| Shave Some Strokes off your Golf Score | | | | Make sure to determine the appropriate shaft |
| | | | length. If you can find a putter on line that |
| No matter what your golf score, about 42% of | | | | you like with the correct shaft length, go |
| all your strokes are taken with a putter. | | | | for it. Otherwise, you need to consider a |
| That is a sobering statistic. While golfers | | | | custom fitted golf putter. |
| spend hours reading reviews and discussing | | | | |
| the various aspects of the new high tech | | | | Other important factors include club head |
| woods and irons, in some cases their putter | | | | design, putter face loft angle and the new |
| was probably a gift or won at a golf outing. | | | | putter inserts that are becoming quite |
| Many golfers choose a putter based on the | | | | popular. |
| intangible "feel". At best, the selection | | | | |
| criteria probably wasn't remotely close to | | | | The club head design is a matter of personal |
| the effort expended selecting the remaining | | | | choice and comfort. The traditional blade |
| clubs. | | | | putter are thin and usually carry the weight |
| | | | in both the heel and the toe. They have been |
| If that sounds like you, you're not alone. If | | | | around for years and they are what they are. |
| you are not using the right putter for your | | | | |
| size and stroke, it is almost impossible to | | | | The mallet style putters have more weight in |
| have a consistent and successful putting | | | | the club head and, most importantly, they are |
| method. The right putter may be a great way | | | | easier to align than the bladed putters. |
| to shave enough strokes off your game to | | | | |
| break ninetyor at least have old Angus buy | | | | The alignment putter is an improvement on the |
| the rounds at the 19th hole. | | | | mallet putter and offers different alignment |
| | | | features that help putt the ball on the |
| The most important part of putter selection | | | | target line. Try them all out and choose the |
| is shaft length. Stock putter lengths tend to | | | | one that feels best in your hands. |
| be standard, which is great if you are of | | | | |
| average height and average putting stance. If | | | | Putter inserts are technology's contribution |
| not, your putter's base is probably not lying | | | | to putting the golf ball. While design and |
| perfectly flat on the ground, or you are | | | | components vary, the purpose is to get the |
| adjusting your stance. A subtle change which | | | | ball rolling smoothly towards the cup and |
| can dramatically affect your stroke and, | | | | reducing the dreaded skipping along the green |
| unfortunately, the results. | | | | putt. |
| | | | |
| If the putter's toe is slightly off the | | | | It is also important to consider your |
| ground, there is a tendency to pull the putt | | | | putter's loft. You can change the loft of a |
| to the left. It stands to reason that if the | | | | putter, helpful on slow greens, by putting |
| heel of the putter is slightly elevated, the | | | | the ball off the front part of your foot. |
| putt will move to the right. The angle of the | | | | Loft requirements relate more to the type of |
| shaft to the putter head perfectly flat on | | | | green than a golfers individual preference. |
| the green is sometimes called the lie angle. | | | | For example, Bermuda grass greens require a |
| | | | bit more loft than the more traditional bent |
| The standard shaft length for putters is 35", | | | | grass. Check out the greens on your course |
| but the overall length can range from 32" to | | | | before making a putter face loft decision. |
| 52". If you are taller or shorter than | | | | |
| average, your lie angle is going to be wrong | | | | Finally, consider the putter's weight, grip |
| and you can absolutely count on missing two | | | | and the hosel (neck). The weight rule is |
| or three makeable putts every round. You | | | | simple. The slower the stroke, the heavier |
| start thinking you are a poor putter and lose | | | | the putter. The grip should be comfortable |
| some confidence, when actually you have the | | | | and designed to reduce that old bugaboo, |
| wrong putter. This problem is exacerbated as | | | | wrist movement. The hosel places the ball |
| more and more golfers start using the | | | | directly under or ahead of the shaft. The |
| pendulum stroke, which completely changes the | | | | more the putter is offset, the more the hands |
| shaft length. | | | | will be in front of the golf ball when the |
| | | | putt is struck. The face balanced or center |
| Check your lie angle by standing in front of | | | | shafted putter, where the putter's shaft and |
| a full length mirror and getting into your | | | | hosel are more in the center, help the golfer |
| putting stance as though you are putting into | | | | who wants to keep the club face square with |
| the mirror. Don't use a golf ball. Get into a | | | | the ball throughout the swing. Use your |
| completely and totally comfortable putting | | | | finger to balance your putter. If the |
| stance. Place your hands on the grip where it | | | | putter's face points up, it is face balanced. |
| is most comfortable, not to make the putter | | | | |
| lie flat. Then, look into the mirror. If the | | | | Take some time to find the putter that is |
| club head is not perfectly flat on the floor | | | | best for your game. All you can save are |
| or rug, the shaft length and/or the lie angle | | | | strokes. |
| is wrong and you need to go putter shopping. | | | | |