Most overrated and underrated putter brands

[ColinKelvin]

8 minutes ago, PJE said:

Well all putters do the same thing so I suppose “overrated” and “underrated” is a function of value or price. I think that has already been pointed out.
But, by that metric all of the retail milled putters at $400 + ( Camerons, Bettis, PLDs) are overrated; underrated would be the same design by other OEMs (Mizuno, Cleveland, Wilson).  

Scotty Cameron became the Rolex of the milled market via the prowess of Tiger Woods and aggressive Tour based marketing by Acushnet. There’s nothing special about a Newport 2; it’s an Anser variant.  If Karsten Solheim would’ve had the foresight to mill a putter and get it into Woods’ hands, then the “Art of Putting” and all the Cameron cachet would’ve been non existent.  Overrated is in the eye of the beholder. 

 

Good point, but PIng were never big on paying pros loads to use their putters. Young amateur Tiger played a stainless Ping Anser 2 pat pend; then used the black Scotty with an insert for the 97 Masters win, and a few others around then. He borrowed O'Meara's spare Anser 2 at the 98 Open and came second with it (O'Meara beat him by a shot - "that's why it's the back up"). Funnily enough it was around then that he asked Cameron to make him his famous Newport 2 so that it would look and feel extremely similar to that A2 (even down to the (almost?) unmilled face), which he put in play from 99 onwards. I'm pretty sure he would had won just as many majors with an OG Anser 2 as with the copy with the red dots - but it certainly made Scotty Cameron's fortune.

 

Expensive putters look great and feel nicer with a bit of milling and the modern extra headweight, but the old cast Pings still work.

[T-MAC]

6 minutes ago, PJE said:

Well all putters do the same thing so I suppose “overrated” and “underrated” is a function of value or price. I think that has already been pointed out.
But, by that metric all of the retail milled putters at $400 + ( Camerons, Bettis, PLDs) are overrated; underrated would be the same design by other OEMs (Mizuno, Cleveland, Wilson).  

Scotty Cameron became the Rolex of the milled market via the prowess of Tiger Woods and aggressive Tour based marketing by Acushnet. There’s nothing special about a Newport 2; it’s an Anser variant.  If Karsten Solheim would’ve had the foresight to mill a putter and get it into Woods’ hands, then the “Art of Putting” and all the Cameron cachet would’ve been non existent. 
Overrated is in the eye of the beholder. 

 Actually, Tiger used Ping putters when he was younger.  In fact, he won the 94 & 95 US Amateur Championships using a Ping Anser.  He went to a Cameron putter and won the 96 US Amateur.  I don't th8ink it was Solheim's fault that he wound up with a Cameron putter.  Tiger and Scotty knew each other from the 1980's when they both shared the same golf instructor, John Anselmo, who was the Head Pro at the US Navy course in California and Tiger and Scotty became friends.

[mat562]

1 hour ago, dfeldss said:

 

Not coming at you specifically, but this take always confuses me. The bolded part is true of every single company that makes putters.

 

Oh, I agree with you. You could level the same criticism against Tyson Lamb, Toulon, Logan Olsen, you name it. They all turn out Ping Ansers and Ping Anser 2s, occasionally a bit blockier than the original, and then ask you to pay a second mortgage for it because the steel's this, the finish is that, or the whatever's whatever.

 

If the ball goes in the hole, it's a good putter for you. But the idea that technology's moved on or that you need a new take on a Bullseye or an Anser because the new versions are just better than the originals because they're different? I'm not buying that. I'm not buying the putter either, nor paying a hundred quid for a Golf Pride grip with a fancy logo on it.

[kiawah]

 

Overrated: *insert putter brand more expensive than the one you currently use*

Underrated: *insert putter brand that you're currently using*

 

Scotty Camerons/Odysseys are overrated if you think buying one is going to make you a great putter. I've seen guys who took over 40 putts with a four or five figure Circle T and I've seen guys make everything with a SeeMore FGP that looks like it was dragged behind the back of their car on the drive over to the course. I don't think it's as binary as categorizing an entire brand as overrated or underrated. 

 

The only thing I really think is overrated is any forged putter (especially blades) with an insert. I cannot for the life of me understand why you would ruin an otherwise nicely milled piece of metal with a cheap insert glued in. Ruins the entire club for me in most cases.  

 

"If you think the putter you're using will help you, it probably will." - Bob Rotella

[JamesFisher1990]

Over - Scotty, Betti

Under - LAB

[Yanki01]

I'll agree with the majority as an SC fan, the new stuff is overrated for sure. same vanilla off of the line stuff. no character in any of them anymore. I prefer the old stuff which is what I have. the newest one is a 2008 Studio Select and 2009 Red X5. not bothering with the new stuff. 

[pjc]

31 minutes ago, kiawah said:

 

Overrated: *insert putter brand more expensive than the one you currently use*

Underrated: *insert putter brand that you're currently using*

 

Scotty Camerons/Odysseys are overrated if you think buying one is going to make you a great putter. I've seen guys who took over 40 putts with a four or five figure Circle T and I've seen guys make everything with a SeeMore FGP that looks like it was dragged behind the back of their car on the drive over to the course. I don't think it's as binary as categorizing an entire brand as overrated or underrated. 

 

The only thing I really think is overrated is any forged putter (especially blades) with an insert. I cannot for the life of me understand why you would ruin an otherwise nicely milled piece of metal with a cheap insert glued in. Ruins the entire club for me in most cases.  

 

"If you think the putter you're using will help you, it probably will." - Bob Rotella

LOL, please someone advise Callaway!!!  I was in the store last weekend just strolling through all of the putters, came across the Odyssey section and found multiple putters on display that had literal plastic pieces as part of the putter.  Not polymer, not composite, but like plastic that you could just bend or crush.  They got the biggest racket going if you ask me.  Not to mention the $450 AI garbage.  I used to like Odyssey....

[StoutKing]

2 hours ago, btyh said:

There's a good group of people that come after scotty because he "copied" ping. But every other brand is immune to "copying" ping. Never understood it. 

 

But to the debate about cameron and is success and prices. He remains Supreme because of the tour players using his putters. And also the only brand that will custom make you a one off putter. Or just custom stamp a blank putter. No one has come close to compete with him on tour like that. (I want to say tpmills did have a few on tour in the 90s) but that was before my equipment craze. 

Tiger won 5 straight USGA national titles with a cast Anser 2.  Cameron was smart to get a milled putter in his hand at the right time.  That lead me to buy quite a few SC blades along with many others.

 

This year on the PGA Tour however, only 1 win of 11 was with a Cameron putter.  I think others have come close to 'competing with him on tour like that'.  JMO

[btyh]

29 minutes ago, StoutKing said:

Tiger won 5 straight USGA national titles with a cast Anser 2.  Cameron was smart to get a milled putter in his hand at the right time.  That lead me to buy quite a few SC blades along with many others.

 

This year on the PGA Tour however, only 1 win of 11 was with a Cameron putter.  I think others have come close to 'competing with him on tour like that'.  JMO

I'm aware of tigers history with ping. Cameron definitely is successful because he was one of the first to mill and had his friendship with tiger. 

 

I never mentioned wins at all with tour use and Cameron, just tour use from the typical exposure from golfwrx tour photos.

 

Who are you referring to as "close" to compete with Cameron? 

[HighHooks]

Under - Axis1 - Started both the Torque Free movement & Foward CG placement movement.

 

[hammergolf]

7 hours ago, ephmen said:

I thought this would be interesting to hear your opinions. Let it fly.

Cameron putters are very overrated 

Cleveland putter are very underrated 

[Sean289]

Overrated: Scotty Cameron(It’s an Anser style putter, not a Newport style)

Underrated: Cleveland. 

[5hort5tuff]

2 hours ago, JamesFisher1990 said:

Over - Scotty, Betti

Under - LAB

How is LAB underrated? They are literally taking over the putter board. Thread after thread of LAB. thousands of new users.  It's no longer in that category of underrated imo.

[Ghostwedge]

Lol...all you guys bashing on Scotty Cameron putters. 

I don't think any putter is over or underrated. If it's in my bag it works and therefore is neither. 

[indianagolf2]

Lab is 475 a putter....its not underrated. 

[JamesFisher1990]

14 hours ago, 5hort5tuff said:

How is LAB underrated? They are literally taking over the putter board. Thread after thread of LAB. thousands of new users.  It's no longer in that category of underrated imo.

Maybe here it's not, but at large... definitely. Go on reddit and show a pic of a LAB putter vs Scotty and then a poll, "which one you playing??" and see what one wins.

 

I game a LAB too FWIW.

[5hort5tuff]

I do understand it's less well known...Scotty has been a brand for 30 years though ...Lab significantly less. 

 

You can't really take away the fact that Labs aesthetics are off-putting to many. That fact alone is a huge deterrent for many. 

 

Although I only commented on Lab...I really think Scotties are overrated too haha.  I've made the argument many times that Cleveland puts significantly more tech into their putters than Scotty does. 

 

So...Cleveland is the most underrated imo 

[jetro110]

On 3/19/2024 at 9:33 AM, AmateurAmateur said:

Overrated: Everything, not a single major OEM has a putter out there that is worthy of its MSRP. 

 

Cleveland HB soft milled 2

[KGolfCT]

Overrated - Any off the shelf putter brand with stock specs that aren't fit for you, but you think will magically make you a great putter after watching some ad or a tour player using.

 

Underrated - Any brand putter that you get properly fit.

 

But Scotty's are mostly hype and fanboys. And, I game one...

 

 

[5hort5tuff]

2 minutes ago, KGolfCT said:

Overrated - Any off the shelf putter brand with stock specs that aren't fit for you, but you think will magically make you a great putter after watching some ad or a tour player using.

 

Underrated - Any brand putter that you get properly fit.

 

But Scotty's are mostly hype and fanboys. And, I game one...

 

 

Scotty's and TaylorMade. 

[chinaski]

Overrated: L.A.B.
 

Underrated: Bettinardi

 

 

 

 

[BHI 99]

SC is overrated only because people realize they still suck after buying one. Then swap it for a $100 Cleveland and a putt “just as good” with it. 
 

Same argument existed 40 years ago with Matchbox cars and Hot Wheels. Then those cussed China made grocery store cars came out. You know the ones, hanging next to Cap’n Crunch, 5 pack. But mom, they’re not the same. 
 

We’ve really come a long way. 
 

🤣🤣

[btyh]

8 minutes ago, BHI 99 said:

SC is overrated only because people realize they still suck after buying one. Then swap it for a $100 Cleveland and a putt “just as good” with it. 
 

Same argument existed 40 years ago with Matchbox cars and Hot Wheels. Then those cussed China made grocery store cars came out. You know the ones, hanging next to Cap’n Crunch, 5 pack. But mom, they’re not the same. 
 

We’ve really come a long way. 
 

🤣🤣

We've grown up and moved on to more expensive toys. Life would be boring with one brand in every category. I would be so mad when I got the value non brand toy Cars from a family member. It was borderline insulting. They were not the same, at all. Lol

[PlatinumNike]

Overrated - $1000+ “custom fitted” putters

[BoloSportGolf]

Overrated: Scotty's

 

Underrated: Your current putter (and old Pings)

[MattM97]

1 hour ago, PlatinumNike said:

Overrated - $1000+ “custom fitted” putters

 

No, no hold up. 

 

Actually custom fit putters underrated. 

 

Customs with assumed specs is overrated. 

[dixiethunder]

Underrated: Bobby Grace, surprised nobody has mentioned him yet

[parl112]

Cleveland underrated

Edited March 21 by parl112

[indianagolf2]

2 hours ago, dixiethunder said:

Underrated: Bobby Grace, surprised nobody has mentioned him yet

His pricing is thru roof now...500 a,putter

[kwcsports]

Overrated- Cameron

Underrated- Cleveland