A putter is a golf club designed to be only used at the end of the game. Putters are not used to hit the ball as hard as you can, but they are used for slow and controlled movements that will direct the ball into the hole. While the putter is only used once in a game, that doesn’t mean that they’re not as important as your other clubs.
Quite the contrary, in fact, as putters need to be of premium quality to avoid any embarrassment. Have you ever been on the green, so near the hole that you’re certain that you’re going to get the ball in with one final hit, only for it to completely miss?
Once this happens you’re left embarrassed and trying to compensate for the mistake you just made. You hit the ball again, miss again. As the embarrassment rises you get flustered and continue to miss the shot. You finally get the ball into the hole with an awkward score and a bright red face.
To avoid this, it’s best to opt for the right putter for you. Let’s take a look at the different types of putters available for you so that you don’t put yourself in this nightmare of a situation, shall we?
Clubhead design
A traditional putter is shaped like a blade putter, with a thin clubhead and not much weight behind it. However, there have been recent developments that have seen mallet putter’s popularity skyrocket. A mallet putter is a lot more 3D and has more evenly distributed weight behind it.
The most common putters; however, fall somewhere between these two extremes. The mallet putter is much heavier than the blade putter, meaning that it offers a long roll with less force.
A big thing to remember when it comes to putters is that it’s all about the feel of the club. Golfers are able to determine how hard they should hit the ball by the feel of their putter. If the feel is not very good, golfers will struggle to know how much force to put behind their hit.
Putter stroke path
Putters can have either an arc stroke path or a straight stroke path. Blade putters are better suited to golfers who prefer an arc stroke while mallet putters are better used by people who like a straight stroke path.
Again, this comes down to the individual feel of the putter through the eyes of the golfer. You’re much more likely to achieve quality shots with a putter that you get on well with and can feel properly rather than one that is not suited to your personal preference.
Heel vs center shafted putters
Heel shafted putters have the shaft positioned at the end of the clubface and therefore offer no offset to the golfer. Offset is where the hands are ahead of the golf ball which can give you a better accurate shot as well as better impact.
On the other hand, center shafted putters have the shaft attached in the middle of the clubface which allows your hands to be ahead of the ball while you’re taking your shot. Many beginners and professionals alike enjoy using center shafted putters over the alternative.
Putters for beginners
While putters seem to be the least of a golfer’s problem, they can still be difficult to master when you’re just getting into golf. The low loft can throw some golfers off their game and people forget that you have to hit the ball at the exact angle that you want the ball to travel.
Putters are not very forgiving and the head is rather small and thin, meaning that there is almost no sweet spot for you to take advantage of. For this reason, you need to look for the best putters for beginners.
Not knowing how to use a putter properly, or having one that doesn’t suit your style and preference, can severely damage your handicap. You might be a better handicap than you think due to using the wrong putter!
Finding the best putter for you can prevent you from remaining at a high handicap status. You might even see an impressive drop in your handicap when you change putters, putting you down from a higher handicap to a mid handicap.
Overall, putters are one of the most important clubs when it comes to golf, but they’re also regarded as the most forgotten about. If you’re struggling with your putter at the moment, you’ll likely see an improvement within a short period of time after changing your putter.
There is more than one type of putter, so don’t just go for the first one that you see. As with any golf club, you need to research before you buy. It might even be beneficial to rent some different putters to get a feel of them before you invest!