Which putter specs will tend to shorten the stroke?

[ChaosTheory]

Anecdotal evidence for me suggests that lower swingweights lead to shorter strokes.  I am pretty sure this was or is a big part of the Stroke Lab concept.  Maintain the weight but lower the swingweight.  Putter swingweights are a lot higher than they used to be.   I just picked up a used 34 inch Odyssey Toe Up putter, which is an Anser type head.  Right away I noticed I was making a shorter stroke, which for me is better.  The swingweight is D4.  On a 35" Odyssey Jailbird Mini mallet with lighter grip it's E8.  With that one, even gripped down an inch, my stroke is too long.  Which for me results in poor rhythm and directional issues.  I've tried heavier heads and not gotten the beneficial effects I was hoping for.  Maybe this is the reason.  I can see how a heavier head feel would promote a smoother, slower tempo, if that is what it sought.

 

I have an original Stroke Lab One, also an Anser style.  It definitely promotes a shorter stroke.   At 34 inches, it is C8.

 

Anyone ever looked into the question of specs and their effects on stroke tempo and length?

[Soloman1]

Energy transfer is a factor. It’s called impact ratio with putters, but same as smash factor - ball speed / head speed. That is affected by mass, CoG and face design, including inserts and grooves. Inserts and grooves lower the ball speed off the face.

 

The lower the ball speed, the harder you have to hit it, the longer or more faster your stroke has to be. The higher the impact ration, the slower (more controlled) your delivery can be.

 

Most putters and delivery cause bounce and skid for 16-20% of the distance to the hole. Energy is lost during that segment, so the putt rolls out less. Again, the less bounce and skid, the faster the ball gets to a true roll and the farther the roll out, the slower the delivery speed can be.

 

The delivery conditions determine that, including launch at impact, vertical path (on upstroke), impact location on the face and location of impact on the ball. Many people make impact near the bottom of the face as they make impact with a rising putter arc. That can reduce the energy transfer by 10%. Impact below the equator of the ball can add more launch angle and backspin.

 

Think of hitting a cue ball below the equator.

 

So, the slowest, most controlled delivery speed can be used if the impact ratio is highest, the delivered loft is under 2*, the impact is centered vertically and horizontally on the face, the impact is at or above the equator of the ball, the bounce, skid and time to true roll is the lowest and forward spin is delivered at impact.

 

That creates the longest roll out with the least energy delivered. Of course, the green type and conditions vary the data, but when measured using a controlled surface, the results carry forward consistently regardless of the surface.