Major change in putter and putting stroke

AUWU11

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 15, 2018
Messages
796
Reaction score
396
Location
North Carolina
Handicap
7.2 GHIN
Looking for some insight and opinions. I’ve played the White Hot Pro Black #9 for about 7 years. Suited my stroke perfect. Made putts. No need to change... until lately, I’ve started pulling a lot of putts. It hasn’t been for just one or two rounds, but some thing I have noticed over the last year or more. I sat back and reevaluate everything, and it seems my putting stroke has changed over time. I used to have some arc in my stroke, but now it is definitely more straight back and through. I have tried out a few putters, and wanted to go into testing with no preconceived notions other than something that is suited for more of a straight back and less arc stroke.

After trying what felt like hundreds of putters, I finally landed on an older model - O-Works Black 2M CS. Very first ball I hit, I could feel a far better role. Much more forward roll, straighter off the face, etc. I tried a few other putters that also had center shaft just to see if that was really helping me that much. Turns out it definitely was. There was another customer who even commented after watching a few that I rolled, saying “I really hope you buy that putter” with a chuckle.

Said all of that to say this… Has anyone ever had such a drastic change in their putter? Going from my current one to this new one is pretty significant in terms of just about everything. Looks, style, address, weight, shaft position, everything. I know the results with testing proved it is the right choice for me. My only worry is taking on such a drastic change and how long it will take to get used to it. Anyone ever gone through anything similar? Any input or opinions?

Guess it is just hard to change sometimes, especially when I’ve been using my current putter for going on eight years. Break ups can be hard, but even more so when the new one is so very different!
 
Heck, I'd think of "major" as going armlock or long putter or using a claw grip or something.

The main thing that changed were the visuals. You'd probably developed some tendency over the years (maybe ball too far forward, eyes too far inside the line, something like that) and the center shaft sort of kicked you out of that rut and back into a setup that lets you roll the ball correctly. Nothing wrong with that, we all need a restart once in a while.
 
I'm down to 7 putters in my little collection. Different styles/toe hangs.
Changing clubs too much causes confusion quite often. But I always liked to kinda "shock" the brain with the putting if it wasn't working.
My Betti is "the one" however.

If you still have the Odyssey, as an experiment, I might suggest lengthening it a touch. Your posture at setup may have changed with time and maybe you're more upright now, which for me lead to misses left with a putter that was just a hair too short for me. (1/2".)
 
Before I would change from a putter that worked well in the past, I would put some serious practice time in with that older putter.

What I would do is practice rolling straight putts. I would find a level surface, (carpet or turf) place a coin 18"-24"+/- inches in front of the ball and practice putting the ball over that coin.
While doing this practice routine, make what ever adjustments that were needed to roll the ball over the coin.

Maybe a stance correction in conjunction with shoulder alignment is needed. Maybe a grip adjustment in one, or both hands (stronger/weaker) might be needed. Maybe a club face at set up (open/closed) adjustment might be needed. Perhaps a ball position in the stance adjustment is needed.

Even if a putter change is made, the golfer still needs to roll a straight putt on their chosen line.

I know I sometimes push, or pull putts. When I do it, my ball position is either to far back, or forward of where it should be. That, or I am not paying attention to my stance width. I've even unknowingly aimed the club face left, or right of target line.

Practicing with a coin gets all those little things right again.
 
I have tried out a few putters, and wanted to go into testing with no preconceived notions other than something that is suited for more of a straight back and less arc stroke.

After trying what felt like hundreds of putters, I finally landed on an older model - O-Works Black 2M CS. Very first ball I hit, I could feel a far better role. Much more forward roll, straighter off the face, etc. I tried a few other putters that also had center shaft just to see if that was really helping me that much. Turns out it definitely was. There was another customer who even commented after watching a few that I rolled, saying “I really hope you buy that putter” with a chuckle.

Mostly the path of one's stroke is dictated by their shoulder alignment address position. Players with an arc to their stroke tend to have at address their shoulders square (or even closed) to the target line. Players with more of a straight (or even outside) path tend to have their shoulders open to the target line at address.
Regarding the putter itself, I don't think head shape or shaft orientation matters much. For putter specifications I think putter length is important to help the player achieve a comfortable address posture, and good sense putter head weight promotes the effective swing rhythm-tempo useful for consistent distance control.
 
I switched grips dramatically about 4 years ago on a fluke while practicing with a sore lower back. Even when I saw the better roll I figured it would leave me in a day or two but it didn't. New setup is much more consistent from week to week then setup of first 25 years.
 
Since thread is about putting stroke, I am very interested in what the best putters feel. Is it the back of the left hand pulling the club or the right hand pushing the club (right handed golfer) or is hand pressure equally distributed.
I use a 2ball which I believe the terminology is balanced face meaning I try to make my stroke as straight through as possible versus toe hang where you have a slight in-to-out arc.
Personally being right hand dominant, I actually feel I am a better lag putter when I “push” with my right hand, especially on very long putts, say more than 30 feet.
What are very good putters doing? Hope this makes sense. Trying to convey the feeling one has in a putting stroke can be difficult to explain.
 
The only feeling I have (not that I'm a great putter) is of the putter hanging straight down from my hands throughout the stroke. If I feel weight/pressure in either the lead or trail hand more than the other hand then I am probably not putting well at all.

Keys are both hands in neutral, opposed positions, extremely light grip pressure, the putter balanced between my hands and no pop or "hit" at all in the stroke. I guess it could summed up in three words: Light, Smooth, Balanced.
 
Putting differences are fascinating to me. I don't tend to let the putter line up with my eyes like a lot of instructors claim it should be. For me, I actually putt the best with the putter out a tiny bit from me. Different strokes for different folks = golf.
 
Putting differences are fascinating to me. I don't tend to let the putter line up with my eyes like a lot of instructors claim it should be. For me, I actually putt the best with the putter out a tiny bit from me. Different strokes for different folks = golf.

I don't know if you're really unusual in that.

I try to keep my eyes directly over the ball when putting but the number of people I play with who do that is very small. Almost everyone in my usual groups (i.e. the 20-25 guys I'll play over the course of a given month) have their eyes well inside the ball. Some of them a long way inside.
 
The only feeling I have (not that I'm a great putter) is of the putter hanging straight down from my hands throughout the stroke. If I feel weight/pressure in either the lead or trail hand more than the other hand then I am probably not putting well at all.

Keys are both hands in neutral, opposed positions, extremely light grip pressure, the putter balanced between my hands and no pop or "hit" at all in the stroke. I guess it could summed up in three words: Light, Smooth, Balanced.

I guess Brandt Snedeker isn’t one of your favorite putters! Haha
 
I'm usually a feet first type. With my current putting woes, might be time to try the club first.
 
Back
Top