Putters with 0 to 1/2 Shaft Offset

snowmangolf · December 27, 2023

There’s a huge golf outlet about an hour away from me with hundreds if not thousands of putters (some brand new, most pretty old) and I spent a couple of hours there the other day. I discovered that I absolutely love the way putters with very little to no offset (not center shafted) set up to my eye. It kind of made me start to question why so many putters have 3/4 to a full shaft of offset.

Now I’m on a quest to find more (preferably modern and 350g or more) putters with 0-1/2 shaft of offset. I found a few boutique putters with higher price tags but not really seeing any “mainstream” putters this way. Why is this?

Anyone have any experience with making this switch from a plumbers neck or slant neck to something with less offset?

I know this is all preference and it may not work for some or most.

Picture below for reference-

Yzmerf · December 27, 2023

Following. Looking to see what shows up.

MattM97 · December 27, 2023

Bettinardi spud neck putters I believe are all 1/2 shaft offset.

For other brands look for flow and slant necks or single bend shafts.

Double bend and plumber necks will be full shaft 99% of the time.

Mid to long slant neck can be anything from full offset to none.

gsteitz · December 27, 2023

Curious, which is your dominant eye and hand?

I'm right handed but left eye dominant and also prefer less offset putters and having the ball more forward (under dominant eye) in my stance.

(to test, hold your arms at full extension and make a triangle with your thumbs and pointer fingers. Center something in the opening and take turns closing each eye. Whichever eye open keeps the item within the triangle is your dominant eye)

GBGolfingtons · December 27, 2023

I’m also in the low offset category. Use an old Nike Method MC 01W. It’s great - 1/2 offset and low to the ground

snowmangolf · December 27, 2023

16 minutes ago, gsteitz said:

Curious, which is your dominant eye and hand?

I'm right handed but left eye dominant and also prefer less offset putters and having the ball more forward (under dominant eye) in my stance.

(to test, hold your arms at full extension and make a triangle with your thumbs and pointer fingers. Center something in the opening and take turns closing each eye. Whichever eye open keeps the item within the triangle is your dominant eye)

I’m left hand dominant and left eye dominant. I golf righty though. I’ve always been all over the place. I throw and kick lefty. Swing a bat and tennis racket righty. Write with my right hand.

Lately I’ve been working on trying to have more of a 50/50 equal split when putting/swinging a golf club. I’ve found that I hinge my wrists way better in my swing when I think about letting my right hand/wrist have more dominance in the swing. I also follow through to the target and finish my stroke better when giving my right hand more dominance.

I’ve always wondered if I’m at a disadvantage golfing right handed being left hand dominant

MattM97 · December 27, 2023

12 minutes ago, snowmangolf said:

I’ve always wondered if I’m at a disadvantage golfing right handed being left hand dominant

No, plenty do. I'm the opposite of you can can't swing RH despite being RH dominant.

Reason why some tennis players have a dominant back hand.

Edited December 27, 2023 by MattM97

roundersmitty · December 27, 2023

I write left handed. Golf right. Left eye dominant. I bat right, shoot left on hockey. lol

Here is the putter I gamed last season. Makefield VS double bend with zero offset

TimBuma · December 27, 2023

5 hours ago, roundersmitty said:

I write left handed. Golf right. Left eye dominant. I bat right, shoot left on hockey. lol

Here is the putter I gamed last season. Makefield VS double bend with zero offset

I am right eye dominant and golf right handed, but like you I write left handed and also bat left handed.

5hort5tuff · December 28, 2023

I think the mainstream lags behind the boutique world when it comes to certain aspects of the putter. Flownecks and toplines have been popular with boutique makers for years, but very few of the larger OEMS wwere offering either of those until more recently.

There was a time when every blade was basically a flange line, plumbers neck 350g. For those who dont fit this style, Boutique is the way!

I'm right eye dominant, lefty. All my putters are half to 0 offset flownecks.

Yzmerf · December 28, 2023

10 hours ago, snowmangolf said:

I’m left hand dominant and left eye dominant. I golf righty though. I’ve always been all over the place. I throw and kick lefty. Swing a bat and tennis racket righty. Write with my right hand.

Lately I’ve been working on trying to have more of a 50/50 equal split when putting/swinging a golf club. I’ve found that I hinge my wrists way better in my swing when I think about letting my right hand/wrist have more dominance in the swing. I also follow through to the target and finish my stroke better when giving my right hand more dominance.

I’ve always wondered if I’m at a disadvantage golfing right handed being left hand dominant

I know more than a few that suggest your strong arm should be your lead arm. For example Michelson is actually right handed because his dad thought this way. Any way I’ve been a bit obsessed with the eye dominance offset thing recently and actually want to make my next project a double bend Scotty that I’m going to basically remove the lower part of the shaft so it has very little offset. That or a left handled knuckle that will actually give it onset. If I spent as much time practicing as I do thinking about how to make a putter that doesn’t exist I probably wouldn’t need a putter that doesn’t exist. (Obviously they exist but you get the point)

snowmangolf · December 28, 2023

I ended up pulling the trigger on these two Good Wood putters. The top one arrives tomorrow, I can’t wait!

gsteitz · December 28, 2023

23 hours ago, snowmangolf said:

I’m left hand dominant and left eye dominant. I golf righty though. I’ve always been all over the place. I throw and kick lefty. Swing a bat and tennis racket righty. Write with my right hand.

Lately I’ve been working on trying to have more of a 50/50 equal split when putting/swinging a golf club. I’ve found that I hinge my wrists way better in my swing when I think about letting my right hand/wrist have more dominance in the swing. I also follow through to the target and finish my stroke better when giving my right hand more dominance.

I’ve always wondered if I’m at a disadvantage golfing right handed being left hand dominant

I think the theory of less offset to get the ball under your more dominant lead eye still applies to your circumstances. The lead hand dominance seems like a separate aspect and I wonder if left hand low would really make sense for this circumstance.

I know Phil is a right who plays left handed, making his dominant hand the lead one also. So no doubt you should be winning multiple majors once you figure things out! 😉

pjl1959 · December 28, 2023

I am left eye dominant, throw left handed, but golf right handed. I putt left hand low (best move I ever made). I have tried putters with no offset, with offset, center shafted, heel shafted...and on and on. I don't mind offset with most putters, as it provides me with a clear vision of the ball and the face of the putter. I have been using an Odyssey Rossie Stroke Lab for the last couple of years. It suits me very well. I'm always looking for something better, and recently tried the Lab Mezz Max and the DF2. I really want to like the L.A.B. technology, but like a longer runway for alignment. Perhaps their new DF3 will be more appealing.

Edited December 28, 2023 by pjl1959

Golfingfanatic · February 2

Sik double bend is half shaft offset. Lots of heads available for cheap at the moment.

Yzmerf · February 3

Swapped a custom Phantom 5.5 for one of these.

Konklifer · February 3

Could go way back and look at Rife Cayman Brac, Montserrat, and Martinique. Half, half, and zero offset respectively.

Konklifer · February 5

The new Bettinardi BB8 Flow looks to have half shaft offset.

BB8 Flow Putter | Bettinardi Golf – Studio B

CarlLipbaum · February 5

If you like the Wilson 8802 / Napa heel shafted blade style of putters, I used to have a Wilson Tour Special II that had no offset. Really liked it and used it for a good while. Kind of regret getting rid of it.

Edited February 5 by CarlLipbaum

Shilgy · February 6

On 2/2/2024 at 8:49 PM, Yzmerf said:

Swapped a custom Phantom 5.5 for one of these.

Good looking…what is it?

MattM97 · February 6

6 minutes ago, Shilgy said:

Good looking…what is it?

Swag Savage One

Yzmerf · February 6

15 minutes ago, Shilgy said:

Good looking…what is it?

SWAG Savage one RAW AF

Mullet · February 24

@snowmangolf I picked up this Giannini to join the craze

snowmangolf · February 24

1 hour ago, Mullet said:

@snowmangolf I picked up this Giannini to join the craze

Awesome! What's the face milling look like? Have you had the opportunity to roll it yet?

Mullet · February 25

@snowmangolf

It’s an amazing putter with a super zip mill face, with the highest quality soft metal that soaks up the oil cleaner like crazy, ur gonna see some eventual oxidation bc it’s super raw. Let’s just say if tiger had played this putter back in the day, so would I, but bc I’ve been using a 2012 Newport select for 11 years, it seems like putting with your left eye opposed to your right eye is the major issue… I have to position the ball way more forward. And this hossel position is so unique, it makes a 5:30 toe hang and the shaft lines up right on the back corner of the ball, so ridged and unforgiving… it makes a Newport flow neck seem like a game improvement club. Not sure if the sweet spot is so close to the shaft on a bullseye? It seems like the eye thing is gonna be too much for me to overcome

DSK1hcp · February 25

This is my favorite Scotty I have and it is my daily putter.

5hort5tuff · February 25

there are the 3 I own. Each one is about 1/2 shaft with top line alignment. It is a very niche market for sure. The LH market is even smaller. You can be sure 10 people will tell you they are interested in buying and the same 10 will back out before buying haha.

If you have a nice stick like that that works well, it really is a timeless clean look.