Basement green and putter shootout

[cksurfdude]

Interesting review - thx for all the work and the write-up!

 

Curious - are you going to try the Flat Cat on the Cleveland?

[GolfSpy MPR]

Interesting review - thx for all the work and the write-up!

 

Curious - are you going to try the Flat Cat on the Cleveland?

 

This is a painful question for me, because it exposes something irrational about my approach to golf equipment. It would totally make sense to put a grip that I like on a putter that I like. Yep, that definitely makes sense.

 

But here's the thing: the Cleveland looks really classy and understated. And the Flat Cat is loud and ugly.

 

And I just can't do it.

 

It was easy to do on the MLA, because the Flat Cat and the MLA share the same offensive color scheme.

 

Is anyone else here sympathetic to my plight? Do your heads, shafts, and grips have to complement each other in any way? Or is everyone here just driven by the performance?

[cnosil]

Is anyone else here sympathetic to my plight? Do your heads, shafts, and grips have to complement each other in any way? Or is everyone here just driven by the performance?

I do have some criteria for how I want things to look from a grip perspective and a few other aspects. The nice thing is that grips are an item that is easy to adjust as long as you don't get into specialty grips like the flatcat. Other than that performance is really the main criteria

 

Although, my biggest pet peeve is peeling shaft labels. It really bugs me that they are peeling off my current shafts. I know I should just remove them but that isn't how they are supposed to be.

[STUDque]

.......

Although, my biggest pet peeve is peeling shaft labels. It really bugs me that they are peeling off my current shafts. I know I should just remove them but that isn't how they are supposed to be.

You can get those replaced. Mine were withering away on my KBS shafts so I emailed customer support and they sent me new stickers free of charge. Easy peasy and your shafts will look fresh again.

 

 

Sorry for taking the thread sideways. I'll pay my tax by responding in line.

 

 

.......

It was easy to do on the MLA, because the Flat Cat and the MLA share the same offensive color scheme.

 

Is anyone else here sympathetic to my plight? Do your heads, shafts, and grips have to complement each other in any way? Or is everyone here just driven by the performance?

That statement actually made me laugh at my desk. I totally agree that the look of the grip should match the putter.

 

Additionally, just because you like the Flat Cat the most, that doesn't necessarily mean it'll be a good fit for the Cleveland. The putter/grip relationship is intimate and not all pairings will result in a happy marriage.

 

Case and point: I LOVE the SS Slim 3.0 on my STX SS6 but hated it on the Odyssey Fang. The GP SNSR feels awesome on the Fang but wouldn't work for the MLA Tour Classic. The Forward grip fits the MLA well but I'm not sure I'd like it on the others.

 

 

So for all of that, I say keep Cleveland how you like it. It's still the best in your stable after all.

 

 

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[GolfSpy MPR]

That statement actually made me laugh at my desk. I totally agree that the look of the grip should match the putter.

 

Additionally, just because you like the Flat Cat the most, that doesn't necessarily mean it'll be a good fit for the Cleveland. The putter/grip relationship is intimate and not all pairings will result in a happy marriage.

 

As much as I wanted to use the grip that came with the Cleveland (a standard blue pistol grip), I've become far too accustomed to the SuperStroke-size grips. The SS Flatso 1.0 that was standard on the Toe Up was really comfortable for me, and the flat seam fits neatly down the lifeline of my left hand. So I get some of the benefits of the idea of the Flat Cat, in a design that complements the look of the classier putter.

 

Or, at least that's what I'm going to keep telling myself.

[KevinE]

Introduction

 

I've done far more lurking than posting on mygolfspy, but I've definitely benefited from the content here. I've especially enjoyed reading the forum member reviews. This post here is really for my own amusement, but my hunch is that there are other equipment junkies here who might enjoy it as well.

 

A bit about me: I'm in my late 30s and have been golfing regularly for the last five years or so. When I was growing up, I played a couple times a summer with my dad and always enjoyed the game. But I got bit hard by golf after moving here to Michigan's Upper Peninsula (where I pastor a Baptist church). I took up the game to spend some time with one of the guys in my church, but quickly became quite drawn by golf myself.

 

Several elements combine for me to make this game so addicting. The first, obviously, is the challenge. But it isn't just the challenge: it's that, in principle, it seems like it should be something a person could figure out. I can't hit a slider or dunk a ball, but those are physical limitations. When a ball is sitting on a tee, and I still can't hit it straight—well, that just means I have a puzzle that needs to be solved.

 

Combine that with good company and conversation, along with ample opportunities to tinker, not only with clubs, but with a host of little gadgets (swing monitors, training aids, etc.), I was pretty much hooked.

 

As it stands, I've gotten myself down to being an entirely adequate mediocre golfer. Game Golf (one of my gadgets!) tells me I'm roughly a 15-handicap. I'm very short off the tee, strike my irons pretty well (for my handicap), I've had a miserable (but improving) short game, and I've learned to putt pretty solidly.

 

One new reason for me to love the game: my four-year-old boy has really taken to it as well. He started swinging plastic clubs at age one, and his enthusiasm for the game keeps growing. He and I normally play a round a week (he has the attention span to even go 18). He started the season playing from the 100-yard markers. I told him that if he could shoot a 45 from there, we'd back up to the 150s. He's done that, and before the snow fell (a hazard of being a golfer in the UP), he'd shot a 47 from the 150s.

 

Here's a couple of videos of his swing:

 

 

The Green

 

Because of the short golfing season here, indoor practice is a must. I've been a regular carpet-putter for some time, but had the desire to build a green with real holes. I ended up buying two of these 3x11 putting carpets (https://www.amazon.com/Putt-Bout-Putting-11-Feet-Green/dp/B00HXAJ4VQ) and a few packages of those interlocking foam mats. When my dad was here this past weekend, the building began.

 

Side note: when my dad gets involved, some degree of over-engineering is bound to result. That said, this green is now about a million times better than if I had built it myself.

 

The whole thing is built out of 2x4s, with cross beams every 15" or so. Spaced every couple of feet under the frame are lag bolts. These function as adjustable feet, which allowed us to get the thing properly set on the uneven basement floor.

 

One side of the green has been built with a slight break; the other is as flat as we could get it. Here are some pictures:

 

 

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The Putters

Over these years, I've collected a variety of putters. I've sold some, but my current collection contains eight. For the most part, this collection skews toward the slightly-off-the-beaten-path, clearance rack side of things. I'm not the target audience for retail prices.

 

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From left to right:

• Nike Method Converge B1-01 CounterFlex Counterbalance, 38"
• Odyssey Toe Up #1, 35"
• Yes! Rachel, 35"
• Adams A7 Select 60, 35", with a Golf Pride Tour SNSR 104
• Odyssey #7 Tank Versa, 38"
• Cleveland 2135 Satin Elevado, 35", with a Flatso 1.0 (with counterweight)
• MLA Pro XDream, 34" (thanks for the discount, MGS!)
• STX ProFit 6, cut down to about 34" from an original belly putter, with a heavy clevis pin as a counterweight and a SuperStroke 3.0 grip (my first attempt at customizing a putter)

Given my stroke and comfort (and their tech!), my expectation is that the Cleveland and MLA putters should be the favorites to come out on top of this contest.

 

The Shootout

 

Let me head this off: yep, it would be good to get fitted for a putter.

 

But this is fun.

 

My intention, over the next couple of weeks, is to pit these putters against each other in a couple of contests to see which emerges as the best for my game.

 

On the sloped side of the green, there are dots roughly every foot. On this side, the contest is simple: ten putts. Start with the four-footer that breaks left, then the four-footer that breaks right. The five, then six, seven, and eight. Here, I'm simply recording how many out of ten are made with each putter. My plan is to have each putter do this four times.

 

On the flat side of the green, I've set marks for a game I picked up from this little book: https://www.amazon.com/Little-Book-Indoor-Golf-Games-ebook/dp/B0042JU7IU

 

The game is putting soccer. Five balls are arranged at either end of the green, guarding the hole. The putters alternate shots, each trying to sink all five balls before the other. The game puts a premium on placing balls in specific spots, setting up the next shot.

 

Here, I've put together a round-robin format in which each putter has to go head-to-head with all of the other putters.

 

If there's any interest in this thread, I'll post on occasion with the results that I'm getting. If you're still reading this: thanks

Great post. I have to upgrade from a carpet putter !!!!!!!

[GolfSpy MPR]

It's time for the Putter Shootout 2.0!

This thread is now almost one year old, and it represents my initial foray into this forum (other than applying for [ahem] free stuff). The reception it received let me know right away that I had found something special in this forum, and it's been a joy to be a regular around here for a year now.

I thought I'd resurrect this thread to post the second edition of what I suspect will be an annual tradition: pitting my putters against each other in a winter basement deathmatch to determine which one gets to be in the bag when the snow melts in six months! (So much excitement and depression in a single sentence.)

This year, I've pruned the field and changed the contests. First, the putters:

• Cleveland TFI2135 Satin Elevado with P2 Aware
• Evnroll ER6 Black with P2 Aware Tour (grip currently in the mail)
• MLA XDream Pro with Flat Cat Standard
• Odyssey Toe Up #1 with P2 Classic

The constant among the contestants are grips with flat sides. For my part, I have found these kinds of grips helpful; to have immediate knowledge in my hands as to the orientation of the putter face is a good thing.

As for the tests, I'm changing things up a bit from last year. The first is basic: a set of 10 straight putts, about 8" in distance. The second is a sequence of 18 putts from defined spots on my putting green; all of these break in various directions. The third is a game called Killer: start with a 1" putt, if you make it, back up to 2", and so on. If you miss, that costs one of your three lives and you retry the putt. Once the three lives are gone, you get credit for the furthest putt you made. On my green, my max distance is 8". I'll alternate directions on this drill, so that I have left and right breaking versions.

My scoring spreadsheet is found here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ih6Aj8P2Y6Nh0iymy2zbQ7P9Sb_amOD-q43cMbjZmI/edit?usp=sharing

Scoring is as follows: in each category, the top performer gets a 100%, and each other putter gets a percentage determined by its makes divided by the top performer's makes. The percentages in each category are averaged together for a final score.

Like last year, I'll weigh in periodically with updates. If anyone has any suggestions for improving the Shootout, now's the time to hear it!

 

 

[fixyurdivot]

Please direct Kirke over to my "Bunker Shots" thread; could use some tips. 

[GolfSpy MPR]

Playing with a gadget, looking for feedback. I've got a camera that takes 360° photos and video. Trying to figure out how to share the photos here.

Here's a Facebook link to a photo of my putting area: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10157353000636393&id=586016392&sfnsn=cl

I'm interested to know if this works for anyone.

[romeopapazulu]

I got the 360 photo. Let me know when the next round of putt-off happens so I can route for the Elevado


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[GolfSpy MPR]

Just added this to my basement green. Needed the heat, and it adds some atmosphere :-)

[MaxEntropy]

I'm bumping this so I can find it again later. My oldest daughter is renting an apartment at college now and "borrowed" my couch and a bed from my man cave. The big empty space is calling for a putting green like this.

@GolfSpy MPR, How has the turf held up? Also, I could have sworn you had a construction thread for the green, but I can't find it. Was that not you? 

[tony@CIC]

Just added this to my basement green. Needed the heat, and it adds some atmosphere :-)

Is your one day of summer in Minnesota over already


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[GolfSpy MPR]

1 hour ago, MaxEntropy said:

I'm bumping this so I can find it again later. My oldest daughter is renting an apartment at college now and "borrowed" my couch and a bed from my man cave. The big empty space is calling for a putting green like this.

@GolfSpy MPR, How has the turf held up? Also, I could have sworn you had a construction thread for the green, but I can't find it. Was that not you? 

The construction info is at the beginning of this thread. I posted an update on the surface in this thread.

[GolfSpy MPR]

Here's one more construction picture that I'm not sure if I posted elsewhere in this thread.

[MaxEntropy]

1 hour ago, GolfSpy MPR said:

The construction info is at the beginning of this thread. I posted an update on the surface in this thread.

That's the thread I was looking for. Thanks!