Does Your Putter Have to Look Good?

[Big Jon]

I have tinkered many times over with paint schemes. The only "cheap easy" paint I found to for maybe 1/2 a season is a high temp auto spray paint called VHT. General water and grip solvent doesnt remove it, but a fertilizer and acetone melts it off quick. Tries my hand with Caswells Stainless darkener on my Scotty. I love the look of black clubs. Came out great and going strong for 2 seasons now. Also super easy to apply it and hard to mess up if you prep correctly. 

[braincramp]

Yes! I have to like the looks of all my clubs but especially my putter.

[Fronaf]

I agree that most of, if not all, the clubs in the bag have to be pleasing to the eye. Its all about confidence over the ball so if I'm doubting the look of the club from the beginning there is definitely something missing in the confidence department. That being said, I was searching for a mallet putter that I could better control my distance with and probably spent 3 hours on the greens at the golf store with everything from Scotty Cameron to Axis. I kept going back to the Scotty Phantom X because it just looked amazing from above. After putting it through a blind test just feeling the weights of all the putters both in my hands and through the swing, I put it in dead last behind a number of putters (me personally). I eventually went with the Odyssey Stroke Lab 10, even though I would have never have chosen it off the shelf because it looked very Taylormade Spider knock-off ish and pretty boring. I wanted something more unique looking but couldn't ignore how the Stroke Lab felt in my hands so I went performance over looks and I am so glad I did. I guess the moral of the story is if something heads over tails performs better for you, you can get over ALMOST any look.

[IceHawk]

You know, I feel like you could touch it up nicely with some more black paint on there.  Maybe some Rust-oleum flat black?  I think you need a certain type of look to inspire confidence at address, and it really doesn't matter what club it is.  If my eyes induce feelings of vomiting every time I walk up to the green with my putter to make a putt, then I'm probably not going to be using that putter.  I think feel is still very(if not most) important when it comes to a putter though, and then you have to find one that fits your stroke.

[tschott4]

I just switched to a Bobby Grace Night & Day. Has the fangs on the back that appear a lot wider than the Odyssey #7. The material he uses on the face puts an almost instant roll on the ball and I've had no 3 putts since I started using this one. It will be in the bag until it misbehaves and then may go back to an original Fat Lady Swings. Love the Grace putters

[KatoGolfer]

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.

I couldn't agree with this more.  To me, optics are huge.  If you look down and don't like what you see you will have a bad thought in your mind before you even think about taking that club back.  It applies to every club for me too.  Of course this is very personal, I play with a couple older guys that are great putters and have putted with the same putter for 25 years.  They could make putts with a broken oak limb.  

About 5-6 years back I started using a counterbalanced mallet and haven't looked back.  Any time I attempt a putt with a normal weighted head/grip the thing feels like a rubber band in my hands.  I am soooooo much more solid on the 5 footers and in with a CB putter.

[TShaffer]

23 hours ago, IceHawk said:

You know, I feel like you could touch it up nicely with some more black paint on there.  Maybe some Rust-oleum flat black?

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!

[BIG STU]

On 3/25/2020 at 12:31 PM, Retrogolfer36 said:

I would say, no, it doesnt have to look good.  Some of my favorite putters were vintage Bullseyes and 8802s that were all dinged and nicked up because in the old days people didnt use putter covers.

Is actually kind of funny in that we value an old set of blades that is all dinged up from decades of bag chatter and see that as character but look down upon woods, hybrids and putters that have the same look.

Ive got an old Dunlop Peter Tomson putter that is from the 1950s.  Its basically a Bullseye clone with a brass head that is all dinged up, fluted steel shaft and leather wrap grip.  Its old, its kind of ugly but it rolls the ball very well.  I just look at that putter and I wonder what stories it could tell if it could talk.  I also sometimes wonder how many years and decades worth of sweat and BO is soaked into that leather grip but thats a different tale for another day and something I try not to think about.

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.  

[BIG STU]

On 3/25/2020 at 7:33 PM, Retrogolfer36 said:

I feel like people look at most of my vintage putters and would think, "I could never putt with that!"

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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. 

[BIG STU]

On 3/25/2020 at 10:43 PM, RobotDoctor said:

As with any golf club the putter has to be pleasing to my eye.  There has to be a certain flow to it that I like.  For example, I couldn't putt with a Ping Anser 2 model putter but can easily putt with a Ping Anser putter because I do not like boxy blades.  I like softer edges.  My favorite style of putter is the Ping Zing style putter.  While there is a boxy nature to this putter there is enough softness and roundness of edges that it looks great to me.  I've putted with the Ping Zing for several years then after many years of trying other putters I found a Cameron Designed by Brad Faxon that was my gamer for several years then I went with a few more putters and a few more years and have been gaming a Byron Morgan Epic Day putter.  Yes, a Ping Zing inspired putter.  To me the lines have a great flow to it that I really love. It looks great to me and I have never putted better.

 

 

Glad to see you active over here old buddy-----

[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!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[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