How to Choose a Putter

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When selecting your perfect putter, the only thing that matters is that it works for you.

The putter has to look good when you setup to the ball, and has to feel good during your putting stroke. You must have confidence when you putt. Putting confidence begins when you have a putter you like and trust.
If you are like most golfers, your putting success may rise and fall over the course of a season (or even a round!). Some precious and rare days you’re hot, most days you are probably lukewarm, and sadly, some awful days you are ice-cold on the greens. Hopefully, you have a putter you trust during all these times. You’ll know it’s you who is off, and not that Good Old Reliable perfect putter. Then you can worry about fixing the putting you, and not Good Old Reliable.

As golfers, most of us are always searching for the perfect putter. A golfer just knows that somewhere in the world there’s a putter that was ordained to be the perfect putter for him or her. A perfect putter will work time after time and never let the golfer down. All the golfer has to do is find that perfect putter. It’s out there somewhere, waiting …

The perfect putter could cost hundreds of dollars from a pro shop, could be custom built, could be so beautiful it is a work of art, … or it could be bought out of an old stinky Standard Oil drum at a flea market, look like a rusted piece of twisted metal dredged from Lake Erie, and bought for mere pennies. Nothing matters as long as it is the perfect putter for you. You know it the moment you see it and first waggle it. The perfect putter is love at first sight.

Once you find that perfect putter then you will (and should) protect it with your life. Think of Ben Crenshaw and his putter. Little Ben is a Wilson 8802 classic blade style putter Crenshaw found on a rack at Lions Municipal Golf Course many years ago. It has been rumored that Ben actually uses two identical 8802s, and will choose the one to use based on its feel at the particular time. We all want a relationship with our putter like Ben Crenshaw has with Little Ben. Ben Crenshaw has his perfect putter. Where’s mine? Where’s yours?

What Happens When You Hit a Putt

Before we talk about some of the technical parts of picking your perfect putter, do you know what actually happens when you hit a putt? When you putt a golf ball on a level surface, the ball actually skids for the first 20% or so of the total distance, then for the remaining 80% or so the ball rolls with overspin. The face of the putter only contacts the golf ball for approximately 4/10,000 of a second. The path of the putted golf ball depends on two things; the putter head path during the stroke, and angle of the putter face at impact.

If you miss-hit the ball off-center on the putter face, either towards the toe or the heel, then the ball will not roll as far than if it was struck on-center (the great fabled sweet spot). If you have a toe-heel weighted putter, then off-center hits are forgiven somewhat and the ball will roll farther than if you had made the same hit with a non heel-toe weighted putter. That’s a good thing.

Of course, the last thing to happen after you hit a putt is that the ball falls into the cup. Right?

Putter Length

The length of the putter is important because you must be comfortable when you address the ball. You don’t want a putter that’s too short because then you’ll feel uncomfortable as you hunch over at address. Plus, you’ll help make a chiropractor richer than he or she should be when you get your back straightened out.

A putter that’s too long will get you out of position at address. At address, you will feel out of place because you’ll be standing too tall or too far away from the ball. You may feel like maybe you need stronger glasses because at an address position with a putter that’s too long in length, the ball looks fuzzy like a tennis ball. Maybe too, things are fuzzy because you’ve had too much to drink from the beer cart that’s been following your group too closely. Beer cart girls are experts at picking the weakest prey and thinning out the herd.

When you address a putt with your putter, you will probably position yourself in a manner that you naturally judge to be the most efficient for your body to be organized, so you can hit that small white ball sitting down there on the smooth green grass. You want the putter’s length to match where your hands naturally fall to grip a putter while you are in this position. Where your hands are, is where the putter grip should be. You don’t want to adjust yourself to the putter. Pick a putter length that matches you. Don’t adjust yourself to the putter. If you must know, most professionals use a 35-inch length putter. This does not mean your putter has to be 35-inches long.

Putter Lie

The putter’s lie is simply how the putter head rests on the green. The sole of the putter head should lie flat, or square, on the green as you take your natural address position. The toe of the putter should not be sticking up in the air, nor should the heel be waving around in the air. Your perfect putter will have a lie that suits you. Your perfect putter’s lie will be true, it will not lie to you.

The lie of the putter is important because every putter has a sweetspot. The sweetspot of a putter should be below the putter’s center of gravity (or the balance point). The sweetspot is only a tiny spot on the putter face, it is where you want to hit the ball for the best results. Every putter has a sweetspot … but I’ve met some putters that seemed to be lacking such. Those putters never became my friends. Any aiming lines or devices on your putter should match up with the sweetspot.

If the lie of the putter is too flat or too upright for your putter address position, then the sweetspot will be in the wrong place (maybe in LA – Lower Akron). You will have the best chance of making solid and consistent putts when the putter’s lie is correct, with the entirety of the sole of the putter contacting the green. Then you have the sweetspot right where it should be, just as the genius designer designed it.

The lie can be altered by a competent golf professional or golf club repairman. He or she can determine what your putter’s lie should be and then use a machine to bend the putter to the desired lie. Likewise, this person could also correctly add or subtract length to your putter.

Loft

Believe it or not, all putters have and need some loft. The putter’s loft is generally something you can trust the putter designer and manufacturer to get right for you. Putter loft can be altered by a competent golf professional or golf club repairman. You may want to consider checking or changing your putter’s loft if you encounter either of two situations.

• If you play greens that are rough and slow, then you may need more putter loft. This will allow the putted ball to get up on the green’s grass faster and roll better, rather than the ball being mashed into the grass blades and then going hoppitty bumppitty all the way home.

• If you play greens that are fast and smooth, then you may need a putter that has less loft. A less lofted putter in these green conditions will get the ball rolling better and faster than a putter with too much loft.

Consult your competent golf professional or golf club repairman about your putter’s loft and the usual or normal greens you play. Perhaps some magic adjustments can be made to your putter’s loft to make your perfect putter even more perfect.

The Putter Grip

If you find the perfect putter for you, but the grip is not what you have in mind then the grip can be changed. Your competent golf professional or golf club repairman can show you a number of different putter grip selections and install the one that’s just perfect for you on that perfect putter. If you change your mind later on, then try another grip. Your competent golf professional or golf club repairman will happily provide regripping services as many times as needed, or until you run out of money.

The grip you choose for your putter is a personal choice. There is no wrong or right grip selection for everyone. Rubber, leather, some other material, thin, thick, smooth, or grooved, whatever works for you is the type of grip you want on your putter.

When you find the perfect grip for your putter, it might be wise to buy a backup supply of these putter grips to have handy in case you ever need to replace the putter grip. Grips are relatively inexpensive and grip manufacturers do discontinue grip models from time to time. So, if you find the perfect putter grip, buy some extras and store them away in a safe place. Your local golf professional, golf club repairman, or golf store will joyfully sell you as many putter grips as you want and can afford. Extra perfect putter grips are good to have around when you find your next perfect putter and need to install the perfect grip on it. So, get a grip.

Putter Weight

As with all factors in choosing your perfect putter, the overall weight of the putter is a personal choice. In general, a heavier putter might do better if you usually putt on slow greens. A lighter putter might be better if you usually putt on fast greens. However, maybe you have the touch to adjust for whatever speed of greens you encounter and can always use the same putter. It all depends on what you prefer … are you seeing a continuing theme here? For professionals, most putters weigh somewhere in the 16 to 17 ounce range. Your putter should weigh the perfect weight for you.

One idea, if you have the perfect putter and wind up putting on greens that are slower than you are used to (of course, this will be the greenskeeper’s fault that your perfect putts come up short all day long on his too slow greens) and think the putter could use a bit more weight, then there is a quick and easy solution.

Ask that competent golf professional or golf club repairman if he or she has any lead tape for sale. Apply the lead tape to your putter head to add the weight needed to achieve the feel you need for the greenskeeper’s too slow greens. After the slow greenskeeper is replaced and a speedier greenskeeper is hired, you can easily remove the lead tape and then things will be grand again. So, there is no need to go shopping for another perfect putter that’s heavier than your current perfect putter. Extra weight on a putter can easily be shed if it was added using lead tape.

If your putter is too heavy and you need it to be lighter, then you must start playing golf on the moon. That’s what Alan Shepard did. Okay, talk to your competent golf professional or golf club repairman about needing to make your putter lighter. He or she may be able to help … ”I have some nice new putter models over here Mr. Perfectputterman, I’m sure I have one that’s just the weight you’re looking for … ”

Putter Styles

There is a myriad of putter styles. There are mallets, center-shafters, offsets, blades, blades with flanges, heel-toe weighted, and every other combination or permutation than Carter Has Oats. There are all kinds of alignment aids and devices used on putter heads. Guess what? WHATEVER YOU PREFER IS THE BEST STYLE FOR YOU!

What You Must Do

What you must do if you have not yet found the perfect putter is to keep looking. Remember, it’s out there somewhere. Always try out that perfect putter before you fork over any of your hard-earned lettuce. Looks can be deceiving, many a perfect putter on the pro shop rack can turn into a rattlesnake when you use it on a real putting green. Don’t get bit.

If you have to make your test putts on an indoor astro-turf or carpet putting green, then that will probably be okay. Just make sure your competent golf professional or golf club merchant hasn’t rigged that fake green like a shooting gallery at a traveling carnival. ”Gee! I can’t miss with this baby!!!!” you exclaim, as the person behind the counter knowingly smiles, and asks if that will be cash or credit.

A competent golf professional or golf club merchant will allow you to test a putter before you buy it. If not, then run, don’t walk, away from that putter … unless of course, you are absolutely positive that the putter is the perfect one for you.

Summary, Some Final Thoughts, and Comments

• Your perfect putter is your choice, it has to be perfect only for you.

• Follow the general guidelines presented here regarding length, lie, loft, weight, and grip when searching for your perfect putter.

• Do some test putting with a prospective perfect putter before you buy it.

• If your perfect putter is off in some of its technical aspects, then a competent golf professional or golf club repairman can make the needed changes to make your perfect putter even more perfect.

• Before you turn any putter or golf club over to be changed or otherwise worked on, please make sure  the professional or golf club repairman knows what he or she is doing. You want to find a competent golf professional or golf club repairman. I learned this lesson the hard way when I had a perfect putter altered incorrectly and beyond recovery. One day it was perfect but in need of a simple lie tweak, the next day it was only good as a stake for tomato plants.

• Once you find the perfect putter, then you need to work on making the perfect putting stroke, reading the green and line correctly, and getting the distance right. All this will keep you busy for as long as you play golf.

• I’m not a golf professional, but I have seen them on TV.

• I own lots and lots of perfect putters. I’m looking now for my next one.

• My current perfect putter is a Ben Hogan Apex Precision Milled HT-II model with a Golf Pride oversize rubber grip. But, ask me next week and …

• UPDATE: Forget the above Hogan perfect putter, now my perfect putter is a PING Sedona i model.

• Golf is easy, you just keep hitting the ball until it goes in the hole. The hard part is counting up all the strokes.

Wishing you fairways and greens, two putts or less!

More Golf Information:

• The Wonderful World of Golf
• Four Most Popular Golf Training Aids
• A History of Golf Equipment