Buyer's Remorse For Shelling Out Hundreds Or Thousands For Frivolous Flatsticks

[EmperorPenguin]

The most expensive putter I own is an Odyssey Damascus steel putter I bought on a fire sale for $300.  However, I fear using it on the course because if I play poorly with it I feel foolish for spending all that money just to play green hockey and shoot a high score.  The putter is more of a collector item than a gamer.  For actual play I prefer to use cheap putters because if I play poorly I have no remorse if I three-putt several times during a round.  Just yesterday, for instance, I played a match against one of my friends who wielded a glamorous Circle T putter and I closed him out 4&3 with an old $10 Ping Kushin putter I bought at a garage sale.   I made six putts outside 6' and he three-putted three times to lose three holes.  Why spend so much money on a putter when the putter that matters most is the one that jives with your stroke regardless of its price tag?  Never lose sight of the fact that your best putter may be found in the bargain barrel, thrift store, garage sale or anywhere else for that matter.

[MattM97]

If Tiger can 3 putt with The Elder Wand or any other pro miss putts with putters worth thousands upon thousands of dollars then you can miss a putt with a $300 putter. I'll play an expensive putter and no one on the course knows what I'm playing or that that brand even exists, just play what you want. Now if you're in your head over missing putts with an expensive putter then don't game them. Simple as that, golf is mental.

[Red4282]

Not sure why you would feel foolish. If you take care of them you will get almost all your money back when you sale. 

[getitdaily]

I don't collect putters. I may run through while searching for the unicorn, but I never collect them. I buy and then put it in play. 

 

Buy the putter and play it. You should be more worried about the fickle state of your mental game than how much the putter costs...

[TourSpoon]

1 minute ago, getitdaily said:

Buy the putter and play it. You should be more worried about the fickle state of your mental game than how much the putter costs...

Absolutely. Does anyone really even care how much someone's putter costs? Technically, I borrowed a putter from a friend that was on Titleist staff so I guess I am one up in that department. 

[jonradus]

26 minutes ago, Red4282 said:

Not sure why you would feel foolish. If you take care of them you will get almost all your money back when you sale. 

I agree. The more expensive putters I’ve bought and ended up selling generally hold most of their value. I essentially “rented” them, which in my mind was worth the money I lost on the trial. I’ve actually even made a little money on some of them. If you treat it like a hobby, then who cares? It’s really no different than collecting stamps, coins, baseball cards, garden gnomes, etc. Except you can actually use your collectibles instead of just looking at and displaying them.

[Red4282]

17 minutes ago, jonradus said:

I agree. The more expensive putters I’ve bought and ended up selling generally hold most of their value. I essentially “rented” them, which in my mind was worth the money I lost on the trial. I’ve actually even made a little money on some of them. If you treat it like a hobby, then who cares? It’s really no different than collecting stamps, coins, baseball cards, garden gnomes, etc. Except you can actually use your collectibles instead of just looking at and displaying them.

2020 has been good to me as far as resale on all clubs. Everything ive sold has either been a wash or made money. The Key is take care of them!

[MattM97]

Not trying to rag on you but do you feel the same way when hitting driver? 

[Lobby]

Just buy a $30 vintage Ping on the Fleabay.   They're good enough.

[VNutz]

Money spent on a putter doesn't equate to success, no need to look down on your buddy for having something he likes but doesn't perform well with, that's his decision. Let people spend their money how they choose to.

[Medson]

I hear you man. I once drove to the destination in a Toyota faster than my friend who drove a Ferrari. I question why people need to drive more expensive cars. 
 

Joking. A lot of it are simply personal preference. I collect putters and have a few expensive ones. I don’t putt good with any sticks (cheap or expensive). But I just like to collect.

[dropkicked]

Life is truly short. You deserve to play with the best while you're above ground, OP!

 

[EmperorPenguin]

1 hour ago, MattM97 said:

Not trying to rag on you but do you feel the same way when hitting driver? 

Ha, none of my drivers are younger than 2007, and my best driver is a Titleist 983K with a 43" Dynamic Gold steel shaft.  I hit that about 240, and thanks to the shorter length I hit a lot of fairways.  In my last retro day I played '73 Hogan Apex blades, persimmon 3- and 4-woods and--get this--a Cobra Ultramid driver.  My driving was neither any better or worse.

Edited November 23, 2020 by EmperorPenguin

[EmperorPenguin]

2 hours ago, jonradus said:

I agree. The more expensive putters I’ve bought and ended up selling generally hold most of their value. I essentially “rented” them, which in my mind was worth the money I lost on the trial. I’ve actually even made a little money on some of them. If you treat it like a hobby, then who cares? It’s really no different than collecting stamps, coins, baseball cards, garden gnomes, etc. Except you can actually use your collectibles instead of just looking at and displaying them.

You do make a good point there.  I think I will give the Odessy a try the next time I play.  If I three-putt more than twice, I will put it in putter purgatory; if it happens a second round I will sell it hopefully at a profit.  I usually find that auction sites like fleaBay are a buyer's market and chances of selling something for more than you bought are not in your favor, unless the item is extremely rare.  Odessy Damascus putters have a good chance, I hope.

[EmperorPenguin]

I want to add here that the reason why I have my reservations is that I do not use any of the new stuff.  I have twenty sets of golf clubs, all from the past millennium ranging from the 1973 Hogan Apex irons (oldest) and I think my newest irons are my Titleist 962's (circa 1997).  I like the weaker lofts and lengths, preferring the 5 iron at 37.5" because I am stuck on those lengths and lofts because I played my first seventeen years with Golden Ram Tour Grind Vibration Matched Irons (1982).  Looking at my rack, the newest driver I see is, I think, my 2007 Taylor Made Burner TP.  Nothing is newer, and all that equipment I can buy cheaply online for $100 for a set of irons and maybe $30 for a driver.  If I put my Odyssey in any of my sets, it would stick out like a new thumb among a bunch of old thumbs.  Regardless of price, if I consistently take under thirty putts a round with it I will keep it.

Edited November 23, 2020 by EmperorPenguin

[extrastiff]

44 minutes ago, dropkicked said:

Life is truly short. You deserve to play with the best while you're above ground, OP!

 

Seriously. Ur kids will just be annoyed you hoarded so much stuff when they are sorting thru it. No one is going to be talking about your Scotty Cameron holding its value at that point

[SoCalTitleist]

Pga pros would wipe the floor with anybody here using cheap Wilson box set putter .

[cardoustie]

Don't feel bad Pengy

 

First world problems, we have spare cash, we like to collect stuff, we're hopeless

 

Could be putters or watches or guns or cars or bikes or sports memorabilia (or all of the above)

 

We don't live forever and sometimes it is fun to spend money on yourself

 

Used stuff is worth next to nothing nowadays of the latest and greatest so easier to just keep items

 

 

 

 

[NCLancer]

It's not what you putt with but rather how you putt but if you aren't happy with what you putt with you probably will not putt well...does that make any sense???😜

[EmperorPenguin]

2 minutes ago, SoCalTitleist said:

Pga pros would wipe the floor with anybody here using cheap Wilson box set putter .

Of course, when you talk about players who practice and play every day when they are not traveling between tournaments.  There is no substitute for long hours of practice, and I would trade the most expensive putter in the world for the touch of a man who earned his stroke through countless hours on a practice putting green.  Jim Jamieson tied for second at the 1972 Masters with as miscellaneous a grab bag of sticks you'll ever see--including a dime-store putter.  The putting stroke must be earned through hard work, regardless of equipment, and it certainly does not discriminate against price.

[Abh159]

4 hours ago, EmperorPenguin said:

  For actual play I prefer to use cheap putters because if I play poorly I have no remorse if I three-putt several times during a round.  

 

I don't agree with this line of thought. It's like saying why play a Pro V1 when you can stuff some range balls in your bag for free? 

 

You're not in the right mindset if you're standing on the tee box of that par 3 over water thinking about how you don't care if you put one in the hazard because it's a cheap ball.

 

Same goes with the putter. If you don't care about 3 putting because you're using a cheap putter then you'll probably 3 putt a lot more than you should. 

[cardoustie]

I think with putters a fitting is key .. you need to know what type of hosel, toe hang and weight etc suit your stroke .. then you can spend $$$$$$$$$ on those types of heads .. with less guilt

 

Me personally .. flow neck and heavy with some toe hang .. verified my Scotty Cameron himself, so I got that going for me

 

[shart6]

39 minutes ago, EmperorPenguin said:

Of course, when you talk about players who practice and play every day when they are not traveling between tournaments.  There is no substitute for long hours of practice, and I would trade the most expensive putter in the world for the touch of a man who earned his stroke through countless hours on a practice putting green.  Jim Jamieson tied for second at the 1972 Masters with as miscellaneous a grab bag of sticks you'll ever see--including a dime-store putter.  The putting stroke must be earned through hard work, regardless of equipment, and it certainly does not discriminate against price.

 

Jim actually had a matched set, He was frequency matching his irons and didn't know it. Bob Gilder had an Old Master W802 that was good as my best 8802s. My dad got his Tommy Armour green shafted Ironmaster with cereal box tops in the fifties. I own a couple of store line Wilson 8802 and 8813 putters that only lacked a grip I preferred.

 

A putter needs to fit you. And have look you like and a grip you like. I could end up with a Ping Anser F fished out of a lake and restored, refurbish a limited run Scott Cameron Art of putting Newport, a variety of other Scotty Cameron putters acquired cheaply to test a new fit or adjust one of my Anser putters to the new fit. My best guess now is a Anser Dalehead I'll have the WRX department refurbish.

[EmperorPenguin]

40 minutes ago, shart6 said:

A putter needs to fit you. And have look you like and a grip you like. I could end up with a Ping Anser F fished out of a lake and restored, refurbish a limited run Scott Cameron Art of putting Newport, a variety of other Scotty Cameron putters acquired cheaply to test a new fit or adjust one of my Anser putters to the new fit. My best guess now is a Anser Dalehead I'll have the WRX department refurbish.

I absolutely agree with you.  For me, my putter must be 33.5", though I can putt well with 33" also.  I need an Anser-style head with the old-school weight (330 grams?).  All my putters are like that and I can putt well with any of them.

[Sean2]

Jim Furyk won the then Deutsche Bank and the FedEx cup with a putter he picked up for $39 at a local golf shop. 

 

Last January I found a putter I really liked, though it was a bit pricey. I picked it up anyway and am still very happy with it. 

[14max]

The only time I'd ever have buyer's remorse is if I bought something and never used it out of fear that it'd be devalued.  Buy what you like and do it because it makes you happy but, for goodness' sake, use it.  That's why you bought it in the first place...

[Honeybadger]

Some of the best looking putters are the ones that are expensive. Considering the looks matter to me and it’s the club you look at the most in any round of golf, I have no problem spending a few extra bucks for a putter that is pretty- it also needs to work for my stroke and give me confidence. So why would you be embarrassed by playing badly with an expensive putter? We all have bad days and life is too short- play with what makes you happy. If that’s a $30 putter you got second hand or a $300 boutique beauty, then be happy and don’t think twice about it. 

[SwingBlues]

You cannot equate $$$ to success here with putters and if you do, yeah, you get remorse. You cannot buy a putter game.

 

Having said that you can invest in technology in a putter to help you. Look at EVRN roll and Sik face for putter face. LAB putters (Directed Force) for Lie balance or Axis putter for same. These HELP you but does not guarantee you won't 3 putt or miss that 3 footer.

 

At the end of day, know exactly what you are buying and sometimes, a change is worth a million ala Furyk.

 

Now go work on your putting instead of balling your damns eyes out over a gleaming putter FFS 😂

[sixfootnick]

If a putter makes you 10% better on 6 footers, would you be able to notice?  Even if you got nine six-footers a round, it wouldn't improve you 1 shot per round.  

 

Or if it improves the proximity of your lag putts by 10%, would you notice that?  You would have hit it to 38 inches, now you're 33 inches.   Nobody will notice that difference.

 

Even if you measure these stats, you're not including external factors.  Even with season long sample sizes, there's a million variables.  Once you clean up the obvious mistakes, how do you measure improvement?  It's incremental, fractions of strokes.  

 

Switch your gear out for the same reason anybody else does - boredom, or you like something about the looks or feel, or you want to feel a change, or marketing hype.  

[Davidv]

I buy what I like and just try to enjoy the game.