Milled vs inserts

[mvhoffman]

After using a completely milled putter for the past few years I switched to a mallet(2 different ones in rotation). I really like them and from 5-6 feet in have become pretty automatic for a weekend warrior. One thing that I have really noticed is that my longer putts 20-30 feet I am consistently leaving them short. When using the milled blade my distance control is very very good and my close putts suck.  I have determined that it may be time for a milled mallet putter. 
 

Anyone have similiar experience with insert putter?

[So_Cal]

54 minutes ago, mvhoffman said:

After using a completely milled putter for the past few years I switched to a mallet(2 different ones in rotation). I really like them and from 5-6 feet in have become pretty automatic for a weekend warrior. One thing that I have really noticed is that my longer putts 20-30 feet I am consistently leaving them short. When using the milled blade my distance control is very very good and my close putts suck.  I have determined that it may be time for a milled mallet putter. 
 

Anyone have similiar experience with insert putter?

Just my opinion but I don’t think there’s much of a difference.  At the end of the day it’s what you prefer.  A lot of guys like milled mallets and that may be the one for you.  I have about 30 putters and have been great with a white hot insert mallet lately.  I was the guy that insisted on milled faces but the insert is working for me.  

[5hort5tuff]

I don't really like any inserts. I find, especially the soft feeling ones to be exactly as you described.  Evnroll uses milled grooves bit has the same michsy feel as an insert. I always feel that I leave putts short with these. 

 

I would rather sink 5 and 6 footers all day if it meant leaving a few long putts short. 

 

I now use a Seemore M5 HT...milled mallet. Perfect middle ground for me

[birdie2bogey]

Take the time, spend the miney to get fitted on quintic. Quintic will show you your launch and forward roll "true roll" numbers. All things equal (loft, lie, delivery) the milled will get you more true roll BUT you can easily lower the loft on an insert putter to achieve the same amount of forward roll. With thst said, if you are a guy who forward presses as a trigger and you de loft the putter right before you swing, decreasing ststic loft may be detrimental. So take two putter side by side on quintic. EYE OPENING. Easy to see launch and spin on all other clubs because the ball is in rhebair and lands. Impossible to eyeball it with putter because the ball is on the ground

Edited April 30, 2023 by birdie2bogey

[Jc0]

14 hours ago, mvhoffman said:

After using a completely milled putter for the past few years I switched to a mallet(2 different ones in rotation). I really like them and from 5-6 feet in have become pretty automatic for a weekend warrior. One thing that I have really noticed is that my longer putts 20-30 feet I am consistently leaving them short. When using the milled blade my distance control is very very good and my close putts suck.  I have determined that it may be time for a milled mallet putter. 
 

Anyone have similiar experience with insert putter?

 

What putter? Insert could mean anything, soft/firm, groves/no groves, specifics are helpful. What you think is an insert issue could be because a difference in weight or some other element of the putter. 

 

 

[Tar_Heel_93]

Your experience may have more to do with putter type than insert vs milled. I am much better lag putting with a milled Anser/Anser 2 style putter than a milled mallet but can be better on short putts with the mallet depending on alignment aids and head shape. For me I have much better feel and distance control with the blades than mallets. I believe it has to do with where the weight is on the putter. Too much weight back and outside ruins my stroke for longer or delicate putts. The extra weight out and back can help for those nervous 5-8’ putts. This is just my experience. 

[MattM97]

It comes down to the feel you like and prefer, there is a reason the Odyssey White Hot insert is so popular and that's because so many people have used it for such a long time and other inserts it seems like a mixed feel on the inserts.

 

A few issues i have with inserts is they wear out over time and in 99% of cases you cannot get another insert, they may not be completely flush after a while if the glue comes undone.

 

Only insert putters I would consider are mixed metals that are pressed fit to where it's basically one piece and not many are doing that.

[Jeff58]

As Mr. @Tar_Heel_93 points out, putting distance control is perhaps the last unmodeled aspect of golf. We typically either “test” putters at a store, where all shots are flat and the same distance, or through a fitting, where all shots are flat and the same distance.

 

While some basic characteristics seem to produce somewhat generic results, there is no flex/rebound/COR difference between putter faces, since there is no distortion of either the club or ball. They may feel different, but the amount of force transferred has nothing to do with face material.

 

What does matter is mass, and mass distribution. Everyone has an inherent “how hard do I need to throw the ball” instinct. If the mass and/or resistance of your putter differs from that, your control will suffer. Since we don’t generally know what characteristics are optimal, we continue on our endless search, much to the delight of S.C. and friends.

[Tar_Heel_93]

4 minutes ago, Jeff58 said:

As Mr. @Tar_Heel_93 points out, putting distance control is perhaps the last unmodeled aspect of golf. We typically either “test” putters at a store, where all shots are flat and the same distance, or through a fitting, where all shots are flat and the same distance.

 

While some basic characteristics seem to produce somewhat generic results, there is no flex/rebound/COR difference between putter faces, since there is no distortion of either the club or ball. They may feel different, but the amount of force transferred has nothing to do with face material.

 

What does matter is mass, and mass distribution. Everyone has an inherent “how hard do I need to throw the ball” instinct. If the mass and/or resistance of your putter differs from that, your control will suffer. Since we don’t generally know what characteristics are optimal, we continue on our endless search, much to the delight of S.C. and friends.

This is why I have tracked my putts for the last several years. Keeping head weight, swing weight, total weight, length and grips the same I know what does and does not work from 6-10, 11-15, 16-20, 20-50 and 50 plus. It doesn’t keep me from buying new putters but I know what to expect from each and what to use when the round really counts or if I need to drain long putts like in a scramble or just make the 10’ putts during a regular round.

[North Butte]

Sounds matters for distance control, too. Never thought that in the past but recent experience has shown me that a really soft ball (a real marshmallow like a Supersoft/Duo/Soft Feel) and a soft insert putter produces such a muted impact sound I'd gradually lose my feel for lag putt distance. 

 

Never had that problem with an insert putter and a clickier ball (Pro V1x or whatever) or with a non-insert putter and a soft 2pc ball. But combine them together and I'm not getting the audible feedback I'm used to.

 

That's probably because I'd say 95% or so of my rounds of golf, ever, have been with non-insert putters and fairly firm golf balls. Maybe it would be different if I'd learned to putt with very quiet sound at impact. 

[IndyArcher]

So I'm currently sporting an Odyssey White Hot OG 7CH. I perform with the putter better than any putter in my life, but I was struggling greatly with anything longer than 15'. It seemed like especially on slower greens and uphill, I had to swing the thing so hard that it took me offline. 

 

So, I decided to work with some different weights. I exchanged the 15gm weights for 20 and it made a HUGE difference for me. I'm thinking of trying another +5gm to see how that does. My longer putts are much more consistent, and it has not negatively impacted my shorter strokes at all. I am putting almost everything within 2-2.5' which is amazing for me. I played TPC Myrtle last week on greens that stimped @ 11. I had one 3 putt, 3 one putts and 14 2 putts. For me that is nothing short of miraculous.

 

That said, I would still LOVE to get a milled Toulon 7 CH and eliminate the insert. In the meantime, the weights have really made a difference! If you have a mallet with exchangeable weights, it might be something play around with. 

[So_Cal]

24 minutes ago, IndyArcher said:

So I'm currently sporting an Odyssey White Hot OG 7CH. I perform with the putter better than any putter in my life, but I was struggling greatly with anything longer than 15'. It seemed like especially on slower greens and uphill, I had to swing the thing so hard that it took me offline. 

 

So, I decided to work with some different weights. I exchanged the 15gm weights for 20 and it made a HUGE difference for me. I'm thinking of trying another +5gm to see how that does. My longer putts are much more consistent, and it has not negatively impacted my shorter strokes at all. I am putting almost everything within 2-2.5' which is amazing for me. I played TPC Myrtle last week on greens that stimped @ 11. I had one 3 putt, 3 one putts and 14 2 putts. For me that is nothing short of miraculous.

 

That said, I would still LOVE to get a milled Toulon 7 CH and eliminate the insert. In the meantime, the weights have really made a difference! If you have a mallet with exchangeable weights, it might be something play around with. 

Excellent point.  I had the same experience except lighter weights improved touch.  

[Chungy]

I used to game Tei3 Scottys because they are SO SOFT, but felt distance control was difficult on long putts. I recently switched back to my Pro Platinum Newport and results have been good so far. 

[North Butte]

19 hours ago, IndyArcher said:

So I'm currently sporting an Odyssey White Hot OG 7CH. I perform with the putter better than any putter in my life, but I was struggling greatly with anything longer than 15'. It seemed like especially on slower greens and uphill, I had to swing the thing so hard that it took me offline. 

 

So, I decided to work with some different weights. I exchanged the 15gm weights for 20 and it made a HUGE difference for me. I'm thinking of trying another +5gm to see how that does. My longer putts are much more consistent, and it has not negatively impacted my shorter strokes at all. I am putting almost everything within 2-2.5' which is amazing for me. I played TPC Myrtle last week on greens that stimped @ 11. I had one 3 putt, 3 one putts and 14 2 putts. For me that is nothing short of miraculous.

 

That said, I would still LOVE to get a milled Toulon 7 CH and eliminate the insert. In the meantime, the weights have really made a difference! If you have a mallet with exchangeable weights, it might be something play around with. 

I am not you, you are not me, so maybe this is all wrong and doesn't apply to you. But for what it's worth...

 

The symptoms you are describing are something I've experienced from time to time especially with fairly heavy feeling putters. In my case, I have a tendency to want to take too short of a backswing and then "catch up" by adding a little speed on the forward stroke. That leads to yanking the putter offline on longer or slower putts, etc.

 

Like I say, some people have the opposite problem and take it back too far then decelerate. But before giving up on the insert, take 20-30 minutes on the practice green to try deliberately making a longer backstroke than you think you need. See if it helps at all.

[IndyArcher]

19 minutes ago, North Butte said:

I am not you, you are not me, so maybe this is all wrong and doesn't apply to you. But for what it's worth...

 

The symptoms you are describing are something I've experienced from time to time especially with fairly heavy feeling putters. In my case, I have a tendency to want to take too short of a backswing and then "catch up" by adding a little speed on the forward stroke. That leads to yanking the putter offline on longer or slower putts, etc.

 

Like I say, some people have the opposite problem and take it back too far then decelerate. But before giving up on the insert, take 20-30 minutes on the practice green to try deliberately making a longer backstroke than you think you need. See if it helps at all.

 

I'm in no way giving up on my White Hot OG. For some of our area courses with slower greens, long, uphill puts just didn't seem to have enough mass behind them. The extra 10 grams of weight added helped a ton. As I said, I'm putting better with this putter than any putter in my life. I still like the feel of a fully milled face, though. 

 

I picked up a used Mizuno M-Craft VI. I love the feel. There's something about the shaft that just doesn't suit me as well as the Odyssey, though. 

[getitdaily]

On 4/29/2023 at 8:07 PM, mvhoffman said:

After using a completely milled putter for the past few years I switched to a mallet(2 different ones in rotation). I really like them and from 5-6 feet in have become pretty automatic for a weekend warrior. One thing that I have really noticed is that my longer putts 20-30 feet I am consistently leaving them short. When using the milled blade my distance control is very very good and my close putts suck.  I have determined that it may be time for a milled mallet putter. 
 

Anyone have similiar experience with insert putter?

Yep. That's why I like pxg for putters.

[mbwgolf]

I am the exact same way… I tend to lose my feel whenever I use a softer putter. But it is a give and take situation because being automatic on the short putts is huge.

[AlohaPineapple]

21 hours ago, Chungy said:

I used to game Tei3 Scottys because they are SO SOFT, but felt distance control was difficult on long putts. I recently switched back to my Pro Platinum Newport and results have been good so far. 

 

I feel like golf balls are much firmer nowadays and some of the older putters that felt too soft back when I first tried now feel just right to me

[Chungy]

On 5/1/2023 at 4:29 PM, AlohaPineapple said:

 

I feel like golf balls are much firmer nowadays and some of the older putters that felt too soft back when I first tried now feel just right to me

I keep going back and forth…I feel like I get more moneys worth with an insert 😂 

[FSUgolfer]

Some inserts can be more firm than a deep milled 1 piece answer style putter, or rife type groves. It really depends. If any inserts, I prefer them to be copper. 

Edited May 3, 2023 by FSUgolfer
Added rife

[Cactus Jack]

I enjoy Taylormade's inserts. I've been on Quintic many times, and their inserts do in fact help control my launch and provide a more efficient roll. Also, I find the feel to be crisp, and I especially appreciate the audio feedback. In comparison, a White Hot insert is too soft for me, and often times I can't hear the strike, and therefore have a very limited feel. 

[mvhoffman]

3 minutes ago, Cactus Jack said:

I enjoy Taylormade's inserts. I've been on Quintic many times, and their inserts do in fact help control my launch and provide a more efficient roll. Also, I find the feel to be crisp, and I especially appreciate the audio feedback. In comparison, a White Hot insert is too soft for me, and often times I can't hear the strike, and therefore have a very limited feel. 

I enjoy the feel of their inserts but the distance control thing is new for me.  I ordered a Maltby 5cs putter to try out to see if the complete milled makes a difference for me.