Finding A Putter That Fits

Finding a putter that fits your swing style is half the battle to becoming good or great at putting. Here’s a fun fact: Did you know the flat stick is the most hit club in the bag? With that being the case, it’s so important to have confidence in that thought that you have the perfect equipment for your style of swing. Below I have chronicled an experience with one pro that finally found the putter that fit her swing by way of a fitting professional.

In Search of the Perfect Putter

I have been working with a professional golfer for the last several years.  She is a talented golf professional who was a State champion in high school, No. 1 player in college and just recently missed 2nd stage Q school by 1 stroke. What a heart breaker, but it all came down to the short game  – more specifically, putting.

So the story progresses with a search of the the best putter. We start at the local PGA Superstore.  Initially, you have to go with the appearance of the putter.  Do you like big, small, white, black, silver, chrome, it all depends on personal preference.

Next comes the design of the putter. Do you prefer a mallet, blade or as my wife says a spaceship design? Each putter has different features such as it’s weight – heavy or light, or interchangeable weights.

We have now chosen several flat sticks my professional says she really likes, so now we are going to a putter fitting professional for the official word. This man has all the tools, I mean cameras, screens, lasers, and a putting valley where EVERYTHING goes in the hole- go figure.  Side note: the valley that the ball rolls to the cup in is intended to improve confidence, but I digress. After all the videos, diagnosis, and laser images, the perfect putter was chosen and placed on the sacrificial alter for payment. Side note #2: the chosen putter wasn’t either one of the putters she had chosen at the store – go figure!

It really was an interesting and educating experience. As I said in a previous blog putting is all about, ‘can I putt the ball in a straight line?’  What most people don’t know is there are basically three types of putters, toe, heel, and face balanced.  Toe is a cut, heel is a draw, and face is straight.  Same as how you hit your irons or driver, it’s the path of the club.

So my pro found and purchased her putter (with the help of a very talented fitter).  It fits her swing, (her one swing ), and hopefully her confidence and putting improves.  It’s all about the short game – game on!