Golf Putters, Scotty Cameron, Odyssey Putters

Golf Putters

Putting the art of feel and imagination.

1. Choosing a putter with the correct balance for your stroke.

Due to the nature of the putting stroke (pendulum motion) the weight and balance of the putter is crucial. The majority of tour players have a putting stroke that moves open to square (impact) to closed stroke. If you have a putting stroke like this then a toe weighted putter would best fit your stroke.

If you have a putting stroke that stays very square (putter face looks at the ball throughout the stroke) straight back, straight through. A faced balance putter may suit you better.
A typical toe balanced putter would look like the traditional Ping Answer or the Titleist Scotty Cameron Newport range.

A typical face balanced putter would look like the traditional Ram Zebra or the Titleist Scotty Cameron Futura range.

So, the first thing to know is what type of putting stroke do you have.

When confronted with this information golfers tend to think a square to square putting style should be more efficient, less to go wrong. I would tend to agree if the putter shaft was completely vertical, but as the shaft leans away from the ball this naturally creates an ark to the putting stroke therefore promoting a more open-square-closed stroke.

The invention of the long putter that was anchored to the body helped players get the shaft more vertical and removed the need for hand manipulation (square-square). This over time was deemed an unfair advantage and on 1st January 2016 banned from professional golf. The long putter can of course still be used but you can longer anchor the putter to your body.

2. Choosing a putter that looks good to you.

They say “beauty is in the eye of the beholder!” This is also true of putters. We feel it’s important that when you look down at the golf ball and putter, the putter looks pleasing to your eyes. If you don’t like the look of your putter this can’t possibly help your game. Take into account colours and visual aids like alignment lines.

These days there is a huge variety of putters to choose from.

The Blade Putter
The blade style putter used by players such as Ben Crenshaw and Phil Mickelson is thought of as the purist choice. The blade is a traditional style putter from the yester years of Bobby Jones and Old Tom Morris. Blade putters like the Titleist Bullseye are becoming increasingly rare.

WARNING: Bladed putters tend have a very small sweet spot and require a pure stroke. Not advisable for a beginner.

Mallet Putters
Mallet putters tend to have their weight proportioned more towards the toe than a blade putter and therefore favours the golfer who tends to miss the sweet spot towards the toe end of the face.

Favourite mallet designs are Odyssey White Hot XG range and the TaylorMade Spider. The choice is vast!!

Toe to Heel or Center Shaft Putters
This type of putter in my personal opinion is probably the most common. Favorite designs are Odyssey White Hot RX 1 Putter and Titleist Scotty Cameron 2016 Select Newport 2.5 Putter.

Space Age Design
Putter design has gone crazy in recent times. Some putters look like they belong on the International Space Station than on the local golf course. Although whacky looking the majority are designed with excellent weight distribution and larger sweet spots. Popular designs are the Titleist Futura Series, TaylorMade Spider Tour and the Odyssey O-works.

3. Find the Right Putter Length

This one is pretty much self-explanatory. If you are 6.7” a putter length of 30” is probably not for you. Too short a putter will promote more hip bend and over time more stress on the lower back. Too longer shaft will encourage the players to stand too tall pushing the weight and eye line away from the ball. Our suggestion is find a length that feels comfortable and allows good posture. Most common putter lengths range from 32” – 36”

4. The Correct Putter Weight & Lie Angle

Some people prefer heavy putters, others prefer light putters. Personal preference aside, the speed of the green plays an important part when choosing the weight of your putter. If you play the majority of your golf on slick greens (stimp reading of 10 or more) a lighter putter may be a better choice. When the greens are really rapid like the Masters golf course, Augusta National (14 or more stimp reading) then a light putter is crucial.

Heavy putters produce more force to the ball and therefore propel the ball forward with more force and speed. If you putt on slow greens a heavier putter will help you reach the hole.

A putter’s lie angle depends mainly on the golfer’s posture and hand angle. If you have high hands your putter should be more upright. If you prefer low hands the putter will need to be flatter. Incorrect lie angles will cause the toe or the heal to be raised. Ideally you want a perfect blend to allow the putter to sit with the sole flat on the putting surface.

Whatever putter you decide on, make sure It’s your new best friend.

To find out more information or to book a custom fit putter session please email sales@uniongolf.co.uk