A heel-toe putter (left) and mallet putter (right)
PUTTERS
You have heard the saying “drive for show; putt for dough” so what kind of putter is the most effective? The putter is the one club in your bag that you use the most. If it takes you two putts you’ll use your putter 36 times during a round of golf. Many of us will need to use it even more than that.
There are more varieties of putters on the market than any other club. That may be because choosing a putter is a very personal process. There is no “right” putter, there is simply the best putter for you.
Putters generally come in three styles of clubheads and three varieties of length. They can be a traditional blade: a heel-toe or a mallet. A traditional blade is narrow and shallow, typically with the shaft entering at the heel (although sometimes center-shafted). Low-handicappers might like traditional blades because they offer great feedback, but most golfers are better off staying away from blades. They offer very little forgiveness which is not usually the best choice for high handicappers. Heel-toe putters have the same general shape as blades, but have extra weight at the heel and toe to add perimeter weighting and along with other design tricks (hollow back, wider flange, face inserts) they help boost consistent putting strokes. Mallet putters have large clubheads and are the most forgiving and are especialy useful on slow greens because the weight of the head tends to roll the ball firmly without excess motion.. Most of us choose a traditional length which can vary from 32 to 36 inches. The long putters are not as popular with the recreational golfer but are seen used by touring golf professionals.
All putters, regardless of size or shape, are designed to start the ball rolling smoothly, with a minimum of backspin to avoid skipping or skidding. Almost all putters have a small amount of loft (typically 3 or 4 degrees), so the ball does come up off the turf when it is first struck, then settles back on the surface of the putting green and begins its forward roll.
When looking to buy a new putter we should first start with lie angle. With the proper lie angle, the flat part of the putter’s sole will be flush with the ground when you address the ball. But with an ill-fitting lie angle, the toe or heel of the putter will be raised at address and impact. This will make you more prone to pulling or pushing the ball and imparting troublesome sidespin.
Another crucial factor is the loft of your putter. If the loft of your putter is too high or too low for your stroke and playing conditions, the ball will skid or bounce excessively, compromising your accuracy and distance control.
You should choose a putter head that complements your putting ability and the type of greens you play most often.