Blade VS Mallet for straight back stroke

MetroCat

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I know a blade is recommended for an arc stroke and mallet for straight back. But if you have a straight steady back stroke shouldn't you be able to use either? How would an even consistent straight back and forward stroke be bad for a blade?
 
It’s not really a matter of blade vs mallet, it’s more a matter of face balanced vs toe hang putters. Face balanced is generally better for a straighter stroke, toe hang for an arc stroke.
 
Every putting stroke has some arc in it so there is no true SBST. I think if you are real close to SBST, then find a putter that is the most face balanced because any putter with toe hang won't work well with your stroke.

As far as blade or mallet, that is a personal preference of what you like to look at imo. mallet will be more forgiving.
 
It’s not really a matter of blade vs mallet, it’s more a matter of face balanced vs toe hang putters. Face balanced is generally better for a straighter stroke, toe hang for an arc stroke.
Exactly this. They both work as long as there is very little or no toe hang.
 
There are mallet/semi mallets with toe hang but most think of mallets as purely face balanced and that is not always the case. A little arc in all putting strokes as mentioned in previous posting. Recommend something like a SAM putter fitting to see how you come through impact to help identify your stroke characteristics. I play both blade/strong arc/toe hang and face balanced mallets. Depends on my feel/preference for the day as well as the type greens (i.e. bent grass/hard breaking vs less break/Bermuda, etc)...

IMO, everyone can play either face balanced or toe hang style putters as it comes down to your stroke and personal preferences. But its nice to learn/understand the dynamics of your putting stroke as it may help you select one design vs another. I guessed for years and bought too many putters through trial/error. Once I got fitted and learned what I was actually doing (SAM fitting gives you stats regarding your stroke) I began too understand why I putted better with a certain putter vs another one. Just wanted to share my experience from the fitting perspective.
 
Every putting stroke has some arc in it so there is no true SBST. I think if you are real close to SBST, then find a putter that is the most face balanced because any putter with toe hang won't work well with your stroke.

As far as blade or mallet, that is a personal preference of what you like to look at imo. mallet will be more forgiving.
To add to this - there are two arcs on every putt, a vertical arc and a horizontal arc because the shaft must have a lie angle ( Rules of Golf). The horizontal arc may be more noticeable with a blade and with a flat shaft than with a mallet or with an upright shaft.
 
I've found the stroke path/neck style to be largely overblown as to putter fit.
Once I got the length correct, and the lie angle even close to what I need, I can adjust in short order.
I have miss tendencies with each, but my stroke is what it is, and many styles work with even a little bit of adjustment.
Its a lot of what fits the eye, in the end, with putters. It's such a short stroke. :cool:
 
I've found the stroke path/neck style to be largely overblown as to putter fit.
Once I got the length correct, and the lie angle even close to what I need, I can adjust in short order.
I have miss tendencies with each, but my stroke is what it is, and many styles work with even a little bit of adjustment.
Its a lot of what fits the eye, in the end, with putters. It's such a short stroke. :cool:

For me and my putter stroke, neck style is the first thing I look at for a putter. Slant or plumbers neck hosels hold the line on the stroke much more consistently. Double bends come off line on the stroke every time.

As for putter style, I have blade, mid-mallet and mallet in my arsenal and putt equally well (or bad) with all three. I seem to lean away from face balanced putters.


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I'm SBST but my ideal putter is a napa or 8802 style. I putt lights out with it too. Best part of game.
 
If you watch the level of toe hang you can out with anything....
 
For me it is 2 things really, you have to feel comfortable with it in your hands and it has to be appealing to the eye. Lots of people gravitate towards blades or mallets because they like the looks. Feel is another thing for the person, mallets and blades can have very different feels to them. Milled vs inserts.
Best thing to do is see if you can do a putter fitting somewhere, or try as many different putters as you can and find the one the feels good to you and works for your stroke.

I play 2 putters, a Toulon Chicago or an Callaway Triple Track Ten. 2 very different putters shape wise, but both face balanced and both work for me.
 
These are what I’m messing with right now. I actually putt pretty well with all three of them. The Rossi and Tuttle just arrived yesterday. I prefer the look of the blade style and this week was a pretty good putting week with 31 putts yesterday. It has a slight to hang and the other two are face balanced. I have a feeling the FB will win out if based purely on performance. Unfortunately for me I need to use a putter for a bit to figure out if it works for me or not. Seems I do pretty well with a lot of putters for a day. FF8EE13D-75B6-470E-BBF6-A9174DCA81AA.jpeg
 
There are face balanced blade putters. Sometimes the blade just looks better to your eye. I have always been a mallet and face balanced guy ever since I bought my first one at the turn during a particularly bad day of putting. I have periodically gone back to try a toe hang putter and I find I just putt better with a face balanced putter. I am definitely more of a shoulder rock SBST stroke guy.

Since you seem to be a SL guy this one (https://www.callawaygolfpreowned.co...ters/putters-2019-double-wide-stroke-lab.html) is a face balanced blade.
 
Truly, what matters most is what you’re most comfortable looking at and most confident in. In putting, confidence is king and usurps most other aspects.
 
Truly, what matters most is what you’re most comfortable looking at and most confident in. In putting, confidence is king and usurps most other aspects.

So true with golf equipment and especially putters. Looks and sound matter a ton for me whether it’s a putter or a driver.
 
ss9.jpg

I'm using this Bettinardi SS9 now. The more I use it the more it feels like an extension of my arm. I feel like eventually it will become what the Toulon Chicago has become for @Snickerdog. The putter is face balanced and my putting stroke is basically SBSF. As someone mentioned above it's what really feels right to you. The more confidence you have in your flatstick the better it works for you I'm finding. ;)
 
Are you sure you are a SBST putter. I thought I was until I tried the Ping app. It had me as a big arc! May be a correlation, may not, but years of being a bad putter with a mallet, which do suit my eye, I must admit, changed when I went to a blade. Went for a wide blade for that mallet like confidence behind the ball, and I’m putting so much better.
 
Are you sure you are a SBST putter. I thought I was until I tried the Ping app. It had me as a big arc! May be a correlation, may not, but years of being a bad putter with a mallet, which do suit my eye, I must admit, changed when I went to a blade. Went for a wide blade for that mallet like confidence behind the ball, and I’m putting so much better.

I messed around with the Ping app some and it said I was strong arc. I definitely have some arc but even when I purposely tried to manipulate the putter on a straight line back and through it still said strong arc.

I’d be interested to see if others who have been on the Ping app ended up with it showing them with SBST or slight arc.


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