The eternal search for a 'better' putter

What is it about putters? Certainly, the OEMs see us coming don't they?

I've been quietly enjoying a Ping Scottsdale Anser (in BeNi alloy as well) over the last few years; the result of a really lucky eBay purchase off someone who didn't know what they were selling. I like the look of it when I'm over a putt and I putt well enough with it. Sorted you'd think? So why is it I'm always on the lookout for something else, when I know it'll cost money?

Anyway, tried a friends Scotty Cameron Circa '62 #3 a while back and thought it looked very sweet at address and seemed to swing nicely for me. Too expensive though (not sure I buy the Cameron hype) and they rust, being made of carbon steel. I have had a Scotty Newport 2.6 in the past that I liked, and then didn't so sold it (at least they have a good re-sale value).

Made the mistake of popping in the nearest American Golf to me the other week and in the putter section saw this second-hand Cameron Monterey, which is basically the same as the Circa '62 #3, but in stainless steel. Being an idiot, I picked it up and rolled a few putts in-store. Damn - liked the look, feel and the way it behaved......so I bought it.

So far, albeit only with a small sample of rounds and carpet putting to draw on, it's going unbelievably well. Best part of it is the look at address - I love it - and the fact that, for me, it swings beautifully straight back and through. Gives a great feeling of confidence, which I think is the all-important element for putting.

Anyway, the wallet's lighter ( ), but I actually look forward to putting now. Sure it'll change in the next year or so, but here's hoping I've found my putter 'Holy Grail'.

Anyone else have similar putter itchy feet? What have you used in the past that you really loved? Are you still using it? If money wasn't an issue, what putter would you go for and why?

I think a putter is criminally overlooked Navy. Your average hacker will happily spend £400 on a driver they might hit a maximum of 14 times a round, but will wince at paying something similar for a putter which is much more crucial and will be used something like 25-36 times a round.

I got given a Scotty Newport last year with great success, but went cold so bought an EvnRoll which is my current favourite and the priciest putter I've bought. Got a few more to swap round though.

Yep. When I was trying to console myself over the recent spend (even if it was a second-hand putter), I part-justified it with how important a putter is cf. other clubs and how much it gets used per round.

If I had money to burn, I'd probably have a laugh and order a Kronos D'Arcy in their PVD finish. Doubt it would suit me (tried a few Wilson 8802-types over the years, but never with enough success), but might be a laugh.

There's certainly a market for these 'precision milled' putters that Cameron maybe started. Some of the limited edition Bettinardis/Camerons etc are stupidly expensive for what they are.

"Hey Swiss Toni, how do I choose the perfect putter?"
"Finding a putter is like making love to a beautiful woman. You have to spend a lot of money to get her, and once she's yours you have to caress her and treat her like the most special thing in the world. And when you think you have found the one, there's always another prettier model out there winking at you."

People spend a lot of money on a driver because of the technology that goes into generating / negating spin, launch angle, club head speed etc. Big difference in outcome between a Donnay and an M1, 917, Epic etc.

With a putter, half your shots consist of taking the club back 3 or 4 inches, technology is largely irrelevant, it's all about feel and a £5 Donnay putter could do the same job. I agree with Super that the putter is really important, and it's worth getting right and spending money on. It's just that could mean spending £400 or £40.

I bought a new putter at the start of the year. Spent months over the winter trying out all sort of expensive Scotty Cameron's and Bettinardi's etc, in the end the Odyssey works 1W was the one which felt best for me, which was significantly cheaper than most of the others I tried.

Better putter/better putting? While I've gone the Scotty route, twice now, I reckon it's the putting which lets me down. Spent an hour last week just trying, consistently, to hit the centre of the putter face. Worked brilliantly for the next day! Waiting with some trepidation for the next outing!

navyblueshorts wrote:...carpet putting...

Really?

raycastleunited wrote:People spend a lot of money on a driver because of the technology that goes into generating / negating spin, launch angle, club head speed etc. Big difference in outcome between a Donnay and an M1, 917, Epic etc.

With a putter, half your shots consist of taking the club back 3 or 4 inches, technology is largely irrelevant, it's all about feel and a £5 Donnay putter could do the same job. I agree with Super that the putter is really important, and it's worth getting right and spending money on. It's just that could mean spending £400 or £40.

I bought a new putter at the start of the year. Spent months over the winter trying out all sort of expensive Scotty Cameron's and Bettinardi's etc, in the end the Odyssey works 1W was the one which felt best for me, which was significantly cheaper than most of the others I tried.

Completely agree, I've got putters from £50 to £300 and in the right conditions, can be as good as one another. I simply think people should be prepared to spend whatever they need to get what works, but people seem very parsimonious when it comes to spending money on your most important club.

I am on my 4th putter of my golf "career" not including the one that came with my first junior set, but for comparison I am only on about my 4th driver in the same period and 2nd set of irons. Maybe I am just tight (and I am sure thats what super will think) but I have never really been into chopping and changing clubs.

I've had the same putter for 15 years. Cost about 50 quid. Works as well (as bad/inconsistently) as every other club in the bag.

McLaren wrote:I am on my 4th putter of my golf "career" not including the one that came with my first junior set, but for comparison I am only on about my 4th driver in the same period and 2nd set of irons.  Maybe I am just tight (and I am sure thats what super will think) but I have never really been into chopping and changing clubs.  

You're not tight Mac, just poor.

I've been looking out for a guy with a tracksuit and a golf bag on my travels in Edinburgh Mac.

I've used 2 putters in 32 years of playing golf. Not strictly true but I bought a Ping Pal 2 second hand for £25 in about 1987 and used that until about 5 years ago when I decided it had too much loft and bought a £70 Rife. Try other putters in shops from time to time but have yet to come across one that instantly stands out and I can honestly say I've never missed a putt because of the club.

puligny wrote:Better putter/better putting? While I've gone the Scotty route, twice now, I reckon it's the putting which lets me down. Spent an hour last week just trying, consistently, to hit the centre of the putter face. Worked brilliantly for the next day! Waiting with some trepidation for the next outing!

How did you do this? What drills did you use? I changed putter at the beginning of 2016 and by putting is still dire. I average over 36 putts!! My problem is that I can't leave the first putt dead so always have 3 or 4 three putts a round. Plus I don't hole many (any?) mid length putts but this could be as much to do with not getting ball close enough with my approach shot.

Humpy

The classic drill is putting a tee peg at either end of the putter head and putting within them. Making sure the ball is lined up on the putters sweet spot.

It is amazing how much difference it makes to putting when you are hitting it out the middle of the face. Especially for distance control.

Great tip. I'll try that tomorrow (when practicing obviously not when playing!!).

Another tip I saw on Youtube was putting a ball a distance away and then without looking try and putt another 4 balls to get near to the first ball. Supposed to improve feel.

McLaren wrote:Humpy

The classic drill is putting a tee peg at either end of the putter head and putting within them.  Making sure the ball is lined up on the putters sweet spot.

It is amazing how much difference it makes to putting when you are hitting it out the middle of the face.  Especially for distance control.

That's what I like about the Evnroll putter, it doesn't matter if you hit it out of the sweet spot, it still goes the same distance.

Humpy - tee pegs as described, but more important for me was keeping eyes on the ball, and not having a peek where ball was going. You will hit what you look at and keeping head down vital for me. Repetition of that simple drill for range of distances.

One of the biggest mistakes I see in people putting is they lift their heads as they are striking the ball, not a chance of keeping a straight stroke doing that.

Why even bother looking? It tells you nothing as even if you miss, your return putt, and pace will be completely different. Just listen, and if it goes in, you'll hear it.

Ah the eternal question. If none of us made mistakes, especially obvious/simple ones, scores would tumble.................

puligny wrote:Ah the eternal question. If none of us made mistakes, especially obvious/simple ones, scores would tumble.................

Of course, but no use compounding mistakes with a terrible technical error.

Super - I'm agreeing with you! Moreover nothing worse than the most basic errors.
While I'm on, is Dunbar as good as it looks? Up for a bit of festival and aiming to get a couple of rounds - Dunbar, Musselburgh and Archerfield x2.

Mac's probably your man for Dunbar. I've never played it but it gets a good name. I think he's more of an expert on East Lothian. Maybe now i'm down there though I might get to play it soon.

I've played Archerfield a lot, and while the Fidra is an outstanding course, I'm not that keen on the Direlton.

I really liked Dunbar, although it must be 15+ years since I played it. It starts off with some bland average holes in a big field, then you walk through a gap in a wall and you're out on to the narrow strip of links along the coast... fantastic classic links golf out and back. And then you finish off crossing back to the land side of the wall for the 18th in the big field.

If I remember it was a bit of a slicer's nightmare: on the way out you have OOB all the way down the right over the boundary wall. Then on the way back in you have the sea OOB down the right.

puligny wrote:Humpy - tee pegs as described, but more important for me was keeping eyes on the ball, and not having a peek where ball was going. You will hit what you look at and keeping head down vital for me. Repetition of that simple drill for range of distances.

I find the opposite works quite well for getting feel for speed, that is to putt looking at the hole not the ball.

Yep Dunbar is pretty good. Not played it for a long time and only played it once so better advise will be available.

The eternal search for better greens reading and speed - that's what I struggle with (and see others battling as well) as much as the always elusive clean, steady putting stroke.

For those of us who can't resist having a peek I tried something else today with very good results. Stood over putts simply closed my left eye (right handed). No temptation to follow the ball, and really amazed at the results! Expect it to Last a couple of days but well worth a try during practice.
Also just played Close House on way up to Edinburgh. Great place - good fun course. Not sure it's tour standard, but it beat me!

Alignment, alignment, alignment!! I have a tendency to drift over time to have open shoulders at address. Result being putts tug left, if I haven't twigged that I'm addressing open I then start trying to compensate after a couple of left misses by pushing right. What can also happen is shoulders being so open that putter gets rerouted on stroke which all feels horrible and body movements occur to try and compensate. I therefore currently have an alignment section to a putting practice session. Tends to need more attention after I've had an Osteo treatment on my back. I just take that as my brain needing to catch up and recalibrate the adjusted spine

Interesting JAS. How do you check shoulder alignment?

raycastleunited wrote:Interesting JAS. How do you check shoulder alignment?

Putting mirror is best but failing that an alignment stick for the feet & either another alignment stick or the putter itself. The footstick and shoulder stick should point in same direction. A buddy can help with the shoulder one which helps.

raycastleunited wrote:"Hey Swiss Toni, how do I choose the perfect putter?"
"Finding a putter is like making love to a beautiful woman. You have to spend a lot of money to get her, and once she's yours you have to caress her and treat her like the most special thing in the world. And when you think you have found the one, there's always another prettier model out there winking at you."

Thing is, that's more or less exactly right.

Davie wrote:

navyblueshorts wrote:...carpet putting...

Really?

Is that a problem for you?

Not for me, no

DUNBAR - is a treat. Haven't played it in the last couple of years but hear there's a new head greenkeeper working further wonders..
First 2 holes and 18th are a little meh (not terrible, more of a golf 'atmosphere' thing), but once you get down onto the 3rd green the test really commences.
Not too difficult tbh, plenty room for misses, just don't slice it over the wall. Not as fun/crazy as North Berwick though.

JAS wrote:

raycastleunited wrote:Interesting JAS. How do you check shoulder alignment?

Putting mirror is best but failing that an alignment stick for the feet & either another alignment stick or the putter itself. The footstick and shoulder stick should point in same direction. A buddy can help with the shoulder one which helps.

Thanks. I couldn't work out how you could check your alignment by yourself while taking your stance. The answer is a buddy!