Most important putter feature?

[Buffly]

Is it just me, or is a putter completely useless unless you can scoop up a ball with it?

I play the Enroll ER8 or a Ping Anser style putter interchangeabley. I can scoop up a ball easily with either. 

However, putters like the two ball, spider, or some mallet types cannot pick up a ball without adding something to the club like a claw on the end of the grip. 

I don't care if it makes one more putt every round. The savings of time not leaning down to pick up my bag when practicing or gimmies when playing is worth it to me. 

[Jose Gabriel Artates]

Choosing a putter depends upon your skill, style of throwing and preferences. I suggest you assess first what kind of putter you want.

[MadMex]

For me it's looks and if it fits my stroke

I bought a mint Scotty Cameron TEI 3 LOVE the look , yet my PING Anser 2 Stainless feels 10 times better.

 

[fozcycle]

Must fit in my hands like a glove.


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[GolfSpy_SHARK]

I like a simple alignment aid. Need 1 but not crazy (I like a T)

[txgolfjunkie]

Most important is if it makes everything inside 20'...I've gone through 40+ putters and still searching. 

Let me know if anyone has found a putter matching those requirements. 

[Brian A]

what I can do with it. Id putt with a shovel if I could hole any putt....

Comfort and confidence. Looking down at the setup I need it to be just simplistic but also know where its going. When I start getting putting "yips" (for lack of a better term) my rounds become insufferable

 

[Middler]

Scooping up the ball is nice but not at the top of my list *. Making putts is first and foremost. For me that comes from a combination of tech, feel and look - some may be real, some just in my head. Believing in your putter is essential to me. I’d putt with an Acushnet Bullseye if it consistently lowered my scores.

* The ER5B scoops, but not as easily as some putters I’ve used.

[DiscipleofPenick]

Feel is most important. Putting is all about confidence so I need to feel like I'm going to make everything. It's got the weight I like, fits my hands and stance, even clean lines help a lot.

 

BTW if you're making putts there's nothing to scoop. That's a pet peeve when I see people stick their putter head into the cup, shows disregard for others.

 

Take Dead Aim

 

 

 

 

[verojoe]

For me a solid face.  No insert and no milling. And no alignment aid.  When I look down I just want to see the putter head.  No lines, dots or design for alignment purposes.  

[PMookie]

Most of what’s been posted actually has no bearing on if one putts well with a putter or not...

[Nateyeight]

I like to have some kind of a visual aid. A sight dot, 1 line, or my current putter has 3 lines, I feel it helps me line up with the ball with my read and get the ball rolling online. 

[Buffly]

14 hours ago, PMookie said:

Most of what’s been posted actually has no bearing on if one putts well with a putter or not...

One can learn to putt well with anything. How long that takes depends on how well it fits the player and how well the player can adapt. 

The point of my original post is that I won't game a putter that cannot pick up a ball for a few personal reasons so, no matter what I want that feature. 

I spend a few hours at the local golf store from time to time trying different putters. I can make putts with anything from arm-lock, mallet, Anser, to kids putters. I agree some fit me more than others and, some are more consistent. But, if I can't pick up a ball with it then it goes right back without a thought. 

There are many designs that can pick up a ball and fit my strike likings.

[EEZurg]

Recently purchased the Kirkland putter with the weight kit.  I don't know if it's just my imagination, but changing the weight was huge!  Never thought weight was such a factor...but the right weight helped a great deal.  

[PMookie]

7 hours ago, Buffly said:

One can learn to putt well with anything. How long that takes depends on how well it fits the player and how well the player can adapt. 

The point of my original post is that I won't game a putter that cannot pick up a ball for a few personal reasons so, no matter what I want that feature. 

I spend a few hours at the local golf store from time to time trying different putters. I can make putts with anything from arm-lock, mallet, Anser, to kids putters. I agree some fit me more than others and, some are more consistent. But, if I can't pick up a ball with it then it goes right back without a thought. 

There are many designs that can pick up a ball and fit my strike likings.

Yeah. It’s a misnomer that of all the clubs in the bag, the putter is the only one where folks say it can perform no matter if it “fits” or not. It’s a fact that 97% of golfers aim outside of the hole one way or the other, up to 2 feet off from 10 feet!!! It’s the ONE club we hit almost twice on every hole. It’s the SINGLE most important club in the bag. 

I understand your original post. Two putters ago, I had one that couldn’t pick-up the ball. Drove me crazy!

[Buffly]

2 minutes ago, PMookie said:

Two putters ago, I had one that couldn’t pick-up the ball. Drove me crazy!

Exactly!

I just bought a Bull's-eye putter based on another thread just on a lark. I putt well with it but can't pickup a ball with it so, it's only a practice club. 

[Chip Strokes]

3 minutes ago, Buffly said:

Exactly!

I just bought a Bull's-eye putter based on another thread just on a lark. I putt well with it but can't pickup a ball with it so, it's only a practice club. 

seems like that’s only a problem if most of your putts don’t end up in the hole...

[Buffly]

49 minutes ago, EEZurg said:

Recently purchased the Kirkland putter with the weight kit.  I don't know if it's just my imagination, but changing the weight was huge!  Never thought weight was such a factor...but the right weight helped a great deal.  

I agree that weight matters. I have an old Ping Anser that is light which I struggle with consistency on long putts. My heaviest putter is my Evnroll which has a heavy grip and head. Too heavy which actually causes me a couple strokes from close range from time to time. 

I agree the Costco putter was a bit light stock. Glade you had the weights to make it a better fit. 

[PMookie]

1 minute ago, Chip Strokes said:

seems like that’s only a problem if most of your putts don’t end up in the hole...

Ha! And for EVERY golfer, that happens anywhere from 9-18 times per round! 

[Buffly]

2 minutes ago, Chip Strokes said:

seems like that’s only a problem if most of your putts don’t end up in the hole...

Haha! I hole out 18 times a round. Celebrations from 2 feet are a wonderful thing. 

[Chip Strokes]

1 minute ago, Buffly said:

Haha! I hole out 18 times a round. Celebrations from 2 feet are a wonderful thing. 

my putter can scoop a ball, but it’s definitely not a feature that would determine if i bought a certain putter

besides, there’s absolutely nothing worse than leaving a birdie putt a foot short and then slapping it across the green when you don’t scoop it cleanly

[cnosil]

41 minutes ago, Buffly said:

Haha! I hole out 18 times a round. Celebrations from 2 feet are a wonderful thing. 

If you hole out every hole, why do you need a putter than can pick up a ball?   I could see if for practicing,  but you said putters that don't pick up the ball (bullseye) would have to be a practice putter.     I am just confused.  

 

[Buffly]

25 minutes ago, cnosil said:

If you hole out every hole, why do you need a putter than can pick up a ball?   I could see if for practicing,  but you said putters that don't pick up the ball (bullseye) would have to be a practice putter.     I am just confused.  

 

Holing out 18 times a round from on the green in jest. The courses I play have these: 

[Shapotomous]

I prefer my putters have aerodynamics much like a boomarang....saves me steps.    

[Buffly]

1 hour ago, Shapotomous said:

I prefer my putters have aerodynamics much like a boomarang....saves me steps.    

Funny

[GBWarPig]

Totally a feel based putter would be my preference, but from there, can go with almost anything. 
 

I’d say one additional thing for me is a single material face - no inserts or things like that. Soured on those thanks to the Odyssey Works putters and the mesh face product coming undone and Callaway not doing anything to fix it. One poor experience pushed me to single material faces for the rest of my life. 

[ZenGolfer]

Id agree that the most important feature on a putter is how well balanced it is so that its  easy to throw into the nearest pond when you miss yet another 2 foot putt.

[Buffly]

11 hours ago, ZenGolfer said:

Id agree that the most important feature on a putter is how well balanced it is so that its  easy to throw into the nearest pond when you miss yet another 2 foot putt.

That's how I acquired my two Scotty Cameron putters - trolling the pond on 18 with a large magnet. Hehe

[Shapotomous]

On 9/27/2020 at 2:03 PM, ZenGolfer said:

Id agree that the most important feature on a putter is how well balanced it is so that its  easy to throw into the nearest pond when you miss yet another 2 foot putt.

Maybe another important feature for that balanced putter is that it also floats for easier retrieval!  

[ZenGolfer]

6 hours ago, Shapotomous said:

Maybe another important feature for that balanced putter is that it also floats for easier retrieval!  

Assuming you actually want to retrieve said putter.