Choosing a new putter

I was fit for my Cure putter by the company.
the Odyssey in my bag I was fit for at The Grandaddy.

The Cleveland 2135 I am experimenting with, I watched the guys at the THP Event and Cleveland Golf learn about the putter, and all take one home and the results were pretty astonishing. The alignment just makes sense.

I avoid certain shaft/hosel types (double bend shafts, direct center straight shafts), but that's about it. If I like something and it's in my price range, I'll try it haha.

I really only look at putters that are face-balanced. Inserts and milled faces are both fine with me and I have a blade, a mallet, and a 2-ball and a mallet that all work well too.

I wasn't fit for anything, but I've tried out quite a few (in-store and out).

For me, I know what works for my putting game, and generally go with something that I am comfortable with. For me, the #7 has long been a putter shape that just jives with me, and I always end up with one back in the bag.

I have been fit for a putter before so I know my basic specs for loft, lie, and length. The most important thing for me is impact position. If you can't roll the ball on your intended line, you will never be a good putter so I always test a putter to see what direction the ball goes at impact for different length strokes. The design of the putter (offset, weight, shaft position, COG, etc) plays a huge part in how a putter rotates throughout the stroke and every stroke has a specific rotational requirement that must be met.

Experimentation and finding what I like and works for me.

The long slow process of finding a shape I like that matches the swing I want to have, an offset that suits my eye, followed my a length that works for my stroke, then trying different putters that meet that criteria until I ended up with something that I like.

And also trying other stuff just to make sure I don't like those things better.

Honestly, if you had told me a year ago I'd be hitting a mid-mallet, I would have said you were nuts. If you had said I'd be hitting a #9, I would have said you were nuts. But it's been a slow steady process of experimentation and trades and buying less expensive versions of different shapes to get to what I'm bagging right now, and what I'm bagging right now has finally got me willing to sell the rest of my collection.

For me it's totally about feel off the face of the putter, so the inserts matter. I've only changed putters about 3 times since I started playing about 15 yrs ago. The 3rd/last time was this Sept and I must have spent over an hour at Golf Galaxy, including taking breaks to see if it felt the same after the break.

I bought a counterweight putter (TM Daddy Long Legs Plus) and it was still an adjustment on the course. I almost regretted the purchase until the 4th round that it started to click.

After not playing golf for 20 years, the putter was the worst club in my bag when started back up this summer. I averaged 38 putts a round my first 30 rounds using my old and trusted Anser type putter. It was killing me.

I read everything I could about putter fitting. I decided that a putter that allowed me to aim, by sight, to the intended line was the most important aspect for me to improve.

I decided to go about my search scientifically. I spent hours and hours at golf centers putting groups of 10 putts from 20 ft. I tried dozens and dozens of different putters. At the end, I was ready to plunk down the money for a Scotty Cameron. I kept making, on average, 2-3 putts out of every 10 I tried with the Scotty and, usually, none with the others. Do keep in mind I was putting under perfect conditions on perfect indoor surfaces.

At that point I had not tried any of the mallet type putters because I thought them ugly. I didn't, and still don't, like looking at them. I also didn't like the double bend shaft. I didn't like the way they looked or felt and they didn't feel comfortable. On a whim, and before I paid the big money for the Scotty Cameron, I grabbed an Odyssey Works Big-T V-Line mallet style putter. 10 strokes later I had made 6 putts. I took 10 more tries and made 4. The next 10 putts I made 5. That's a 50% success rate from 20 ft.

I put the Scotty Cameron back and went to the counter and bought the ugly Odyssey.

The last 10 rounds of the season I averaged 33 putts a round with very few 3 putts.

Isn't there a song that goes "If you want to be happy for the rest of your life, make an ugly putter your wife!"

Later,

John

I just read the whole Cleveland 2135 thread, sound very interesting. Of course called the local sporting goods shops around here and no one has them in stock. TGW in Wichita has them so maybe next weekend when I am there golfing I can have a chance to stop in and try one, or buy one.

I was one of the Cleveland attendees. I had a Scotty that I really liked. The 2135 has moved it out of the bag. I have never been fit to a putter.

I had no plans to replace my old Vicino, and have always used mallets. But I saw the TruRoll putters in coverage of the PGA show a couple of years ago. Was very intrigued, and the math on the cylindrical head makes sense unless you tend to hit the ball above the equator. Plus, I'm ambidextrous and always wanted a 2 way putter I liked the looks of. So while I wouldn't buy a club sight unseen, I put it on my xmas list and this year got it!

PS it's awesome.