putter neck difference

[ijha]

This should be a very popular question but I couldn't find any thr

Why are there tons of different types of putter necks? Must be related to individual swing patters or degree of offsets.... I think. or are they just personal preference?
Thank you guys.

[taylormadefan]

It relates to offset, visual appeal, as well as toe hang or "flow" of the putter (basically how easy it is to open and close the putter face as you swing it).

 

This info from Scotty's website might help.

 

In the Art of Putter making, there is one major factor that influences performance and design. That is the neck of the putter. It is such a simple component that attaches the head of the putter to the shaft but the effects it can have on the look, feel and playability are immense. I make many different types of necks but let’s talk about necks in relation to the design of the putter at a standard lie of 71 degrees. The reason I mention this final point is because an extreme lie angle can affect toe flow so for the sake of this article, we will be talking about standard lie with a tolerance of 2 degrees (flat or upright).

 

I will break it down into three categories; full hang, quarter hang, and face balanced. I will break down each category further but first let’s understand more about the neck.

 

The height of the neck is one of the components that sets toe flow. Typically, a shorter neck equates to more toe flow and a longer neck means less toe flow. Think of a long neck Scottydale and Santa Fe. The longer neck changes the shaft axis more to the center of the topline which creates less toe flow and more face balance in a design.

 

Offset also contributes to toe hang. The normal offset on a putter is one shaft diameter offset from the topline of the face. More or less offset and I can manipulate the toe flow of the design. If offset is reversed to onset, it also reverses the balance of the putter. When I make a putter, I want the neck to look like it belongs there, whether I am making a mechanical design like the Newport, or a softer natural design like a Studio Design 1. In the Studio line this year, I mixed natural designs with more mechanical necks. I have been doing that on Tour for years with excellent feedback and it was received with great success in the market. Not only should the neck look like it belongs there, but at setup I like the image that if I poured water on the putter what would the neck look like if it grew out of the head. I build many prototypes before I come to this point even though it looks so simple. In fact, we have changed the neck on the Newport several times since its inception. One of the biggest changes was making a flat front plumbing neck. The older model had the socket or barrel of the hosel positioned in the middle of the neck. In the new design, we push the socket back slightly making the front of the hosel and the socket flush so there is no distortion. Many players who used plumbing neck style designs and always had a problem with the neck looking crooked, skewed and not square to the topline. I didn’t invent the plumbing neck design, but certainly refined it to better fit the eye of players. Many guys, including the top players in the world use a putter with a flat front design.

 

Now let’s talk about how the hang of the toe of the putter contributes to performance.

 

Full Hang

This type of putter creates natural, extreme toe opening during the back swing, and closing at follow through. It can be a difficult putter to use depending on ball position and timing. Other examples of full toe hang putters are the Del Mar 3.5, Scottymaster, JAT and several of the Studio Design models. In these designs, I start with the hosel at the far end of the heel. They are traditionally short necks and like the 3.5 have one shaft diameter offset. The necks can be round, flat sided, or any combination, but when they are short and located at the heel of the putter with a standard offset, I will achieve full toe hang. The full toe hang putter is for guys who have great timing and need the putter to open during the backswing, which keeps the putter from going outside.

 

Quarter Hang

The quarter toe hang putter in my opinion is set with optimal performance in mind, and isn’t extreme when it comes to path. The quarter toe hang putter slightly opens during the back stroke, and slightly closes at the follow through. This design is great for the player who needs a little toe flow while retaining the ease of use this design provides. Examples of putters with this type of neck design are the Newport, Newport 2, Mid-Slantnecks, Laguna, Coronado, etc. As you can see from the different models I can make a quarter toe hang design with mechanical or plumbing style neck or a natural, round flowing neck. The traditional quarter toe hang putter is the Newport, but I had guys on Tour who told me the hosel and socket position got in the way of the ball. So I started experimenting with the slantneck design, which I really like. I started by removing the elbow where the hosel and socket connected, and welded the socket to the top of the neck with no offset. I created offset by moving the hosel forward or slanting it one shaft diameter forward of the face and keeping the socket in the same position. The result was a cleaner transition from the socket to the hosel, better visibility of the ball at address, all the while retaining the quarter toe hang that I was looking for. Next time you pick up a slantneck take a look and see what I am talking about.

 

Face Balanced

A face balanced putter is one where the axis of the shaft crosses the center of the putter head. So in order to create a neck that does this, I need to go up or move the hosel closer to the center. Examples of face balanced putters with this type of neck are of course longnecks, long slantnecks, and center shafts where there is a short hosel. The face balanced putter is more for the player who takes the putter straight back and straight through. I don’t do a lot of face balanced putters because I believe a putter needs a little toe flow to get to the inside and close properly at follow through. There are guys who are very good at taking the putter straight back and through and a face balanced putter better fits their stroke. The long neck allows me to get the proper shaft axis with standard offset, standard lie, and without manipulating the shaft.

 

Speaking of manipulating the shaft…..We have only been talking about those designs with necks, but I do several different designs with no necks at all and the new Futura is one of them. You may be saying to yourself that I was just saying that quarter toe hang is optimal and now he is talking about the Futura, which is face balanced. The Futura is a face balanced design but I achieve face balance by gravity and not shaft axis. The shaft axis of the putter is short of center and would perform like a quarter toe hang design but it is the heavy stainless horseshoe in the back that creates the face balance. So in fact the Futura is a ¼ hang design with gravity creating the face balance. Give the Futura a try and you will feel the toe flow even though the face points to the sky. I also do the center shaft design which positions the hosel just back of center so I get very little toe hang. The new designs in the Studio collection are the Studio Design 5 and 6. The 5 has a low bend and like a short neck gives me the ¼ toe hang I am looking for because the bore angle of the shaft complements the shaft bend. The Studio 6 has a high bend, like a long neck, moving the shaft axis to the center of the putter head giving it face balance.

 

Next time you pick up your putter take a look at the neck, or lack thereof, and see how the design affects performance. A lot of work went into making that neck so I hope this article helps you better understand your putter design. Here are pictures of different necks so you can see what I am talking about.