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Inserts - Greenside Radio Question

SuperStroke
Well, seeing as I just received my Cleveland VP1 I'd better like inserts, hehe.

Pics and review inc as soon as the weather starts cooperating.
 
Both of my last 2 putters have had inserts, an Odyssey that's now about 10-12 years old, and my Golfsmith Enterprise which is 3 years old (starting its 4th season). I don't remember what it was like to putt without one. The Odyssey had a livelier insert than the Enterprise does, and now I prefer the softer contact. The current putter allows me to make a more aggressive stroke on short putts, making deceleration less likely and giving me a huge confidence boost. I may misread a putt, but I rarely start the ball off the line I've chosen.

I certainly putt better now than I ever have in my golfing life, so I have to say that for me, a soft insert is not only preferred, it's a necessity.
 
My first putter had an AGSI insert and I loved it for short putts, but the longer putts were extremely hard to align with the putter. My milled face is wonderful for feel, but I would lve to try the new AGSI and the aluminum insert SeeMore's.
 
I am pretty much a milled guy at this point in my young career. The Nike injection technology is pretty cool. I guess that would really be a hybrid milled/insert putter. I don't like the insert on my NCX-RAY because it is waaaayyyyy too springy. The ball just jumps off the face and I don't feel that I have control of it. The alignment is second to none, but I just feel like I am playing the, "Aim and Fire" game instead of feeling the ball kiss the face before it goes merrily on its way.
 
I am looking forward to listening to this when I have a chance. My knowledge of inserts could be written on a match book cover with crayon.
 
royalwulff said:
I am looking forward to listening to this when I have a chance. My knowledge of inserts could be written on a match book cover with crayon.
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I don't actually know any more than you do Tol.... I just know what works for me. Pure trial and error.... with a lot more error than anything. :laughing:
 
My Si3 has an insert and feels wonderfull, but I also like the feel of the SeeMore putter without an insert. Now i would just have to figure out a way to spend $350 on a SeeMore M series.
 
royalwulff said:
My Si3 has an insert and feels wonderfull, but I also like the feel of the SeeMore putter without an insert. Now i would just have to figure out a way to spend $350 on a SeeMore M series.
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Have you thought about the stainless fgp series? milled face on stainless that some say feels even better than the milled version. I love the feel of them and they are less than half the price.
 
JB said:
Have you thought about the stainless fgp series? milled face on stainless that some say feels even better than the milled version. I love the feel of them and they are less than half the price.
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I have not had a chance to try the FGP series, I just like the looks of the Si3 and the M8 and the M9. I do like the looks fo the fgp mallet though.
 
royalwulff said:
I have not had a chance to try the FGP series, I just like the looks of the Si3 and the M8 and the M9. I do like the looks fo the fgp mallet though.
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Yeah the fgp2 is one of my favorites and the stainless one is divine feeling. THe m8 and m9 also have inserts.
 
JB said:
Yeah the fgp2 is one of my favorites and the stainless one is divine feeling. THe m8 and m9 also have inserts.
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I will have to see about finding the Fgp2 in the stainless and give it a try.
 
I like brass inserts. I feel that they give a very soft feel without giving the dead feeling that I get from elasomer inserts. Ive tried a few Odyssey putters with elasomer inserts and I didnt like them at all.
 
For those in this thread, we are very curious, how many have listened to the Greenside show and the technical talk and education that Sean shared about inserts and putters in general?
 
JB said:
For those in this thread, we are very curious, how many have listened to the Greenside show and the technical talk and education that Sean shared about inserts and putters in general?
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Havent listened to it. Would love to though if its available online though.
 
The link is in the first post Bucky.
 
Smallville said:
The link is in the first post Bucky.
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Yeah, after I posted I thought to myself, "gee, I wonder if the link is somewhere in this thread" and guess what? It was. Anywho, I just listened to it and there was definetly some good info talked about.
I liked the, "jargon buster" segment about lie angle and Id definetly agree with what was said about putter fitting being important (especially the part about how having the toe of the putter off the ground can really mess up the roll of the ball due to the loft of the putter).
I also liked the part about where you guys said that not all insert materials are equal and just because someone may have tried an Odyssey before and not liked the insert that they shouldnt write off all insert putters because the feel of metal inserts can be very different from that of elasomer/plastic inserts.
Good stuff.
 
Glad you enjoyed it bucky. The THP Radio section of the home page is filled with radio shows. THe Greenside is a monthly show with Putterzone and THP while we also have 2 other shows.
In the Rough W/ JB & Golfer Gal which is a weekly show
Tour Talk W/ Jake & Dano is a semi monthly show
 
JB said:
Glad you enjoyed it bucky. The THP Radio section of the home page is filled with radio shows. THe Greenside is a monthly show with Putterzone and THP while we also have 2 other shows.
In the Rough W/ JB & Golfer Gal which is a weekly show
Tour Talk W/ Jake & Dano is a semi monthly show
Click to expand...

Yeah, it was cool. It was interesting to actually hear your voice after talking with you on this forum so many times.
 
The next episode will be up tomorrow for those that are interested. It is a good show and has tons of new information.
 
Inserts for me fall into four categories.
1. Ones held in by tape. (Odyssey and I am sure some others)
2. Inserts secured in place and caulking is used to fill the gaps.
3. Inserts that fit tightly and are held in place by screws or some other material (The Bobby Grace falls into this line)
4. Supposedly Superior Roll Inserts

Personally the only ones I will put with are in line no 3. Bobby's insert is great, and it should be, he has invested a ton of money and research into his inserts rather than just throwing something in the putters. Tape obviously can cause issues. Caulking changes the feel too much by absorbing too much vibration. "Superior roll inserts" work great on showroom carpet. However all of the Nationwide staffers we have worked with did not believe in the technology with the majority of them believing that the depression in the green that the ball rests in(which varies depending upon the course grass and conditions) causes too much issue. Those that did not believe in them do not think that 2 or 2 or 2.5 degrees of loft is enough to get the ball out of the depression, and instead the low loft pushes the ball more into the depression and causes issues, especially late in the afternoon when the grass has grown.

I am not a Nationwide player nor do I play on many of their courses. These are not my findings just what I was told by them, and many of them could be getting paid to play insert putters, and instead play a standard milled putter.
 
That is surprising considering how many Nationwide guys are playing Rife Putters. The latest Golf Datatech shows a pretty large marketshare/playershare.
 
JB,
I did not meet will all of the Nationwide guys. I met with about 15 of them, none of them played an insert putter. They all had tried Rife, Nike, TM and they all felt the same issue, not enough loft to get the ball out of the depression the ball itself creates on the green on greens that are not as hard and smooth as are on the PGA Tour. Now they all did say they play some courses that have just as nice greens, but play too many that are not that they did not want to switch putters all the time.
 
If I can roll the line intended with the speed intended I don't care if it has an insert or not.The putters I've had with inserts did neither but I don't think the insert was the reason.The putter that has saved me from the dreaded three putt and gives me the confidence that makes me think I'll sink the putt every time doesn't have an insert but it was made to my specs as far as weight,length, and lie angle which actually matters more for me.All the rest I've had were off the rack so it's apples to oranges.
 
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