Lead tape = much better head weight/stroke

[IHFN]

I am interested to see how many other people have done this. I have a White Steel #5. I bought it last year and never putted good with it. I was about to kick it into the can and try another putter. But first I figured since I spent 100 or so on it, I should at least try to modify it. I got some lead tape and started putting about 3/4 of an inch strips on the heel and toe to balance out the weight. I was pleasantly surprised at the difference it made. The putter now feels 10x more solid on impact. Also the weight helps me stroke it with a straight back and forward motion. Since I've done this I've been putting amazing. Every putt inside 10 feet I expect to make. I still miss a few, but it is only due to mis-reads. My speed has become much better as well. At first I worried about using it on fast greens, but even making a small simple stroke is very easy for me and like it even better on fast greens now. I figure you will all think I'm stupid and crazy if I told you how much I put on it. I'll wait and see if anyone else experiments with this before I reveal the # of strips on each side.

[davy9]

I put about 16 grams of tape in the cavity of my futura. Feels much better.

[IHFN]

I'm not sure of the exact weight, but I put 13 strips on the heel and 13 on the toe....

[lars]

i put 20 grams of lead tape on my cameron phantom mallet, and it putts much better. my personal feeling is most putter heads are way too light.

[IHFN]

i put 20 grams of lead tape on my cameron phantom mallet, and it putts much better. my personal feeling is most putter heads are way too light.

 

 

After trying this out, I completely agree with you.

[MrParr1Noid]

I don't believe I have a club in my bag without leadtape on it somewhere. :golfer: Most putters I've bought are in the 34" to 35" length range. I normally cut all my putters down to 33", this shortening takes from 6 to 12 swing weights off each putter, I believe it's 2 grams per swing weight, so you can see how much tape I have on most of my putters, with the exception of my 33" 350 gram stock putter. (cool)

[pitchmaster1224]

where do u put it...right in the middle of the sole?...or towards the heel/toe?

[lars]

I don't believe I have a club in my bag without leadtape on it somewhere. :golfer: Most putters I've bought are in the 34" to 35" length range. I normally cut all my putters down to 33", this shortening takes from 6 to 12 swing weights off each putter, I believe it's 2 grams per swing weight, so you can see how much tape I have on most of my putters, with the exception of my 33" 350 gram stock putter. (cool)

 

 

 

I usually go the other way. get the shortest putter available and add length if needed. most manufacturers use a heavier head on shorter putters to keep relative swingweight.

[pitchmaster1224]

i put 20 grams of lead tape on my cameron phantom mallet, and it putts much better. my personal feeling is most putter heads are way too light.

 

that is an increase of 10 swing weights!!! wow! :golfer:

[pitchmaster1224]

where do u put it...right in the middle of the sole?...or towards the heel/toe?

 

i would think the most common would be the middle of the sole, correct?

[pitchmaster1224]

where do u put it...right in the middle of the sole?...or towards the heel/toe?

 

i would think the most common would be the middle of the sole, correct?

 

how much would u consider too much...i noticed a poster above added 10 sw's worth of tape, which would be ideal for short putts, but then don't you tend to lose feel on longer putts? what would you say is the average sw on tour for a putter...we all see averages for all the other clubs, but rarely hear avg. sw for a putter...i would guess somewhere in the high D's or low E's?

[IHFN]

My putter is a face balanced putter. I put my lead tape on the toe and the heel to keep the majority of the weight on the outside. I'm not sure what to do on a Toe balanced one... It actually helped widen the sweet spot and made the sweet spot feel softer. On short putts it is amazing. I've always had a speed problem on longer putts, but that is drastically improving as well. After doing this, I just don't understand why they make putters so light. It doesn't make any sense to me.

[pitchmaster1224]

what would you say the avg. range of sw's are on tour for the putter?

[MrParr1Noid]

what would you say the avg. range of sw's are on tour for the putter?

 

I would say about the same range as they are on Golfwrx, somewhere between C-6 and D-3.

 

For what it's worth, I've had putters that swing weight in the C-6 to C-8 range but felt heavy due to the size and weight of the grip. Putters are used in a more upright posistion and therefore feel head heavy even if the majority of the weight in up high in the shaft or grip area, instead of the head.

 

Try this out for yourself, experiment like I did, place weight on your putter other than the head, see if that combination of heavy feeling is there. I believe I read this by some club fitter on Golfwrx, place a combination of head weight and shaft and grip weight to arrive at where you like for weight and feel. Experiment! :)

[BridgestoneKevin]

just went out today wtih 6 stips across the bottom of my putter ( from toe to heel full cross) and i putted fantastic. My last few tournaments my pputting has been just plain hacker. i had 44 and 40 putts.....yeha. I hit 14 and 13 GIRS but putting destroyed me. So i went out today and i read the greens better, but my speeds were awsome. Two putts from across the entire green ( big greens to) on my missed irons. Shot 1 over on 9 then had to go home, put the heavy feeling putter is awsome. I cut the putter i have down from 35 to 33 so it lost a lot of weight.

[crew_138]

Would this help if you push putts? I'm a lefty and as good as I think I line up I tend to be a bit left of the hole. I am using a 2ball now to hopefully tame it a bit, but where could I put lead to help this flaw? Is it possible?

[GolferGal2009]

I gotta few questions here...

 

What is "D-3, C-6" and all of this stuff about swing weight?

 

How can you tell what the weight of the tape is?

 

A little off topic but:

 

If you shorten a putter from 35" to 33" just by switching out shafts, do you have to adjust the lie angles or do you just add tape?

 

Much thanks.

[sidbondo]

I switch between a Tri Hot #2 and White Steel #5, on both I put lead tape on the back of the putter where it says odyssey...because it doesn't make it feel toe/heel heavy

[PingPoncho]

If you add tape to the bottom of the putter here are my concerns:

 

1. Won't the tape eventually wear from the friction of using the putter. Now you will have areas of the tape that are worn out and thus eventually less tape on the putter?

 

2. If you add too much tape, it is difficult sometimes to remove it if you decide later too.

 

3. How do you keep the tape so that it is even across the entire bottom of the putter?

 

4. What about getting a heavier shaft - is that an alternative to the lead tape?

 

5. It seems so many people are complaing about too light of a putter but they continue to buy Scotty Camerons (these are current owners who say this).

 

6. I also notice some are adding weights to the sole of the putter? Who does this for you and what does it cost?

[BridgestoneKevin]

Tom slighter can add weight to the sole of a putter and it looks dam good too. I am really liking the way he does it, but right now im waiting for my first putter to get back from him.

[IHFN]

If you add tape to the bottom of the putter here are my concerns:

 

4. What about getting a heavier shaft - is that an alternative to the lead tape?

 

5. It seems so many people are complaing about too light of a putter but they continue to buy Scotty Camerons (these are current owners who say this).

 

 

 

A heavier shaft wouldn't help in my opinion. I must have the head weight heavier. A friend of mine has a 36 inch shaft in his White Steel 5. Our's have the same overall weight, but my putter head is much heavier, and you can really tell a difference in the stroke.

 

I wonder about the Camerons as well. I have never liked any of them. Everytime I pick one up and make a stroke, it immediately goes back into its place... I'll never understand the love for those putters...

[rchanvit]

i have done a lot of experiment with putting lead tape on putters. I am putting a studio stainless newport II that is 330 grams 35". I first put tape (bought from golf galaxy but i saw some at walmart also) that come pre cut strips on the cavity of my putter. i loved the feel of it but heard about issues concerning the skid/bounce/not true roll off the face of the putter. not sure if everyone else has thought about this, so i talked to my clubsmith and he told me as long as your put equal weights across the flange of the putter, then that it would be okay. putting a long strip on the sole would also be fine (you can buy the long strips/rolls of lead tape from golfsmith). I asked him about putting weight in the cavity, and he said that it would be okay and would not make that much difference in the skid/bouncing effect. hope this helps. by the way, i put 4 strips on each side of the back of the flange and also 4 in the cavity. good luck

 

 

ronnie

[MrParr1Noid]

I gotta few questions here...

 

What is "D-3, C-6" and all of this stuff about swing weight?

 

How can you tell what the weight of the tape is?

 

A little off topic but:

 

If you shorten a putter from 35" to 33" just by switching out shafts, do you have to adjust the lie angles or do you just add tape?

 

Much thanks.

 

Probably others to explain it better but swing weight scales is a balance beam type scales with emphesis on head weight in relation to the feel from the grip end. If you were to call D-2 normal iron swing weight that same feel would or could apply to your putter as well. Swing weight is just a comparitive weight for general use, feel, whatever. I've found that I prefer my irons to swing weight at D-2 or D-3 but if I were to pick up any club, I certainly could not tell you what swing weight it is or even close for that matter.

 

Most manufacturers have their putters in the C-6 to D-2 swing weight range, and people do tend to like heavier putters, it's a feel thing I guess.

 

If you shorten putter, whether by cutting from the butt end or reshafting, you probably would need to adjust the lie, the putter would now be closer to you along with your hands closer to your body, at least that's the way I see it. You will also need to weight the putter 6 or more swing weights per 1 inch you shorten your putter to get that feel back. A combination of lead on the head, evenly applied, weight to the shaft or hosel and a heavier grip, all of these are ways to get some of that overall feeling of heft back to your putter.

 

Hopefully one of the more knowledgeable fitters will chime and and help to serve your questions better thanI but until then, this will at least give you a general idea.

 

Cheers

[dfung]

This discussion really highlights the weirdness of swingweight. As is repeated many times around here, swingweight is a static measure of balance of the club. If you've seen a swingweight scale, it holds the grip a certain distance (14" comes to mind) from the fulcrum of the scale. When you read swingweight off a scale like this, the number is sort of the difference between right side of the fulcrum (the grip and upper shaft) and the left side of the fulcrum (the rest of the shaft and the head). Because it's being measured like this, one gram at the head has the same effect on swingweight as one gram of additional weight at the grip. You can obsess all day about the weight of grips or grip tape, but the effect of changing that stuff is amplified by the static swingweight measure.

 

But when you're actually swinging the club, the effect of additional weight is increased the farther it is away from the center of motion. Because the head is 33-36" farther away from you than the grip, 10 grams of weight out there is much more noticeable than the same weight at the grip. Cutting an inch off the shaft has a lot of effect because it's reducing the length of the lever arm that the head is on. This is why you need to add more weight to the head to compensate for the shortened shaft than the weight of the shaft tubing you cut off.

 

You can use a heavier shaft to compensate for shortening, but practically speaking, this won't work. The mass of the shaft is distributed along the entire lever arm now, but it will act as if it's mass were all located at it's center of gravity, which will be slightly toward the grip end from the center of the shaft (slightly because of the taper of the shaft). If you use a heavier shaft it will increase the effective mass at that halfway point, but this will have much less effect than at the head, not to mention that the difference in weight between shafts is probably insignificant in the scheme of things.

 

If you were really wanting to play with this, one of the putters with adjustable weight (Taylor Made Monza Corza, Guerin Rife, or Heavy Putter come to mind) would be the ticket.

[MrParr1Noid]

This discussion really highlights the weirdness of swingweight. As is repeated many times around here, swingweight is a static measure of balance of the club. If you've seen a swingweight scale, it holds the grip a certain distance (14" comes to mind) from the fulcrum of the scale. When you read swingweight off a scale like this, the number is sort of the difference between right side of the fulcrum (the grip and upper shaft) and the left side of the fulcrum (the rest of the shaft and the head). Because it's being measured like this, one gram at the head has the same effect on swingweight as one gram of additional weight at the grip. You can obsess all day about the weight of grips or grip tape, but the effect of changing that stuff is amplified by the static swingweight measure.

 

But when you're actually swinging the club, the effect of additional weight is increased the farther it is away from the center of motion. Because the head is 33-36" farther away from you than the grip, 10 grams of weight out there is much more noticeable than the same weight at the grip. Cutting an inch off the shaft has a lot of effect because it's reducing the length of the lever arm that the head is on. This is why you need to add more weight to the head to compensate for the shortened shaft than the weight of the shaft tubing you cut off.

 

You can use a heavier shaft to compensate for shortening, but practically speaking, this won't work. The mass of the shaft is distributed along the entire lever arm now, but it will act as if it's mass were all located at it's center of gravity, which will be slightly toward the grip end from the center of the shaft (slightly because of the taper of the shaft). If you use a heavier shaft it will increase the effective mass at that halfway point, but this will have much less effect than at the head, not to mention that the difference in weight between shafts is probably insignificant in the scheme of things.

 

If you were really wanting to play with this, one of the putters with adjustable weight (Taylor Made Monza Corza, Guerin Rife, or Heavy Putter come to mind) would be the ticket.

 

Great explanation, this should be pinned to the top of the putters section. :)

[jmc]

I had an idea that wanted to try since I picked up a an Anser 3. I was thinking about cutting strips of lead tape that were the exact diameter of the ball and placing on the top of the putter. Then, where the alignment cavity is at, placing a wider one in that area also to cover up the alignment mark, but this way have an alignment strip that is the width of the ball to help see the line of the putt. Additionally, I was gonna put a few strips on the bottom to increase the weight and also some on the heel and toe to help with a little more "forgiveness."

 

What do you all think?

[300_yard_drives]

I had an idea that wanted to try since I picked up a an Anser 3. I was thinking about cutting strips of lead tape that were the exact diameter of the ball and placing on the top of the putter. Then, where the alignment cavity is at, placing a wider one in that area also to cover up the alignment mark, but this way have an alignment strip that is the width of the ball to help see the line of the putt. Additionally, I was gonna put a few strips on the bottom to increase the weight and also some on the heel and toe to help with a little more "forgiveness."

 

What do you all think?

 

thats illegal

[jmc]

what if i put varnish over it?

[Chucker]

According to the truetemper website the following swingweight rules apply: every 2 grams added to head weight = 1 s/w; every 7 grams of shaft weight = 1 s/w;every 4 grams of grip weight = 1 s/w;every 1/2" over length = 3 s/w.

 

I personally cannot stand lead tape on a nice putter head. I've used it but always hated it. I ordered the new true temper 200 gram T2C putter shaft and brought it in today to be done. According to my calculations it should add approx. 9 to 10 s/w to my 32.5" Cameron that is currently at a s/w of B9. That should get me to approx. C8 or C9 which is alot closer to the original of around D2 - D4, without any unsightly lead tape.

 

I'll know this Saturday.

[golfernut78]

According to the truetemper website the following swingweight rules apply: every 2 grams added to head weight = 1 s/w; every 7 grams of shaft weight = 1 s/w;every 4 grams of grip weight = 1 s/w;every 1/2" over length = 3 s/w.

 

I personally cannot stand lead tape on a nice putter head. I've used it but always hated it. I ordered the new true temper 200 gram T2C putter shaft and brought it in today to be done. According to my calculations it should add approx. 9 to 10 s/w to my 32.5" Cameron that is currently at a s/w of B9. That should get me to approx. C8 or C9 which is alot closer to the original of around D2 - D4, without any unsightly lead tape.

 

I'll know this Saturday.

 

i've got a scotty newport beach 35" that was cut to 33". i didn't want to cover the head with tape and i can't put it on the sole because it would interfere with the sound slot, so i had sugar put down the shaft. you could always add that to your new t2c shaft to get even more out of it.