Should You Consider a Putter Fitting?

[Chef23]

I did a putter fitting earlier in the year and thought it was great but I have gone back to using a long putter since then. I am thinking about getting fit for a long putter. I know with the anti-anchoring rule that the fit for my current game putter isn't perfect. I am not sure I want to spend $500 plus on a putter right now though and my current putter is center shafted and I don't believe adjustable for lie.

Frankly I have been toying with trying an armlock also and I think custom fitting is critical for those.

 

[MWard]

How many putters were used?

In my fitting, we used two putters. The first one was my gamer, which isolated some of the common errors based on my stroke + that style of putter. We then switched to another one that was more supportive of my stroke, and saw many of the variables tighten because of it.

Each page on SAM has excellent information to isolate to a putter. Path (determining arc vs SBST), face rotation, face at address/impact etc (see; alignment style changes), basic speed consistencies (see; weighting), launch characteristics (see; loft changing), and then plenty of other things that could lead into better education elements.

If you went through SAM and didn't learn everything you need to know about your stroke, and how to combat it with a putter shape, you had a bad fitter.

We used two: mine and then another similar style one, which then just went back to mine and had the loft and lie tweaked.

 

[foreputt]

I have had a putter fitting and agree that it is absolutely worthwhile, personally it gave me the confidence that I had the correct tool for the job and I could focus purely on line and pace without worrying about manufacturing a stroke to work with what I had in my hands.

 

[Snickerdog]

My last one was at ECPC. Staying with the same shape and neck they put me into has been great so far. Never have had a SAM fitting but would be fun to get into all the details of it.

 

[Canadan]

My last one was at ECPC. Staying with the same shape and neck they put me into has been great so far. Never have had a SAM fitting but would be fun to get into all the details of it.

It's wild, man. Absolutely worth the time, especially if you know a bit of the detail beforehand.

 

[mikeg_74]

It's wild, man. Absolutely worth the time, especially if you know a bit of the detail beforehand.

The SAM Lab fitting I did was what really opened my eyes to how I was manipulating the head through the stroke. That helped me a ton to see that and correct it.

 

[Scooby45]

I'll echo most in that is was worth the time to see the details. My only complaint was that the data reports were not provided to me at the end of it to further review.

 

[Danny H]

I had a SAM lab fitting a few years ago and it was a revelation. The best $75 I ever spent. Peace of mind with your equipment is a wonderful thing.

 

[Jman]

I'll echo most in that is was worth the time to see the details. My only complaint was that the data reports were not provided to me at the end of it to further review.

Did you ask them if they’d email them to ya?

 

[Scooby45]

Did you ask them if they’d email them to ya?

I did to no avail. They were trying to get me back in to roll more putts, hoping to sell a putter. I was torn between a Sik putter and another at the time and wanted to see how much angle of attack variance I had in the numbers. If it was a lot I would have gone with the Sik, if not I probably would have gone another way.

All moot though with the Cobra Supernova in hand with the Sik face . The fitting helped point me in that direction and I’ve seen noticeable gains.

 

[BuffaloPlunger]

I have been considering one. I have a scotty blade style putter that I really like but I’d like to get fitted for a mallet putter

 

[Scooby45]

I have been considering one. I have a scotty blade style putter that I really like but I’d like to get fitted for a mallet putter

From my experience I'd consider going into it open minded, not that there won't be a mallet that will fit your stroke

 

[jfox789]

I had a putting fitting done a long time ago. Made a huge difference and I still use the same putter today!

 

[BuffaloPlunger]

From my experience I'd consider going into it open minded, not that there won't be a mallet that will fit your stroke

Fair point. I just had my mind set on mallet simply because I’d like to have one blade and one mallet putter

 

[MattyD-MPLS]

I have been fit for my current putter and it has stayed in the bag the longest of my 30 years of golf memory.

I am super excited to have another one in December.

 

[Scooby45]

Fair point. I just had my mind set on mallet simply because I’d like to have one blade and one mallet putter

I get that. I've been casually eyeing a custom milled face balanced tweener, somewhere between and blade and double wide, maybe I'll call it a blade alternative. Torn between going with the face balanced version to fully complement the Supernova or the 30 deg plumbers neck version. Slightly different feel but allows me to tinker with more shafts if I ever wanted to. My fitting showed something between 0-30 to be my best bet. Have no true need as the Supernova is straight money for me but putters are my weakness

 

[Jman]

Fair point. I just had my mind set on mallet simply because I’d like to have one blade and one mallet putter

You can tell them that, that’s something being lost here I believe, a putter fitting doesn’t have to be all about putter model or shape, what you’re comfortable and confident in matters, and the fitting can fine tune that to eliminate variables based upon your stroke style.

 

[BuffaloPlunger]

I get that. I've been casually eyeing a custom milled face balanced tweener, somewhere between and blade and double wide, maybe I'll call it a blade alternative. Torn between going with the face balanced version to fully complement the Supernova or the 30 deg plumbers neck version. Slightly different feel but allows me to tinker with more shafts if I ever wanted to. My fitting showed something between 0-30 to be my best bet. Have no true need as the Supernova is straight money for me but putters are my weakness

Lol I feel like I’m the only golfer that doesn’t buy putter after putter. I’ve had 10 drivers over 5 or 6 years but only 2 putters

 

[Scooby45]

Lol I feel like I’m the only golfer that doesn’t buy putter after putter. I’ve had 10 drivers over 5 or 6 years but only 2 putters

I've historically been a buy and hold guy, nothing outside of wedges was younger than 5 years in the bag prior to this year. And then I found this site. Now I want all the putters! Or at least just one more with custom milling to pay homage to my wife and daughter.

 

[Jman]

It's wild, man. Absolutely worth the time, especially if you know a bit of the detail beforehand.

Totally agree with this.

 

[Canadan]

Totally agree with this.

One of the first SAM experiences I had was with a buddy who flat out doesn't want to know the data.. "Just let me roll putts and you figure it out for me" kind of guy.

...which was great for me because I got the education with the fitter and he ended up in a great fitting putter (that he didn't buy and bought one that makes zero sense instead lmao).

 

[jdtox]

One of the first SAM experiences I had was with a buddy who flat out doesn't want to know the data.. "Just let me roll putts and you figure it out for me" kind of guy.

Do you think most fitters explain the data in a way that is understood by people? Maybe what we have here is a FITTER problem for those who have had bad experiences more so than a FITTING problem.

 

[Jman]

Do you think most fitters explain the data in a way that is understood by people? Maybe what we have here is a FITTER problem for those who have had bad experiences more so than a FITTING problem.

I believe the majority do, yes, especially those trained by CC.

And I’ve been saying that since the start of this thread, as with anything, bad experiences exist, but that shouldn’t mean the whole premise is cast aside.

 

[Jman]

One of the first SAM experiences I had was with a buddy who flat out doesn't want to know the data.. "Just let me roll putts and you figure it out for me" kind of guy.

...which was great for me because I got the education with the fitter and he ended up in a great fitting putter (that he didn't buy and bought one that makes zero sense instead lmao).

Haha! NATURALLY!

 

[jdtox]

I believe the majority do, yes, especially those trained by CC.

And I’ve been saying that since the start of this thread, as with anything, bad experiences exist, but that shouldn’t mean the whole premise is cast aside.

Absolutely agree. I'd be curious to do it again at a different location with a different fitter for sure. There is definitely something to all this data. I believe one's putting stroke is their own and isn't going to change without putting in a TON of work. A fitting can be extremely important for the club that you use during a round more than any other.