The Classroom - What is Toe Hang?

Great stuff as usual James. I understood the basics of toe hang but you explained it much better than I could have.

As to fitting, I think it's important as well and it's honestly somewhere where I've lacked a bit in my own equipment history. I've tried just about everything I can get my hands on and have no idea which is best for me. I know that I'm more of a SBST putter than a big arc putter, but that's about it. I have based my more recent purchases on that and it has been paying off a little. As I move through my fittings this year, putter will be on the list. I think I'd benefit more from green reading lessons though. Especially on southern greens where there's actually grain. Not something I have to worry about where I live, so it kills me sometimes when I do get to those courses.
 
The Classroom is a great addition to THP and will be looking forward to future installments.

James,
Thanks for taking the time to explain Toe Hang in an easy to understand format. Putters are such a personal club that looks often trumps everything else. Hopefully, a better understanding of the physics involved will help people make better choices.

I wonder how far one would say putter fitting is from, say, driver fitting, in terms of the number of locations. I mean, in Tucson there's 5 places I can think of off the top of my head that have launch monitors, and many places offer custom fitting for clubs. While I know there are a huge majority of people who buy new gear off the rack without ever getting fit, saying a new driver is bad when you didn't test it against your current driver, or verify it produced good numbers, is really something we can say is a poor decision on the part of the consumer, rather than an ignorant one based on lack of useful information.

Putter fitting, at anything close to that very scientific level, is still something that not a lot of people can put their hands on. There are plenty of states without a SAM putting lab, and in some cases they're limited only to exclusive clubs or universities. If you went to a local big-box store and asked about custom fitting a putter, the best you can hope for is something like the Odyssey eye-fit board, and a wrist to floor measurement. You might get someone who knows what they're doing look at your stroke and make suggestions. But you're simply not going to get a data-driven assessment of what will work for you on par with a launch monitor based club fitting.

I think that's a big part of the problem; even people who know about putter fitting and want it might not have access to it.
I watched a putter "fitting" at Golf Galaxy a couple of months ago. A father brought his young son in to be fit. The "fitter" asked dad what putter the son had been using and dad replied "my 35 inch Scotty". The "fitter", without looking, reached behind him and grabbed what just happened to be a 35" two-ball and handed it to the son and told him to make some practice strokes over the graph on the floor. The "fitter" made a great show of kneeling down and watching the kids stroke and then proclaimed that the putter was a perfect fit. The father asked the "fitter" if the shaft should be cut down some to which the "fitter" replied I've been doing this for a long time and I wouldn't change a thing.

I haven't gone through the extensive training that this "fitter" has but the fact that the kids hands were at the bottom of the grip and the end of the grip was flopping around at shoulder level just didn't seem right to me. Who knows how many people, of all ages, have gone through this type of "custom fitting" from this "expert".
 
If you have too much toe-hang, would the tendency to be to pull the ball off line left for a RH putter?
 
If you have too much toe-hang, would the tendency to be to pull the ball off line left for a RH putter?

That would really depend on the users stroke to be honest, there are a lot of variables at play as that same miss could actually be in part to the lie of the putter rather than just the toe hang.
 
VERY happy you all are enjoying this.

I think its going to be a terrific addition to THP as a whole, and we all have some very cool things coming with it.
 
That would really depend on the users stroke to be honest, there are a lot of variables at play as that same miss could actually be in part to the lie of the putter rather than just the toe hang.

I have a a little toe hang on my putter and i tend to miss left, so I am trying to to figure out it the toe-weight was encouraging me to pull it left.
 
For me and my abominable stroke, the closer to face balanced I get the more I miss left.
 
I honestly don't know what putter is best for me. It's a shame really, but I've never been properly fit for one. And it's the worse part of my game. So that's just dumb on my part really.
 
Good stuff Jman! I knew what the lines meant on the putter meant and I knew about the weight and how it affected the face balance, but not for the specific reason. That's what education is all about, right? I'd never really 100% knew that that is what it was called, so I learned something new today.
 
I can see more classroom time is needed. I thought a putter was a putter - toe hang, counter balance, shaft location. No wonder I can't putt worth a d###. More please!
 
Shout out to JMAN! This thread is full of good stuff! Well done brother.
 
Thanks buddy, pumped that people have enjoyed it. Just wait, Dan, Dean, JB, and I are going to do some pretty freaking cool stuff with the classroom.
 
I wonder what the percentage of people know what would work best for their stroke. If people are buying based on comfort instead of what works they'll never be good putters. As important as putting is, I would think people would want that dialed in
I have no idea whatsoever. Coincidentally I went to the garage and checked both my putters - each from a different OEM - and as near as I can tell they have exactly the same toe hang. Dumb luck or two bad choices...tbd, I guess.
 
So if I had an issue with the toe coming open at contact and not squaring up, would I want to experiment with less toe hang (lighter toe) or more toe hang to help with the release?
But there's this from the article which seems to be saying the toe hang helps close the face (counter intuitive, given that drivers have weight in the heel to promote face closure):

"Essentially, the more weight that is situated toward the toe will make for a larger Toe Hang, this type of balance is typically better for those with a larger arc in their putting stroke as it allows for the face to close and be more square at impact."
 
But there's this from the article which seems to be saying the toe hang helps close the face (counter intuitive, given that drivers have weight in the heel to promote face closure):

"Essentially, the more weight that is situated toward the toe will make for a larger Toe Hang, this type of balance is typically better for those with a larger arc in their putting stroke as it allows for the face to close and be more square at impact."
And the info there is correct.

What is getting lost here and in nates post is his stroke and how much arc it has or doesn't have.

Also, this is an explanation of what toe hang is, as with many things, and like I mentioned in here before, it's not a hard and fast rule to which stroke should or has to use what type. For example I've got a pretty pronounced arc but have no issues using a face balanced putter OR a full hang putter.

In the end, the guidelines of what hang fits what stroke is accepted by all companies and fitters, but TRYING the different setups for oneself to ensure proper fit/mesh with a stroke is key.
 
This new feature is already one of my favorites and we are only one iteration in. Well done.
 
Great read very informative
 
I was thinking ( dangerous know). With Plumbers Necks, does the length of neck have any bearing on the effects to the toe hand?
 
Thanks buddy, pumped that people have enjoyed it. Just wait, Dan, Dean, JB, and I are going to do some pretty freaking cool stuff with the classroom.


Oh, we decided to take up another notch! Tadashi70 is going to join us with info on the golf swing! We will have golf covered from every angle. :smile:
 
Oh, we decided to take up another notch! Tadashi70 is going to join us with info on the golf swing! We will have golf covered from every angle. :smile:

That's going to be a fantastic series. Can't wait.
 
Oh, we decided to take up another notch! Tadashi70 is going to join us with info on the golf swing! We will have golf covered from every angle. :smile:

Boom! SPECTRUM COVERED.and only at THP U!
 
Oh, we decided to take up another notch! Tadashi70 is going to join us with info on the golf swing! We will have golf covered from every angle. :smile:


So we can send swing videos in and Tadashi70 will evaluate them? Or will he just discuss his swing philosophies? Great idea no matter what!!
 
So we can send swing videos in and Tadashi70 will evaluate them? Or will he just discuss his swing philosophies? Great idea no matter what!!

There is already a section on THP to submit your videos.
 
So we can send swing videos in and Tadashi70 will evaluate them? Or will he just discuss his swing philosophies? Great idea no matter what!!

You can always start a thread and Tadashi will take a look and provide feedback. He has been doing that for quite awhile
 
Oh, we decided to take up another notch! Tadashi70 is going to join us with info on the golf swing! We will have golf covered from every angle.
This is brilliant!!!!
 
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