It has been argued that the putter is the most important club in your golf bag and that 43% of all strokes in an average game are done with the putter. If that is the case, then it is important to make sure you have the right one! But where do you start?
Know your Putting Stroke
The first step is to find a putter that will work best with your natural putting swing. Do you swing your putter head along a path that is along a straight line both in the backswing and the forward swing matching your intended aim line? Alternatively, do you swing your putter head on a more natural path that is a slight arc or curved path relative to your intended aim line like a door swings on its hinges?
You can easily determine which path you swing along by positioning 2 alignment sticks on the ground like railroad tracks but about the width apart of your putter head. Now swing the putter like you are rolling the ball inside the sticks and notice which path the putter head wants to follow. If the path of the putter head remains inside the alignment sticks and parallel to them you have a more straight-line swing path. If you see the putter head swings over the closer alignment stick both during the backswing and the through swing you swing more along an arc path. Each of these swing paths will require a different design of putter head to help you maintain your swing path consistently.
Choose your Putter Head
There are basically two main styles of putter heads face balanced and toe balanced. A face-balanced putter (usually found in Mallet heads) has a design that has a higher moment of inertia (MOI), which simply helps; resist twisting of the putter head upon impact. This design is better suited to help a straight path swing motion.
The toe balanced putter head (usually a blade type putter) has a design with a lower MOI and the toe tends to be heavier allowing the head to rotate naturally during the swing. This design is much better suited to help the golfer swinging along an arc path.
Before you finalize your decision on the perfect putter for your stroke, check out this infographic and video for additional tips. When you are ready to make your purchase, be sure a professional is fitting the club to your height and arm length to assure you have the correct posture when you putt.
Once you have the perfect putter in your bag, you can quickly improve your putting game by joining more than 100 PGA tour pros now actively practicing their putting with “The Putting Stroke Teacher” training aid. Improve your putting and lower your scores by ordering one today and visit our website for helpful tips and drills! Enjoy your golf season!