Counterweight or counterbalance on a putter

[Nuevo_eph]

Not letting my acetone debacle hold me back on fiddling with my clubs, I decided to counterbalance my putter a bit.

I recently picked up a used Rife putter here and loved the feel and ability to lag my putts with it. However, that was just a week or so after the greens at my course had been punched and sanded. Now the putter feels too hot and I am blowing the ball by or leaving it short if I'm tentative. I blame the greens

Then I stumbled across the idea of counterbalancing it, a la Heavy Putters I understand. You can buy all sorts of Golfsmith or Winn counter weight to place in the shaft's butt, but I saw that some people do it with a 1/2" clevis pin. Winn weights = $9-12, pin = $2.50. that said, those weights are designed to pop in and out of the back of a grip while the pin is buried under the grip.

I figured it was worth a shot so I grabbed a 1 1/2" long and 3" long pin from my local hardware store, pulled off the grip, wrapped a layer of tape around the pin, put it in the shaft and regripped the club. I started big and used the 3 incher.

Now I have a much better feel and balance in the Rife and after one day of practicing I notice a big difference in my speed and the solidness of the club. I highly recommend doing this if you can and feel like your putter is too light in your hands and heavy at the ball (fast).

Here's a pin.

 

[Dr. Teeth]

Very cool Nuevo! I have recently become very interested un the idea of counter weighting my putter (and possibly my driver). Glad to hear that it is working out well for you. Did you weight the pin? How many grams would you say it is?

 

[Nuevo_eph]

I didn't have access to a scale, unfortunately. I've looked at other people doing the same and they claim the 3" are about 80 - 90 grams.

 

[Dr. Teeth]

Sweet, thats good information. How did you get it to stay in your shaft?

 

[Nuevo_eph]

One wrap of double sided tap and the pin has a head on it that is bigger than the ID of the shaft. That is why the 1/2" diameter pin is important as the body slides into the shaft but the head doesn't. Length determines weight.

It can't go down, in other words, and the tape is there to keep it from wobbling or rattling.

 

[Dr. Teeth]

Sweet I think I am sold!

 

[Fourwiggle]

I'm thinking of counter-weighting my Rife Barbados. It's a 345 gram head and I'm thinking of an 80 gram or 100 gram counter-weight.

Has anyone done this? If so, what were the results (i.e. better, worse, same)??

 

[deafninja]

I use 100g and love it u should get some impact tape to decide if u go tour lock route I found it improved my mechanics. Hireling also sells weights you install when regroup that are about $2. They also have tour lock as well which is by far the easiest one to use with the tools and they are changeable.

I'm thinking of counter-weighting my Rife Barbados. It's a 345 gram head and I'm thinking of an 80 gram or 100 gram counter-weight.

Has anyone done this? If so, what were the results (i.e. better, worse, same)??

 

[Fourwiggle]

I use 100g and love it u should get some impact tape to decide if u go tour lock route I found it improved my mechanics. Hireling also sells weights you install when regroup that are about $2. They also have tour lock as well which is by far the easiest one to use with the tools and they are changeable.

Thanks deafninja, I'm leaning toward the Tour Lock method IF I decide to do it.

I'm just clueless where to begin. 60 gram? 80 gram? 100 gram? With a 345 gram head, where is too much and where is not enough??

How much are you using and how much does your putter-head weigh??

 

[deafninja]

I switch between 75 and 100 depend on how I am putting and the weight of the head. I am not sure how much the teron is but my others ranged about 345-360 and 75 seems to work but my length is 33inches.

Thanks deafninja, I'm leaning toward the Tour Lock method IF I decide to do it.

I'm just clueless where to begin. 60 gram? 80 gram? 100 gram? With a 345 gram head, where is too much and where is not enough??

How much are you using and how much does your putter-head weigh??

 

[Tyus Stones]

Do you need to add length to your putter shaft in order to counterbalance? And how heavy does the head need to be?

 

[Jman]

Do you need to add length to your putter shaft in order to counterbalance? And how heavy does the head need to be?

No, you don't. You can accomplish the same thing simply by adding weight under the grip at a standard length.

There really is no "have to" spot for headweight and counter-balancing, most use 380+g headweights, but I have 335g putters which are counter-weighted, you simply don't need as much in the grip section of the club. The heavier the head though, the heavier the counter-weighting amount.