Can a strong arc stroke = a face balanced putter?

[theboyslater]

I have a strong arc to my putting stroke. Everything from the iPing app, to my Visio putting template confirms it. So I am always "fit" into a putter with toe hang.

I currently game a 2010 Bettinardi BB1, but as I am messing around inside during this lockdown my son's face balanced putter feels more stable in the takeaway.

Can anyone explain this? I have heard people mention center of gravity being important, but not sure if that is true or how that influences your stroke.

 

[skraly]

Doesn’t matter what the app says. If you putt better with a face balanced putter that is what you should use.

[Jc0]

Like above says, play what feels right. That being said the reason it probably feels more stable is face balanced putters don't want to rotate by design. When you take away with a toe balanced putter the face wants to open up. That lack of rotation probably makes the face balanced putter seem more stable to you.

[short and straight]

I have the same question. I've been fit into a 30-45 degree toe hang putter by SAM, and don't necessarily putt poorly with those putters. But a face balanced putter just feels so much more stable to me, and often I put better with it, especially on lags and 4 footers. I've also been watching Luke Donald and Ian Poulter's putting strokes, and to my eye, they are putting on an arc with a face balanced putter.

 

I recognize, however, that there are what seems like thousands of articles saying you've got to match your putter to your arc, and this is where my dilemma and doubt occurs.

[nsxguy]

Another thread where the OP asks a question, or for advice, whatever, and never comes back to his own thread. LMAO

 

Simply put the shorter the stroke the easier it is to control the club, right ? (Driver vs. 6 iron vs. putter).

That said, fitting the putter to the stroke means you're not "fighting" what the putter wants to naturally do. The toe hang putter "wants" to arc. If you try to keep it as straight as you can for your SBST stroke you're fighting what IT wants to do. That takes effort. Allowing it to arc takes less effort.

Same-same with the face balanced putter. If you have an arcing stroke you're fighting what IT wants to do. That takes effort.

All that said putting is the most personal of golf swings. And being shorter and slower than all the other full swings it is the easiest and takes the least amount of effort to do "differently" and still see success.

Bottom line. Do what works best for YOU.

[Rory4Pres]

First off, you can always try ANY putter you want to. In fact, I recommend it. Scratch all itches. That being said, one important thing to remember is you aren't stuck on 1 putting stroke for the rest of your life. Like a golf swing, you can change your swing. That being said, if you like your stroke and you have a strong arc, then a face balanced putter was not really designed for you. A reason you may find it more stable is likely because it probably weighs more than your current putter. Some face balanced mallets are designed to be heavier with high Motion of Inertia so you have can a simply back and forth putting stroke perform better when it's windy or your nervous, etc...

You can always find putters with lots of toe hang that are heavier as well (or at least modify one, like the golo 3).

A big reason you want to match your stroke with the right putter is because of the spin of the ball. You want the ball to spin forward towards the target line. Often time, if you have the wrong putter, it will create a side spin on the ball so while the ball "is" moving forward, it's spin isn't going exactly the same direction. If you die the ball to the hole, you will sometimes see the effects of this and the ball will either stop short or turn at the end. You will find you'll make a lot more putts if the last couple revolutions of the ball are going forward on your target line towards the hole.

[theboyslater]

What is also interesting in this is that if you go on the iPing app and state you pull putts they will recommend a putter with more toe hang. Yet if you go on Odyssey web site it actually tells you to get a putter with less toe hang.

So not even the OEMs can tell you what is right and wrong. I guess the answer is to try some different putters with SAM or Quintic and see what gets the best results

[farmer]

Steal your son's putter.

[short and straight]

Frank Thomas thinks it’s all BS. He’s written that we all putt on an arc, whether we know it or not. If you think someone is sbst, it’s simply the angle you are viewing it from. But like I mentioned, so much has been written on fitting the putter to your stroke, it’s hard to ignore it.

[MattUtah]

Toe hang = face rotation, not arc.

 

You could make the argument that more arc matches better to more face rotation but it isn’t necessarily true for everyone.

[cmatthews77]

Also keep in mind no one really putts completely straightforward and back. All putting strokes have a slight arc. And like the poster above said it’s more about face rotation than arc. I love face balanced putters from within close range

[JunkerJorge]

All misses left (or right) are not created equal.