Can the choice of putter help your swing/stroke?

Hey All,

So my putting fell apart recently I have been leaving them short, long, pushing and pulling them it was awful.

Then I went back to my old Ben Hogan Bettinardi Baby Ben BHB.9

Low and behold within two rounds it had reminded me of how to swing with the shoulders and my stroke was back. The feedback was almost instant like it was correcting my stroke, I was back to my solid 2 putting and even dropping a few long ones….

Last night feeling confident I took out my Odyssey White Hot Tour 9 and I went to bits again, 3 putted 3 or 4 greens etc…. Now I am not saying the Tour 9 is a bad putter as I really like this putter and want it to work more that I wonder can a putter help correct your faults?

The Baby Ben seems to swing itself…

Simple answer... in many ways yes. You seemed to answer your own question!

[quote name='indyvai' timestamp='1281016071' post='2619995']
Simple answer... in many ways yes. You seemed to answer your own question!
[/quote]


[size="3"]I suppose I did yeah; I guess I just wanted to throw that thought out to see if people got that feedback from their own putters; I have only ever gotten that kinda feedback from the Bettinardi and no other putter I have ever tried….[/size]

[size="3"]The thing is I do love the Baby Ben but it's dam ugly IMHO and my friends jokingly call it [b]el-cheesio[/b] (they remark it's like a block of cheese ) but it works and yet for some reason I keep removing it from my bag but I have never found anything that "swings it's self" like that thing does……[/size]

[size="3"]I suppose I should ask if people could recommend a putter that they feel "swings it's self" and by that I mean the more you try and control it the more it tells you "oi you are doing it wrong matey".[/size]

[size="3"]I suppose if the putter works.....it works[/size]

[size="3"]Am I just rambling to myself here? [/size]

Five contributing factors play in success of failure with a putter for me; length, shaft angle and face, loft and weight. The other aspect that plays into good putting but is seldom address is "how consistent" the user is with his setup over the ball. Matching setup with length, shaft type and loft will have you dropping more putts, even longer ones, as the face will be impacting the ball square. All that's left is making sure green reading skills are not detering your results.

I used a CS White Hot #5 from the time it was introduced to 1/08. My common miss was right of the cup and had always been a two putt person.. struggled getting the ball to the cup on long putts, and had some one putt exceptions, but missed too many 8-15 footers.

Let me preface what I am about to say by "we" golfers have to to be able to accurately identify our errors, before it can be determined how to fix them. Anyways, one day I stumbled upon Callaway's online putter fitting function so I when through the steps providing answers. It told me I needed a face balance putter with one full shaft offset and suggested options. I immediately ordered Odyssey Black Series i #7, and have never looked back.

BS #7 is not only tour weighted which enhanced my stroke; it's low to back COG and lower loft had the ball rolling over end quicker and the tour face insert provided the feel I like at impact; it mates well with the type of balls I play too; so in answer to your question "yes". I routinely roll in 8-12 footers and make more 20+ footers then I ever had.

Certain players are more prone to be affected by a putters characteristics than others. Depending upon your stroke and hand/forearm rotation different putters suit different folks. It seems you have found a putter with the characteristics that suits your stroke and rotation. The two putters you are looking at (from what I remember of the Hogan) are completely different. One is face balanced(Hogan, or I think this is the model you are talking about) and the other has almost a 6 o'clock toe hang. They are two opposite extremes of the spectrum as far as stroke/and rotation in your stroke.

It makes sense that you would be able to putt with one and not the other. If you want a change look to putters with similar characteristics to your Hogan. Measure toe hang, swingweight, length, loft and lie. Get a putter with the same characteristics(but that looks better to your eye) and you should be fine.

Bob, the two putters are about night and day by comparison even if the same length and lie.

The Baby Ben is face balanced if memory serves me correct and the #9 is almost a full toe hang do the rotation characteristics may be quite different.

If you like what you have but can't look at it why not take a look at the BB32. Heel Shafted, face balanced, and it's a Bettinardi!!

Thanks guys,

Some great info and help there it helps me make sense of what is happening, to me, in that when I set up with both putters and use the same swing I get such varying results.

Thats why I love these forums whats confusing to some, i.e. me, is so simple and logical to others.

Thanks again guys.

So to dig a little deeper and make sure I am using the best possible putter; my stroke is basically thus;

I set up the ball left of centre almost level with my left ear I then connect both biceps against my chest (pecs), the connection is constant and light, from here I just rock the shoulders and the club goes salon door style!

This puts me a in a very bent over posture but it feels comfortable to me; its the best way I have found to stop my hands getting involved.

[quote name='Banjo Bob' timestamp='1281040408' post='2620917']
So to dig a little deeper and make sure I am using the best possible putter; my stroke is basically thus;

I set up the ball left of centre almost level with my left ear I then connect both biceps against my chest (pecs), the connection is constant and light, from here I just rock the shoulders and the club goes salon door style!

This puts me a in a very bent over posture but it feels comfortable to me; its the best way I have found to stop my hands getting involved.
[/quote]

Bob, I'm hoping your triceps are in contact. If not you may have your arms on backwards:rolleyes: or have really big pecs. Of course you could mean that your biceps are in contact with the outside of your upper chest.... help me out here.

I like to ask folks to give me a five iron setup, nice bend in the knees to bring the balance point into the quadriceps.

Bend from the hips and let the arms hang. A soft break at the elbows to allow the forearms to echo the shaft angle and you're ready to rock your shoulders.

This setup should bring you to a point of having your eyes over the ball and your back in a reasonably relaxed and maybe a bit taller setup.

If you use the baseboard as a reference you can actually rest your head on the wall, though if you use a hair tonic you might be advised to keep your cap on so as not to stain the wall.

[quote name='PuttingDoctor' timestamp='1281042172' post='2620981']
[quote name='Banjo Bob' timestamp='1281040408' post='2620917']
So to dig a little deeper and make sure I am using the best possible putter; my stroke is basically thus;

I set up the ball left of centre almost level with my left ear I then connect both biceps against my chest (pecs), the connection is constant and light, from here I just rock the shoulders and the club goes salon door style!

This puts me a in a very bent over posture but it feels comfortable to me; its the best way I have found to stop my hands getting involved.
[/quote]

Bob, I'm hoping your triceps are in contact. If not you may have your arms on backwards:rolleyes: or have really big pecs. Of course you could mean that your biceps are in contact with the outside of your upper chest.... help me out here.

I like to ask folks to give me a five iron setup, nice bend in the knees to bring the balance point into the quadriceps.

Bend from the hips and let the arms hang. A soft break at the elbows to allow the forearms to echo the shaft angle and you're ready to rock your shoulders.

This setup should bring you to a point of having your eyes over the ball and your back in a reasonably relaxed and maybe a bit taller setup.

If you use the baseboard as a reference you can actually rest your head on the wall, though if you use a hair tonic you might be advised to keep your cap on so as not to stain the wall.
[/quote]

Yeah you are right matey, its more like my triceps or more speciffically the inside of the upper arm is in contact with the upper chest, kinda like pinching the pec which I like to do on the full swing when practicing with a glove under the left arm.

I will try the set up you mentioned thank you.