Theory About Light Putters

[canadianrick]

So public opinion seems to say that a lighter putter is better for slow greens and heavy putters for fast. It makes sense to me; with a heavy putter you don't need to make as long of a stroke or accelerate the putter as much as you would with a lighter putter. What I question is whether making a shorter stroke with a heavier putter on fast greens is actually an easier action to repeat than a longer stroke with a lighter putter.

 

With a heavy putter I feel like my hands need to help get the putter head swinging a little bit which can obviously lead to some loose stroke and a reliance on timing. With the lighter putter however, as opposed to feeling like the putter needs help to get moving, I feel like the putter head needs to be almost tamed down. I guess, with the heavier head I feel like I can get away with a little more motion in my hands because the weight of the head makes the stroke slower, in a sense. With the lighter head, it feels so sensitive that I have to be very cognizant of every tweak I make.

 

With very short putts, think a 3 footer downhiller on fast greens that you have to start outside the hole, a heavier head would need a very short stroke that can be very easy to yip. That same putt with a light putter would need a slightly longer stroke that could be more repeatable as a result. I just mean, a 1 inch backstroke is kind of hard to execute whereas a 3 inch backstroke isn't as bad.

 

Anyways, does any of this make sense? Agree? Oppose?

[phelps22]

It's actually the other way around. Light for fast and heavy for slow.

[Jc0]

It's actually the other way around. Light for fast and heavy for slow.

 

No, it light for slow and heavy for fast. That is why retail putters over the years have become heavier with the average green getting faster.

[5hort5tuff]

It's actually the other way around. Light for fast and heavy for slow.

 

No, it light for slow and heavy for fast. That is why retail putters over the years have become heavier with the average green getting faster.

 

Actually there was a thread a few weeks ago where a general consensus was reached. Some people think light for fast...others light for slow...and nobody is wrong.

[golfgirlrobin]

Match your putter to your stroke.

 

Don't know about everybody else, but the speed of the greens at my home course can change substantially based on a hundred different variables. Trying to pick a putter weight based on that is a fool's errand.

 

 

[Shilgy]

It's actually the other way around. Light for fast and heavy for slow.

 

No, it light for slow and heavy for fast. That is why retail putters over the years have become heavier with the average green getting faster.

 

Actually there was a thread a few weeks ago where a general consensus was reached. Some people think light for fast...others light for slow...and nobody is wrong.

This is the internet, disagree with me and you are wrong! But yeah, fast greens and a heavier weight go together op. It is easier to make a slower stroke and stay online with a heavier putter. IMO of course.

[Tac]

My winter club tinkering has me playin with putter weight lately as I try to ensure I have a smooth, SBST putting stroke.

 

I have a Tank Cruiser set up with the maximum weights in the butt and head and the added weights seems to be helping me with my issue.

 

I recently filled the shaft of my Versa 7cs with sand just up to the 14" fulcrum point for measuring on a swingweight scale and also added a 50 gram Tour Lock weight into the 14" Superstroke grip I put on it. Total club weight is about 625 grams now.

 

The extra heft of it is also helping me obtain a more smooth, SBST stroke.

 

I really like how they feel being quite heavy.

 

Who knows what will happen in 3 months on a real green but inside things are feeling pretty good.

[jrich61820]

I may be in the minority , but i use a lighter head (330-340g) on all my putters, and do not vary from greens that are slower (my home course) or faster (pretty much any course other than my home course). I'll just spend an extra 5 minutes warming up on the practice green to get the speeds down.

[trying2scratch]

I agree on your thinking. I always thought I liked heavier because you can feel the head a little better, and everyone always said it smooths out your stroke. But after finishing off the year with an older naked 330g putter (thanks Bubba for the inspiration!) I am convinced the lighter putter works better for me.

 

The heavier putter would always mess up my stroke. Sometimes I would yank the putter back inside with my hands, sometimes decel coming into the ball, and often struggled with distance control on both long and short putts. I always found it very difficult to take a super small back stroke, always fearing hitting it too hard.

 

With the lighter putter I just focus on making solid contact on the ball and getting the ball started on the right line. It has almost freed up my stroke if that makes any sense. I don't have to worry about blowing a 3 footer 5 feet by the hole, or coming up 10 feet short on a 25 ft putt. It's almost like the lighter weight encourages you to have more acceleration through the ball, which leads to solid contact and getting the ball to start and stay on line with a great roll. Seems like it has really helped with a lot of the issues I have had on the greens (both slow and fast) in the past.

 

Like most things in golf, there is no right answer or one way to look at it. Really comes down to trying out a few different weights, on the the courses "you" play. The results will speak for themselves, at least they did for me. I finally posted the lowest score in my fore-some for the first time. Only took a full season... :bb2:

[canadianrick]

So there may be a difference based on ability. Good players have a fairly consistent strokes, bad or "developing" players we'll say have trouble with alignment, stroke and, and, and. For a weaker player with a twitchy stroke, the heavier head would help to keep the head on path and almost pull the arms through the stroke with its momentum. The same would be true for a good player, but perhaps the heavier weight means that more muscles need to be used and coordinated to execute the stroke. Even though the good player does a good job of repeating his stroke, the more involved the stroke becomes the greater the chance that things go off the rails at some point. For them, the lighter head is more nimble and maneuverable requiring fewer muscles to swing the putter. Sort of a surgeon and his scalpel versus a lumber jack and his axe.

[canadianrick]

I agree on your thinking. I always thought I liked heavier because you can feel the head a little better, and everyone always said it smooths out your stroke. But after finishing off the year with an older naked 330g putter (thanks Bubba for the inspiration!) I am convinced the lighter putter works better for me.

 

The heavier putter would always mess up my stroke. Sometimes I would yank the putter back inside with my hands, sometimes decel coming into the ball, and often struggled with distance control on both long and short putts. I always found it very difficult to take a super small back stroke, always fearing hitting it too hard.

 

With the lighter putter I just focus on making solid contact on the ball and getting the ball started on the right line. It has almost freed up my stroke if that makes any sense. I don't have to worry about blowing a 3 footer 5 feet by the hole, or coming up 10 feet short on a 25 ft putt. It's almost like the lighter weight encourages you to have more acceleration through the ball, which leads to solid contact and getting the ball to start and stay on line with a great roll. Seems like it has really helped with a lot of the issues I have had on the greens (both slow and fast) in the past.

 

Like most things in golf, there is no right answer or one way to look at it. Really comes down to trying out a few different weights, on the the courses "you" play. The results will speak for themselves, at least they did for me. I finally posted the lowest score in my fore-some for the first time. Only took a full season... :bb2:

 

I switched to an original Ping Zing MgBrz last year and had the same result you describe. lighter seems to be more free flowing. with heavier putters I had the same problem as you; dropping it to the inside on the back stroke and decel at times.

[RichieHunt]

I think that changing the weight on a putter based on the speed of the greens is probably a bad idea. I think the benefit is likely extremely minimal and I see the risk being the change in weight screwing up your stroke. Perhaps if you're headed somewhere for a few months where the greens are going to be slower than normal almost every day...take the light putter. But if you are playing a round of golf on a slower course, I view changing the weight as working against you over the long haul.

 

I think it's better to change the loft than anything. The weight and distribution of the weight throughout the putter is a tricky thing and personally if I found the right feeling club, I would not want to deviate from that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RH

[6squared]

i'm in the lighter club:

320-345 range head, throw on a lightweight grip like a salty or iomic. lighter overall, maintains some of the swingweight, looser, more flowing stroke. heavier headweights deaden the feel for me. Too much overall weight throws off my tempo. i prefer at least 3/4 toe hang

[scottb15]

Recently cut down my Nike Method 001 from 35 to 33.5. The difference in weight is totally noticeable and it feels 100% better. I'm 6'0 and figured 35 was the perfect fit, I was dead wrong shorter and lighter is the way to go for me.

[300_yard_drives]

I have it easier. Armlock if they are slow and conventional putter if they are fast. I don't notice a difference between light or heavy putters on slow greens, I leave them all short anyways.

[toophewbirdies]

I may be in the minority , but i use a lighter head (330-340g) on all my putters, and do not vary from greens that are slower (my home course) or faster (pretty much any course other than my home course). I'll just spend an extra 5 minutes warming up on the practice green to get the speeds down.

 

I'm with you JRich! prefer around 340 grams or little lighter.:)

[cb24]

I like the heavier feeling putters for faster greens. If it's a fast green I find myself trying to steer to much with a lighter putter. But I like heavier putters for any type of green too :)

[mdgboxx]

I guess the putter debate will be eternal, just like the blade vs cavity, except that the putter discussion is, so far, more civil.

 

Before we got into a weight comparison, there was the seemingly endless toe hang debate. It lead to the now popular weight subject.

 

I was very happy with my Ping Pal2, ss, until I put a new Lamkin Jumbo Pistol grip on it. I was a newbie in golf and took advice from everybody, even from those I didn't ask. Someone, in a local pro shop suggested that I try a Ping Zing, mg/br that had been lying around for too many years. I liked the feel of the head, it seemed heavier than my, now custom, Pal2.

 

Long story shortened by a lot, I demoed a Ping Craz-E iWi Series, that was offered with the optional weight kit. I loved the putter but hated the tiny/skinny Winn AVS stock grip. I decided to change it, before I left the store, for my favorite Lamkin Jumbo. I had the bright idea to ask the pro to check the SW on it before the switch. It came at F7 (yes F-7)

 

You guessed it, I couldn't feel the head after the switch. That's where the weight kit comes in. By changing the stock 12 gr weights for the 20 gr weights, I brought it back to F6, and at 386 gr, from the original 370 gr. (2X20 gr - 2X12 gr = 16 gr) It is faced balanced, but if I tinker with the weights, I can have any toe hang I want. It's like three+ putters in one, for the toe hang, and a few more for head weight.

 

Whether I'm dealing with a fast, medium or slow green, I have never changed any of the current settings.

[FairwaysToHeaven]

always thought the proper putter weight had more to do with your natural tempo than it did green speed. ping ketsch recommends heavier head for slow tempos. not exactly sure what is considered slow, but for me heavy putter kills my feel for lag putts.

[VNutz]

I may be in the minority , but i use a lighter head (330-340g) on all my putters, and do not vary from greens that are slower (my home course) or faster (pretty much any course other than my home course). I'll just spend an extra 5 minutes warming up on the practice green to get the speeds down.

 

Same here, changed to a 330/34 setup last summer and didn't look back, and that's with a Matador grip that's on the heavier end as well.

[T-MAC]

I was getting into the heavier heads (350-360g) for awhile, but I backed off of that last year when the greens at my Club started speeding up with our new greens keeper / Superintendent. I'm in the camp who prefers a lighter putter on faster greens.

 

I think it boils down to your putting stroke and your hands / feel. If you don't have good hands / smooth stroke, then I think a heavier putter will work better for you in terms of steadying your stroke.

Hey, I may not be able to hit it 300+ off the tee like most of the WRX'ers here (:)), but I have a pretty decent putting stroke and a lighter putter (335-345g) works fine.

[milos]

"With very short putts, think a 3 footer downhiller on fast greens that you have to start outside the hole, a heavier head would need a very short stroke that can be very easy to yip."

 

 

Personally totally agree with this comment. I have had to swap to lighter weights into my two last Scotty Cameron putters for this very reason which put them back to what the standard weight was 10 years ago.

[alexdub]

I may be in the minority , but i use a lighter head (330-340g) on all my putters, and do not vary from greens that are slower (my home course) or faster (pretty much any course other than my home course). I'll just spend an extra 5 minutes warming up on the practice green to get the speeds down.

 

I remember a quote from Rory that says just about the same thing. He prefers a "lighter" head weight (330-340) for the greens they play on tour. He mentioned that a putter head at that weight is easier to control on faster greens. I always seem to putt better with my Scottsdale Anser on faster greens than slower ones.

[Benkross]

Match your putter to your stroke.

 

Don't know about everybody else, but the speed of the greens at my home course can change substantially based on a hundred different variables. Trying to pick a putter weight based on that is a fool's errand.

that's why having interchangeable weights is great. Same stroke for differing conditions