center vs offset putter shaft

[patbfsj]

what are pros & cons

Have a question about putter shafts...
What is the pros & cons of center vs offset shaft putters.

I have an offset putter now and was recommended to try a center shaft to help square up my putts and reduce missing the hole right.

Does your stroke determine the best fit for shaft-- straight pendulum versus a hinged door stroke to square your putter ??

NOt much info online regarding this subject, hope you guys can help me reduce my 3 jacks with a better fit putter...

[dtgolder]

I prefer center shaft, but can putt with a heel shaft as well.

 

I think putting is all between your ears...you can putt with a 2x4 if you believe you can.

 

(But of course Pelz and the other gurus say otherwise--I'd check out pelzgolf.com and poke around. He'll have some answers for you there)

[patbfsj]

Thanks,

I will check out what Pelz has to say about it. I have always used a traditional heal shaft putter (ping anser) but will make a switch if it helps to center shafted mallet

[shook23]

Probably should ask this in the flatstick forum, but from what I know (not much), most heel shafts are heavier on the toe side, promoting a more swinging gate stroke. Center shafts tend to be mostly face balanced, helping the straight back straight throughs of the world.

 

I switched to the putter in my sig from a sc newport 2.5, and I love it, I can see improvements immediately, mostly to do with better allignment. As some one said above, probably all in the head though, but what ever works!

[rybo]

When looking at putters pay particular attention to the neck styles and the performance you get from each. Each neck style provides different performance characteristics

 

If you were asked to try a center shafted putter than you may want try something like the TM Sebring 3 style. It has a short slanted, 'in-line' neck that will provide much of the benefits of the square face while still being heel shafted. Yes it will have plenty of toe hang but the neck configuration dictates how the putter will flow.

 

Just to clarify, a 'short slanted, in-line' neck is slanted with some amount of offset (ie..the shaft will start in front of the putterface) and is is in-line which means if you look down the shaft the neck is perfectly in line with the shaft. You can also have a short slant with a bit of forward progression which the neck not be in-line with the shaft. In this style the neck is usually bent slightly towards the center of the putter face. More like a plumbers neck.

 

Necks rule how a putter will play.

[hayam]

I generally play alot better with offsets and read somewhere that it suites a Pusher as in like to guide the ball with the stroke. and i dont have a symetrical stroke.

 

When i play center shaft i just could not hit the sweet spot most of the time.

[Cameron Circle T]

Here is an article that I wrote, that should help you decide on what you need:

 

 

 

Cameron Circle T

1. The first thing to consider when deciding on a putter is something that can be applied to any style of putter and stroke. You must make sure that your putter is fitted properly. One thing you cannot afford to do is assume that the lie on your irons is the lie your putter should be. This will not always be true, as in my case, I play iron that are 2 degrees upright, but because of my stance and my arm hang, I actually play a putter that is bent 3 degrees flat. My suggestion would be to really try to get into a store to get fit using the PING putter fitter or something of the like. These are putters that often times can be adjusted for the three major things: Length, Loft, and Lie. These are very important based on your setup as it can be a great detriment to your putting if you ignore these basic fitting principles. If you cannot get a hold of one of these putter fitters your next best suggestion would be to go to PING's static fitting online. Take the measurements that they require and you should have a pretty good idea as to what your lie should be. If you cannot get the putter the best way to chose the length is just to take a putter you have and either choke down, or start cutting it in increments of half inch until you find a length you like. Once you have found that length take note of that and the lie and have the putter cut and bent. For those of you who cannot get a hold of a test putter if you forward press I would reccomend adding a degree or so to your putter's loft.

 

 

Summary of fitting -

 

 

Lie - very important to your putter and successful putting. You cannot afford to make assumptions here as the putter may require a different lie than the rest of your set. This will allow the putter to be soled correctly so that the heel and toe are evenly off the ground on a putter which such a shape as to cause this. A putter that is too flat or too upright can adversely effect your putting stroke as well as the spin imparted upon the ball.

 

Loft - consider your setup to the ball when determining what loft putter you want to go with. Optimal loft is about what is standard (3-4*) yet most of us do not set up with the putter shaft perfectly vertical. Therefore consider if you forward press or lean the putter back at address. If you lean the putter back have the loft on your putter bent a degree or two stronger (2-3*) to make it play like a 3-4* when you set up to the ball. If you forward press your hands have loft added to your putter i.e. a degree or two to make sure that it plays 3-4* when you set up.

 

 

Length - Find a length that allows your arms to hang and feel comfortable for you. Length is for the most part a personal preference, so try out some lengths and chose your best feel.

 

 

2. The next important factor in chosing the right putter, is considering your stroke path. There are generally two types of stroke paths; gated, and straight back straight through. The type of stroke you have greatly influences the type of putter that would be best suited to making your putting solid. Here is what the reccomendation is:

 

 

Gated stroke - to find a putter best suited to you find something that is NOT face-balanced. You will want to try putters that have toe hang so that when balanced on your fingers, the toe hangs lower than the heel. These types of putters are things like the anser/newport and other blades of the like as well as the truly blade putters 8802/napa and the jat/del mar 3.5. These type of putters allow the face to open and close with the gated putting stroke, and therefore are not fighting your stroke style. Attempting to putt with a face balanced putter can certainly work, I will not say that it can't happen, but it certainly can at times fight your stroke. However, I will caution you on this, sometimes face balancing is due to shaft position (i.e. the futura by cameron) and not the actual weighting, these putters can still work quite well with a gated putting stroke.

 

Straight back and through - Face-balanced putters are great for straight back and straight. These putters facilitate the ability to keep the putter face square to the target line and prevent it from wanting to open and close. Consider things such as the odyssey 2 and 3 ball, monza corza, and a few of the face balanced blades. These putters can greatly help the consistancy of your stroke. Again I will not claim that is impossible to putt well with a heel/toe weighted putter; however, it will want to open and close thus fighting your natural stroke path.

 

Putting stroke style is the greatest influence imo on the style of putter that you chose when purchasing a new putter. Keep in mind the above and you should find a putter that greatly suits your putting style.

 

 

3. Consider the look and feel - This is the most obvious and goes without saying almost, that you should always chose a putter that fits your eye and feels good when putting. With all the different brands, styles, and materials you are bound to find one you like. Carbon steel is quite soft but can require great maintenance without certain finishes, these putters will often times requiring oil cloths etc. Stainless steel can feel quite good to many and requires much less maintenance. Consider what you want out of a putter etc.

 

 

 

4. Consider the speed of the greens - this can greatly influence the weight you want in a putter above and beyond personal preference. I will say that many people have many different philosophies heavier putter for faster greens to keep from swinging too hard, heavier for slower to get momentum going to hit it harder, etc. Whatever your philosophy is consider the type of putter you like on the greens you most often play.

 

 

 

Good luck in your putter hunt, and feel free to PM me if you have any questions and want any help.

 

 

 

Thanks,

 

 

Adam

[patbfsj]

Thanks Adam,

Great article, I guess it all depends on a number of factors. But I think my dominant putting stroke is the gated swing, while I try the straight back-through with some succcess, mostly on the short-medium putts.

 

I now use a Scotty Cameron phantom mallet with single bend heel shafted, the shaft bends forward of the face and angles back to hosel position. I used to play with a Ping Anser and was looking for a more forgiving putter for my ugly putting stroke.

 

I was unsure if I should switch to the center shaft phantom mallet?? Suggestions please and thanks for all the great feedback!!

[scwindcheater]

Adam, I have a question concerning offset. I recently purchased a newport 2.5 with 3/4 offset. Why 3/4? why not 1?

how does it vary the putting stroke if at all?