weighting research

[gentleman mongoose]

Hi Everybody,

 

I have been away for a while and researching new leads on putter balancing along with my technical team. We are pleased to announce that we have found a way to explain the correct balance of putters and the effects of back weighting combined with head weight and length. This may help some of you to adapt your putter for better performance.

 

We are also looking into the face/toe balance of putters combined with offset in relation to the arc of the stroke and appropriate rotation of the putter face. This may be opening up a can of worms but I make no claim to be the oracle on these matters. I welcome any input that you all may have and I am looking for scientific evidence either confirming or disproving the theory.

 

First of all lets get down to the dynamic balance of a putter

 

Over the last few years we have seen 3 major developments in putter weighting. Firstly, the standard head weight has increased from an average of 330 grams to 355 grams. Secondly we have seen the rise in the use of backweighting. Thirdly, the development of thicker grips (particularly on the lower portion of the grip) which makes the putter feel lighter.

 

Increased head weight helps to promote a smoother, slower tempo and if a putter is cut down in length then it will feel lighter, thus a heavier head will be of some use in this case. The question is how you want to swing the putter, from the head or from the hands. By pushing the balance further towards the head you create a heavy dynamic balance and by adding it on the butt end you lighten the dynamic balance. Too heavy can be a problem for golfers who are trying to reduce the amount of influence from the hands (Phil Mickelson) and too light can be a problem for golfers who like to feel the head swinging and releasing (Tiger).

 

Extra head weight is fine if you have a shorter putter or want to encourage a slower tempo but the more you add the more you have to think about balancing it out with extra weight at the butt end. Furthermore, a lighter head with back weighting and a thicker grip will produce a staccato, pop stroke (Jason Dufner) which may suffer under pressure. Bubba has a putter head weight of 400grams with a 100gram backweight. This offers a stable stroke and although the putter is heavy he can still maintain a quicker than average tempo.

 

The placement of backweighting is important. The back weighting systems freely available on the market are all inside the shaft and at the tip of the butt. In some putters the weight inside the shaft can affect the resonance or feel of the putt, especially on longer putts. Research has already proven that benefit of back weighting increases depending on how low it is in relation to the grip. Under the lower section of the grip provides the best result. We have developed our own back weighting system which is a 50gram lead tube curled around the shaft under the lower part of the grip and over the shaft. This makes it very difficult to get the grip on and it does thicken up the grip circumference by 3mm.

 

Summary (all based on standard tempo, 72-80BPM)

 

Long putter (+35”) -> Lighter head weight (330g or less) -> Back weighting not necessary

 

Mid length (33.5” - 35”) -> standard head weight (330g - 355g) -> 50g back weight under the lower portion of the grip advised

 

Short length putter (33.5” or less) -> heavy head weight (355g - 430g) -> 50g-100g backweight, combined with a thicker grip necessary.

 

Face/toe balance discoveries

 

The common and accepted theory regarding toe balance and its relation to the swing arc has never been disputed. Where is it proven that a more pronounced arc requires more toe balance? I understand the fuzzy logic which supports this theory but I am not satisfied with it. This is why I decided to look into it further with a more scientific approach.

 

Problem: the issue I have with this theory is that the rotational axis of the putter is the shaft. If you hold a face balanced putter horizontally and twist the butt end of the grip, you will notice that the equal balance of weight on either side of the rotational axis means that it becomes less stable. This lack of stability can be improved by moving the centre of gravity further away from the axis and/or by moving more weight to the extremities (higher MOI). The fact remains though that with equal weight on either side of the axis will encourage easier rotation around the axis.

 

If we take a blade putter with maximum toe hang and hold it in the horizontal position so that the toe hangs down. Now hold the butt end and rotate the club so that the face is now in a horizontal position (just like the face balanced putter naturally hangs) and try to rotate the club in the same way. You will notice that this becomes more difficult and one sided. I like to compare this to the idea of a helicopter which has two opposing rotors which are equally balanced and no matter how heavy they are at each end, they rotate with ease around the rotational axis. If however you only have one heavy rotor on one side, it becomes more difficult to rotate and unstable.

 

This means that regardless of whether you intend to rotate or not, a face balanced putter will provide the best rotational stability and remain true to the swing path on a well struck putt. On a poorly struck putt, there will be less resistance to twisting around the rotational axis of the putter. On a toe balanced putter during acceleration, the bias of weight on the one side will provide more resistance to twisting on one side of the rotational axis. This will in fact lead to a ‘holding off' of face rotation. When the putter decelerates, the face will rotate more around the rotational axis. 

 

To cite examples of this I would like to draw your attention to Luke Donald and Phil Mickelson. Luke changed his putter from an anser style Bettinardi to a centre shafted Odyssey. His swingpath has a pronounced arc and the putter remains square to the path, thus rotating. Phil on the other hand has a toe balanced putter, accelerates through the impact zone and holds the face off. This works contrary to the accepted rule that a face balanced putter is ‘straight back, straight through' and that a toe balanced putter is for 'rotation, release'. A 30° toe hang will be neutral and provide a compromise and there are more players using a large mallet head with a 30° toe hang (Jason Day). I assume this is to provide a holding off of face rotation during impact and stop it closing down too quickly.

[BIG STU]

I do not hold an engineering degree or anything like close. I will concur with what you are stating through some of my own experiments. I am constantly tinkering with clubs and have worked some in the past with balancing putters with both counterbalancing on axis and face weight balancing. depends on ones putting stroke. I was raised on lighter putters and with the changes on greens and balls the trend seems to be towards heavier weighted putters. I have found I am heavy handed and a heavy putter for me I tend to hammer the ball and then I get hesitant and do not make a good stroke. I had to go back to a by today's standards a lighter putter

[gentleman mongoose]

I do not hold an engineering degree or anything like close. I will concur with what you are stating through some of my own experiments. I am constantly tinkering with clubs and have worked some in the past with balancing putters with both counterbalancing on axis and face weight balancing. depends on ones putting stroke. I was raised on lighter putters and with the changes on greens and balls the trend seems to be towards heavier weighted putters. I have found I am heavy handed and a heavy putter for me I tend to hammer the ball and then I get hesitant and do not make a good stroke. I had to go back to a by today's standards a lighter putter

Have you tried back weighting? It certainly helps to stabilise the stroke and produce a lighter dynamic balance. 

 

As for going back to an old putter model, I love the fact that with putters you are just as likely to succeed with an old model putter than with a new fangled design. We are not always progressing forwards

[BIG STU]

I do use back weighting if what you call weight on the back of the blade back weighting. Now as far as counterbalancing I have tried it with several putters and it does not work for me because I can't feel the head. I always go back to my old Ping Zing that I have had for 25 years now. I do have it lead taped and it has been that way for years, I have 6 grams in the bottom of the "U" in the back and 2 grams on each side at the back. Have an 50gm old school cord grip on it and it is 33 inches which is what it came at new. Actually I did a story on that putter on here a couple of years ago called An Old Putter Story. for me it is balanced and correct weight. The past couple of months I have been experimenting with a Nike 003 and a YES! Dianna. The Dianna is heavier than usual due to me adding tungsten powder and epoxy to the weight ports. Even experimented with counterbalancing on the butt end. Actually did some experiments with a Bobby Grace V-Foil belly cut to 36 inches and counterbalanced at 65grams.

[Kenny B]

Thanks for the post Stuart. I was wondering if we were going to hear about your putter research.

 

I don't remember if I posted on your original request about my terrible putting woes. When I started playing golf about 23 years ago, I was a terrible putter. The pro said I had hands of stone. I was using that brass putter I posted pictures of; Kenny B's first putter. It was very light. I tried lots of putters over the years, and they seem to be a better fit now than then, maybe because they are a little heavier? Anyway, when I found a used 31in Boccieri Heavy Putter, it seemed like I could putt like Ben Crenshaw! Yes, it's heavy but it is very well balanced for my stroke, or maybe I adapted my stroke to fit the weight of the putter. I don't know.

 

Stu said that he has to feel the weight in the head. I feel weight, but I don't feel head weight. The weight is at the end of my arms that extends from my hands to the club head. I don't think I could putt well with most any other putter. I've tried in stores, but can't control the backswing. I suppose it's possible that the overall weight of the club could be reduced if the weight balance remained the same. Just not sure why I would do that.

 

Again, thanks for the reply and hopefully, more information is forthcoming.

[gentleman mongoose]

Hi Kenny & Stu

 

I certainly remember your story Kenny and comparing it with Stu's story proves again that there are so many differences in style and technique but the most important thing is to know what works for you.

 

Stu, you are obviously very knowledgable and old school which is right up my street. Forgive me if I confused the backweight, counterbalance (counterbalance is called backweighting here in Holland). 

 

You certainly like to swing from the putter head and feel the release of the putter. I would guess that you also have no need for alignment guides at address and that your favourite putter has a slightly flatter lie angle.

 

Kenny you swing the club as a whole unit. The Boccieri Heavy putter is the most extreme version of heavy dynamic balance and will force you to swing with a slower tempo. It will also be very stable and reduce the influence of the hands.

 

What I like about this is that you both understand your needs perfectly and fit the putter to those needs. Standard specifications are not relevant to the market and more has to be done to help golfers understand their own personal requirements. 

[BIG STU]

My Zing has the stock line that came on it at the bottom of the "U". I do have the lead tape split there. I only use that line on short putts of 5 feet or less. And you are correct on your assumption it does sit flat about 2* from stock Ping specs. For me it keeps my hands dropped down in the slot and that relaxes my hands which is a key in putting for me. I have tried several big grips including a Superstroke and I have trouble feeling the putter head with them and thus I do not have any distance control at all especially on long putts. As Rover Rick and myself have discussed several times on here I am a instinct/feel putter in fact I am like that in my whole game. To back up one second the reason I use the stock alignment mark on short putts is that I imagine that line extended straight to the hole and just follow it to the hole. On slider putts from left to right I use the old school method of cut putting off the toe.I am old school all the way but I have an excuse I learned the game over 40 years ago. I tried getting mechanical about 10 years ago with my overall game but got where I could not break 90. I went back to doing it my own way

[fozcycle]

I have used countless putters over my 50+ years of plying this game. For the past several years I have gravitated towards a heavier head (350+ grams). My fav for the past couple years is an ugly thing...it's a Nike Method Drone with a 365 gem head. It is 33", face balanced and my stroke is a slight arc. This past year, I put a Ryder cup Super Stroke 1.0 grip. My other putter is a Slotline SSI mid mallet 33" with a 360 gram head. It provides a smooth stroke for me as I stand with my right foot just slightly behind my left allowing for the slight arc to return the face to square.

 

I have tried to snag a Kombi or Big Sur to cut down, but no luck so far.

[gentleman mongoose]

This forum can be such a relief at times. I spend my working day trying to get people to take an interest in their putting. 

 

Thanks for the replies guys. Big Stu, your toe hit on sliders is one of the points of research on toe bias and also relative to MOI.

 

I love this video from Faxon

 

[Kenny B]

Stuart,

I have always loved to watch Brad Faxon putt.  I got up close in Portland, OR at Peter Jacobson's charity event, the Fed Meyer Challenge many years ago and watch at green side when he gave his playing partner Greg Norman a putting lesson.  I rank Brad's putting stroke right up there with Ben Crenshaw.  

 

One question about the forward press.  I use it, but have wondered if it only works best with certain types of putters or putting strokes.  What about mallets?  What about putters without offset hosels?  I probably have a slight arc stroke, but it feels like SBST to me.  Does it work with all putter strokes

 

What really amazes me are the number of people that stand over putt for what seems like an eternity!  I have absolutely no idea what they might be thinking, but it usually results in a bad putt.  You practice with a routine to gain confidence with your stroke.   After you have gone through your green reading and routine, there should be no thoughts.  Make the stroke. 

[fozcycle]

I have used countless putters over my 50+ years of plying this game. For the past several years I have gravitated towards a heavier head (350+ grams). My fav for the past couple years is an ugly thing...it's a Nike Method Drone with a 365 gem head. It is 33", face balanced and my stroke is a slight arc. This past year, I put a Ryder cup Super Stroke 1.0 grip. My other putter is a Slotline SSI mid mallet 33" with a 360 gram head. It provides a smooth stroke for me as I stand with my right foot just slightly behind my left allowing for the slight arc to return the face to square.

 

I have tried to snag a Kombi or Big Sur to cut down, but no luck so far.

 

UPDATE:  I just scored a new 33" Ping Ketsch putter from ebay.....it has a head weight of 355 grms....I have practiced at home and plan on putting it in my bag this weekend.  After revieweing the infor from mongoose, I may experiment with the backweighting.

[jbil8802]

I've got a few rounds under my belt with my new Odyssey Works Tank #7 35" and I'm loving it so far. Really stable feeling. Definitely an improvement for me.

[gentleman mongoose]

Stuart,

I have always loved to watch Brad Faxon putt.  I got up close in Portland, OR at Peter Jacobson's charity event, the Fed Meyer Challenge many years ago and watch at green side when he gave his playing partner Greg Norman a putting lesson.  I rank Brad's putting stroke right up there with Ben Crenshaw.  

 

One question about the forward press.  I use it, but have wondered if it only works best with certain types of putters or putting strokes.  What about mallets?  What about putters without offset hosels?  I probably have a slight arc stroke, but it feels like SBST to me.  Does it work with all putter strokes

 

What really amazes me are the number of people that stand over putt for what seems like an eternity!  I have absolutely no idea what they might be thinking, but it usually results in a bad putt.  You practice with a routine to gain confidence with your stroke.   After you have gone through your green reading and routine, there should be no thoughts.  Make the stroke. 

Hi Kenny, hows it hanging? 

 

Great question. Lets clarify a few points. a stroke which feels SBST will have a slight arc. The incline of the putter swing plane is at 10° from vertical.

 

What I love about the Brad Faxon video is that he highlights how the stroke is an athletic motion (albeit a slower smaller one) and that it requires flow, rhythm and a trigger.

 

One of the leading authorities on putting, Frank Thomas coined the phrase '6 degrees of freedom' and the reduction of interfering movement through stabilisation of 6 different technical aspects. Although he may have a great case for reducing movement it gives the impression of starting from a static position. I also don't like it when people over think a simple motion.

 

I have developed a simpler way of coaching based on the X,Y,Z axis. X is sideways movement, Y is forwards and backwards (heel to toe) and Z is vertical. The aim is to reduce destructive factors on the Y & Z axis but develop an effective movement on the X axis. 

 

Most quirky strokes  have something going on in the X axis such as a trigger, release or sightline event (such as Jordan Spieth or Davis Love III). 

 

If the hands lead the club head through impact then offset can be reduced. If the hands are level with the head then offset can be increased. In general offset is not a bad thing as it moves the centre of gravity further back and stabilises the head. It will also reduce toe hang. It is one of the most flexible aspects of putter fitting as it requires an adjustment on the X axis. If for example the lie angle was too upright, then this would require an adjustment on the Y & Z axis.

 

As for people taking too long, this is the most crucial aspect of coaching and green reading. Once you have the correct read, pull the trigger! With an old fashioned camera, as soon as you had the focus correct you pressed the shutter. You wouldn't stand there re-focusing again and again and making a massive pause before pressing the button.

 

Instinct can be developed and trained. Some people naturally possess it others have to work at it.

[Kenny B]

Thanks Stuart!  I am really learning a lot about putting that I never knew.  So... if something goes wrong with my stroke, I can use you as an excuse.     Just kidding of course.  Great stuff!  

[gentleman mongoose]

Thanks Stuart!  I am really learning a lot about putting that I never knew.  So... if something goes wrong with my stroke, I can use you as an excuse.     Just kidding of course.  Great stuff!  

when you perform well, its on you. When you perform badly its on me

 

hmmmmm.......

[GolfSpy Tim]

just quickly breezed through your original post... interesting, and as I start rebuilding a few putters and cutting down shafts to size on two "new to me" putters from about 34" to 31" I'm wondering about the best options for weighting.

 

Sounds like I'd be wise to grab something to backweight the grip by 50-100 grams while making sure the head weight gets to probably 375grams or so...?

 

Any advice on the best option for adding head weight? I really don't wanna slap lead tape onto the heads....

[gentleman mongoose]

just quickly breezed through your original post... interesting, and as I start rebuilding a few putters and cutting down shafts to size on two "new to me" putters from about 34" to 31" I'm wondering about the best options for weighting.

 

Sounds like I'd be wise to grab something to backweight the grip by 50-100 grams while making sure the head weight gets to probably 375grams or so...?

 

Any advice on the best option for adding head weight? I really don't wanna slap lead tape onto the heads....

Hi Tim,

 

Many of the new putters on the market have increased head weight. Belly putter heads have a heavier head (375 - 400 gram) and can be cut down with counter balancing added to balance it out. A standard putter will need to have weight added via lead tape or tungsten powder down the tip of the shaft. Recommend head weight for a 31" putter is around 415 grams with a 100 gram counterbalance.

[Kenny B]

Hi Tim,

 

Many of the new putters on the market have increased head weight. Belly putter heads have a heavier head (375 - 400 gram) and can be cut down with counter balancing added to balance it out. A standard putter will need to have weight added via lead tape or tungsten powder down the tip of the shaft. Recommend head weight for a 31" putter is around 415 grams with a 100 gram counterbalance.

Thanks Stuart,

I'm filing this away for future reference. My 31" putter is a lot heavier, but I was wondering if I could get the same "feel" if both the head and backweight were lighter. My bag is heavy enough and every little bit helps!

[gentleman mongoose]

Thanks Stuart,

I'm filing this away for future reference. My 31" putter is a lot heavier, but I was wondering if I could get the same "feel" if both the head and backweight were lighter. My bag is heavy enough and every little bit helps!

Hi Kenny,

 

You have an extreme variant of a dynamic balanced putter. In theory it would be possible to make a slightly lighter version of what you are already using, by taking a belly putter and cutting it down. You would need a head weight of over 400 grams and 100gram counterbalance for example.

 

If you look at burtonputters.com then you will see a 430gram mallet which can be made up with a 100gram counterbalance. These are the best putters you will find and produced in a factory which is involved in formula 1 racing for McLaren & Williams. They are full adjustable and have the worlds first adjustable hosel, designed by yours truly. Prices start at $750

 

Or you could just carry on with a heavy bag!

 

www.burtonputters.com