Putter fitting and a surprising result

[gman8966 50]

My brother recently was professionally fitted and ended up with a SIK putter, even after just recently purchasing a new Scotty Phantom 5.5. Since then he has been putting lights out, if he doesn't 1 putt I am surprised. I never realized putter fitting was so important, but this post reaffirms that. Thanks for the info.

[JonMUSC08 963]

After @Watchnut33 inspired me to finally go get a putter fitting, i scheduled my appointment yesterday to give it a go!

I went to a local fitting place near me in Charleston, SC (David Ayers Golf) where they utilized the LAB system to review my putting stroke. Real cool info to see. I attached a sensor bar to my gamer putter and putted 5 balls. Gave analysis of the tempo, speed, stroke arc, stroke path, impact on the face, face angle, and some other info. 

Come to find out I had an out-to-in stroke, my face is open, but cutting across closed to the path. 

Respectfully, my fitter did not necessarily recommend a new putter (dont tell my wife) but wanted me to work on a better putting path. He thought the putters i had worked well as any new putter would be based on personal feel. Essentially he provided some putting lessons. 

[cnosil 25,174]

7 minutes ago, JonMUSC08 said:

After @Watchnut33 inspired me to finally go get a putter fitting, i scheduled my appointment yesterday to give it a go!

I went to a local fitting place near me in Charleston, SC (David Ayers Golf) where they utilized the LAB system to review my putting stroke. Real cool info to see. I attached a sensor bar to my gamer putter and putted 5 balls. Gave analysis of the tempo, speed, stroke arc, stroke path, impact on the face, face angle, and some other info. 

Come to find out I had an out-to-in stroke, my face is open, but cutting across closed to the path. 

Respectfully, my fitter did not necessarily recommend a new putter (dont tell my wife) but wanted me to work on a better putting path. He thought the putters i had worked well as any new putter would be based on personal feel. Essentially he provided some putting lessons. 

For people that want to know the numbers and details, puttlab provides great and insightful information.   Fixing path isn’t bad if it is really inconsistent,  but face angle is really the key in determining where the ball will go.  Most people have a bias to the left or right and just like the full swing sometimes it is best to embrace that bias and not try to zero your path and possible end up with a 2 way miss. 
 

what strategy did he provide for working on path.?

[JonMUSC08 963]

@cnosilwe worked with a tool called the Putting Arc just to get the feel of a putting arc and not a direct straight back, straight forward swing. As much as i wanted straight back/forward, i was out to in a few degrees. Then we laid down some alignment sticks to make sure my putter didnt go above the top one or much below the bottom one. 

I have a Taylormade Spider Interactive putter which is actually used for fittings (unbeknownst to me) and the Blast Motion sensor that fits in the top gives all of the same metrics (just not the visual like the LAB system). I'll be practicing with that to get more consistent. 

[cnosil 25,174]

4 minutes ago, JonMUSC08 said:

@cnosilwe worked with a tool called the Putting Arc just to get the feel of a putting arc and not a direct straight back, straight forward swing. As much as i wanted straight back/forward, i was out to in a few degrees. Then we laid down some alignment sticks to make sure my putter didnt go above the top one or much below the bottom one. 

I have a Taylormade Spider Interactive putter which is actually used for fittings (unbeknownst to me) and the Blast Motion sensor that fits in the top gives all of the same metrics (just not the visual like the LAB system). I'll be practicing with that to get more consistent. 

Yep, no such thing as SBST unless you manipulate you arms and elbow bend. Better to accept that there is some arc and rotation.  Keep it up, sounds like you are on a path to a more sound putting stroke. 

[Middler 3,578]

6 minutes ago, cnosil said:

Yep, no such thing as SBST unless you manipulate you arms and elbow bend. Better to accept that there is some arc and rotation.  Keep it up, sounds like you are on a path to a more sound putting stroke. 

+1. For anyone who thinks they are SBST, it's easy to prove otherwise for yourself. Just put down a 2x4 or similar lined up parallel with your target line, address a ball with the heel of your putter against the 2x4 and take a stroke. Most if not all will find it feels very awkward when your putter is truly forced on a SBST path. I was shocked when I tried it. We all have an arc, it's just a matter of how much...

[JonMUSC08 963]

Just trying to find a way to cut off like 3-4 strokes from my scores. Eliminate the 3 putts and maybe make a few more from 10ft. 

[jayjay0808 1,217]

Probably the most overlooked aspect of fitting. Majority tend to go to a golf store pick up a putter off the rack, rolls and holes a couple putts and walks away with that putter. So many variables in a putter fitting so it is best to see a professional. Huge value for the amount of strokes it can save you.

[Watchnut33 82]

Another follow up here. I’ve had the new putter in the bag for 4 rounds now and I’ve never putted better than I have lately. It took me a couple weeks of practicing to get my set up in a comfortable place, and now I feel like I’m going to make every putt. Yesterday I rolled in a couple from beyond 25’ and only missed 1 from inside 10’. My misses were all close, leaving a lot of tap in clean ups. Distance control has been such a huge improvement with this putter, and the ball coming off the face is even better now that I’m really comfortable with my setup and stroke. For reference my Arccos handicap for putting yesterday was +5, whereas with my old putter it was typically anywhere from 2 to 10.

I can’t recommend strongly enough getting fitted for a putter and keeping an open mind if your fitter suggests a putter you wouldn’t have considered. 
 

Edited July 25, 2021 by Watchnut33