Putter for the absolute worst putter in the world? (Hint... it’s me)

[Itsjustagame]

I have had putting issues over the years and have a putter collection to prove it.

Have recently been using a Stroke Lab R Ball with the slant neck and a smaller grip with positive results..

Putting is such an individual and confidence thing. The right putter, shaft and grip seem to be working for me at the moment. 

[nsxguy]

16 hours ago, JermWRX said:

I’ve tried putting with eyes closed😂 Wasn’t any worse. I’ve always been robotic. I hate it. I constantly think about how far back to bring the putter, shoulders square, perfect stance, eye over the ball, rock the shoulders, etc etc etc... I’ve always looked at putting as a statuesque math equation.  I’ve gotta find a way out of that, I think. I just feel like a dead lump of weight slapping a ball. No feel whatsoever 

 

Firstly, no offense but you've been asked a number of times about your stroke and/or what your major(?) problem is.

 

Forgive me if I missed it but I've seen nothing but about what putters you've tried and a lot of self-deprecating comments about how bad you are - with a lot of laughing emoticons.

 

So I'll give it one try.

 

Do you try to putt straight back and through ? Slightly gated stroke ? Really gated stroke a la Crenshaw ?

 

Do you prefer a normal putter or does a broomstick or wrist lock style feel better to you ? Mallet ? Blade type ?

 

Do you prefer a heavy putter ? Light one ? Somewhere in between ?

 

What is you primary issue ? Distance control (which you have mentioned) ? Or making putts from 10 feet and in ? Can't start it on line or can't read the putt ? Reading putts is IMO something of an art as much as a science.

 

You're also mentioning an awful lot of thoughts before hitting the putt. Are these simply things you work on or do you actually think about all those things before stroking a meaningful putt ?

 

 

[Shushwap]

21 hours ago, JermWRX said:

I did that. I got fit into the Ping I’m using now. I’ve taken lessons from our pro. Maybe I’m just a lost cause😂

Getting a putting lesson from the local pro and working with a putting coach are two different beasts... I am the worst putter I know.. i feel your pain.i have worked with a handful of local pros to improve my putting..i am still a shyt putter. I started  watching a few Phil Kenyon vids and it is starting to make a difference in my putting... grinding away day after day on a putting Matt or on the green is just ingraining the bad habits u already have... I have a putting lesson booked with a putting coach on a quintic next month. as Phil says anyone can be a great putter.. 

Changing putters is not going to cure the problem.. a new putter is not going to help u read greens or learn pace control 

Take the $600 U plan to spend on a  putter and invest in a putting coach with quintic or sam

No one here can recommend a putter as they have not seen you putt..

 

 

Edited April 9, 2021 by Shushwap

[Dpavs]

I hope this has not been asked but have you spent much time practicing something like the Ladder Drill? If not, it might help.

Edited April 9, 2021 by Dpavs

[Vinsanity23]

On 4/7/2021 at 8:08 PM, JDennis said:

I would suggest going to a large golf store and just trying every putter they have. Over the past 15 years I have always been on and off with putters. Just last year I finally bought a wide blade (sc squareback 2) and the putting just clicked. I never wanted to play a blade putter and have a straight back straight through putt stroke. I naturally always went to face balanced mallets.  For some reason my Squareback 2 is exactly perfect for me.  In fact I have have acquired quite the putter collection and even ended up having a couple golf buddies try my putters and they found exactly what clicked with them. One guy putted so bad you just had to not watch him putt. I had a TM Ardmore 3 laying around and it absolutely changed his putting. The guy is on fire with it. Another friend conned me out of my Bettinardi Kuchar Model 1. He always putted decent but he rarely misses with that putter now. 

Similar story, with opposite start. I love the look of an Anser style putter, whether it be SC, Ping, or whoever else's. Can't putt worth a s*** with them though. Therefore I've used various mallets and putted much better, but always hated how they looked. Finally switched to the ER2 wideblade, and best of both worlds.

[JermWRX]

3 hours ago, nsxguy said:

 

Firstly, no offense but you've been asked a number of times about your stroke and/or what your major(?) problem is.

 

Forgive me if I missed it but I've seen nothing but about what putters you've tried and a lot of self-deprecating comments about how bad you are - with a lot of laughing emoticons.

 

So I'll give it one try.

 

Do you try to putt straight back and through ? Slightly gated stroke ? Really gated stroke a la Crenshaw ?

 

Do you prefer a normal putter or does a broomstick or wrist lock style feel better to you ? Mallet ? Blade type ?

 

Do you prefer a heavy putter ? Light one ? Somewhere in between ?

 

What is you primary issue ? Distance control (which you have mentioned) ? Or making putts from 10 feet and in ? Can't start it on line or can't read the putt ? Reading putts is IMO something of an art as much as a science.

 

You're also mentioning an awful lot of thoughts before hitting the putt. Are these simply things you work on or do you actually think about all those things before stroking a meaningful putt ?

 

 

Sorry, I should’ve been clearer. I was fit as a slight arc with Ping. I’ve tried to go SBST with center shafted mallets. Didn’t work well. I’ve tried everything from a Newport style, to the Tank putter, to center shafted mallets, 2-ball, Spider, Odyssey Bird Of Prey, just to name a few. I’ve tried 34-38”. Even had a 50” built. I’ve tried side saddle. Nothing works. All the same result. Distance is the major concern. I’ll consistently leave a 15’ putt, 8’ short. I do it all the time. Then when it’s 6’, I’ll blow it by the hole another 6’. Like clockwork. Zero consistency. I have a putter mat that I use just about every night. I’ll roll 100 putts watching tv. I do have a hard time sometimes starting it in line, but that’s more of a minor issue. I line myself up, look at the hole, look back down and then I just can’t stop thinking about how hard to hit it. And it feels like I hit it. I hardly ever strike a putt that feels like it was rolled, rather than hit. I’m pretty good at reading a green, actually. I rarely miss a line because if read. It’s always because of strike. I feel like I’m constantly trying to change or adjust now I putt. Stance is always different because I feel like I’m stuck in a never ending search for comfort. Putting has never felt comfortable for me. I’m a 9 HC because of it. I hit tons of greens. Not unlikely for me to hit 15 or so in a round. I can chip well, so when I do miss a green I can usually get it pretty close. But it doesn’t matter. If I get myself to 3 feet, I’ll still miss the putt half of the time. I turn birdie opportunities into bogeys on a regular basis. It’s wildly frustrating. It’s gotten to a point sometimes where I think I don’t want to play golf anymore because of it. It’s the yips on steroids. Hope that explains it better

[JermWRX]

2 hours ago, Shushwap said:

Getting a putting lesson from the local pro and working with a putting coach are two different beasts... I am the worst putter I know.. i feel your pain.i have worked with a handful of local pros to improve my putting..i am still a shyt putter. I started  watching a few Phil Kenyon vids and it is starting to make a difference in my putting... grinding away day after day on a putting Matt or on the green is just ingraining the bad habits u already have... I have a putting lesson booked with a putting coach on a quintic next month. as Phil says anyone can be a great putter.. 

Changing putters is not going to cure the problem.. a new putter is not going to help u read greens or learn pace control 

Take the $600 U plan to spend on a  putter and invest in a putting coach with quintic or sam

No one here can recommend a putter as they have not seen you putt..

 

 

I wouldn’t even know where to find a putting coach in my rural home area. But I will definitely research it. I’m open to absolutely anything

[JermWRX]

2 hours ago, Dpavs said:

I hope this has not been asked but have you spent much time practicing something like the Ladder Drill? If not, it might help.

I’ve never heard of that drill, but I’m looking it up right now👍

[JermWRX]

On 4/8/2021 at 1:24 AM, grochol17 said:

Have you tried using a counter weight in your putter?  For some people it works well to have a heavy overall putter with normal-ish swing weight by going with a heavy head and counter weight.  I've got a 375g putter head and use the 80g counter weight.  Testing out an odyssey stroke lab would be a way to see if you like the overall feel and if you want to try it with your own putter you can get what you need from TourLock Golf.

Yup. I’ve got a workshop full of weights from Odyssey, TourLock and Bell. I’ve owned two Stroke Lab putters. The 2 Ball and the Bird Of Prey. Stunk up the place real good with them

[JermWRX]

8 hours ago, ssf301 said:

I'm going to have to agree with a few others and suggest you try the Lab Golf Directed Force 2.1.  I big reason is that the balance of the putter and high MOI makes it tough to make a "bad stroke".  This frees you up to loosen your grip a little and spend almost all your focus on distance control instead of the stroke itself.  It sounds like distance control is a big issue with you.  It's "different", it will take some getting used to.  There are several videos out there on youtube with suggestions on how you should tweak things to work best with the DF 2.1.  "Different" may be exactly what you need though.

 

There are a few downsides to this putter though.  First, I won't lie, it's ugly.  I don't mind so much, but if you are one of those golfers that has to love what you are looking at regardless of performance, this one may not work for you. Second, due to the length of the putter blade, it is very important to get the lie angle right with this putter, it needs to "fit" you.  Third, cost of entry is pretty high relative to most putters, especially if you don't fit into one of their stock configurations and need to go custom (and if you need to go custom you will wait 2-4 weeks for the build plus shipping time). 

 

I ended up doing my own measurements for the initial fitting because I didn't trust the video process (but apparently the video process is actually very good so you should probably start there).  I ended up getting a used one off ebay to those initial specs.  I got the length perfect but missed slightly on the lie angle and I hated the grip (the smaller OG one).  Initially I didn't love the putter, it took some getting used to, but I liked the way it felt.  So, I re-sold the putter for close to what I paid for it (I was out fees and shipping of course, but not too bad for a "rental").

 

I ended up getting another eBay one used with my adjusted specs.  I nailed it the second time.  The length and lie angle are perfect for me and the larger press grip is so much better for me.  While this one fits me perfectly, it's not the shaft or the alignment mark I would choose.   Eventually, I'll order a new one to correct that.  

 

Obviously this isn't the ideal process, but it works and ultimately I won't be out of pocket much extra $$ to get it exactly right.  Certainly not near as much $$ as ordering new and missing on the initial specs.  So, if you want to try one of these putters, but the fitting or the initial cost new would hold you back, this is a way for you to try it without as much risk.

 

The DF 2.1 is in my bag, it's a keeper.  I'm a low handicap and have always been a good putter inside 10 ft.  However, I don't make "my share" of putts outside 10 ft.  For whatever reason, the harder I swing the putter, the more off-line I get.  The DF 2.1 has really helped with that and now I find I'm hitting my lines on my longer putts more consistently and that allows me to put more focus on distance control.

I don’t care if it looks like E.T.’s head. If it works, I’d love it. Definitely not a club looks snob. I mean I play G710’s. They’re basically a garden shovel, but I don’t care

[nsxguy]

2 hours ago, JermWRX said:

Sorry, I should’ve been clearer. I was fit as a slight arc with Ping. I’ve tried to go SBST with center shafted mallets. Didn’t work well. I’ve tried everything from a Newport style, to the Tank putter, to center shafted mallets, 2-ball, Spider, Odyssey Bird Of Prey, just to name a few. I’ve tried 34-38”. Even had a 50” built. I’ve tried side saddle. Nothing works. All the same result. Distance is the major concern. I’ll consistently leave a 15’ putt, 8’ short. I do it all the time. Then when it’s 6’, I’ll blow it by the hole another 6’. Like clockwork. Zero consistency. I have a putter mat that I use just about every night. I’ll roll 100 putts watching tv. I do have a hard time sometimes starting it in line, but that’s more of a minor issue. I line myself up, look at the hole, look back down and then I just can’t stop thinking about how hard to hit it. And it feels like I hit it. I hardly ever strike a putt that feels like it was rolled, rather than hit. I’m pretty good at reading a green, actually. I rarely miss a line because if read. It’s always because of strike. I feel like I’m constantly trying to change or adjust now I putt. Stance is always different because I feel like I’m stuck in a never ending search for comfort. Putting has never felt comfortable for me. I’m a 9 HC because of it. I hit tons of greens. Not unlikely for me to hit 15 or so in a round. I can chip well, so when I do miss a green I can usually get it pretty close. But it doesn’t matter. If I get myself to 3 feet, I’ll still miss the putt half of the time. I turn birdie opportunities into bogeys on a regular basis. It’s wildly frustrating. It’s gotten to a point sometimes where I think I don’t want to play golf anymore because of it. It’s the yips on steroids. Hope that explains it better

 

"Yips on steroids".

 

Now you bring another factor in. Do you REALLY have the yips ? I subscribe to the definition of the yips as an uncontrolled jerkiness of the putter, almost always on the forward part of the stroke, although it is possible to be jerky going back as well.

 

So, if you really have the yips, that's a different issue.

 

Anywho, the putter type isn't all that important. You can go SBST with a little toe hang and you can go gated with a FB putter. Look at Phil. He goes SBST with a toe down putter.

 

Whatever feels and looks right to you and you're comfortable with being able to swing it smoothly and consistently is probably the right one.

 

Not too heavy and not too light. e=1/2mv2 so it's the velocity and the ability to adjust it properly that mostly determines how far the ball rolls.

 

Too heavy and you may not be able to adjust the forward speed of the putter very well. Too light and you'll (possibly) "wave" the putter around a bit during the stroke. Not great to keep the face in position.

 

But if it's mostly distance control, here's a post I made last year about how a buddy of mine helped me control my distance. I believe it has some things in common with the "ladder" approach.

 

Maybe it'll help - https://forums.golfwrx.com/topic/1733270-club-selection-for-chipping/page/2/?tab=comments#comment-22909786

 

Good luck.

 

 

Edited April 9, 2021 by nsxguy

[Obiwan21]

I'll bet this little beauty would help.

 

[Joe Mannix]

My biggest pet peeve are putters that have absolutely zero "pop" in the face....especially on a slight mishit...you can never go wrong with any of the Spalding TPM's or the KG (Ken Giannini) models made by Cleveland....they can readily be found on ebay, and will be easy on your pocketbook.  I LOVE my TPM 3 and KG 6.....EVERY stroke feels solidly hit.

Edited April 10, 2021 by Joe Mannix
mispell

[5baytjd]

On 4/7/2021 at 5:49 PM, jomatty said:

Time for an armlock!  Or a lab.  

How about an armlock or broomstick L.A.B.?  Might be the best of both worlds.

 

I know my L.A.B. DF 2.1 is so forgiving of toe or heel strikes (due primarily to the high MOI, but I know that there being NO TORQUE also plays into this), I am able to look at my target instead of at the ball when I make my stroke, this has helped me immensely with my distance control.

[5baytjd]

On 4/7/2021 at 6:08 PM, JDennis said:

I would suggest going to a large golf store and just trying every putter they have. Over the past 15 years I have always been on and off with putters. Just last year I finally bought a wide blade (sc squareback 2) and the putting just clicked. I never wanted to play a blade putter and have a straight back straight through putt stroke. I naturally always went to face balanced mallets.  For some reason my Squareback 2 is exactly perfect for me.  In fact I have have acquired quite the putter collection and even ended up having a couple golf buddies try my putters and they found exactly what clicked with them. One guy putted so bad you just had to not watch him putt. I had a TM Ardmore 3 laying around and it absolutely changed his putting. The guy is on fire with it. Another friend conned me out of my Bettinardi Kuchar Model 1. He always putted decent but he rarely misses with that putter now. 

With as many people as you've helped with putters, you're building up quite a bit of good karma with the putting gods !

[PixlPutterman]

Buy an opposite handed putter and use it for 3 months, can't be any worse than what you are doing now and it will make you forget all your bad habits.

 

 

[mtiger10]

@JermWRX has educated lots of folks with this thread on putters! Good luck to you in the quest, don't give up the game over putting woes

[MattM97]

Learn the Snail Grip 

 

 

 

But seriously maybe it's time to take lessons, would be cheaper than buying endless putters despite what my inner putter ho says. 

[JermWRX]

9 hours ago, MattM97 said:

Learn the Snail Grip 

 

 

 

But seriously maybe it's time to take lessons, would be cheaper than buying endless putters despite what my inner putter ho says. 

Lmao!!!😂 I thought I’ve tried everything. But I haven’t tried that. I’ve taken lessons with club pros, but you’re probably right, time to go to a putting coach. I did buy a new putter, though. Mostly because I can’t help myself. I got a new Spider

[JermWRX]

20 hours ago, mtiger10 said:

@JermWRX has educated lots of folks with this thread on putters! Good luck to you in the quest, don't give up the game over putting woes

If my epic failures save just one wrxer soul, then this was all worth it👍😂