Putter Fitting Deep Thoughts

[BMart519]

Last night while on the toilet (where much deep thinking occurs) I wondered why is there an emphasis on fitting a putter head style or toe hang to you stroke? If you are someone with a very strong arc putting stroke and subsequently a lot of face rotation, wouldn't using a slight arc or face balanced head/neck combination help reduce the arc and amount of rotation, thus making starting direction of the ball more consistent because of less change to face angle through the stroke?

Tomorrow I am getting fit for some new irons and will throw this by my fitter for his take on it and report back. 

Specific drivers (SFT, D-Type, etc.) are made by OEMs to fight a slice, a general iron fitting rule is to go more upright to balance out a slice and start the ball more left... I only ask because i noticed while playing with the iPing putting app that my stroke varies from the edge of strong/slight arc when using an odyssey #9 style head all the way to the edge of straight/slight arc when using a face balanced mid mallet. While landing somewhere in the middle of slight arc range when using a putter with slight to mid toe hang...

On the golf course the #9 style putter feels nice on 20"+ putts, the release of the head seems to help ensure the balls reaches the hole but getting it squared up on a testy 6' definitely feels more challenging than a face balanced or toe hang mallet. What are your thoughts? 

 

Edited August 30, 2019 by BMart519

[cnosil]

The IPing app measures rotation and not actual arc.     The toe hang does have an effect on your stroke;  by not matching the putter to your stroke it may result in your struggling to return the face to the correct spot.   Putters designs vary; just like other clubs, to work with your stroke and help return the face to the correct impact position.  

[bens197]

The arc is just one factor in a larger spectrum.

 

Grip size and shape, shaft length, lie angle, head shape, gross weight, head weight, counterbalancing.

 

Case in point, I always used an Anser 2 and for twenty years it’s been my ride or die. Earlier this season I came upon a Bettinardi Queen B9 with a flow neck and a heavier head. By the book, it shouldn’t work as someone who has a slight arc putter stroke. As Dwight Schrute would say; False!

 

Go into it with an open mind and try everything.

 

Report back and let us know.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

 

[Thin2win]

My thoughts, a putter fitting is well worth it. Getting the club face square to target at impact is the key. A clubhead by weight and design can influence your stroke to some degree as you noticed. But getting one set to the right lie and loft so that it minimizes bouncing and doesn't push or pull is huge. And the right toe hang is very important to getting the ball rolling on the target line consistently. 

If you can get fit with a Sam puttlab or similar I think you get some real good information. If you can't, I'd recommend setting a quarter on a flat putting surface. Use an alignment stick or some other method to make sure you are aimed straight at it, and make 15 or so putts. If you find you miss more to the left, look for a putter with less toe hang. If you miss right, look for one with more. If you constantly leave putts short, try less loft, and if you are constantly rolling putts too far try more loft. 

 

[Matthewgvpa]

If you have access I think getting fit at a Sam PuttLab is an absolute must.  It is amazing how quickly a good fitter can analyze what your tendencies, flaws, and needs are.  I recently went for mine and the data they gain to help guide you toward putters that fit your stroke doesn't lie.  The proof is in the numbers.  There were several putters I putted much more consistently than my current model (which I picked up off a shelf, rolled a few putts, and bought) and then it was just narrowing them down by preference and using the data to pick the best possible.  40% of your strokes on a course are putts and very few people get fit for a putter!

[BMart519]

I have had a Sam putt lab lesson before and got some general specs in terms of toe hang and style. I definitely see the value in it and it mostly agreed with what another fitter observed in a visual fitting with an iping app. I just bought a Cleveland hunting beach soft 6 to mess around with. I like the mid mallet head shape and it has a touch of toe hang. I personally really need to get a putter on the course to judge it. Hitting 10 footers on indoor turf that is rolling 10 or 12 stimp is only good for measuring start direction and there's a lot more to putting than that.