Putter Design

[MTM]

What is it supposed to do?

I putted pretty well with center shafted mallets for a while (White Hot 5 Center, 2-Ball Center, etc.)

Went to a Scotty Santa Fe this year.

I'm reading about toe flow and all kinds of stuff I don't understand.

What does "more toe flow" do?

What performance differences would I notice in a Newport versus the Santa Fe-like neck on the Newport 1.5?

The Newport and the Newport 1.5 have more flowing lines than the Newport 2 and Newport 2.5. Does this mean anything other than one's personal preference?

Are there design benefits to a center shafted mallet vs. a heel shafted blade?

Are putters 100% personal preference?

Thanks-

[tanj]

Well, centre-shafted mallets and indeed anything centre-shafted, will encourage a straight back and through stroke. This is true for any putter where the axis of the main part of the shaft intersects with the club head at the midpoint. To test this, just balance your putter on your finger and see if the face is parallel to the ground. If not, then it has toe flow which promotes a in to out to in putting style.

 

This is all personal preference.

 

For me, I love the shape of the Newport 2, slightly dislike the centre-shaft but love face-balanced putters. In other words, I'm in a bit of a dilemma. My only solution would be to get a centre-shafted Newport, or anything that is centre-shafted, has a flange and is not a mallet, or the ultimate combination, get a long neck Newport.

 

Josh

[AntLockyer]

Without the toe weight I would leave the blade open at impact.

 

I can force myself to use a straight back and through but I have to think about putting rather than just thinking about the target.

[MTM]

Borrowed my buddy's Pro Platinum Newport 2 yesterday and, for the first time in a long time, had supreme confidence over those 6-10 footers.