The Edel Fitting Experience

I’ve long been a putter addict. I adore everything about them, the shapes, the materials, the finishes, and of course the chase for “the one”. After many years of writing, reviewing, and collecting I have acquired quite the stable of putters. Each and every one has stories to them, stories that end the same way, being replaced by something else on that elusive search for better. 

However, the past year has been different for me, it has been the realization that maybe it’s not the putter, maybe it is me and my fit to the putter. That set me off on a journey, starting with a SAM Lab fitting with Club Champion, which you can read about here, to see if my stroke was the issue, which it wasn’t. That lead me down the road of wondering just what type of putter would fit my needs best, optimizing what I have as a golfer, and that lead me to the Edel Fitting Experience. 

Edel Golf Logo

The Edel Philosophy

You would be hard pressed to find any other putter manufacturer as emphatic on the importance of comprehensive fitting as David Edel and his Edel brand. Now, I’m not at all saying others don’t emphasize fitting, but Edel has a level of detail in their approach that is more immersive than anything I have experienced. 

Now, this isn’t to shortchange SAM Lab fitting, in fact, I’m a believer that with the right person breaking down the immense data it offers, a golfer can come to truly understand the idiosyncrasies and potential shortcomings of their putting stroke. I learned more about my putting stroke through that process with Club Champion than I could have dreamed, but it did not wholly address finding the proper fit that I need from a putter. 

Edel Golf on the other hand, also takes a scientific approach, one of working within the framework of the golfer and finding the best fit for their needs to fulfill the “putting triad” (aim, speed, path). We all know that shape, neck, and alignment are all critical aspects, but Edel has done the work to know how each of those things impact a golfer’s ability to see and hit their target lines. This is where things get fun. 

Beginning the Process

Though I had been introduced to the Edel Fitting options through our work in the THP Tech Studio, I never went through the full gamut of fitting, rather I tinkered with limited understanding. Fast forward, and an elite high school golfer of mine went through a local Edel fitting, I told he and is dad they would have their minds blown, and they did. However, just how impressed they were as well as the combination/style he was fit into set the hook for me. I immediately set up a fitting through Tulsa area fitter Ryan Hilton for the Edel Fitting Experience, I needed to see and understand it for myself. 

The Edel Fitting cart

Turning up to the course to meet Ryan, I brought the two putters I had rolled quite well this past season (one of which that had hit all SAM Lab criteria for me) so Ryan knew where I was coming from and what I liked. Both were flow neck putters, one a mid-mallet and the other a blade. We started off by talking about why I played what I did, discussed my SAM data a bit, then he had me roll some putts to warm up while he finished setting up, and so he could watch. 

Aim Bias Fitting

Out of the gates Ryan complimented me on my putting stroke, but immediately recognized that my miss is predominately right. I brought up that I’ve always struggled there the most because I putt right-handed but am left-eye dominant. At this point he affixed a tiny mirror to the face of my putter, down the line about 10-12’ was a laser pointed back to hit the back of a golf ball. Behind the laser was a fold out screen which would show the laser after the ball was moved out of the way, and thus show my aim bias. I was not fully prepared for what I saw, I knew it would be right, but it turned out to be almost off the screen and extremely high up. 

The Edel Fitting Experience putters

Something to keep in mind, mere fractions of degrees at setup can lead to massive misses the further the target is from the golfer, and what we saw made sense the more I thought on it. It was from here that Ryan explained how what we are looking down at greatly impacts things. That started an education on the effects that the putter head, the alignment, and the neck/shaft type can have on our aim bias.

The first thing we discussed was the role of head shape in aim bias. What Edel has found is that mallet shapes like their 5.0 tend to bring the users eyes forward and that increased right aim, while the 1.0 blade pulls eyes to the back of the putter leading to more left aim. With the four different shapes in the EAS lineup, Edel has created a matrix that they can use to fine tune how the aim moved onto target. For me, Ryan said with absolute confidence the 1.0 would be the way to go, which surprised me because prior to the fitting I assumed I’d be in a mallet because everything out there tells you they are “easier” to align. He set up the 1.0 with a standard offset neck and flange line at 36” thinking a little longer would free up my path. Back to the laser, and boom, my alignment moved to just five inches right of target. 

Edel Fitting Putter Shapes

While I was staggered by the change, he let me know we were just getting started and we moved to the neck/shaft style. In the EAS line, Edel offers three types, offset, onset, and backset. While the offset neck was comfortable and worked well for me, Ryan had a notion that moving to onset (no offset) might be the ticket. What is interesting about this is Edel has found that more offset typically moved the aim of a right-handed putter more left, but they also acknowledge every player is different and that is why the fitting system is built for easy changes and testing. In my case, my eye dominance being opposite of most righties meant the onset setup moved my bias left, where I needed it, and it put me to two inches left of target. 

At this point I was grinning like a little kid, seeing the laser move that far just based on head shape and offset was amazing, but I admittedly got greedy here and wanted to see if Ryan and the EAS Fitting System could truly dial in and eliminate my natural aim bias. That is when we moved to alignment aids. The EAS putters use an interchangeable plate which allows them to offer nine different line options (topline and flange combinations).  In a fitting there is a stencil where a marker is used to rapidly test different combinations on a blank plate. Edel notes that lines in general make golfers aim more left, with less influence on the topline and more on the flange. Additionally, no alignment usually moves things right. Because I had moved through the process to left of target at this point, we went straight to no alignment and it put me dead nuts on target, only slightly up which we could fix with a loft adjustment. 

Now, this is where I give massive props to Ryan and the way that Edel trains and encourages their fitters to use the system to educate. We could have called it good and moved to working on pace, but instead he wanted to make sure I got to see just how other setups would alter my aim bias. It was one thing to hear about the science behind what our eyes see and how it impacts aim, it was another to experience just how drastically things changed with something as simple as where a line was placed. It also truly made me question why so many major putter releases automatically use a flange line, when it has the biggest impact on natural bias. Not to mention, the lingering question in my head of why all putter fittings aren’t this educational. A better fit is one piece of being a better putter, but a better education of the why has an even bigger impact in my opinion. 

Fit for Path and Speed

Finally, we moved to path as well as speed, and dialing in what worked for me to create the most consistent and repeatable roll for my stroke. Starting with a standard head weight and nothing in the back end of the putter, Ryan quickly pointed out something I was about to mention, my right hand was extremely involved in the putting stroke leading me to get pushy and impacting flow/feel. To combat that, he placed a 30g Opti-Vibe weight five inches down the butt of the shaft, under my right hand, and immediately my putting stroke unlocked with the right hand no longer being dominant. Being that my putting stroke is consistent beyond that, we were able to move to focus on speed. 

Different putter shapes offered in the Edel Fitting Experience

To fine tune weight for speed, a string was placed at 25-feet and I was told to try to stop the putt on the string. After many putts, it turned out that the 15g weight in the head was dead on for me, but we also tried lighter and heavier weights to see the impact, this is where studies have shown Edel that most will find a lighter putter better on slower greens and heavier more optimal for fast greens. Something I liked here, Ryan never let me sit over the same putt too long, nor did he give many strokes before altering weight as his experience is spot on that we golfers tend to acclimate and adjust without knowing it. 

Once dialed in, Ryan just had me putt wherever I wanted on the practice green while he watched, marking where I was aimed every time that my eyes went back to pull the trigger. I hit every line, something I know I had never experienced on a putting green before, even as a historically “good” putter. From here, my order was placed, and the waiting began, eager to see if the results would transfer to my home courses away from the trained eyes of the fitting. 

The Results

In the end, I was fit into an EAS 1.0 with onset (no offset) shaft playing at 36” with 15g weight, 70° lie angle, naked alignment, 30g Opti-Vibe placed 5” down the butt of the putter. Additionally, we went 1° of loft based on what we saw with my laser testing (aim was high) as well as knowing my SAM results and me having a very positive AoA on my putter. The decision was also made to go with the round Edel grip, which I have experience with, but getting educated on why Edel likes the grip made me realize that it does eliminate the variable of trying to align the grip, rather than the putter head. 

Edel Putter Face

In just a week I was opening a box and checking all the specs on the putter, and they were all spot on based on my measurements. Since then, I have had the putter in play continuously on multiple courses and my ability to see and hit my intended line has been game changing. Now, I may not pick the correct line, but that is green reading and not putter fitting. That said, even those I have played with for years have taken note of how consistent my putting is from all distances now, hitting lines and believing I can make putts of length now rather than focusing on keeping it close and maybe getting lucky.

I do plan on reviewing the putter itself, so stay tuned for that, but this was much more about detailing what a putter fitting can be and what Edel believes it should be. The fact that this has not become more normal for putter manufacturers leaves one asking many questions, at the same time, it is clear to me that David Edel’s passion for fitting and instruction put him on the path to doing the homework and studies which have allowed them to create a system that, when in the hands of an educated fitter, is beyond compare. 

Have you ever considered an Edel putter? Have you tried the EAS options? Is finding a local Edel fitter something you might consider? Please jump in and let us know what you think, both in the comments below as well as on the THP community!

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James Miles
James is a staff writer for The Hackers Paradise along with being a professional educator. With his background in education James seeks to broaden his own knowledge while also sharing it with all those who share his passion for the game.
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