Does Your Putter Have to Look Good?

[MrBandit]

100% Absolutely. If you have an ugly putter , but performs, in the back of your mind you will always have that  thought  of "damn it wasn't so damn ugly". Eventually you will make that putter perform bad so  you can get rid of it. 
Its like you dating that not as hot girl or guy (for those equal opportunity daters) , nice personality , funny. BUT... you rather go with the hot one. We are all very shallow about putting. 
 

[TR1PTIK]

I wouldn't say a putter needs to be good looking to everyone, but it should probably look to good to the individual using it. If you don't like the look of your putter in some way then it becomes far too easy IMO to fall out of love with the way it performs. You could simply lose your touch for a period and give up on the putter quickly because you have zero reason to hold onto it, but if you like the way it looks then finding a replacement becomes just that little bit more difficult. 

[the great spinks]

I'm an armlock guy so my options aren't extensive.  That being said, I absolutely love my Betti Studio Stock.

[RI_Redneck]

On 7/12/2020 at 9:51 AM, silver & black said:

Very nice! I'm curious about the wood used for the far right one... Bubinga... Padauk? I'm a Cabinetmaker and I've used a lot of exotics over the years.

Left to right - Macassar Ebony, Bolivian Rosewood and Afzelia Burl (from Laos). I have one in Bubinga (African Rosewood) and a ton of blanks resting in storage. I used blanks 1"x2"x4" to make the heads. I got a great deal on a piece of Bubinga that was a full 2'x8'x48' back in '99 (still wasn't cheap, but very popular). I ended up making a Media PC Case out of some of it as well as some putters. Great wood to work with.

BT

[Jim418]

On 7/14/2020 at 2:31 PM, MrBandit said:

100% Absolutely. If you have an ugly putter , but performs, in the back of your mind you will always have that  thought  of "damn it wasn't so damn ugly". Eventually you will make that putter perform bad so  you can get rid of it. 
Its like you dating that not as hot girl or guy (for those equal opportunity daters) , nice personality , funny. BUT... you rather go with the hot one. We are all very shallow about putting. 
 

Not all of us. I started using a TM Spider Tour S last fall. I have never liked the look of them but whenever I tried a friends, boy did it roll well. So I invested $56 in a Ghost version off ebay to give one a try, sanded it down and painted it black. (it was white and badly chipped up) Still don't like the look of it but it doesn't bother me a bit because it works GREAT for me.

[shadow0861]

I just bought a new putter. One I laughed at when I walked in. Odyssey Triple Track. I hate gimmicks and thought very little of the latest one from Callaway (Triple Track balls and putters). I still refuse to use the balls as I don’t use a lineup line. The putter is in my bag for the foreseeable future. 
 

I hate the red and blue stripes.  I hate the micro hinges in the insert. The bottom looks dumb. And STILL, with all that hate, the putter works. Freakishly well. I bought the Triple Track double wide flow with the midsized grip. The looks still have not grown on me, but the putter flat out works well. Great feel, very consistent distance control. I am now much more confident over a put than I ever have been. 

[GolfSpy_SHARK]

34 minutes ago, shadow0861 said:

I just bought a new putter. One I laughed at when I walked in. Odyssey Triple Track. I hate gimmicks and thought very little of the latest one from Callaway (Triple Track balls and putters). I still refuse to use the balls as I don’t use a lineup line. The putter is in my bag for the foreseeable future. 
 

I hate the red and blue stripes.  I hate the micro hinges in the insert. The bottom looks dumb. And STILL, with all that hate, the putter works. Freakishly well. I bought the Triple Track double wide flow with the midsized grip. The looks still have not grown on me, but the putter flat out works well. Great feel, very consistent distance control. I am now much more confident over a put than I ever have been. 

It’s funny that it doesn’t fit your eye but works. I had a similar issue....bettinardi BB39 hate mallets just doesn’t look good to me standing over the ball. I lined up probabky 20’putts during a fitting with it....drained them all.

the fitter said it’s funny several people have said similar things and it just worked for some reason. I got over the ball and it was just money every time. Granted straight putts but 10’ straight putts are not “good” by any means

[HardcoreLooper]

I've been putting with a Ping G2i Craz-e since 2005.  It looks like a vacuum cleaner attachment.  It's also kept its place in the bag for 15 years now.  It makes putts and upsets other people.  What could be better?  It also has not seen the inside of a putter cover since I got it home.

My older daughter plays a Ghost Monza (the one with the hole).  She touches it up with white refrigerator paint from time to time.  They are smooth looking putters, but they ding up way too easily.

[Josh Ross]

On 7/14/2020 at 10:39 AM, Josh Ross said:

I used to say I would never game the L.A.B. Directed Force because it looked so awkward. I didn't even know anything about it, just saw them and laughed. The other day I decided to test one out and the technology in that thing is absolutely undeniable for me. So, I have one on the way. I hit every single intended mark and as long as I read the green correctly I shouldn't be missing many putts.

I can now confirm that this thing feels like cheating to me. Every single putt starts on the intended line and I'm holing more mid to long range putts. Anything short is automatic.

[Alf. S]

I've had Scottys, Odysseys and recently bought a TM Spider X (Bronze one). I desperately want the Spider to work for me but I have kept reverting back to an old TM Rossa Monza, I just feel that I get so much better pace with it and with the metal face the sound is better for me.  

Last couple of weeks was looking at the TM Truss TM2 which I tried but it is an ugly looking thing so I was looking to try the TM1 when I stumbled across a McGregor MACTEC X 002, it is heel weighted and at the moment is working beautifully, my putting stats are looking great, bridie count has gone from zero to 3 to 4 a round. All for 20% of the price of the Truss

[Haro]

I prefer putters that have simple looks in regards to the number of bends at the neck  and with less aiming lines painted on top of the head. (Less busy).  One thing I notice is that how the putter looks sitting on the display floor can be very different when I set to putt behind  the putter   I really don’t know if the putter fits my eye unless I  roll a few.   I spotted few putters I though was “ugly” at first glance that was surprising accurate rolling on the putting green.  

[David1954]

On 3/28/2020 at 1:19 AM, chisag said:

... Last summer my son borrowed my 33" 8802 style putter without telling me and I was forced to get one from the clubhouse. All they had was this beat up 35" Tour Edge radically designed mallet in white paint, chipped all to he!!. I had no choice so I made the best of it and shot a 2 under 70 holing every makable putt. Balance was off, grip was wrong and it was way too long but I just focused on every putt and it obviously worked out well. But I have no illusions that that would last because the first time I missed a few makable putts the ugly TE would be getting the blame. And of course it should because it did not fit my gate stroke or my eye.

... And that is probably true for most golfers. As long as you are hitting something well that does not look good to your eye, you can live with it. But as soon as you start hitting poor shots, it is only natural to blame something that doesn't look like it can accomplish the task at hand. It doesn't have to be beautiful but it can't be ugly. 

Couldn`t agree more. Putter should be like your second hand primary, and then look well. Nevertheless everything need to be in balance...Especially your level of game and relevant putter

[Stopher]

On 3/24/2020 at 7:43 PM, dlow206 said:

Somehow I only buy putters that cost $300 and up (at least MSRP)

OMG. I’m not the only one. We should start a therapy group. 

[RangerGrey]

Ugly is in the eye of the beholder, I just ordered the ugliest putter I can remember ever having. Its a L.A.B. Green DF3 with Black Accra 34" as I thought no way would I try the DF2 as being ugly is one thing but I don't want something huge as that is why I went for the DF3, much smaller. I did own a Machine putter that was pretty ugly but more different than anything. If this DF3 putts as good as they hype it up I see this being a putter that will stay in my bag for 2024. I have 6 weeks to it arrives so time will tell

Edited February 24 by RangerGrey

[EBr]

It always helps if they look really good 

[GolfSpy_APH]

I mean I use a L.A.B. MEZZ MAX so yeah! It looks amazing!

[Rob Person]

I have yet to label a putter as ugly.  I ha e used other adjectives though to describe how they look. Monstrosity,  deformed, ridiculous,  Charlie brown, ghetto, slick, stylish, wow!  You get the idea.

The notion to some is that if it works well for them, and can disrupt other people, than it's doing its job.

[Golf2Much]

I got to agree with @GolfSpy_APH because my gamer is the L.A.B. DF2.1!  If I cared about looks, it might not have been on the radar screen.  

The big issue with putter looks (and in too many of life's interactions) beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  I think it may have more of an impact on the negative side.  If you think it's ugly and you'll likely assume that it doesn't function well either.  If you think you're going to miss a putt, there's a great chance that you will.  Therefore, the ugly putter not working is a self-fulfilling prophecy.  

[Josh Parker]

I don't care what it looks like if it works well for me. I loved my Ping Doc 17 putter that was huge and now have the LAB DF2.1 and it isn't going anywhere. 

[Wheelieb]

The looks of my putter don’t mean much to me if it performs. I had a blade putter then switched to a mid mallet putter and now a mallet putter. The Cobra Supernova has a lot going on, is it aesthetically pleasing? Absolutely not for everyone. To me, it rolls putts well. So I don’t care what it looks like. If I find an even uglier putter that rolls better and helps my putting, you best bet your bottom dollar is get it to replace my Cobra

[barney_bogey]

My putter doesn't have to look good but it HAS to be able to pick up a ball. Only criteria besides fitting the eye.

B

[BallsLeon]

Yes, and no. Maybe not so much look good, but suit my eye. 

My cobra blade is kinda fugly, but I like how it looks behind the ball.

[Rob Person]

2 hours ago, barney_bogey said:

My putter doesn't have to look good but it HAS to be able to pick up a ball. Only criteria besides fitting the eye.

B

Yeah, I missed that feature on my previous putters

[SDunne]

Putter is one of those things that I feel you have to like how it looks as you stare at it behind the ball more than any other club. I need to be able to get confidence from that but hey, beauty is in the eye of the beholder so who cares what playing partners think as long as you like it. My Odyssey Tank isn't winning any beauty awards but the solidity is has for me is the best thing about it. Whatever works for you!