We've launched the new forums! Read more here

Forward roll on the ball?

Forward roll on the ball?

  • Yes

    Votes: 16 45.7%

  • No

    Votes: 10 28.6%

  • Maybe a little

    Votes: 9 25.7%
  • Total voters
    35
SeeMore Golf
My experience was with a Top Flight putter that I was using for a while last spring and the previous fall. I could definitely tell when I hit it that is was skidding initially on a lot of my longer puts. I noticed I was having trouble guessing how far the ball would roll, and as a consequence I was doing really bad on longer puts. I switched to a Cleveland Huntington Beach last year and I have noticed that the ball looks completely different when it starts going, much more roll and no hop skip and jump in the first 10' of a longer put.
 
Forward roll on the ball?

I agree with the OP, it's just one of those things golfers say to seem knowledgeable. I have rolled putters that claim to get the both rolling fast and others that haven't made the same claim. It's not something you can see or feel off the face of the putter.
 
I think it's all in the strike. You can take the same putter and putt 10 balls and they won't all be the same if you happen to hit off the heel/toe/or flush. Then there's the loft variable in relation to when you are hitting up/down/even on strikes. I believe most of it is Marketing. For me it comes down to the sound/feel I get with hitting them flush.

The one caveat I have is out of all the putters I own, the Odyssey Milled Collection SX series (the stainless polished inserts from Japan) most definitely get the ball moving more than any other putter I've ever owned. I had the V-Line SX version and RSX versions side by side and without a doubt the SX version rolled the ball way quicker. Like those SX's so much I have 3 of them and no plans to ever move them.
 
Tadashi70 said:
I agree with the OP, it's just one of those things golfers say to seem knowledgeable. I have rolled putters that claim to get the both rolling fast and others that haven't made the same claim. It's not something you can see or feel off the face of the putter.
Click to expand...
Freddie, you also have a sound, and neutral, putting stroke and put an end over end roll on anything. That plays a huge role, believe me. It is though something that can be seen and felt by a large amount out there. One major reason I have always believed loft and lie fitting in putters is critical.
 
Jman said:
Freddie, you also have a sound, and neutral, putting stroke and put an end over end roll on anything. That plays a huge role, believe me. It is though something that can be seen and felt by a large amount out there. One major reason I have always believed loft and lie fitting in putters is critical.
Click to expand...

I understand all that but your typical golfers isn't putting end of end roll on their ball or even understanding how to do so.

Once upon a time I put my Tracy2, YES putter in camera and saw 4-5 hopes before it started rolling. I put it up against my Scotty and Ping half mallet which had more skidding. So even the putter designed to decrease skipping still skipped.
 
I can, but I think that using the proper loft/face angle for your stroke has as much influence as the tech on the face.

If your're hitting down on your putts at all, you're going to get some skidding.
 
Tadashi70 said:
I understand all that but your typical golfers isn't putting end of end roll on their ball or even understanding how to do so.

Once upon a time I put my Tracy2, YES putter in camera and saw 4-5 hopes before it started rolling. I put it up against my Scotty and Ping half mallet which had more skidding. So even the putter designed to decrease skipping still skipped.
Click to expand...

That's my point Freddie. That's why the tech out there like the microhinge and vgrooves and such do matter and work, they can help a golfer with a stroke that is off to put a better roll on the ball. Having done a TON of of putting green testing with putter types all over the spectrum with people, they can notice the change every time.

As to the example, so you DID notice the issue with the forward roll that you said couldn't be noticed? :alien:
 
I am not sure there is anything more readily obvious in the results of a stroke on a putter.

For me, I am actually more concerned about a quality forward roll than I am the shape/fit for my stroke. I don't care how easy it is to gate, I will never ever spend additional time with a putter that I can't easily put forward roll on.
 
Jman said:
That's my point Freddie. That's why the tech out there like the microhinge and vgrooves and such do matter and work, they can help a golfer with a stroke that is off to put a better roll on the ball. Having done a TON of of putting green testing with putter types all over the spectrum with people, they can notice the change every time.

As to the example, so you DID notice the issue with the forward roll that you said couldn't be noticed? :alien:
Click to expand...

On a high speed camera, yes I did. With my naked eye, no.

I don't dispute technology, not one bit. My first post was agreeing that most golfers can't tell the different without the aid of a camera.
 
There are many reasons for a ball to bounce/skid initially on a putt. Ignoring technology for now, a ball sitting on a green is sitting in a depression and the putter needs to have some loft to get it out of that depression. Loft is used to lift the ball out of the depression and as a result the ball will bounce initially. The putters loft can be its static loft which for most putters is 3-4 degrees and dynamic loft which is angle of attack. If you hit down on the putt you have decreases the loft of the putter and if you hit up, it has increased.

The goal is to find the right loft to optimize roll. Optimally you need some loft to lift the ball out of the depression which will cause the ball to bounce or skid initially. To much or to little loft is bad and will result in excessive bouncing/skidding and impact you distance control. Also since the ball is sitting in a depression immediate roll is not really possible
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top