Help Pick My Putter

[chern92]

Live in the Canadian Pacific NW and am entering my first winter golf season. Not many good putter fitting options, especially since I am left handed in the area. Looking to make big improvements putting, and have committed to weekly lessons for the next 26 weeks. 

 

Looking for something new to commit to using.

 

Help me pick a a putter...

 

13 handicap

5 foot 10, typically play a 35" putter at 69* lie, which I have had professional advice to qualify

Extreme lead eye dominance (right eye, since I am left handed)

 

Putters I have liked in the past...

 

Walter Hagen Intruder II - putter I got as a kid and excelled with (was a strength of my game forever growing up), used it from age ~5 until my mid teens. Fell out of my bag going to the shed, thought I lost it, realized it spent the winer under 3 feet of snow, and ended up in a rotten, rusted mess 6 months later. 

 

Odyssey DFX black #1 - used it in my teens, no idea what was good or bad about it, just putted really well with it, and it was all I could afford at Canadian Tire. 

 

Ping Anser PLD - had it two years ago, but stupidly sold it in the winer (thankfully no longer an issue), this was the stealth option without a sightline 

 

Odyssey Rossie - This was the $99 Canadian Tire version and not the nice one. Don't think they sell them anymore. 

 

Putters I have disliked in the past...

 

Directed Force 2.1 - I have never struggled to aim a putter more in my life, was not even close on putts, gave it a good 3 months too, just awful

 

Taylormade Spider GT Max - Struggled mightily

 

Ping Anser Heppler - Not sure why this one did not work out, this was the copper one with the smoothish face. Just never went well.

 

Odyssey Double Wide - Expected to like this, extreme in to out stroke issues, this is what I used for my first lessons when the pro got me to change to the ping

 

Ping DS72 - Current putter, just can't aim it, speed control is all over, nothing goes in

 

I play with Bridgestone BX S balls. 

 

Budget not much of a concern. 

 

Where should I go for the next one? 

 

[5hort5tuff]

Get yourself a....LEFT handed putter...with 0 -1/2 shaft offset.  Because you are a lefty...with a RH eye dominance, the lack of offset is better to look down on/aim.  Also, pick a putter with Topline sight alignment.  It is also better for the same reasons. 

 

Based on your dislikes...I would avoid a double bend mallet or any blade with a plumbers neck or full offset.

 

You need to decide on headshape...weight...etc...

 

Something like....

 

FWIW...I'm a lefty...with right eye dominance...and use setups very similar to these. 

 

Edited November 19, 2023 by 5hort5tuff

[MattM97]

Blade shape.

 

Flow/slant/single bend with no more than 1/2 offset ideally. Toe hang will be determined by your closure rate.

 

Top line, dot or naked for alignment, avoid flange will most likely push putts.

 

God speed.

[chern92]

Lab Link and acceptable option? 

[chern92]

 

26 minutes ago, 5hort5tuff said:

Get yourself a....LEFT handed putter...with 0 -1/2 shaft offset.  Because you are a lefty...with a RH eye dominance, the lack of offset is better to look down on/aim.  Also, pick a putter with Topline sight alignment.  It is also better for the same reasons. 

 

Based on your dislikes...I would avoid a double bend mallet or any blade with a plumbers neck or full offset.

 

You need to decide on headshape...weight...etc...

 

Something like....

 

FWIW...I'm a lefty...with right eye dominance...and use setups very similar to these. 

 

 

 

What is that Sik model name? I don't see it on site...

[SUITS]

https://www.proclubs.com/new-left-handed-sik-pro-c-series-slant-neck-34-putter-w-hc-topline-368028/

[5hort5tuff]

Sik just went out of business or were sold or whatever.  Their putters are dirt cheap now. They are nice putters, especially for the price. 

 

Great place to start as it is tough finding the above descriptions in LH.

[5hort5tuff]

13 minutes ago, chern92 said:

Lab Link and acceptable option? 

 

Could be. Not my favorite, but it could work for you. Pretty expensive experiment IMO 

Edited November 20, 2023 by 5hort5tuff

[SUITS]

1 hour ago, 5hort5tuff said:

Get yourself a....LEFT handed putter...with 0 -1/2 shaft offset.  Because you are a lefty...with a RH eye dominance, the lack of offset is better to look down on/aim.  Also, pick a putter with Topline sight alignment.  It is also better for the same reasons. 

 

Based on your dislikes...I would avoid a double bend mallet or any blade with a plumbers neck or full offset.

 

You need to decide on headshape...weight...etc...

 

Something like....

 

FWIW...I'm a lefty...with right eye dominance...and use setups very similar to these. 

 

Man this makes me feel sad. I’ve spent my entire career putting with double bend mallet or plumbers neck blades as a left handed, very right eye dominant player. My miss is almost always a pull. 

[5hort5tuff]

3 minutes ago, SUITS said:

Man this makes me feel sad. I’ve spent my entire career putting with double bend mallet or plumbers neck blades as a left handed, very right eye dominant player. My miss is almost always a pull. 

 

SUITS! It should make you happy man, now you know lol.

 

Once you get the configuration, play around with weight and toe hang and there is no looking back. 

[SDGolfRookie]

This is interesting stuff. I’m the right handed version of the OP: left eye dominant, right handed. 
 

Any thought on top line vs. no line? Is one “better” or is not having a flange line the biggest thing, where top vs no line becomes purely preferential?

 

Any impact from high toe putters regarding this topic? Does high toe help with alignment? Closure? For instance: Sik Pro is normal but Sik Jo has a higher toe. 

Edited November 20, 2023 by SDGolfRookie

[SUITS]

1 hour ago, 5hort5tuff said:

 

SUITS! It should make you happy man, now you know lol.

 

Once you get the configuration, play around with weight and toe hang and there is no looking back. 

Some models to look for? Eyeballing an older teardrop td41. Has no topline but can easily add a dot sticker for trial or a pinstripe 

[LeftyCanuck11]

I feel your pain!  I‘m a lefty in Canada as well.  I have a Scotty Cameron studio stainless and an Odyssey versa 7 I’m going to sell for my new flat stick.   I don’t change putters often but now I’m eyeing the 5K 7 and the 7 AI.  Good luck with your search!

[bobfoster]

Most basic of questions here: What is your natural putting stroke? 

 

Inside - out - in (i.e., a semi-circle arc), inside - straight, or just straight back and forth with very little or no arc (like a pendulum)? 

 

IMO, that's the first determinant of what sort of putters you're likely to find suitable. Though many here will likely disagree about it's relative importance, still, I haven't seen it mentioned here as a variable, and thought I'd bring it up. It kind of helps determine what putter heads to experiment with (e.g., a relatively straight back and forth stroke will likely find a mallet style beneficial), and what the best weight distribution will probably be (e.g., the more you tend towards and in-out-in arc, the more toe hang you want). 

 

Just a thought to consider.

 

[Personal note. I have a slightly in - to -straight stroke ... I like to finish the stroke with the line on the putter heading straight on the line of the putt, but going back straight with no arc feels slightly unnatural -  sort of a psychological thing I think). Have recently gone to a 33" Scotty Special Select Squareback 2 - sort of halfway between a blade and a mallet. But replaced the stock 20g weight on the toe with a 15g weight, keeping the 20g on the heel. Not certain if this is traditional wisdom, but it is seriously working for me.]

 

 

Edited November 20, 2023 by bobfoster

[MattM97]

45 minutes ago, bobfoster said:

Most basic of questions here: What is your natural putting stroke? 

 

Inside - out - in (i.e., a semi-circle arc), inside - straight, or just straight back and forth with very little or no arc (like a pendulum)? 

 

IMO, that's the first determinant of what sort of putters you're likely to find suitable. Though many here will likely disagree about it's relative importance, still, I haven't seen it mentioned here as a variable, and thought I'd bring it up. It kind of helps determine what putter heads to experiment with (e.g., a relatively straight back and forth stroke will likely find a mallet style beneficial), and what the best weight distribution will probably be (e.g., the more you tend towards and in-out-in arc, the more toe hang you want). 

 

Just a thought to consider.

 

[Personal note. I have a slightly in - to -straight stroke ... I like to finish the stroke with the line on the putter heading straight on the line of the putt, but going back straight with no arc feels slightly unnatural -  sort of a psychological thing I think). Have recently gone to a 33" Scotty Special Select Squareback 2 - sort of halfway between a blade and a mallet. But replaced the stock 20g weight on the toe with a 15g weight, keeping the 20g on the heel. Not certain if this is traditional wisdom, but it is seriously working for me.]

 

 

 

Path doesn't matter that much it's closure rate and where the face is at impact. 

[bobfoster]

10 minutes ago, MattM97 said:

56 minutes ago, bobfoster said:

Most basic of questions here: What is your natural putting stroke? 

 

Inside - out - in (i.e., a semi-circle arc), inside - straight, or just straight back and forth with very little or no arc (like a pendulum)? 

 

IMO, that's the first determinant of what sort of putters you're likely to find suitable. Though many here will likely disagree about it's relative importance, still, I haven't seen it mentioned here as a variable, and thought I'd bring it up. It kind of helps determine what putter heads to experiment with (e.g., a relatively straight back and forth stroke will likely find a mallet style beneficial), and what the best weight distribution will probably be (e.g., the more you tend towards and in-out-in arc, the more toe hang you want). 

 

Just a thought to consider.

 

[Personal note. I have a slightly in - to -straight stroke ... I like to finish the stroke with the line on the putter heading straight on the line of the putt, but going back straight with no arc feels slightly unnatural -  sort of a psychological thing I think). Have recently gone to a 33" Scotty Special Select Squareback 2 - sort of halfway between a blade and a mallet. But replaced the stock 20g weight on the toe with a 15g weight, keeping the 20g on the heel. Not certain if this is traditional wisdom, but it is seriously working for me.]

 

 

Expand  

 

Path doesn't matter that much it's closure rate and where the face is at impact. 

Well, I mean, kinda sorta. But that's like saying swing path with your driver doesn't matter, all that really matters is what the clubhead is doing at the exact moment of contact with the ball. Totally true. And only part of the picture. In fact, technically, the follow through on any stroke with any club is completely meaningless, since the ball has already left the club. So in terms of actual physics, path is almost irrelevant. And yet for some weird reason the pros obsess on swing path - what happens far before and after the clubface hits the ball - on the driver, putter, and everything in between. 

[MattM97]

8 hours ago, bobfoster said:

Well, I mean, kinda sorta. But that's like saying swing path with your driver doesn't matter, all that really matters is what the clubhead is doing at the exact moment of contact with the ball. Totally true. And only part of the picture. In fact, technically, the follow through on any stroke with any club is completely meaningless, since the ball has already left the club. So in terms of actual physics, path is almost irrelevant. And yet for some weird reason the pros obsess on swing path - what happens far before and after the clubface hits the ball - on the driver, putter, and everything in between. 

 

Well the swing is for efficiency but on a putt you can have a very shallow arc and a ton of face movement or a huge arc and it's square the whole time, both ugly and both could work. I just don't like people thinking their stroke is one thing, buying a putter and it not working.