Time for a mallet putter?

[Bigjim1022]

I go through this at least once a year, my putting goes off the rails and I just lose my stroke entirely.  I've been putting with a flow neck blade putter so far this year and doing ok, love the look and feel.  Last couple of rounds though have been really bad putting rounds and it's got me thinking, mallet?   I play 2-3 times a week and have a practice putting mat in my home and a blast motion sensor that has given some good data.  It doesn't feel like its lack of effort that's causing my putting woes.  

 

How do you know when it's time to ditch the blade and go to a more forgiving mallet style putter? 

[getitdaily]

If your face control is terrible or very inconsistent with the blade and a mallet shows better face control consistency then it's time.

[Putter Addict]

The issue may just be toe flow, not necessarily blade vs mallet. Maybe try a face balanced blade or at least one with less flow than you have. Flow necks tend to have the most toe hang and if your stroke is off it can be hard to get it back closed at impact. There are also some really nice high MOI blade putters out there now you can check out. 

[BIG STU]

For me for years it was flow necks starting with a Zing2 and then a Scotty Santa Fe. 3 years ago I was in an accident and among other things I had a bad concussion among with a broken back and shoulder. One of the by products of my concussion along with getting older is some sort of dissociative eye thing. My putting had suffered. I usually do not pay attention to what someone plays on tour but I had noticed quite a few of the Anser style players have went to mallets. I had 3 Bobby Grace V=Foils in my stash. I decided to try the one in my signature now and I am putting better. As we age anyhow our eyesight and perception changes. I tried it and for now I am  liking it. I say give it a try and see

[BIG STU]

1 minute ago, Putter Addict said:

The issue may just be toe flow, not necessarily blade vs mallet. Maybe try a face balanced blade or at least one with less flow than you have. Flow necks tend to have the most toe hang and if your stroke is off it can be hard to get it back closed at impact. There are also some really nice high MOI blade putters out there now you can check out. 

That is 100% true or at least in my case. Also in my case the hands do not work like they used to and with the sight thing going the old Hand eye coordination is simply not there. My good friend over in the Links Lounge @touch turned me on to the fact inadvertently one night on a discussion. He was 100% correct

[Bigjim1022]

6 minutes ago, BIG STU said:

For me for years it was flow necks starting with a Zing2 and then a Scotty Santa Fe. 3 years ago I was in an accident and among other things I had a bad concussion among with a broken back and shoulder. One of the by products of my concussion along with getting older is some sort of dissociative eye thing. My putting had suffered. I usually do not pay attention to what someone plays on tour but I had noticed quite a few of the Anser style players have went to mallets. I had 3 Bobby Grace V=Foils in my stash. I decided to try the one in my signature now and I am putting better. As we age anyhow our eyesight and perception changes. I tried it and for now I am  liking it. I say give it a try and see

That's great info.  My eyes are not the best in the last few years even with glasses and though I'm right handed, I'm left eye dominant which I guess is not the norm according to my eye DR.  My lag putting isn't great and lately I've been missing short putts (3-4 footers).  Stroke doesn't feel bad but the ball doesn't go where I thought I was looking.  So darn frustrating to hit two good shots, or a good chip only to miss the putt. 

[Putter Addict]

You ever done a fitting? If nothing else, you get to try out a lot of different styles to see what works. 

[Bigjim1022]

2 minutes ago, Putter Addict said:

You ever done a fitting? If nothing else, you get to try out a lot of different styles to see what works. 

I haven't.  I'd love to but there isn't really a place to do one close to me that I am aware of.  Though I am going to be in Boston next week, I could go to Club Champion I think.  Not sure what else there is there. 

[MattM97]

Do some drills with a ruler to get your stroke back in line, cheaper than a new putter. 

[BIG STU]

10 minutes ago, Bigjim1022 said:

That's great info.  My eyes are not the best in the last few years even with glasses and though I'm right handed, I'm left eye dominant which I guess is not the norm according to my eye DR.  My lag putting isn't great and lately I've been missing short putts (3-4 footers).  Stroke doesn't feel bad but the ball doesn't go where I thought I was looking.  So darn frustrating to hit two good shots, or a good chip only to miss the putt. 

I am also left eye dominate and right handed. With my eye issues it is a neurological thing and glasses can not correct it. I used to be a good putter and I can understand the frustration trust me

[Bigjim1022]

1 minute ago, MattM97 said:

Do some drills with a ruler to get your stroke back in line, cheaper than a new putter. 

Such as?  I've been using alignment sticks just outside the toe and heel of the putter to hopefully keep the putter from getting too far inside on the backstroke.  

[BIG STU]

5 minutes ago, Putter Addict said:

You ever done a fitting? If nothing else, you get to try out a lot of different styles to see what works. 

The way I found out my problem one of my sometimes league and scramble partners is a fitter for PGASS. He made note of it and worked with me some. My eye doc and his wife are both eye docs and we were members at my former club. I called him on his cell and he had me come by after hours one day. He ran some tests and talked to my Neurologist and they determined what was going on.

[Bigjim1022]

2 minutes ago, BIG STU said:

The way I found out my problem one of my sometimes league and scramble partners is a fitter for PGASS. He made note of it and worked with me some. My eye doc and his wife are both eye docs and we were members at my former club. I called him on his cell and he had me come by after hours one day. He ran some tests and talked to my Neurologist and they determined what was going on.

Lucky for you!  
 

Being in Vermont, finding a good place to be fit for clubs can be a challenge and I have to drive at least 1.5 hours for it.  Forget putter fitting though now I'm really thinking about hitting club champion while I'm in Boston LOL 

[BIG STU]

2 minutes ago, Bigjim1022 said:

Lucky for you!  
 

Being in Vermont, finding a good place to be fit for clubs can be a challenge and I have to drive at least 1.5 hours for it.  Forget putter fitting though now I'm really thinking about hitting club champion while I'm in Boston LOL 

I build and fit my own stuff. I used to be a co owner of a golf shop so I know how---- The Club Champion fitting may be very well worth it in your case maybe save you some money in the long run from buying different putters

[MattM97]

10 minutes ago, Bigjim1022 said:

Such as?  I've been using alignment sticks just outside the toe and heel of the putter to hopefully keep the putter from getting too far inside on the backstroke.  

 

For me it depends on my issue, sometimes I get loopy inside or outside. If I get too inside I just keep a ruler or alignment rod heel side of the putter and make sure I don't bring it too far inside, naturally it will coast inside. When it's loopy outside/away from me I just do the same just on the toe of the putter.

 

I also use 2 marks on the ruler or rod and just do putts where I keep the putter head inside those marks to make sure I don't drift and get a better impact too. Biggest thing for me is I need to get the handle into my lead hand and control the stroke with that, if too even in my hands it gets loopy and long. 

[Bigjim1022]

9 minutes ago, BIG STU said:

I build and fit my own stuff. I used to be a co owner of a golf shop so I know how---- The Club Champion fitting may be very well worth it in your case maybe save you some money in the long run from buying different putters

Yeah I've taught myself a lot about fitting from this forum and various other sources.  I'm fairly confident in my needs for the rest of the bag.  Putting though has always been what I liked the look off and then later realizing I putted better with a little toe hang.  Other than that, guesswork. 

[Dufferonius]

47 minutes ago, Putter Addict said:

You ever done a fitting? If nothing else, you get to try out a lot of different styles to see what works. 

I just went for a putter fitting yesterday.  It turned out the putter I've been swinging (a SeeMore Si5 straight-shaft mallet) was the putter I should be swinging.  So that was good to know, but...

 

He has a Blast Motion Golf Sensor.  A SAM PuttLab fitting will tell him additional things like lie, where he's striking on the face, and club path (I tend to swing somewhat in-to-out), but, the Blast Motion sensor gives him everything else he needs to know.

 

E.g.: My fitting showed I had a tendency to strike the ball with the face open a bit.  This was minimized with my existing mallet.  When I got home I did some practice on my putting mat with my Blast Motion sensor with the aim of eliminating the open at impact thing.

 

Only I tended to be more often slightly closed at impact, rather than open.  That was until I got out to the maximum on my mat: 7.2 ft.  Then I was open at impact.  I believe the hole in my fitting was eight feet away.

 

Hmmm...

 

Then I recalled my club guy who sold me my mallet told me I was too deep in my back-swing, the fitter observed my swing cadence was well "outside of norm," and that I was opening the putter face quite a bit in my back-swing.

 

I shortened my back-swing.  Two things happened: I was back to being more closed at impact than open, and I was "sinking" them more consistently.

 

Edited June 22, 2023 by Dufferonius

[Bigjim1022]

6 minutes ago, Dufferonius said:

I just went for a putter fitting yesterday.  It turned out the putter I've been swinging (a SeeMore Si5 straight-shaft mallet) was the putter I should be swinging.  So that was good to know, but...

 

He has a Blast Motion Golf Sensor.  A SAM PuttLab fitting will tell him additional things like lie, where he's striking on the face, and path, but, the Blast Motion sensor gives him everything else he needs to know.

 

E.g.: My fitting showed I had a tendency to strike the ball with the face open a bit.  This was minimized with my existing mallet.  When I got home I did some practice on my putting mat with my Blast Motion sensor with the aim of eliminating the open at impact thing.

 

Only I tended to be more often slightly closed at impact, rather than open.  That was until I got out to the maximum on my mat: 7.2 ft.  Then I was open at impact.  I believe the hole in my fitting was eight feet away.

 

Hmmm...

 

Then I recalled my club guy who sold me my mallet told me I was too deep in my back-swing, the fitter observed my swing cadence was well "outside of norm," and that I was opening the putter face quite a bit in my back-swing.

 

I shortened my back-swing.  Two things happened: I was back to being more closed at impact than open, and I was "sinking" them more consistently.

 

I'm noticing lately with my Blast that I am frequetly open at impact.  With a plumbers neck my tendency is to be closed, just the opposite.  Now that I'm typing this, does that point in the direction of a face balanced putter?  

[Dufferonius]

1 minute ago, Bigjim1022 said:

I'm noticing lately with my Blast that I am frequetly open at impact.  With a plumbers neck my tendency is to be closed, just the opposite.  Now that I'm typing this, does that point in the direction of a face balanced putter?  

Hard to say.  One of the putters I tried was a SeeMore face-balanced and face-balanced-at-impact putter.  While my metrics were more consistent (probably as a result of the FBAI tech), I tended to be much more open at impact than with my mallet.  Go figure ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[BYK]

8 minutes ago, Bigjim1022 said:

I'm noticing lately with my Blast that I am frequetly open at impact.  With a plumbers neck my tendency is to be closed, just the opposite.  Now that I'm typing this, does that point in the direction of a face balanced putter?  

Have ya considered PLD?

There’s a virtual option so you don’t have to drive and the advice you get from guys doing it like Alex really taught me a lot of my stroke and needs. Yes it’s a cost, but if youve already cycled thru a few failed putters it’ll be worth it in the long run. 

[Bigjim1022]

Just now, BYK said:

Have ya considered PLD?

There’s a virtual option so you don’t have to drive and the advice you get from guys doing it like Alex really taught me a lot of my stroke and needs. Yes it’s a cost, but if youve already cycled thru a few failed putters it’ll be worth it in the long run. 

You know, I hadn't thought of that.  Thank yoU! 

[Bigjim1022]

5 minutes ago, BYK said:

Have ya considered PLD?

There’s a virtual option so you don’t have to drive and the advice you get from guys doing it like Alex really taught me a lot of my stroke and needs. Yes it’s a cost, but if youve already cycled thru a few failed putters it’ll be worth it in the long run. 

Holy smokes, that's expensive!  Buuuuttt as you've said, I've probably spent at least as much on putters already LOL 

[Dufferonius]

3 minutes ago, Bigjim1022 said:

Holy smokes, that's expensive!  Buuuuttt as you've said, I've probably spent at least as much on putters already LOL 

After I bought three putters I decided I wasn't buying any more putters until I got a fitting to figure out what I should be buying.

 

Turned out that, other than the first one, I shouldn't have been buying anything 

 

Before spending money on anything I would swing each of your putters, with intent, determine which of them gave you the best or most consistent numbers from your Blast sensor, then do a bit of self-examination to see if there's something about your setup or stroke that could be used to iron things out.

 

Re: "best or most consistent": As I noted, earlier: While one SeeMore putter gave me the most consistent results, the one I already had was nearly as consistent and gave me overall better numbers in all respects.  So this is one that may need a bit of thought.

[Bigjim1022]

1 minute ago, Dufferonius said:

After I bought three putters I decided I wasn't buying any more putters until I got a fitting to figure out what I should be buying.

 

Turned out that, other than the first one, I shouldn't have been buying anything 

 

Before spending money on anything I would swing each of your putters, with intent, determine which of them gave you the best or most consistent numbers from your Blast sensor, then do a bit of self-examination to see if there's something about your setup or stroke that could be used to iron things out.

 

Re: "best or most consistent": As I noted, earlier: While one SeeMore putter gave me the most consistent results, the one I already had was nearly as consistent and gave me overall better numbers in all respects.  So this is one that may need a bit of thought.

Yeah agreed.  I wasn't really looking to buy another putter though I'm not opposed to it.  I've got a mallet at home I can try out.  One thing I've noticed is that when my putting gets out of whack I can't seem to get the grip comfortable in my hands.  I don't know why.  I've tried a few grips too and still don't feel like I've found "the one"! 

[Dufferonius]

I've always just used the same grip I do for driver through wedges: Interlocked ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

Here's a funny ol' thing: I assumed larger grips would work better for me.  (My driver through wedges all get jumbo grips--I have big hands.)  Nope.  Standard pistol grip seems to work best for me with putters.  Go figure.

[BYK]

29 minutes ago, Bigjim1022 said:

Holy smokes, that's expensive!  Buuuuttt as you've said, I've probably spent at least as much on putters already LOL 

Yah I got in before the price increase so it hurt less but the fitting was really good.  Kinda used the wrx logic spend money to save money 🤣

[Bigjim1022]

1 hour ago, Dufferonius said:

I've always just used the same grip I do for driver through wedges: Interlocked ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

Here's a funny ol' thing: I assumed larger grips would work better for me.  (My driver through wedges all get jumbo grips--I have big hands.)  Nope.  Standard pistol grip seems to work best for me with putters.  Go figure.

That's interesting, I keep trying bigger and bigger grips thinking the same thing.  I have pretty big hands too.  Feels like the larger I go the worse the putting gets! 

[Putter Addict]

I have big hands and hate larger grips. I have a hard time releasing the head and closing the toe through the stroke. 

[BIG STU]

1 hour ago, Bigjim1022 said:

Yeah agreed.  I wasn't really looking to buy another putter though I'm not opposed to it.  I've got a mallet at home I can try out.  One thing I've noticed is that when my putting gets out of whack I can't seem to get the grip comfortable in my hands.  I don't know why.  I've tried a few grips too and still don't feel like I've found "the one"! 

I can tell you from experience that putting woes can cause tension. In golf tension transfers to the hands which is not good. And yes I have been there to where no grip on the club itself and the way my hands grip it are comfortable. I am now finally becoming a decent putter again. Basically what I did besides the putter change was relax and not give 2 hoots. Started seeing putts fall in and that boosts confidence

[Dufferonius]

9 minutes ago, Bigjim1022 said:

Feels like the larger I go the worse the putting gets! 

The thing that clued me in was a mistaken club purchase.  I'd gotten it into my head I really, really wanted a Toulon Chicago.  I'd swung one with a pistol grip at my LGS, it had felt really good, I really liked the sound/feel, and I seemed to roll the ball well with it.

 

So, when they showed up on sale at Callaway Pre-Owned I pulled the trigger.  And, since I thought a bigger grip would be better for me, I ordered it with a jumbo grip.

 

That turned out to be a big mistake.  I wasn't rolling my new putter nearly as well as I had the one at the store.  (The other mistake was thinking I should be swinging a 34 in. putter instead of a 35 in.)

 

I haven't yet decided whether to sell the Chicago or have the shaft lengthened and get it re-gripped.  I love the putter, but, if it turns out I don't swing it any better after those changes than I do now, I'll have thrown good money after bad--and possibly reduced the value of the putter.