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Should You Consider a Putter Fitting?

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jdtox said:
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.
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I think there's a couple things going on, and frankly it's not that different from a traditional fitting on something like a Trackman or a GC Quad... If you don't have the comprehension of what needs to be right (let's say launch angle, spin window, shape of a driver flight), you're relying purely on the fitter and focusing on total yardage and shot shape to make a determination on what works - and maybe feedback in the hands/sound.

Translate that into a putter fitting, and if you're looking with glossed eyes at a screen and relying on sound and holed putts to dictate a fitting, I think it's not really even scratching the surface on what something like SAM can do. It takes a great fitter to break down each element and talk through why a certain length/shape/alignment/etc works for your stroke. Anything less than that is a disservice to what SAM can provide.
 
So following along do you think a putting lesson can help vs putter fitting? Thinking back maybe it's not the arrow but the Indian. I'm not a bad putter but I'm definitely not elite. I
 
I haven't ever done one, but I'd love to just to get data on my current putter and stroke. I think that would be interesting.
 
jdtox said:
I would agree with this. Its a lot of data and its not explained clearly.
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Since we only tend to remember about 1/3 of what people say to us, I think it's great to have a written summary
 
Gman79 said:
So following along do you think a putting lesson can help vs putter fitting? Thinking back maybe it's not the arrow but the Indian. I'm not a bad putter but I'm definitely not elite. I
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I think they are separate animals altogether. No different than that of a swing lesson vs a driver fitting.
 
JB said:
I think they are separate animals altogether. No different than that of a swing lesson vs a driver fitting.
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I guess my question, could you learn the swing of a putter passed on appreciation of the putter. Or do you start in a better spot with fitting?
 
I think it's best to have a sound setup - address, grip, ball position, neutral square setup, simple stroke, and then get fit.
 
Desmond said:
I think it's best to have a sound setup - address, grip, ball position, neutral square setup, simple stroke, and then get fit.
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Wouldn't you think you could get fit for something that fits your stroke, the way you stroke it?

Why does everything have to be perfect to get fit? That makes no sense to me at all
 
jdtox said:
Wouldn't you think you could get fit for something that fits your stroke, the way you stroke it?

Why does everything have to be perfect to get fit? That makes no sense to me at all
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i did not say that. In the long run, I think it's best to have a fundamentally sound setup.

I think it best to have a decent base on which to get fit. But everyone is different. Like I said previously, I've seen some Edel fitting results with really odd-looking and ugly sightlines, offset, etc - I can only imagine the base to which they were fit. Saw many of them on eBay.

I witnessed some Edel fittings. The fitter had to tell a couple of guys to come back when they had a consistent base and stroke. He was not there to give a lesson.
 
Gman79 said:
I guess my question, could you learn the swing of a putter passed on appreciation of the putter. Or do you start in a better spot with fitting?
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Could you? Probably. Lots of practice to hone in a putting stroke as small movements vary the ball quite a bit. We had a thread awhile back on putting practice and unlike the swing, most just putt balls as they work to get better, working with repeatability I guess. So for those golfers, a fitting would definitely help.
 
JB said:
I think they are separate animals altogether. No different than that of a swing lesson vs a driver fitting.
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This!
 
Desmond said:
i did not say that. In the long run, I think it's best to have a fundamentally sound setup.

I think it best to have a decent base on which to get fit. But everyone is different. Like I said previously, I've seen some Edel fitting results with really odd-looking and ugly sightlines, offset, etc - I can only imagine the base to which they were fit. Saw many of them on eBay.

I witnessed some Edel fittings. The fitter had to tell a couple of guys to come back when they had a consistent base and stroke. He was not there to give a lesson.
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Interesting. I believe people say fitting is more important than people think and can actually help some who aren't consistent in swing/stroke just as much if not more than someone who was. If I ever went to a fitting and a fitter told me that I'd give him a piece of my mind.
 
jdtox said:
Interesting. I believe people say fitting is more important than people think and can actually help some who aren't consistent in swing/stroke just as much if not more than someone who was. If I ever went to a fitting and a fitter told me that I'd give him a piece of my mind.
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It all depends on what the fitter does. He can give a lesson and then a fitting, hoping the lesson took. But at that time, a lot of Edel fittings were free, and a fitter typically does not want to give a lesson for 2 hrs and may not be qualified to give a lesson.

It's apparent that I've been around golf observing it, and haven't done enough on my own game to ingrain a swing or stroke. I play with guys who've had a swing for 40 yrs. After 20, I'm still screwing around. By looking at so much, I tend to experiment too much. Learning is my thing.

Back to the topic. From my observations, I just think it's best to have a consistent setup and stroke - if it works, even if unconventional, get fit for it. If you want good fundamentals, learn them, and then get fit.
 
I did a putter fitting at the end of last season. I was at the time playing blade with standard grip. The fitter used the details from SAM to identify putters to test. The system recommended a mallet with 40-60 degrees of toe hang and a jumbo grip. I ended up in the Seemore Mini Giant Deep Flange. Not something I would tried from an aesthetic perspective. The fitting didn't solve all my putting woes, but the improvement in putts per round is quantifiable.
 
Great article @Jman

I’ve never had a putter fitting. I got a new to me putter a few months ago and started rolling the ball much better.

Now I’m questioning why I found it necessary to get fitted for driver and irons but not putter. Putting accounts for nearly half my score!

I guess I’ve always adjusted to whatever putter I’m using and you made great points on why it should be the other way around. Now that I know less than 1° of variance is the difference between 2 and 3 putting from 15 foot you have my entire attention.

What I’m saying is as soon as I save up enough for a new putter it will be fitted.
 
I was fitted for putter for the first time ever this year. In the end, I learned a lot about my stroke I wouldn't have known otherwise. Turned out my current putter fit very well after a loft adjustment to fit my downward attack angle. The CC fitter did say there could be an argument for a longer putter for me, but he couldn't argue with the results I ended up with. Now I just need to work on consistency with my technique (much like my regular swing).
 
OldandStiff said:
I haven't ever done one, but I'd love to just to get data on my current putter and stroke. I think that would be interesting.
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I think you'd get a real kick out of it. So much data to look at, and any good fitter will offer it to you afterwards to dissect on your own time.

Who knows, maybe you'll end up in a putter more suited to your stroke, or a tiny tweak that makes all the difference in the world.
 
Canadan said:
I think you'd get a real kick out of it. So much data to look at, and any good fitter will offer it to you afterwards to dissect on your own time.

Who knows, maybe you'll end up in a putter more suited to your stroke, or a tiny tweak that makes all the difference in the world.
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I think that regardless of what the data showed, you couldn't convince me to switch or even pry my current putter from my cold dead fingers, but I agree that I would probably love and get a kick out of the data. :p It would definitely have the potential to influence a decision in the future. I tweak my loft a tiny bit every so often as things change, so that might be the one thing I would change based on it right now.
 
OldandStiff said:
I think that regardless of what the data showed, you couldn't convince me to switch or even pry my current putter from my cold dead fingers, but I agree that I would probably love and get a kick out of the data. :p It would definitely have the potential to influence a decision in the future. I tweak my loft a tiny bit every so often as things change, so that might be the one thing I would change based on it right now.
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Yeah, I've read enough of your posts to know that new and shiny are a problem hahahaha

Also, think of the latter potential... Tiny tweak, big result. Maybe a half degree of loft?
 
Must.......get........putter ........fitting



But first my other clubs. Seriously great article, thanks for sharing!
 
Canadan said:
Yeah, I've read enough of your posts to know that new and shiny are a problem hahahaha

Also, think of the latter potential... Tiny tweak, big result. Maybe a half degree of loft?
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Yeah, makes a big difference. When I start seeing something different in my roll and result I've usually changed my press a bit and we go tweak the loft. Can get a guy right back on track. Little things are big with putting. That's also part of why I'm not a fan of making many changes, or often, on this one thing..

Like I said I'd just love to see it all on screen and the data and all that. Would totally geek out on it. And having the info to compare against in the future is usually invaluable.
 
Jman said:
One positive thing that has come from the crazy times amidst our world’s battles with COVID is that more people are either being introduced to, or coming back to, this beloved game of ours. Within that has also been some interesting trends to watch. Yes, sales are through the roof right now and that has created a whole litany of supply issues (which we discussed here), but it has also lead to a surge in fitting.

Continue reading...
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Im personally not a fan of putter fitting. To me, it just comes across as yet another way to sell people on a new club. To anyone who has done it and felt like it helped their game, great. Im not a believer though.
 
Badger_Golfer said:
Im personally not a fan of putter fitting. To me, it just comes across as yet another way to sell people on a new club. To anyone who has done it and felt like it helped their game, great. Im not a believer though.
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Many putter fittings don’t come with a club sale. Some adjustments to an existing club, such as the one @Jman spoke about in the article.
 
I got putter fitting at CC this year and just wanted the data. I was surprised. The guy basically said I did not need anything. Said my putting stroke was money. Must say I was shocked at that, but glad it was good. Just wished I could make more putts :ROFLMAO:
 
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