It's a truism to say that you drive for show, but putt for dough. Whether you can perform a tour-worthy 28 putts a round, or putt way over par, the putter is your most used club. We will help you choose the right putter for your game, with guidelines on weighting, feel and alignment so you can choose a create that suits your style - and your purse.
Mallets v Blades
Mallet Putter Headcover
Putters fall into the categories of blade, 'heel-and-toe' and mallet. Purists claim that even a cheap and cheerful blade forces a more consistent stroke, but many golfers - both pros and amateurs - now favour the larger sweet spot and high Moi (moment of inertia), which creates the resistance to twisting that you find on mallets.
Blade
Heel and Toe
Mallet
They help us all to hole more putts with less-than-perfect strikes, as the deeper body also physically pulls the centre of gravity back from the face, encouraging golfers to create an upward stroke for path-hugging topspin, and reducing the destructive 'bounce and skid' that can characterise the early stages of a putt.
Mallets absolutely are all the rage as their deep bodies offer the most scope for the bold alignment features that have transformed the market. We used to be satisfied with tiny notches, dots or small arrows to point us in the right direction, but today's graphics comprise colourful stripes, long perpendicular sight lines, and even golf-ball sized circles that encourage us to line up the ball with the hole itself.
The Feel Factor and Insert Technology
Feel is vital when buying a putter, with a whole range of distinctive face inserts gift a slightly distinct sound and feel at impact. Heavier weights, such as tungsten and brass, are recommended for slower greens, whilst lighter alternatives such as aluminium reduce the total weight, which is of benefit on slicker surfaces. Many of the most recent putters favour the soft feel of copper, aluminium or synthetic inserts, which offer a more controlled strike on today's manicured greens. Meanwhile, their lightness enhances a putter's perimeter weighting for extra stability.
The quest for perfection has brought us some amazingly exotic inserts, along with gold-plate, platinum, and even 12-carat market diamond! As well as the more usual tungsten, nickel, copper and aluminium, of course. All are naturally reflected in the price, but commonly you do get what you pay for.
Expensive putters tend to highlight more accurately engineered weighting, more absolutely milled (i.e. Flatter) faces, and of procedure more sumptuous headcovers to safe that precious insert. Computerised grinding of head from solid blocks of metal, especially, offers a high-precision alternative to forgings and castings, whose feel can be compromised when the hosel is welded to the head. Look out also for other features fluctuating from perfect face balancing (for golfers with 'square to square' strokes), selected grips (like the perfect Winn range) and belly or broomhandle shaft options for those seeking a more mechanical action.
Putter Shafts
The other thing to think is the shaft length. Most will opt for a acceptable putter length, but long putters can benefit some golfers. Broomhandle and belly-putters, pioneered by 2002 European Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance among others during the late 1980s and early 1990s, are tucked under the chin or into the belly. They are swung in a pendulum fashion, and crucially make demands on a distinct set of small muscles and nerves - and have revived the careers of several Tour players who have suffered from the yips.
seeing the exquisite Putter