Can you pick the Master’s Winner based on their putter?

[Javs]

Found an interesting article on putter models and winners at Majors. What do you think? Myself I don’t think it matters on the model as much as putting the ball on the correct part of the green and then making it.

https://golf.com/gear/predict-major-winners-putter-style-masters/?utm_campaign=PANTHEON_STRIPPED&utm_source=PANTHEON_STRIPPED&utm_medium=PANTHEON_STRIPPED&utm_content=PANTHEON_STRIPPED&utm_term=PANTHEON_STRIPPED&amp=1
 

[CFreddie]

Interesting article - would be interesting to see how putting performance changed when switching between blade and mallet (or if it’s truly just a personal pref).  

[Javs]

21 minutes ago, CFreddie said:

Interesting article - would be interesting to see how putting performance changed when switching between blade and mallet (or if it’s truly just a personal pref).  

Agree!

[Swood1994]

I listened to a couple podcasts I believe the one that stood out was Keegan Bradley and he was talking about how he's switching from his longer "belly" putter to a regular blade going into Augusta. His reasoning was that Augusta requires precise putting from far off the green due to the tight lies and that he loses the feel and being able to "pop" the ball with the longer putter. 

That take coupled with Rory moving back to his trusty Scotty 009 that he had a great stretch with, I think, points to some truth about the heavier bladed putters performing better on Major level greens.

[cnosil]

46 minutes ago, Swood1994 said:

I listened to a couple podcasts I believe the one that stood out was Keegan Bradley and he was talking about how he's switching from his longer "belly" putter to a regular blade going into Augusta. His reasoning was that Augusta requires precise putting from far off the green due to the tight lies and that he loses the feel and being able to "pop" the ball with the longer putter. 

That take coupled with Rory moving back to his trusty Scotty 009 that he had a great stretch with, I think, points to some truth about the heavier bladed putters performing better on Major level greens.

You say “heavier” blade putters, but never mentioned weight in your examples.  Why do you think the blade putters are heavy and for those that switched are heavier than their prior mallet putter?

[Swood1994]

2 minutes ago, cnosil said:

You say “heavier” blade putters, but never mentioned weight in your examples.  Why do you think the blade putters are heavy and for those that switched are heavier than their prior mallet putter?

If we take Rory's Spider X he used for a long time and make the assumption its a stock weight (generally a large assumption to make but I don't have his specs) its around 320 grams head weight. most of the blade putters on tour or at least the last 3/4 majors from 2022 used blades (Cam Smith 009, Matt Fitzpatrick Bettinardi, Scotty Scheffler Timeless Tourtype GSS) all tend to start around the 350G head weight and then if I remember correctly Scheffler had 2 25G weights at 36.25" for his height. 

Rory switching to a Scotty Cameron Newport GSS would gain him 30 grams right off the head, again assuming the spider was a stock 320G head.

We can also reference a MGS Test between mallets and blades and from 10 feet blades averaged 4 putts better than mallets, and three-putt better average at 20 feet.

Specifically at Augusta where putting is arguably the most important part of the game given the green complexes and the pga tour average for vicinity to hole from approach is around 18ft, I think a heavier bladed style putter will have an advantage.

[cnosil]

5 minutes ago, Swood1994 said:

If we take Rory's Spider X he used for a long time and make the assumption its a stock weight (generally a large assumption to make but I don't have his specs) its around 320 grams head weight. most of the blade putters on tour or at least the last 3/4 majors from 2022 used blades (Cam Smith 009, Matt Fitzpatrick Bettinardi, Scotty Scheffler Timeless Tourtype GSS) all tend to start around the 350G head weight and then if I remember correctly Scheffler had 2 25G weights at 36.25" for his height. 

Rory switching to a Scotty Cameron Newport GSS would gain him 30 grams right off the head, again assuming the spider was a stock 320G head.

We can also reference a MGS Test between mallets and blades and from 10 feet blades averaged 4 putts better than mallets, and three-putt better average at 20 feet.

Specifically at Augusta where putting is arguably the most important part of the game given the green complexes and the pga tour average for vicinity to hole from approach is around 18ft, I think a heavier bladed style putter will have an advantage.

Spider X stock is 355 per advertised specs: https://www.golfdigest.com/story/taylormade-spider-x-creates-more-stability-improves-alignment-in-new-colors

Since we don’t know stock weight for the putter Scheffler is using we can only go by OEM weights the special select is 280gr without weights and with the 2 25 gr weights it would be a 330 gram putter.  Cameron typically goes lighter for longer with a 35” being 330, 34” being 340, and 35” being 350.   

Tigers putter is in the 326gr range.  From what I have read PGA players are typically 350 and lower.  
 

obviously all speculation as we don’t actually know the specific headweights   

 

[Swood1994]

6 minutes ago, cnosil said:

Spider X stock is 355 per advertised specs: https://www.golfdigest.com/story/taylormade-spider-x-creates-more-stability-improves-alignment-in-new-colors

Since we don’t know stock weight for the putter Scheffler is using we can only go by OEM weights the special select is 280gr without weights and with the 2 25 gr weights it would be a 330 gram putter.  Cameron typically goes lighter for longer with a 35” being 330, 34” being 340, and 35” being 350.   

Tigers putter is in the 326gr range.  From what I have read PGA players are typically 350 and lower.  
 

obviously all speculation as we don’t actually know the specific headweights   

 

I stand corrected on the new Spider X head weight. 2019 model was a 320G head with a 15G sole plate so total 335g. Most SC SSS Timeless TourType heads are a 350G head weight and the 009M is a 340G head weight. Whether this is accounting for the weights in the heel and toe, I am unsure.

Totally agree we can only speculate because on tour most putters are prototypes for the specific player. 

and another piece I wasn't considering is that as a whole I believe 60-70% of the tour is now into a mallet style putter, but I was focusing on Major wins specifically.