putting and now uses an edel brick putter. I don't remember where I read this it was probably here lol.

 

You are correct about Dechambeau doing this earlier and saying that he was going back to it. The most recent report made it sound like he was just going to try it out, which is incorrect.

 

I will say that the one thing that has most caught me by surprise with the switch to Face On is the reaction of other golfers; they just freak out, and the worse they are, the more freaked out they become! I have people I've never met walk up to me on the practice green and start questioning the legality, etc, of what I am doing. I'm at a point in my life where I don't much care what anybody thinks of me, much less of the way I putt a golf ball, but it does get a bit tiresome.

 

My theory on this is that the attention is about two things. One is of course the unusualness of what I'm doing. But I've come to believe that for many golfers, seeing me putt this way is sort of threatening; if I putt better than they do using a completely different method, then it means that they are "doing it wrong" and ought to switch, too. And that's a problem for a lot of people.

 

BTW, the two groups that do NOT seem freaked out? Low handicap senior players, and tournament players of any age. The lower the age, the higher the handicap, and the more casual the golfer, the more they react like I've just thrown a live cobra out on the green.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's neat that this subject just popped back up as I heard over the weekend, and just verified that Bryson Dechambeau is considering this very putting style. I didn't see it mentioned here, and may have missed it, but thought I'd throw it out there in case anyone hadn't heard it.

 

According to Haag and another source (Gary Van Sickle) he has said he will switch back to side saddle after he secures his tour card, which he did this year. If he does I think this will have a greater effect of changing the game than his single length irons. I think most of us who have posted on this thread agree it is a better way to putt. Of course under current leadership, the usga and r&a will probably try to ban it. I have no idea how they could but never underestimate the usga.

 

I don't know how they could write the rule banning Face On, unless they were willing to take on any or all of three things. They could try limiting the allowable length of the putter, though Snead putted with a conventional length Bullseye, and I'd be willing to putt Face On with a putter down to about 38" or so (my JuanPutt is 44"). They could also try something with requiring the hands to be together, though that gets into some really thin ice because of ten-finger baseball grips used for full swings. And third, they could try something about alignment that would be really, really hard to write clearly.

 

I think the difficulties we are seeing with the guys still using the long putter but saying that they are NOT anchoring will give the USGA pause about heading down that sort of road again anytime soon. Any rule that effectively bans facing the hole (think of it as a VERY open stance!) is going to be VERY tough to write and even tougher to administer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's neat that this subject just popped back up as I heard over the weekend, and just verified that Bryson Dechambeau is considering this very putting style. I didn't see it mentioned here, and may have missed it, but thought I'd throw it out there in case anyone hadn't heard it.

 

It is my understanding that Dechambeau did indeed putt sidesaddle but was tired of all the attention and questions that he was getting about putting this way. So he switched to conventional putting and now uses an edel brick putter. I don't remember where I read this it was probably here lol.

 

You are correct about Dechambeau doing this earlier and saying that he was going back to it. The most recent report made it sound like he was just going to try it out, which is incorrect.

 

I will say that the one thing that has most caught me by surprise with the switch to Face On is the reaction of other golfers; they just freak out, and the worse they are, the more freaked out they become! I have people I've never met walk up to me on the practice green and start questioning the legality, etc, of what I am doing. I'm at a point in my life where I don't much care what anybody thinks of me, much less of the way I putt a golf ball, but it does get a bit tiresome.

 

My theory on this is that the attention is about two things. One is of course the unusualness of what I'm doing. But I've come to believe that for many golfers, seeing me putt this way is sort of threatening; if I putt better than they do using a completely different method, then it means that they are "doing it wrong" and ought to switch, too. And that's a problem for a lot of people.

 

BTW, the two groups that do NOT seem freaked out? Low handicap senior players, and tournament players of any age. The lower the age, the higher the handicap, and the more casual the golfer, the more they react like I've just thrown a live cobra out on the green.

 

I've had the same reaction. If Dechambeau is successful this will change.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I will be ordering the JuanPutt putter sometime this week. I emailed the customer service department and got a response within 2 hours from Juan himself along with his cell phone number if I have any other questions. This just shows me how he stands behind his product and how excellent the customer service is. I will update everyone once I order and receive this putter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I will be ordering the JuanPutt putter sometime this week. I emailed the customer service department and got a response within 2 hours from Juan himself along with his cell phone number if I have any other questions. This just shows me how he stands behind his product and how excellent the customer service is. I will update everyone once I order and receive this putter.

 

He is terrific; I had two LONG phone conversations with him after I started down this road. Just a super nice guy in every respect.

 

I would urge you to watch his instructional video carefully, and use his putting trac religiously at the beginning. After hitting a few hundred 3 and 4 footers with the putting trac, you'll find that you have a completely different confidence level over those putts on the green. The feeling that if you get lined up right the ball WILL start on that line is just absolutely invaluable.

 

And that's really the biggest difference in Face On vs. conventional putting; the certainty that the ball is going to at least start on the line that you've picked without any need to manipulate or micro-manage the putter head. Then you are free to simply focus on the speed, which at least for me simplified putting incredibly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The question is......... was he any good using the side saddle method?

 

Apparently HE thinks he was, right?

 

FWIW, I putted for nearly half a century conventionally. I was at least decent at it, and worked really hard; used lots of different grips, tried lots of different putters, took lessons, read books, did drills, the whole nine yards. I've been putting Face On/sidesaddle for 16 months, and I think I can say without reservation or hesitation that this is a better way to putt. I truly believe that the ONLY reason that golfers stand parallel to the line of play when they putt is because that's the way it's always been done. There is literally NO biomechanical advantage to conventional putting, and LOTS of disadvantages.

 

My two analogies are Pete Gogolak and Dick Fosbury. Until those two guys, people were pretty sure they knew how you should kick a football and how you should high jump; now, a straight-on placekicker or a high jumper that did the western roll or the scissors would look absurd. There WILL be that sort of paradigm shift with putting someday, but it'll take a young like Dechambeau to get people to take it seriously.

 

But it's a better way to putt; it just is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The question is......... was he any good using the side saddle method?

He won the Trans-Miss putting sidesaddle...

Titleist TSR3 9* w/ GD UB-6 (S)
Titleist TSR2 15* & 21* w/ GD UB-7,8 (S)
Titleist u505 22* w/ Atmos Blue HB 85 (S)
Titleist T200/150 5-PW w/ Steelfiber i110 (S)
Vokey SM8 50*, 55*, 60* w/ S300
Scotty Cameron Toolbox
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Our picks

    • 2024 Valspar Championship WITB Photos (Thanks to bvmagic)- Discussion & Links to Photos
      This weeks WITB Pics are from member bvmagic (Brian). Brian's first event for WRX was in 2008 at Bayhill while in college. Thanks so much bv.
       
      Please put your comments or question on this thread. Links to all the threads are below...
       
       
       
       
        • Like
      • 31 replies
    • 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational - Discussion and Links to Photos
      Please put any questions or comments here
       
       
       
      General Albums
       
      2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational - Monday #1
      2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational - Monday #2
      2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational - Monday #3
       
       
       
       
      WITB Albums
       
      Matt (LFG) Every - WITB - 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
      Sahith Theegala - WITB - 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
       
       
       
       
       
      Pullout Albums
       
      New Cameron putters (and new "LD" grip) - 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
      New Bettinardi MB & CB irons - 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
      Custom Bettinardi API putter cover - 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
      Custom Swag API covers - 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
      New Golf Pride Reverse Taper grips - 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
        • Like
      • 15 replies
    • 2024 Cognizant Classic - Discussion and Links to Photos
      Please put any questions or comments here
       
       
       
       
      General Albums
       
      2024 Cognizant Classic - Monday #1
      2024 Cognizant Classic - Monday #2
      2024 Cognizant Classic - Monday #3
      2024 Cognizant Classic - Monday #4
       
       
       
      WITB Albums
       
      Brandt Snedeker - WITB - 2024 Cognizant Classic
      Max Greyserman - WITB - 2024 Cognizant Classic
      Eric Cole - WITB - 2024 Cognizant Classic
      Carl Yuan - WITb - 2024 Cognizant Classic
      Russell Henley - WITB - 2024 Cognizant Classic
      Justin Sun - WITB - 2024 Cognizant Classic
      Alex Noren - WITB - 2024 Cognizant Classic
      Shane Lowry - WITB - 2024 Cognizant Classic
      Taylor Montgomery - WITB - 2024 Cognizant Classic
      Jake Knapp (KnappTime_ltd) - WITB - - 2024 Cognizant Classic
       
       
       
      Pullout Albums
       
      New Super Stoke Pistol Lock 1.0 & 2.0 grips - 2024 Cognizant Classic
      LA Golf new insert putter - 2024 Cognizant Classic
      New Garsen Quad Tour 15 grip - 2024 Cognizant Classic
      New Swag covers - 2024 Cognizant Classic
      Jacob Bridgeman's custom Cameron putter - 2024 Cognizant Classic
      Bud Cauley's custom Cameron putters - 2024 Cognizant Classic
      Ryo Hisatsune's custom Cameron putter - 2024 Cognizant Classic
      Chris Kirk - new black Callaway Apex CB irons and a few Odyssey putters - 2024 Cognizant Classic
      Alejandro Tosti's custom Cameron putter - 2024 Cognizant Classic
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
        • Like
      • 2 replies
    • 2024 Genesis Invitational - Discussion and Links to Photos
      Please put any questions or comments here
       
       
       
      General Albums
       
      2024 Genesis Invitational - Monday #1
      2024 Genesis Invitational - Monday #2
      2024 Genesis Invitational - Tuesday #1
      2024 Genesis Invitational - Tuesday #2
      2024 Genesis Invitational - Tuesday #3
      2024 Genesis Invitational - Tuesday #4
       
       
       
       
      WITB Albums
       
      Rory McIlroy - WITB - 2024 Genesis Invitational
      Sepp Straka - WITB - 2024 Genesis Invitational
      Patrick Rodgers - WITB - 2024 Genesis Invitational
      Brendon Todd - WITB - 2024 Genesis Invitational
      Denny McCarthy - WITB - 2024 Genesis Invitational
      Corey Conners - WITB - 2024 Genesis Invitational
      Chase Johnson - WITB - 2024 Genesis Invitational
      Tiger Woods - WITB - 2024 Genesis Invitational
      Tommy Fleetwood - WITB - 2024 Genesis Invitational
      Matt Fitzpatrick - WITB - 2024 Genesis Invitational
      Si Woo Kim - WITB - 2024 Genesis Invitational
      Viktor Hovland - WITB - 2024 Genesis Invitational
      Wyndham Clark - WITB - 2024 Genesis Invitational
      Cam Davis - WITB - 2024 Genesis Invitational
      Nick Taylor - WITB - 2024 Genesis Invitational
      Ben Baller WITB update (New putter, driver, hybrid and shafts) – 2024 Genesis Invitational
       
       
       
       
       
      Pullout Albums
       
      New Vortex Golf rangefinder - 2024 Genesis Invitational
      New Fujikura Ventus shaft - 2024 Genesis Invitational
      Tiger Woods & TaylorMade "Sun Day Red" apparel launch event, product photos – 2024 Genesis Invitational
      Tiger Woods Sun Day Red golf shoes - 2024 Genesis Invitational
      Aretera shafts - 2024 Genesis Invitational
      New Toulon putters - 2024 Genesis Invitational
      Tiger Woods' new white "Sun Day Red" golf shoe prototypes – 2024 Genesis Invitational
       
       
       
       
       
      • 22 replies
    • 2024 Waste Management Phoenix Open - Discussion and Links to Photos
      Please put and questions or comments here
       
       
       
       
      General Albums
       
      2024 Waste Management Phoenix Open - Monday #1
      2024 Waste Management Phoenix Open - Monday #2
       
       
       
       
      WITB Albums
       
      Ben Taylor - WITB - 2024 Waste Management Phoenix Open
      Garrick Higgo - WITB - 2024 Waste Management Phoenix Open
      Billy Horschel - WITB - 2024 Waste Management Phoenix Open
      Justin Lower - WITB - 2024 Waste Management Phoenix Open
      Lanto Griffin - WITB - 2024 Waste Management Phoenix Open
      Bud Cauley - WITB - 2024 Waste Management Phoenix Open
      Corbin Burnes (2021 NL Cy Young) - WITB - 2024 Waste Management Phoenix Open
      Greyson Sigg - WITB - 2024 Waste Management Phoenix Open
      Charley Hoffman - WITB - 2024 Waste Management Phoenix Open
      Nico Echavarria - WITB - 2024 Waste Management Phoenix Open
      Victor Perez - WITB - 2024 Waste Management Phoenix Open
      Sami Valimaki - WITB - 2024 Waste Management Phoenix Open
      Ryo Hisatsune - WITB - 2024 Waste Management Phoenix Open
       
       
       
       
       
       
      Pullout Albums
       
      Jake Knapp's custom Cameron putters - 2024 Waste Management Phoenix Open
      New Cameron putters - 2024 Waste Management Phoenix Open
      Tyler Duncan's custom Cameron putter - 2024 Waste Management Phoenix Open
      Greyson Sigg's custom Cameron putters - 2024 Waste Management Phoenix Open
      Sunjae Im's custom Cameron putter - 2024 Waste Management Phoenix Open
      Ping's Waste Management putter covers - 2024 Waste Management Phoenix Open
      Vincent Whaley's custom Cameron - 2024 Waste Management Phoenix Open
      Odyssey Waste Management putter covers - 2024 Waste Management Phoenix Open
      Super Stroke custom grips - 2024 Waste Management Phoenix Open
      Cameron putters - 2024 Waste Management Phoenix Open
      Zac Blair's custom Cameron putter - 2024 Waste Management Phoenix Open
      Bettinardi Waste Management putter covers - 2024 Waste Management Phoenix Open
       
       
       
       
       
       

       
      • 12 replies

×
×
  • Create New...