Center shafted putters
For me, the center shaft adds a bit of an alignment aid. Also, based on a tip another THPer received during a putter fitting, they help me square the face more consistently and avoid pushed putts.
Feel wont really change based on where the shaft comes in to the putter head. However, for many, including myself, I feel that a center shaft on a putter helps me keep the head straight through impact on my putting stroke.
More than anything, the center shafted putters typically "fit" my eye at address a bit more than heel shafted or plumbers neck style putters.
More than anything, the center shafted putters typically "fit" my eye at address a bit more than heel shafted or plumbers neck style putters.
P.J.
Active member
Center shafted putters are typically face balanced. Face balanced putters tend to work best with a straight back straight through stroke. Heel shafted has lots of toe hang typically working for people with a strong arc in their putting stroke. When you putt does the face open up on your back swing or does it stay pretty close to square with your target line?
Tappin it up
Tappin it up
- Thread starter
- #5
I struggle when I open the face on the way back, I usually try to keep it square but let the face close slightly on follow through... If that makes sense.
P.J.
Active member
Absolutely makes sense. Without seeing you putt it would he hard to prescribe a putter style. But it sounds like you would do well with a center shafted putter. Actually one putter style you should really consider is a seemore putter. Jman and others can chime in on that. Don't own one myself but have rolled them and they feel great. Slight offset from center and the best alignment setup on the planet. Plenty of reasonably priced gently used ones to test out.
Tappin it up
I feel like center-shafted putters aren't too terribly different than heel-shafted in terms of feel with on-center hits. I've got milled center-shafted and heel-shafted putters, and when you put it on the middle of the face, they both provide great contact. Center-shafted provides more feedback on off-center hits, but knowing you hit it wrong doesn't bring the bad shot back.
I think center-shafted makes for a slightly more intuitive alignment, as seen with the SeeMore center-shafted putters. My CS putter (a Rife Trinidad) has a top-line that is slightly wider than the shaft as you address the ball, and so provides a sort of feeling that if I can see the top-line on both sides of the shaft with my right eye, I'm confident I'm lined up right (it's not nearly as good as RST, but I paid about half what I would for a SeeMore. I regret nothing.) Also, my putter has about 3/4 toe hang, and I hit it best when I'm putting a decent amount of arc in my swing and not manipulating the putter face.
It's pretty subjective. I think when your putting fundamentals are good (and I'm not saying mine are) you can putt with a block of wood on a broomstick. Ultimately it comes down to look, feel, and the feeling of how power put into the swing will translate to roll on the ball. If you like how a center-shafted putter looks, and you like the feel of the milling/insert, then go for it. I still can't totally put mine away, though it's not currently in my bag.
I think center-shafted makes for a slightly more intuitive alignment, as seen with the SeeMore center-shafted putters. My CS putter (a Rife Trinidad) has a top-line that is slightly wider than the shaft as you address the ball, and so provides a sort of feeling that if I can see the top-line on both sides of the shaft with my right eye, I'm confident I'm lined up right (it's not nearly as good as RST, but I paid about half what I would for a SeeMore. I regret nothing.) Also, my putter has about 3/4 toe hang, and I hit it best when I'm putting a decent amount of arc in my swing and not manipulating the putter face.
It's pretty subjective. I think when your putting fundamentals are good (and I'm not saying mine are) you can putt with a block of wood on a broomstick. Ultimately it comes down to look, feel, and the feeling of how power put into the swing will translate to roll on the ball. If you like how a center-shafted putter looks, and you like the feel of the milling/insert, then go for it. I still can't totally put mine away, though it's not currently in my bag.
TNTCigarguy
2014 #THPMC @TntCigarguy
I dont think I could say it any better. I really fits my eye well. I have become quite fond of them.
Scrap Iron
On The Eh Team
This, well said War.
Wicked Cool Bearded Man
4thegolf+4thefriends
I think you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't try SeeMore. Also the Cleveland Smart Square is AWESOME.
deuce
Grenade!
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There are literally tons of options, and you won't know which ones work best for you until you go and try them out. I only have center shafted putters, all of which I like, and which are made by Yes!, Odyssey, GEL, STX, and SeeMore. Some can be had for relatively cheap (older Yes! and GEL models), and others for a very reasonable price (Odyssey, STX, and SeeMore).
- Thread starter
- #14
Yes, I plan to try whatever is in the store... Then I usually start digging online for what I liked.
One other thing to consider about center shaft putters is face rotation. Due to the design, the face doesnt open and close as much as a heel shafted putter, which makes it easier to be more consistent and more accurate with it.
I dont really buy into the thinking of face balanced and straight back straight through but as a rule, center shaft putters have less face rotation.
I dont really buy into the thinking of face balanced and straight back straight through but as a rule, center shaft putters have less face rotation.
- Staff
- #16
It actually comes back more to the actual heel/toe weighting of the model at hand, typically CS is automatically considered face-balanced but depending on the weight distribution and the head shape a good bit of hang can be built into them as well.
P.J.
Active member
Very true. And adjusting lie angle plays a factor as well does it not? Moving upright increases toe hang iirc
- Staff
- #18
It can a bit, usually in 1-2* increments though it won't serve a noticeable change, but by rule you are def correct.
JOEE
New member
I'd feel as if I wasn't holding the putter square to the hole with a centre shafted putter. I use the trick of creating a triangle with the shaft, nose of the putter and the ball.