Does it really matter what putter you use?

[Augustok]

Other than maybe getting the correct length, is the ideal putter just in your head? You think it’s great because you like looking down on it. Or you are swayed by advertising, brand name, or wins on the pro tour.

[jholz]

My Odyssey White Ice #7 works wonderfully for me. I can't make any guarantees about anyone else, however.

[grew]

I honestly believe confidence is what makes a good putter, not the putter itself.

[fsusmith]

Some of it is matching a putter style to your type of stroke etc but it’s mostly whatever gives you confidence when you’re standing over a putt.

[Joelsim]

I’ve been testing putters this year, loads of mat practise with each, plus a few rounds. Have sold 8 on so far.

 

It does make a difference, some I couldn’t get comfortable with at all, some just clicked. Toe-hang doesn’t seem to matter too much with my swing, but clubhead size and grip appear to, also I’ve found I feel more confident with a milled face. So, in my case I prefer a wide blade like the Piretti Matera Elite or Bettinardi SS#28 Slotback or a mid mallet like the Queen Bee #9 or Cleveland Huntington Beach #10. A narrow Anser style blade doesn’t float my boat so I’m selling on the Piretti Cortino. I’m also not keen on Centre-shafted.

[Muligans]

Not really if you put in time per say. My collection varies from heads, necks, grips, shaft and weight so a lot of practice rolls before a round is a must, as well as a putter that gives you confidence. This could be how the ball is framed, with or without an alignment aid or how it looks depending on how your day starts. I’m generally a Newport guy so this would be an ideal start, and only diverse to play others depending on confidence and accuracy on that play date.

[BIG STU]

It does not matter the brand , type, or vintage as long a it fits your eye, feels good to you and you have confidence in it. Over the years I have seen great putters putt with everything from a Sam Snead blade putter found in vintage starter sets to the latest and greatest high MOI Toyota on a stick.

[Augustok]

I’ve been using an odyssey mallet center shaft and bending way over it, which has suited me fine until this year because my back is beginning to ache in that position while practicing. I’m a pretty good putter so changing will be hard. But I’m planning to switch to a more upright stance and was thinking about what really matters. I especially could never putt with a red putter even though they might be good. I read way too much the last couple of weeks and am set to really start trying some. Thanks for the comments.

[IMAway]

Well I've never putted better in my 30+ years of golfing. And I'm using a putter I never heard of until 4 or 5 months ago. The Ace Acculock (arm-lock) putter. It is so different than how I use to putt that.... YES it does matter what putter I use. The stroke is so freakin stable it's unreal. No more (and I mean no more) opening or closing of the putter face with this style/method of putter. It's simply get the line right and the distance. I've drastically reduced my 3 putts (earlier in the year I probably averaged 2 to 3 per round including some rounds of more than that, including one 7 putt round). Now I can go 2 or 3 rounds without three putting. And very rarely do I 3 putt twice in a round anymore. My lag putting from 30+ feet is much improved due to this putter. If I'm short or long by 3 or 4 feet... I'm only that far away for my 2nd putt - as opposed to pulling or pushing a putt 5 feet offline.

 

So to answer the OP's original question... for me it's a resounding yes.

[philly2kuk]

Admittedly I've just changed my putter, but its got a lot more toe hang than my previous putter and looks very different. I haven't changed my swing, the putters are the same length and I putted well with my previous putter. This leads me to believe putting is about confidence, reading a green and the right putter length - nuts to matching your stroke as I supposedly had a SBST and I'm using an arc putter.

 

I love the look of the new putter (and the old) and all the putters I've putted badly with over the years I didn't like the look of and bought purely because they were meant to be awesome.

[James the Hogan Fan]

> @"BIG STU" said:

> It does not matter the brand , type, or vintage as long a it fits your eye, feels good to you and you have confidence in it. Over the years I have seen great putters putt with everything from a Sam Snead blade putter found in vintage starter sets to the latest and greatest high MOI Toyota on a stick.

 

I'm going to concur... It really doesn't matter at all. Every putter has a method of swinging it that will reliably put balls near/in the hole. The only question is do you as a player want to put in the practice to find that method? Imagine, if you will, that the putter you most recently bought was IT, that you could only ever use that putter for the rest of your life. I think that you could find a way to make it work.

 

Is there any real difference between a limited edition Scotty and say a dimensionally identical Wilson Prostaff from a box set? Perhaps in workmanship, but some may putt better with the prostaff regardless. It all comes down to bringing a flat face of metal perpendicular to target line at the proper speed, and that can be accomplished with any putter. The rest is mental.

[Bebsport678]

I think the more important part of a putter is that it’s fit to your stroke. Doesn’t matter what brand it is or what milling it has on the face.

 

I used to not believe in fitting for the putter but after seeing a professional...I’ve realized the importance of matching specs to your own unique strike

[jll62]

I have putted well with every type of putter made. From lots of toe hang to face balanced, blades to mallets, and nearly every combination in between. So it's not the putter in and of itself, but there are definitely styles of putters that fit my natural tendencies better than others. I tend to gravitate towards the ones that allow me to do less work.

 

Within the set putters that fit my stroke the best, aesthetics and feel are the characteristics I use to chose between them.

 

[JBent9610]

> @Bebsport678 said:

> I think the more important part of a putter is that it’s fit to your stroke.

 

I'm more inclined to agree with this than anything else. I like the looks of plumber's neck putters, but I just can't putt well with them. I was a 2-ball alignment zealot for the last several years. While I putted the best with a White Ice V-line 2-ball, I kept the WHP 2-ball blade in the bag the most because I liked the looks and feel of it the best. I finally gave up on it, went back to the V-line and then to a #7 Odyssey, and have putted so much better that I'll never go back to a plumber's neck putter. I had similar failures with a Yes Callie and an Anser style Rife. So while I liked the looks, feel, and (originally) had confidence in them, they just didn't fit my stroke.

 

[Bebsport678]

> @JBent9610 said:

> > @Bebsport678 said:

> > I think the more important part of a putter is that it’s fit to your stroke.

>

> I'm more inclined to agree with this than anything else. I like the looks of plumber's neck putters, but I just can't putt well with them. I was a 2-ball alignment zealot for the last several years. While I putted the best with a White Ice V-line 2-ball, I kept the WHP 2-ball blade in the bag the most because I liked the looks and feel of it the best. I finally gave up on it, went back to the V-line and then to a #7 Odyssey, and have putted so much better that I'll never go back to a plumber's neck putter. I had similar failures with a Yes Callie and an Anser style Rife. So while I liked the looks, feel, and (originally) had confidence in them, they just didn't fit my stroke.

>

Good stuff here. What looks good and what IS good aren’t always the same thing. Confidence certainly plays a factor but confidence comes after success

 

[Joelsim]

The ones that seem to work best for me are long from heel to toe. With a decent sightline. They seem to have the balance, the forgiveness and the sightline alignment.

 

 

[Shakester]

I remember when I first started playing, I picked up a Spalding putter from Sports Mart for like $19.99. There was a putter that came with my beginner set (Golden Bear from Costco), but I just liked the way this one looked and felt. Honestly, back then, I didn't know any better and probably don't know any better today. But I took that Spalding out on to the course and I putted like a champ with it. I seemed to sink everything. I don't know how, but somehow, the head of the putter got twisted it. I just grabbed it and twisted it back to what I thought looked centered and normal. I still putted great with it. A buddy of mine grabbed the putter and asked why my putter was so jacked up and almost 2 degrees closed, but I just left it. I actually played with that putter after I picked up my first non-beginner set of clubs. I remember that I had an Orlimar Tri Metal driver and woods with my TItleist DCI 962 irons. Then I had this butt ugly, $20 putter. It eventually broke when I tossed it to my bag one time. The head just snapped off so I ended up with a Cameron Newport. After a few times playing with the Scotty, I went back to the Sports Mart to see if they still had that Spalding putter, but they didn't.

[Fairway14]

> @Augustok said:

> Other than maybe getting the correct length, is the ideal putter just in your head? You think it’s great because you like looking down on it. Or you are swayed by advertising, brand name, or wins on the pro tour.

 

I think a putter's length to weight ratio matters.For example, a short putter with a light head weight would likely feel-swing out of balance, as would a long shafted putter with a heavy head weight.

[glm]

I think it does.

[sdandrea]

The most critical feature of a putter to me is overall weight and balance (swingweight). Too light and I cannot control the stroke.

[Mikey5e]

Does it really matter what putter you use? Not if you have one of these:

[bvanlieu]

Putters to me are a bit like watches, form typically precedes function. You can time hot laps with a $10 quartz watch or an Omega auto chrono: both do the job. The latter also makes you smile if you like the looks and feels and are a bit of a watch geek (raises hand)

 

I putted for 20+ years with a Ping Anser 2, 3 years with an SWorks 9. Recently I noticed that alignment for my eye could be better and I am going to try a Rossie with the red framing to help with alignment.

 

Had best putting day of year with SWorks yesterday, I think it knows it potential replacement is with UPS right now.

 

 

[rwhitlock]

i started putting better when i went from a blade putter to a face balanced mallet style putter. It wasn't that i liked the look of them, but i started getting the ball online better and distance control improved. Now when i putt with a buddies blade style i feel like it just wiggles all over the place on the backswing. No confidence in them anymore. I've gone from the X5 to the Las Vegas..

[juststeve]

It matters a lot to me. For about 20 years I've been putting with a Pro Platinum Newport mid-slant. I've tried lots of putter during that time and I don't putt as well with any of the others. Don't know why that si but for me the putter makes a big difference.

 

Steve

[chinaski]

It matters, echoing others here, it's all about confidence. Find one that makes short putts feel easy. Find a putter you love so much it makes you want to go out a practice. That is the putter for you.

[hd.softail]

> @Augustok said:

> Other than maybe getting the correct length, is the ideal putter just in your head? You think it’s great because you like looking down on it. Or you are swayed by advertising, brand name, or wins on the pro tour.

 

In short once you have been fitted for correct length, lie and swing arc, NO, it doesn't matter what putter you use assuming you're using a putter from at least a reputable putter maker.

 

Watch your average PGA/LPGA event and you will see everything: 10 year old white hot Rossi, the too soft PING Sigma 2 line and on the opposite side you'll also find every high-end custom imaginable from PING, Bettinardi, Cameron, etc.

 

I think once you have the correct fit, the advice to find something you like to look at and makes you want to go practice putting with is the best advice one could give. The answer to that is different for us all. For one person that could be a $15 Ping Anser from ebay, for others that would be a $2,000 custom Bettinardi.