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Putter lesson or fitting ??

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erock9174

erock9174

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I feel like I putt pretty decent (32.8 putts per rd) but according to shot scope I putt like a 23 cap player and I’m around a 7-8 hcp.

I seem to start the ball on line and read greens pretty well but my main issue is leaving putts short. Therefore I tend to putt better on faster greens but most of the greens I play roll slower.

would you guys recommend a lesson first or a fitting ?

last year I gamed an Anser like plumbers neck putter and then mid season this year switched to a cobra stingray 40 mallet similar to a spider X. I thought I was an improvement but shot scope didn’t think so.
 
erock9174 said:
I feel like I putt pretty decent (32.8 putts per rd) but according to shot scope I putt like a 23 cap player and I’m around a 7-8 hcp.

I seem to start the ball on line and read greens pretty well but my main issue is leaving putts short. Therefore I tend to putt better on faster greens but most of the greens I play roll slower.

would you guys recommend a lesson first or a fitting ?

last year I gamed an Anser like plumbers neck putter and then mid season this year switched to a cobra stingray 40 mallet similar to a spider X. I thought I was an improvement but shot scope didn’t think so.
Click to expand...
I’d get fit if it was me, but luckily enough at ECPC Nick did the fitting and gave great advice to improve and it worked out terrific. I also had a issue of leaving many putts short and the SAM lab was a great tool to show what I was doing well and could improve on. Nick gave some great tips and it has helped quite a bit in consistency alone.
 
Probably a lesson, and if that doesn't work then go get a fitting. In another thread I mentioned how Jason Kokrak has won something like 3 of his last 28 Tour events. Why? Because he has a putter that fits him now. He got fitted at the Bettinardi studio in Chicago.

I putt better now than I ever have in my life, and I'm 69 years old! And my problem was the same as yours. I'd nail the line, but leave the putt 6" to a foot short. Or further away on longer putts. Never got anything to the hole. Didn't help that I had a crappy putter. Then, I managed to finagle my buddy's Odyssey White Hot away from him! He had sold me a set of TM Burner irons, and immediately started bemoaning his loss of the gap wedge. He loved that club, I couldn't hit it worth a crap! Then he let it slip that he had a new Odyssey putter on the way! When he announced that he was going to pick it, I casually asked if he still wanted that gap wedge.

Hell, yeah! So, we made the trade. I had putted with his putter before and loved it! He had the biggest Super Stroke grip on it, which was too big for my hands, and was getting kind of slick anyway. I went to the golf store and found a slightly oversize Lamkin paddle that fit my hands perfectly and had it installed. Been sweet ever since!
 
Buckeyegolfnut said:
Probably a lesson, and if that doesn't work then go get a fitting. In another thread I mentioned how Jason Kokrak has won something like 3 of his last 28 Tour events. Why? Because he has a putter that fits him now. He got fitted at the Bettinardi studio in Chicago.

I putt better now than I ever have in my life, and I'm 69 years old! And my problem was the same as yours. I'd nail the line, but leave the putt 6" to a foot short. Or further away on longer putts. Never got anything to the hole. Didn't help that I had a crappy putter. Then, I managed to finagle my buddy's Odyssey White Hot away from him! He had sold me a set of TM Burner irons, and immediately started bemoaning his loss of the gap wedge. He loved that club, I couldn't hit it worth a crap! Then he let it slip that he had a new Odyssey putter on the way! When he announced that he was going to pick it, I casually asked if he still wanted that gap wedge.

Hell, yeah! So, we made the trade. I had putted with his putter before and loved it! He had the biggest Super Stroke grip on it, which was too big for my hands, and was getting kind of slick anyway. I went to the golf store and found a slightly oversize Lamkin paddle that fit my hands perfectly and had it installed. Been sweet ever since!
Click to expand...

Did you get fit or just stumble upon a putter that worked ?
 
💯 do a legit putter fitting first. Made a tremendous difference for me. I also was given some tips from my fitter. A person who knows how to use SAM PuttLab correctly and interpret the data with you is awesome. Once I quit fighting my putter, I got better.
 
fitting. a good fitter can spot issues in your stroke (if any) and recommend some drills or setup changes, and find a putter that will help.
 
There’s a place locally that does the SAM lab fittings. Gonna go that route.
 
erock9174 said:
There’s a place locally that does the SAM lab fittings. Gonna go that route.
Click to expand...

I think that's the right call. The beauty of a SAM fitting is not only will it benefit you by knowing what equipment is right for you, it will also teach you much more about your stroke than you could possibly know without that tech. And a good fitter can also give you solid tips based on that. So really it's kinda like a combo between a lesson and a fitting. Good fittings teach you a lot more about your game than just what clubs to buy.
 
My game plan would be this.

Take a lesson and see if you could learn to adjust your stroke based on green speed.
Get a fitting to see if there is a putter that is easier to control pace based on green speed.
Get a fitting and see if there is a putter that you could adjust weight based on green speed so you can keep your same stroke.
 
erock9174 said:
There’s a place locally that does the SAM lab fittings. Gonna go that route.
Click to expand...

I would have a conversation with the fitter in your area that has the SAM PuttLab and just have them walk through the fitting process with you. See what kind of questions they might ask, a little information about how they do the fitting process and then let them know you are a little concerned about your stroke and see if they might be able to provide you some drills or something to help with that. If they get the loft right on your putter, you might find that the ball rolls better and you don't leave them as short. I can't wait to hear how the process goes for you and how your game improves. A putter fitting is a must!
 
I think a fitting sounds like a good idea. The appropriate loft can make sure you're getting the ideal launch conditions for the slower greens you often play. Proper loft will get the ball rolling well instead of energy lost from launch angle that is too high or low.

And that's only one aspect of a good putter fitting that could benefit you.
 
hmm... I thought I was a good putter (I was better than average for my index) but did a fitting that kind of doubled as a lesson (look up ultimate putter fitting on this site and you can go back in time to relieve it).

After a significant change in what I was playing I had large improvements on the greens. I have tried other putters, but always end up back in that putter that I was fit for.

So I would advise a putter fitting as I think it could be pretty informative.
 
erock9174 said:
I feel like I putt pretty decent (32.8 putts per rd) but according to shot scope I putt like a 23 cap player and I’m around a 7-8 hcp.

I seem to start the ball on line and read greens pretty well but my main issue is leaving putts short. Therefore I tend to putt better on faster greens but most of the greens I play roll slower.

would you guys recommend a lesson first or a

last year I gamed an Anser like plumbers neck putter and then mid season this year switched to a cobra stingray 40 mallet similar to a spider X. I thought I was an improvement but shot scope didn’t think so.
Click to expand...

I'd never tell a golfer not to get lessons, or a fitting. I just might recommend the. lessons first.

I had the same "leaving the ball short" putting problem, when I started playing. I had read something from some famous swing guru that dying the ball at the hole was the best way to putt. The benefit was a much shorter next putt

Later on I found my own swing guru who started me rolling the ball to a point 1'-2' feet past the hole on level putts. I would adjust that rolling point for uphill, and down hill putts. This on my chosen line. It eventually saved me 4+/- putts per round. I have averaged right around 28 putts per round since that instruction. .....once I get on the green.

Sure, when I missed, I had knee knocker coming back, but over time, I endorsed the benefits of aggressive putting, and my knees stopped knocking.
 
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I'd get fit first because I feel like through that fitting your might actual get a little lesson that you can apply. Plus you'll know if you're playing the right type of putter.
 
Some have already said this, but a good fitter can provide some pretty good tips on technique as well if they see some inconsistency or something that needs improved. They'll ask all sorts of questions that could give them some insight on what to look for.
 
Some mentioned the loft of the putter is key. And at the fitting they will dial the loft in.

My current cobra has the SIC face which I thought was geared towards always having the same ideal loft imparted on the ball at impact?
 
erock9174 said:
Some mentioned the loft of the putter is key. And at the fitting they will dial the loft in.

My current cobra has the SIC face which I thought was geared towards always having the same ideal loft imparted on the ball at impact?
Click to expand...

Yes, but it still needs to be adjusted to the loft you need. Then the Sik face is designed to always provide that loft at impact even when your angle of attack slightly changes.

I have a Sik on the way too.
 
erock9174 said:
Some mentioned the loft of the putter is key. And at the fitting they will dial the loft in.

My current cobra has the SIC face which I thought was geared towards always having the same ideal loft imparted on the ball at impact?
Click to expand...
Assuming you are in the correct impact position and hit the corresponding loft on the face I’d say yes but knowing your needed loft on good strikes would still be highly beneficial in a case that the putter now is 1-4* depending on strike but you have a steeper angle say -2* would leave you still needing a loft adjustment albeit a rather severe example to accommodate it.
 
by chance, I gave a face balanced mallot putter a try about 5 years ago and it almost instantly cured short putt syndrome. years later I was fitted into a version optimized for my stroke. if you could get out on a real green with a handful of putters to see if anything naturally reonates with you that would be my 2 cents.
 
erock9174 said:
Some mentioned the loft of the putter is key. And at the fitting they will dial the loft in.

My current cobra has the SIC face which I thought was geared towards always having the same ideal loft imparted on the ball at impact?
Click to expand...

My personal experience would say otherwise. What I saw was the length of the putter was the most important thing. Getting your eyes in the right spot is a huge and then for me it got me on a much shallower arc which improved strike of the ball by going to a shorter putter.
 
Why not get both. I did a SAM and that was more to fine tune shaft length/loft for pulling /pushing putts
Leaving putts shorts especially inside 12 feet needs a lesson IMO
Learning to putt so the ball ends 1-2 feet past the cup
I had a lesson that changed my posture more over the ball from upright and I look to take the putter back enough deliver speed for ball to go past 2 feet if I miss
I don’t look at the putter path I look a spot how far back I need to take the putter back for the amount of distance to the hole
 
Hey guys, wanted to provide an update:

Went in for a fitting as my local fitting center.

I got there a little early so they told me to go into the basement and roll a few putts.
I mainly focused on a hole in the back, looked too be about a 10-12' putt. I was pitiful with both my Bettinardi and Cobra. Kept leaving both putters short and the entire time...probably rolled 25 putts to that hole I only made 1 and of the other 24 putts I think I got the ball past the hole once. It was like I just had a mental block and couldn't add the pace it needed.

Fitter came down and asked me a few questions about my putting game. I told him that according to Shot Scope putting is the worst part of my game.
As showed him the following stats:

Bettinardi BB29
I leave putts short 55% of the time
Putts per round: 32.4
Putts per GIR: 2.0
Strokes lost to a 0 cap for putting: 2.57

With my Cobra about the same:
I leave putts short 59% of the time
Putts per round: 32.5
Putts per GIR: 2.0
Strokes lost to a 0 cap for putting: 2.35

Pretty much the only handicap range I don't lose strokes putting is to someone playing around a 23-25 cap.
So I told him, it doesn't seem like mallet or blade that either are better or worse for me.

I told him that I feel like I start putts on line but that my miss is always short. Especially on lag putts.
And that lately I am wreck with trying to get my eyes over the ball. he said too many people focus on that and actually if you get your eyes over the ball usually people tend to adjust at address and get too far over it if not past the ball. So he suggested just setting up with what felt natural. he took a look and said I was fine there. That was with my Cobra playing at 32.5" roughly. I told him I had been choking down all the way to the end of the grip and he said it wasn't necessary going that short.

He watched me roll a few from that 10-12 foot spot.

Then he put a ball around 3', 7', 15', 23' and 30' out.
He went through a lengthy discussion on how basketball players look at the rim the entire time before shooting a foul shot, how other sports always focus on the goal but how in putting, we look at the ball.
So he said, before every putt he wanted me to step away from the ball, and while looking at the hole, take 3 strokes back and forth without stopping. Then step up to the ball, look one final time and then putt. He said that should get the body and mind working on the distance control aspect.

So I took his advice and made the 3 footer, made the 7 footer, nearly missed on the 15, 23 and 30, all of them ended up within a foot of the cup though and actually got them all to the hole if not a little past. he was like, wouldn't you be happy on the course with those?...and I said absolutely, especially the 30 footer as lately those have been 3 putts for me leaving them way too short.

He proceeded up to their fitting room. Had me take my cobra putter and he affixed a little mirror to the toe and also the SAM tool gizmo to the shaft of my cobra putter.
It had a little laser thing and there was a grid on the wall just beyond the hole. He had me aim the laser at a couple points while the computer system took some calibrations.

He had me hit 5 putts from directly across from the main SAM unit. He then brought up my numbers. He said the loft and lie looked fine so there was really nothing to adjust there.
The 2 main data points he focuses on are Consistency and Direction/Aim.
My consistency with stroke and face angle were 97% so he said, no issues there.
But the other metric showed I was aiming 1.3* closed and during my stroke the toe hang of my cobra putter (being a short slant with some toe hang) was causing another 1.7* closed face. He said on a putt of 9' if you are off a total of more than 1* you will miss the putt.
They also have a chart showing your stroke arc and he said mine was really straight back straight through. I know I used to be strong arc back in the day but knew I was getting straighter in the last year or so. Both my putters are for an arc style path so neither were a good fit.
One more recommendation he said was that for a 9-10 putt I don't need to take the putter head back as far. he said to my back foot is all I need and then accelerate through. He said the excess back stroke can just cause issues and put you offline easier.

Before having me try anything, he said to line up as if I was going to putt the ball and he put this orange squishy ball between my hands.. he said to make a mock stroke then he measured where I felt natural which ended up being a 32" length.

We got back to the aim thing and he said that sometimes the larger mallets like my Cobra are tough to aim straight.
He asked if I had a feel preference, hard, med or soft and I said honestly I am open to anything.

So he had me try two 32" faced balanced putters with smaller more mini mallet type heads.

One was a Ping CA70 which is the half moon look. it looked a little odd at address but I made all 5 with it. and was really easy to line up.

Then he had me try and Mizuno M. Craft VI which is kind of a smaller fang/#7 type shape.
Shape wasn't bad, made 4-5 but the finish was chrome and looked cheap to me even though I think its a fully milled putter and higher priced.

I didn't get any numbers on those but he then said, given my stroke was consistent he would prefer me in a more blade like head. He grabbed a Cleveland Huntington Beach Premier #8 which is a slightly oversized Anser type but face balanced.
Said its hard to find face balanced in blade type putters and wished more companies made them.

https://www.clevelandgolf.com/en/putters-/huntington-beach-soft-premier-8-putter/MHBSP8.html
I made 5-5 on the SAM green. Then he said, take it downstairs and try it out.
So I went back to that 10-12' spot and made my first 3 and the other two stopped about a foot past the hole both nearly missing. I then did the 5/10/15/25/30 test and had no issues with the speed control.

He said he couldn't do better than this one for me and recommended it highly. They only had a 34" in stock...he fitted me to 32" and so he ordered me one in that length. And I asked about the paint fill cause I know Cleveland will do custom paint fill so I went with this:
1642276080742.png


I kinda laughed when I said I never thought I would land on a Cleveland putter and he said that both Cleveland and Wilsons tend to always do well in his putter fittings and that best of all they are cheaper compared to both brands and have a lot of options to fit people with.
Not sure when it will be in but definitely have some time before spring golf starts up.

Kinda one of those chicken or the eggs thing but I think his tip/drill about taking the 3 practice strokes before each putt will be as if not more beneficial to my game.
So curious to see how it ends up working for me.
 
Best of luck with your new putter.

My new putter should be ready to pick up within the next few days. I also have a tendency to get yips and leave putts short, and that's something my fitter kept in mind. In the end, he could see I had the most confidence when putting with this particular model.

I should also mention he gave me some tips on getting more consistent distance control and tempo, and it's honestly in line with what I do for chipping. I like that consistency with all the clubs, and now it's on me to practice and get it right.
 
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I picked it up Wed, come to find out there was a miscommunication and they gave me one they had in stock (shortened to my specs) vs ordering it from Cleveland with the lime Paint Fill I wanted. Due to the mishap they took $15 off the fitting fee. No big deal. I can do my own paint fill.
 
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