Does Your Putter Have to Look Good?

[GolfSpy BOS]

Well as I am lacking black paint and found myself with a lot of time on my hands, I decided to just go off the rails and repurpose an unused phone skin. Definitely not a look for everybody but I like it!

Wow that looks pretty cool. Looks very high tech/futuristic. I half expect little lasers or something to pop out like a transformer

Nice work!


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[ZenGolfer]

3 hours ago, BIG STU said:

You and I think alike---- There is a definition of looking good and it is a difference in opinion from person to person. For me personally looking good is not about "bling" but how it sits behind the ball and the feel. After a lot of research especially in the last few weeks I have realized for me I putt better and have a better feel with "old school" types mainly Bulls Eyes and Ironmaster Macgregors. I "inherited" some nice modern putters from an old bud who is dying and he wanted me to have them. Among them were 3 Bobby Grace V-Foils one of which was mine anyhow. Now I love those putters and think they are "sexy" but in truth even though I like the way they sit the feel is not there for me but I putt decent with them. But for some reason I putt better with an old flange Bulls Eye with a bare balls Ping Man grip than I do anything else in recent memory.

As far as dinged up lead taped old clubs IMHO that adds character----- My irons even though they are 1980 were pristine when I got them several years ago. I noticed yesterday that they are starting to get dinged up with some wear. My hybrids I have been working with a year or so now are old Adams and I actually literally drug them off the junk pile at work. I also noticed my 16* what I call a 4 wood is starting the rigors or wear and tear and I bought it brand new with the wrappers on it. I have lots of old clubs I dragged off the junk pile at work and I wonder sometimes if they could talk the stories they could tell.  Yep I have a lot of old school putters with leather grips but I think about them differently not about "the sweat in the grip" but wonder how many money putts this old thing has made.  

Agree.  The old putters for me were all about feel.  I feel like a lot of new putters have so much that makes them more forgiving but take away some of the feel.

[ZenGolfer]

3 hours ago, BIG STU said:

LOL generally most folks look at my signature set and ask " how in the world do you play with that antique outdated stuff?" When I really go vintage with the persimmon woods etc they think I have a screw loose. Actually in my signature set the only things even remotely "new " are the driver and the 4 wood which are 4 years old now. 

Agree.  Many times Ive been out with my vintage set that has persimmons and the old Spaldings with pyratone shafts.  People always think the irons are hickories.  With the woods, people always look at me like those old wood woods dont actually work and how could you play with those.  They think that until I stripe one 200+ yards down the middle of the fairway, while they slice their new 460cc titanium driver that they just paid $500 for into the next fairway over.

I just scored a set of Mizuno MS-4 persimmon woods and Im looking to put together a half set of irons from the same era (late '80s).  I love the old Spaldings but they are so short because the lofts are so weak on them.  Ive kind of been wanting to pick up a newer set of vintage irons and since I found these Mizuno persimmons, Im kind of wanting to find some Mizuno irons and wedges of similar vintage to go with them.

Edited April 1, 2020 by Retrogolfer36

[prussell24]

I do think that looks are important.  Its hard enough already to play well with clubs that you find appealing.  You might hit a club really well but if you hate the look or sound of it you will have problems sooner or later.  

B.Boston I would love to see how you repurposed that phone skin to cover your putter.

[silver & black]

24 minutes ago, prussell24 said:

B.Boston I would love to see how you repurposed that phone skin to cover your putter.

You beat me to it! I would also love to hear how you did it.

[ZenGolfer]

Heres another example of what many would call an ugly putter. It's got some classic lines too it but it's very different. It rolls the ball very well though.

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Edited April 1, 2020 by Retrogolfer36

[GolfSpy BOS]

4 hours ago, prussell24 said:

I do think that looks are important.  Its hard enough already to play well with clubs that you find appealing.  You might hit a club really well but if you hate the look or sound of it you will have problems sooner or later.  

B.Boston I would love to see how you repurposed that phone skin to cover your putter.

 

4 hours ago, silver & black said:

You beat me to it! I would also love to hear how you did it.

Not sure if it's showing up funny because I replied to him, but that wasn't me! That's  @TShaffer putter.  Maybe they can chime in on how it was done.

[BIG STU]

8 hours ago, Retrogolfer36 said:

Agree.  Many times Ive been out with my vintage set that has persimmons and the old Spaldings with pyratone shafts.  People always think the irons are hickories.  With the woods, people always look at me like those old wood woods dont actually work and how could you play with those.  They think that until I stripe one 200+ yards down the middle of the fairway, while they slice their new 460cc titanium driver that they just paid $500 for into the next fairway over.

I just scored a set of Mizuno MS-4 persimmon woods and Im looking to put together a half set of irons from the same era (late '80s).  I love the old Spaldings but they are so short because the lofts are so weak on them.  Ive kind of been wanting to pick up a newer set of vintage irons and since I found these Mizuno persimmons, Im kind of wanting to find some Mizuno irons and wedges of similar vintage to go with them.

Find you a set of MP-33s and thank me later

[BIG STU]

8 hours ago, Retrogolfer36 said:

Agree.  Many times Ive been out with my vintage set that has persimmons and the old Spaldings with pyratone shafts.  People always think the irons are hickories.  With the woods, people always look at me like those old wood woods dont actually work and how could you play with those.  They think that until I stripe one 200+ yards down the middle of the fairway, while they slice their new 460cc titanium driver that they just paid $500 for into the next fairway over.

I just scored a set of Mizuno MS-4 persimmon woods and Im looking to put together a half set of irons from the same era (late '80s).  I love the old Spaldings but they are so short because the lofts are so weak on them.  Ive kind of been wanting to pick up a newer set of vintage irons and since I found these Mizuno persimmons, Im kind of wanting to find some Mizuno irons and wedges of similar vintage to go with them.

I did this one time strictly for kicks and giggles and my boss man will back me up on this because he was there when I pulled the clubs off the pile and played golf with me the next day. Found an old R-7 quad and a V-Steel 5 wood. Found a set of 57 Mac Diamonbacks 2 thru 9 with a Muirfield PW and a 252 Vokey 56* wedge. Now for scrap prices golf clubs weigh around a pound each. Also found a old bulls eye putter total purchase price at 0.05 per pound less than $1. And my boss found a ratty tattered Titleist stand bag with a cracked leg and one missing he threw in for free. I remember at the bag drop the guys behind us were the tourist type ie: latest and greatest crowd and asked the bag drop guy if I actually was going to play that bag of junk. The guy at the bag drop knows me and told him yeah. Shot 80 that day and those guys due to the course being crowded and slow played behind us and saw me do it. They did not say a darn word

[jlbarbour]

To me, yes. I need all my clubs to look good and appealing to the eyes. For instance, with putters, I do better with a mid mallet than a blade but I like the blade look. I made the best of both worlds using a Scotty Squareback 2 and one of the deciding factors was how it looked. SC are the best looking putters to me and give me confidence just looking down at it 

[TShaffer]

2 hours ago, B.Boston said:

Not sure if it's showing up funny because I replied to him, but that wasn't me! That's  @TShaffer putter.  Maybe they can chime in on how it was done.

Thanks @B.Boston, yeah it wasn't too bad. I have a pixel 3 xl so a decent sized phone. The skin I purchase came with 3 different "sizes" each covering a different amount of the phone. Naturally I chose one and had the other two left over, so it did take more material than just one phone skin. I traced out my putter on paper and used those as a template to cut my phone skins. The Manta putter is naturally segmented so that made it easier. The actual skin is a sticker like material and a quick pass with a blow-dryer on low heat helps the adhesive really take. It also helped smooth out the corners. Very similar concept to how they wrap cars.

I made sure each shape was cut just a little larger than the piece it was covering to allow for overlap. I won't post pictures of the bottom because it looks as dinged up as ever, trying to use the leftover trimmings on that still. 

As far as the alignment lines, grey gel nail polish with a protective clear coat (ask your wives). And done! I already spent the money and was never going to use the extra skins because I doubled up with a clear phone case to take the physical abuse.

 

[ZenGolfer]

Find you a set of MP-33s and thank me later

I've got some Mizuno Silver Cup irons and a couple RK Mizuno wedges I'm stalking now. Just waiting until payday to pull the trigger.

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[IceHawk]

On 3/31/2020 at 10:10 PM, TShaffer said:

Well as I am lacking black paint and found myself with a lot of time on my hands, I decided to just go off the rails and repurpose an unused phone skin. Definitely not a look for everybody but I like it!

 

Impressive!

[zrumble]

Definitely has to have nice clean lines, no glare, and a small head, otherwise I can’t stand the look of it. 

[BIG STU]

9 hours ago, jlbarbour said:

To me, yes. I need all my clubs to look good and appealing to the eyes. For instance, with putters, I do better with a mid mallet than a blade but I like the blade look. I made the best of both worlds using a Scotty Squareback 2 and one of the deciding factors was how it looked. SC are the best looking putters to me and give me confidence just looking down at it 

The last part you stated is what it is all about there my friend. Does not matter the brand , model or vintage. Very well stated and I got your gist there

[deauxrite]

On 3/24/2020 at 6:14 PM, TShaffer said:

The great Deion Sanders once said, "If you look good, you feel good. If you feel good, you play good. If you play good, they pay good."

My question is, does tht apply to the flatstick? A while back I got myself a Taylormade Ghost Manta putter for a steal on eBay. Not the biggest fan of the white putter, but I figured I could fix that, quick trip to the hardware store and a few costs of black paint and I get this. (Looks a bit worse for wear now) I liked the look a lot better and I took the liberty to add a couple alignment lines to help me out. 

Alas, the shine has faded and I find myself sneaking peeks at other putters while mine has its back turned. I feel like I'm cheating, I mean don't get me wrong, I love my putter. It's served me well over the years, but I am beginning to wonder if all those chips and scratches make me like it less.

Performance wise I don't need to be looking for a new one, so what are my options? How many spys out there have taken creative liberty with their putter's appearance? Has anyone dipped or wrapped theirs? And do you think that you really do perform better when your putter looks sharp?

Would love to hear your thoughts

Man, that is one ugly putter.  I don't think that I would let my other clubs associate with that thing.

My putter has to look good!

[GolfSpy_SHARK]

I live by my grandfathers wise words “if you’re going to play like s*** look good doing it” . One thing I could recommend is hydro-dipping pretty easy and plenty of YouTube on them. I have used it on some of my guns not golf. Could easily tape the face off and have a brand new putter look. Can do a lot of funky stuff too if your into that.

 

Example of a pretty cool dip done. Also very versatile and durable

[Jmikecpa]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, my new gamer arrived.


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[Ploobear]

I need to like the look of the putter when I put it down by the ball. Same goes for any club. That club performing well certainly makes it look better in my mind though, so I'd imagine that performance can overcome a lot of things. 

[GolfSpy BOS]

I’m going between these two right now. I think they both look good in their own ways.


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[OsoBear]

Putting is all feel, and if you feel like your putter is embarrassing to display it will absolutely effect your putting. It doesn't have to look good to someone else, just in your mind.

[Chefchad73]

I think Deion is onto something here.  I have to like what my clubs look like at address to feel confident. They have to fit my eye

[Sparky14]

I can't stand to be between. Either it has to be really nice looking, or really really ugly, something that makes me laugh.

When I first moved to SoCal 25 years ag0, I ended up with a regular foursome. We had one guy that took a hunk of 2x4, drilled a hole in it and installed a putter shaft. He loved to putt with that thing. He was probably the worst putter I have ever seen, but he loved that putter more than anything. I respect that.

[beelzeberto]

On 3/31/2020 at 10:10 PM, TShaffer said:

Well as I am lacking black paint and found myself with a lot of time on my hands, I decided to just go off the rails and repurpose an unused phone skin. Definitely not a look for everybody but I like it!

That doesn't look that bad actually, nice job

[artful_golfer]

I have a theory on this - bear with me as I explain. I have studied, tested and presented about learning styles and how they affect what we like, how we do things and the decisions we make. Golf should be no different. There are 4 main learning styles: visual, kinestetic, tactile and auditory. My bet is that if the look of your clubs rates as the most important in your decision then you are predominantly a visual learner. If the feel you get when swinging the club is most important then you are mainly a kinesthetic learner. How it feels in your hands (like the grip, weight) you are tactile. And how it sounds when you swing and the click (for putting) then you are auditory.

That being said, people will usually test as possessing a combination of learning styles but one is predominant. So you are spot on @Mr. 82 when you say "Looks will play a part in the equation, but it ain't everything to me, . . ."   Preferences for each of us will and should be different. Go with what suits you.

The great part about MGS is that you are bound to find others that connect with your same vibe and style.

By the way, I also have a theory that the best natural putters, right from the beginning, are visual learners because they can naturally read the greens better.

[tj2kgolfer]

I have had the original white hot Rossie for seven years. And honestly its not the best looking thing in the world but it gets the ball in the hole. Getting the ball in the hole on the green is the most important. The tool you use to do so is the only important thing.

[alisarodriguez15]

On 3/25/2020 at 8:14 AM, silver & black said:

For me, every club has to look good. I will not do as well with something I don't like to look at. I know full well that there are clubs that don't look good to my eye, that I could hit better... but I can't do it...lol. That includes the putter.

100% agree with this! If I don’t feel comfortable looking at it I do not want it in my bag. I could hit it further and straighter but not like the look. 

[tj2kgolfer]

What  am saying is don't get too absorbed in the look. I love the way my rossie looks. I see no need to change. I like what i am looking t. I just think getting the ball in the hole is most important. 

3 hours ago, alisarodriguez15 said:

100% agree with this! If I don’t feel comfortable looking at it I do not want it in my bag. I could hit it further and straighter but not like the look. 

 

[TShaffer]

On 4/18/2020 at 7:44 PM, artful_golfer said:

I have a theory on this - bear with me as I explain. I have studied, tested and presented about learning styles and how they affect what we like, how we do things and the decisions we make. Golf should be no different. There are 4 main learning styles: visual, kinestetic, tactile and auditory. My bet is that if the look of your clubs rates as the most important in your decision then you are predominantly a visual learner. If the feel you get when swinging the club is most important then you are mainly a kinesthetic learner. How it feels in your hands (like the grip, weight) you are tactile. And how it sounds when you swing and the click (for putting) then you are auditory.

That being said, people will usually test as possessing a combination of learning styles but one is predominant. So you are spot on @Mr. 82 when you say "Looks will play a part in the equation, but it ain't everything to me, . . ."   Preferences for each of us will and should be different. Go with what suits you.

The great part about MGS is that you are bound to find others that connect with your same vibe and style.

By the way, I also have a theory that the best natural putters, right from the beginning, are visual learners because they can naturally read the greens better.

Mind blown!! I love this!! I was just discussing the other day the impact learning styles has on the confidence of individuals in difference circumstances. I think this makes a lot of sense!

[OsoBear]

On 4/18/2020 at 6:44 PM, artful_golfer said:

I have a theory on this - bear with me as I explain. I have studied, tested and presented about learning styles and how they affect what we like, how we do things and the decisions we make. Golf should be no different. There are 4 main learning styles: visual, kinestetic, tactile and auditory. My bet is that if the look of your clubs rates as the most important in your decision then you are predominantly a visual learner. If the feel you get when swinging the club is most important then you are mainly a kinesthetic learner. How it feels in your hands (like the grip, weight) you are tactile. And how it sounds when you swing and the click (for putting) then you are auditory.

That being said, people will usually test as possessing a combination of learning styles but one is predominant. So you are spot on @Mr. 82 when you say "Looks will play a part in the equation, but it ain't everything to me, . . ."   Preferences for each of us will and should be different. Go with what suits you.

The great part about MGS is that you are bound to find others that connect with your same vibe and style.

By the way, I also have a theory that the best natural putters, right from the beginning, are visual learners because they can naturally read the greens better.

Isn't kinesthetic and tactile the same thing?