What’s Your Experience with Center Shafted Putters?

[snowmangolf]

I’m curious of both the science/tech behind it and any personal experiences/opinions. Who’s gaming a CS putter and why or why not? 

[Phabs]

I had a 2.6 newport for a while - never liked it and always felt like I had a two way miss with it.   If you go buy TXG's opinion they're worthless even with an upgraded shaft.  I did feel like i could align it pretty well but getting the ball online was a struggle once I started doing gate drills and some other training

Edited March 14, 2023 by Phabs

[roundersmitty]

I did well for a bit with a SeeMore M5 years ago.  This year I purchased a Sacks Parente center shaft and am rolling it very well.  I am RH LE dominate and placing the ball 1 ball forward of center with my eyes just inside the ball can see the line very well.  

[MattM97]

True CS putters look pretty decent to me, my issue comes during the stroke. I for some reason want to hit the ball with shaft inside the ball, so the head just twists.

 

I think something like a SeeMore M7 where the shaft is a bit more towards the heel would work really well for me. I just don't want to really drop the money on an experiment, golf shops near me don't carry many LH SeeMore's.

 

Last part that M7 Tour looks like it has a slight notch taken out of the heel and I don't really like that look. The M7x looks nicer just true CS setup.

[GatorNate11]

I’ve got some random Tiger Shark center shafted putter I mess around with every now and then. I always find I’m less consistent with it than a plumber’s neck

[Ghostwedge]

Played a season with an original TM Spider CS putter. It was money from 6 ft and in. If I ever went back to a mallet, CS would be on the short list.

[kwcsports]

Tried a CS Odyssey awhile ago and hated it. Never got along with a CS putter, YMMV

[Langaandy]

I run a W/S Infinite Southside. I personally much prefer the centre shaft. dont know if it genuinely makes a difference or if its just mental but it works fine for me.

[PJE]

I’ve got an old Ping G2 C67 which I have successfully used.  I putt best with face balanced or slight arc so the center shaft is not a big leap. 
I’m left eye dominant and right handed. I don’t know if that has anything to do with it. 

[mtcowdog]

I am drawn to CS putters but have never pulled the trigger. I feel like they can be a good choice for me (LE/RH). IDK

Edited March 14, 2023 by mtcowdog

[VNutz]

I love the look and setup of CS mallet putter. When my timing and stroke are on they are deadly. The problem to me is that I'm rarely that on, and as mentioned above it creates something of a two way miss in my experience. When the stroke gets off the clubhead feels so incredibly unstable both back and through, leading to some awful putting rounds missing badly both left and right, even from short distances.

[golfinbrad]

4 minutes ago, VNutz said:

I love the look and setup of CS mallet putter. When my timing and stroke are on they are deadly. The problem to me is that I'm rarely that on, and as mentioned above it creates something of a two way miss in my experience. When the stroke gets off the clubhead feels so incredibly unstable both back and through, leading to some awful putting rounds missing badly both left and right, even from short distances.

I had similar experience.  Off days seems to be worse than with my traditional blade with a plumbers neck.  I messed around with 2 Seemore's and a Odyssey 2M.  Love the looks and seemed to set up well, but wasn't as consistent.  I would never tell someone not to try them.  If they work go for it.

[darkhelmet]

I putt better with face-balanced putters, but I've never felt comfortable with the center-shafted options.

 

The shaft usually goes into the head just inside of the center line, and it's as if my brain wants me to hit the ball with the shaft instead of the center of the face.  Gets me all messed up.

 

Just did a quick search and found this Japan issue TM model -- something like this with a full shaft offset might be able to let my brain visually separate the putter head from the shaft.  But for now I'll have to stick with double-bends.

 

[cocolamb22]

16 hours ago, Phabs said:

I had a 2.6 newport for a while - never liked it and always felt like I had a two way miss with it.   If you go buy TXG's opinion they're worthless even with an upgraded shaft.  I did feel like i could align it pretty well but getting the ball online was a struggle once I started doing gate drills and some other training

move rolled SeeMore in the past with success. I’ve heard this TXG thought. I even asked Ian on an AMA and all he responded with with a poo emoji. Are you able to elaborate why he or TXG feels that way? “Worthless” is kind of an extreme, but I’d genuinely like to know more about the the TXG thought process behind this statement. Now being a part of CC who does a lot of fittings for Seemores and other brands, I’d be interested to understand more. 
 

Also, there are quite a few LPGA players who roll CS putters and do it extremely well. Lydia Ko and Brooke Henderson both come to mind. 

Edited March 14, 2023 by cocolamb22
Added context

[jjr]

No, I can't putt worth a sh** with one!

[jomatty]

I usually use one.  Seemores have been good for me.  Now I’m using the Lab Link and love it.  While Ian seems down on CS @labgolf says that they have been very fond of their putters.  I haven’t seen where Ian said that but have no reason to doubt he did. 
for me, I just aim a CS putter much better than most other putters.  The other ones I get along with are also low offset models.  My eyes are cross dominant and this seems to make up a high percentage of CS users.

[riehlg]

I've used a SeeMore FGP since I started playing golf back in 2012 or so. I've tried a number of other putters but always come back to the SeeMore. I've tried a Scotty Cameron California Coronado, Ping Scottsdale TR Anser T, Odyssey Metal X Milled #7, Ping Karsten TR Anser 2, Odyssey White Hot Double Wide Versa. Nothing beats the SeeMore for me. The only thing that might kick the FGP out of my bag would be a Mini Giant FGP but don't have the funds for that at the moment.

[getitdaily]

Like I always say...center shaft is never center hole.

[kb7]

I always seem to roll the first few putts really well with a center shaft putter. After putt 3 or 4 it becomes an absolute train wreck.

[57charlie]

I've been using a CS putter since the late 1990's, early 2000's. First experience with a CS putter was an early model Seemore FHP blade putter. I found that it to fit my eye well at address and I was sold on the feature of hiding the red dot, keeping the shaft between the white lines would help with maintaining alignment throughout the putting stroke. I found myself becoming more consistent as well as developing more confidence on the greens. As everyone knows half the battle in golf is between your ears.

 

I used that Seemore putter for a couple of years and then in 2004, I moved to an Odyssey White Steel 2 Ball CS putter. I used that putter with great success up until this past October/2022.

 

I came across a new to me Cleveland Huntington Beach 6 CS Putter which I picked up online for under a $100 CDN. By happen stance the courier delivered it to me the day before the last tournament of the season. I put it in my bag and spent maybe 30 minutes with it on the practice putting green the morning of the tournament, just trying to get a feel for it. The first official game putt with that putter I rolled in a breaking left to right putt from 14-15 feet for birdie....wow! I went on to make 4 birdies during that tournament round. Let me tell you that is not something that occurs frequently. 

 

I've always felt I've been a decent putter but I can tell you I was some impressed with how well this CS putter from Cleveland performed. Part of good performance comes from the P2 Classic putting grip that came with the putter. I had never heard of this company before but I did some online research (P2grips.com) on them days later and was impressed. This P2 Classic putting grip is unbelievably comfortable in your hands, seems to make alignment easier for golfers, it feels good throughout the putting stroke.

 

I can't really speak for the any of the science or technology behind using a CS putter, all I know is that a CS putter just works better for me. Cheers.

[Unteachable]

used one for a couple years.  love the way they set up (RH with left eye dominance )

i found i was way too streaky with it and didn't lag well with it

[optimator]

I played a Bullseye for most of my golf life. I still have a few of them and still play them a time or two every year. I eventually moved to face balanced putters. But most of the time I use a Odyssey Protype 6cs. Best of both worlds for me. Lately I've been looking for a #7 style putter. I started a thread asking for suggestions about them today. One of the recommendations I got was for a Sub 70 004. After checking it out what really caught my eye was the center shafted 005. So yeah, I really like center shafted putters. 

[RH82]

Even thought I'm a "sbst" I always hated cs putters. I just could never get comfortable with them.

[95124hacker]

The physics behind a center shafted putter (or any putter where the shaft axis extends through the center of the face) is to minimize the moment and subsequent twist/rotation of the face on off-center hits.

 

Here is a patent that covers this aspect (as well as a few others): https://patents.google.com/patent/US3625517

 

 

[CUBuffaloes]

I like them. Rolled a SeeMore putter all last year and it really helped. My issue is left eye dominant and right handed putting. I could never get comfortable with starting my putts on the proper line. Did much better with a no-offset center shafted putter. Been trying out a Bettinardi lately with a half shaft offset only because I think this QueenB 6 looks great. Jury is still out if it will replace my SeeMore.

Edited March 24, 2023 by CUBuffaloes

[Dan Drake]

Just purchased a SeeMore M6.  I've putted with a center-shafted mid-mallet Odyssey and had some success and I've had a SeeMore for 10+ years and always liked how it felt, so I figured why not.  I also am planning on playing off-handed a little more regularly and the "Bullseye" style putter is the one that I've heard someone (David Edel?) say is the easiest for virtually everyone to line up well.  Since my #1 issue putting lefty is alignment, I figured, why not?  I just had to find one that had a little more "tech" and forgiveness than an OG Bullseye.  

 

Also, I secretly LOVE the idea of putting with the same putter from both sides.  And FWIW, I putt with the exact same grip either way, I just do a slight forward press in the opposite direction.  Cross-handed when lefty and traditional when righty.  

[BYK]

On 3/20/2023 at 10:23 AM, RH82 said:

Even thought I'm a "sbst" I always hated cs putters. I just could never get comfortable with them.

Agreed

 

no idea why but they just don’t work for me. 

[RSinSG]

I used two Scotty Cameron putters for 20+ years when I made the mistake of rolling some balls in a local store with a center shaft Seemore. It felt so easy for me that I started looking for a CS putter. I ended up with a Bettinardi Studio 28CS that I’ve been using for 4 years now. It is a good match for my stroke.

[Scotty1140]

I don’t like them and they don’t like me. 
 

They look like they should be the easiest thing to putt with until I actually putt with it and it’s just awkward. 

Edited March 25, 2023 by Scotty1140

[taskerc]

I’ve had all types of putter variations. And since I like to acquire putters (yes I have a problem),I decided to do a test this winter to see which putter(s) performed best. Each test was 15 putts and each session would be 3-4 putters out of the 15 total putters in the test. I have an inside putting green - it has three holes that gets me a four hole rotation of 6,5 feet to 8,5 feet.

 

after 12 completed sessions per putter(about two weeks) , three of the top four were CS models - the non Cs was a Toulon Seattle that was slight toe hang but was not CS. Two of the CS putters were the half-circle type of heads- a  Yes Hanna and Odyssey R line something. The other was an Odyssey half circle mallet. The best of the bunch was the odyssey mallet with an average of 11.2 putts out of 15 made over the 12 instances. There was one or two older CS putters that didn’t fare well - they were longer 35/36” but otherwise consistent.

 

I was a bit surprised but the verdict was pretty clear - CS worked best for me.

Edited March 26, 2023 by taskerc
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