Going Through a Putter Fitting at Club Champion

Jman

Golf Scrivener
Albatross 2024 Club
Staff member
Joined
Jan 20, 2010
Messages
179,354
Reaction score
93,986
Location
Oklahoma
Handicap
3.4
Is there an aspect of the game as impactful on confidence, both positive and negative, then one’s performance on the greens? Shape, balance, stroke, weight, loft, lie, length, and a seemingly infinite number of other things are at play which makes it easy to get overwhelmed. Fortunately, putter fitting and its benefits are very real and accessible.

This article will have a little more personal flavor to it than I typically write, but I think the experience and journey is worth it. Historically, I’ve always been a very solid putter, but in the last year or so all of my testing and tinkering on the greens had mentally caught up with me. I lost sight of precisely what worked for my stroke from a putter design standpoint as well as just where my stroke was.

Continue reading...
 
Great article, reading this makes me realize i should get in to get fit, which i lived a little closer to one.

After they adjusted your Mizuno, were you able to use the SAM again and were you able to record any improvements?
 
Intrigued by the amount of data the Sam lab has available to the golfer and fitter. One of these days I need to get my butt to a Club Champion. Good review as always James!
 
Great article and experience there.

I think I would also have gone with more than 0 loft. 1 degree sounds like it is still quite low, but of course you can always adjust it if your on course experience isn’t as expected.

I went through a fitting a number of years ago at the TaylorMade Kingdom and they also recommended less loft for me (2 degrees). Funny, I apparently launch my putter too much and my driver not enough.
 
  • Thread starter
  • Staff
  • #5
Great article, reading this makes me realize i should get in to get fit, which i lived a little closer to one.

After they adjusted your Mizuno, were you able to use the SAM again and were you able to record any improvements?
Not on SAM, but on the course the improvements have been pretty eye opening for me. The roll now is exponentially quicker and tighter, and it’s also lead to some adjustment as my pace is back. In the article I mentioned I felt like I had to put more on putts to get them to the hole, the loft adjustment has more than rectified that.

Combined with some thoughts “inside and down the line” that Jacob gave me as well as going out and getting a training aid he recommended for my type of stroke, and my putting is in a better place than it’s been in years.
 
Is there a point whet a golfer becomes so overwhelmed with data that they modify their stroke to fit the club vice tailoring the club to fit the stroke?. And, if so how dangerous might that be, at least short term to scoring?

I used to play anser style blade putters, moved this year to 7s fang style. The difference for me has been very significant, improvement has been remarkable. I don't think I've changed anything in my stroke but I have practiced more using an accelerator style mat for 3,5,and 7 ft putts.

I'll assume the putter and practice made the difference, I wonder though if i stayed with a blade how much difference there may have been.
 
Been waiting for this one. Heard a little bit about it on off course.

Great stuff!
 
That very closely mirrors my experience with a putter fitting at CC. I was very happy with the experience and felt it was worth the $100.
 
  • Thread starter
  • Staff
  • #9
Is there a point whet a golfer becomes so overwhelmed with data that they modify their stroke to fit the club vice tailoring the club to fit the stroke?. And, if so how dangerous might that be, at least short term to scoring?

I used to play anser style blade putters, moved this year to 7s fang style. The difference for me has been very significant, improvement has been remarkable. I don't think I've changed anything in my stroke but I have practiced more using an accelerator style mat for 3,5,and 7 ft putts.

I'll assume the putter and practice made the difference, I wonder though if i stayed with a blade how much difference there may have been.
This wasn’t a modification of my stroke, it was a fitting the putter to my stroke. Did we discuss some drills and things to help with even more consistency than I have currently? Absolutely. But that isn’t fitting the stroke to the club, it’s why I wanted to write this piece on the fitting and rundown the process for everyone.

Club Champion and Jacob used SAM to fit the putter to my stroke, and the nice thing about CC is they’re all trained to be able to convey the SAM info to the person being fit in an easily digestible way.

Is there a specific shape that fits my stroke better according to SAM? Yes. But the breakdown of all that with Jacob was that I’m consistent enough I can putt with whatever I want and have success, but I do put loft on the putters so they need to be bent. Additionally, I need to stay in that 30-45 degree hang department.
 
That very closely mirrors my experience with a putter fitting at CC. I was very happy with the experience and felt it was worth the $100.
Definitely worth it IMO. For what you get, it’s a great peace of mind thing.
 
This wasn’t a modification of my stroke, it was a fitting the putter to my stroke. Did we discuss some drills and things to help with even more consistency than I have currently? Absolutely. But that isn’t fitting the stroke to the club, it’s why I wanted to write this piece on the fitting and rundown the process for everyone.

Club Champion and Jacob used SAM to fit the putter to my stroke, and the nice thing about CC is they’re all trained to be able to convey the SAM info to the person being fit in an easily digestible way.

Is there a specific shape that fits my stroke better according to SAM? Yes. But the breakdown of all that with Jacob was that I’m consistent enough I can putt with whatever I want and have success, but I do put loft on the putters so they need to be bent. Additionally, I need to stay in that 30-45 degree hang department.
Thanks, I was not trying too suggest that the fitting was for a modification of one's stroke. I was trying too suggest, or maybe just wonder, if some people might try to force a new stoke on an ill fitting club. I could have stated that better-thanks for clarifying. I think I did exactly that, tried to make the blade work because I like the look better, vice playing what works best for me, at least based on the honeymoon phase!
 
Is there a point whet a golfer becomes so overwhelmed with data that they modify their stroke to fit the club vice tailoring the club to fit the stroke?. And, if so how dangerous might that be, at least short term to scoring?

I used to play anser style blade putters, moved this year to 7s fang style. The difference for me has been very significant, improvement has been remarkable. I don't think I've changed anything in my stroke but I have practiced more using an accelerator style mat for 3,5,and 7 ft putts.

I'll assume the putter and practice made the difference, I wonder though if i stayed with a blade how much difference there may have been.

I think that is the benefit of the fitter. You don't really need any data as long as you trust your fitter.
 
Great write- up James. Sounds like an amazing experience. I went through the same fitting, at a different CC location, last July but it was not near as comprehensive as you are describing. Did leave with some very insightful information though.
 
Great write- up James. Sounds like an amazing experience. I went through the same fitting, at a different CC location, last July but it was not near as comprehensive as you are describing. Did leave with some very insightful information though.
Thanks buddy. All I know is if I had access to SAM all the time, I’d spend hours and hours and hours on it :love:
 
Great article and experience there.

I think I would also have gone with more than 0 loft. 1 degree sounds like it is still quite low, but of course you can always adjust it if your on course experience isn’t as expected.

I went through a fitting a number of years ago at the TaylorMade Kingdom and they also recommended less loft for me (2 degrees). Funny, I apparently launch my putter too much and my driver not enough.
But, 1* is perfect as it fits. Based on my AoA with putter, loft had to come down. My Mizuno was already lower than stock loft (was at 3 iirc, stock is 4) but it was crystal clear the effect the change had. And it’s 100% carried over onto three different outdoor green speeds.

I trusted the fitter, because he and the information know more than I do, that’s the beauty of a fitting.
 
Great work, James. Having been through a CC putter fitting, that was a very fun and enlightening read.
 
Really a good write up on what appears to be a great experience.
Nothing wrong with getting your "Hunches" verified.
 
But, 1* is perfect as it fits. Based on my AoA with putter, loft had to come down. My Mizuno was already lower than stock loft (was at 3 iirc, stock is 4) but it was crystal clear the effect the change had. And it’s 100% carried over onto three different outdoor green speeds.

I trusted the fitter, because he and the information know more than I do, that’s the beauty of a fitting.

And I don't dispute that. Only thing I would say is (and of course you are aware of this), your home course greens are not identical to the artificial turf you were fit on.

I personally liken it to getting "perfect" launch conditions on a LM in a bay with your driver, then finding out you can't hit it on course. Not to say that will happen, just to say it could. Only you can judge and adjust if you deem it necessary.
 
And I don't dispute that. Only thing I would say is (and of course you are aware of this), your home course greens are not identical to the artificial turf you were fit on.

I personally liken it to getting "perfect" launch conditions on a LM in a bay with your driver, then finding out you can't hit it on course. Not to say that will happen, just to say it could. Only you can judge and adjust if you deem it necessary.

I guess I would ask how would the turf impact how you deliver a putter to ball, right?
 
Loved reading this and I too consider myself a great Putter. This was quite eye opening read and I will have to check out CC and quite possibly head in for a fitting.
 
Gah I want to go back!!! We kind of glossed over putters in my full bag fitting as I was focused on drivers and wedges. I could see this being greatly impactful on the greens!
 
And I don't dispute that. Only thing I would say is (and of course you are aware of this), your home course greens are not identical to the artificial turf you were fit on.

I personally liken it to getting "perfect" launch conditions on a LM in a bay with your driver, then finding out you can't hit it on course. Not to say that will happen, just to say it could. Only you can judge and adjust if you deem it necessary.
As I also mentioned, it’s been rolled on three different surfaces already, and more detail on that is it has been at three different speeds and two different grass types.
 
Great article, you have me wanting to go for a putter fitting
 
Loved reading this and I too consider myself a great Putter. This was quite eye opening read and I will have to check out CC and quite possibly head in for a fitting.
Gah I want to go back!!! We kind of glossed over putters in my full bag fitting as I was focused on drivers and wedges. I could see this being greatly impactful on the greens!

It’s $100 worth of fun. Even if you don’t buy a putter (my gamer w/a loft and length adjustment would’ve been a good fit), the fitting is educational. I wouldn’t have known that I needed less loft. I also wouldn’t have known that my best fit was a 37” putter.
 
I guess I would ask how would the turf impact how you deliver a putter to ball, right?

Correct, but depending on the turf the ball is resting on, you may need different "launch" conditions to get the ball up and rolling. For slow, hairy greens, I'd imagine you'd want more loft on your putter to get the ball up a bit more. Perhaps bent grass vs. burmuda....etc., etc..

From what I read, Xander S. uses a monitor for his putter and adjusts it based on the green conditions. Same idea I'm referring to here.
 
Back
Top