When Do You Switch Putters?

[6 Million Dollar Man]

This time of the year the greens can be in transition, i.e. grasd popping out, getting cut and speeding up.  That's one factor.  But I will once in a while show my main putter the closet just to get a different feel.  Not often, though.

[Golf Dawg]

As an admitted putter ho, there are way too many “goodies in my candy store.”
 

Periodically (like yesterday) I will pull some off the shelf and try, but end up going back to my gamer, which has become a small-head mallet. 
 

I grew up with a putt-putt putter, then a Ping Anser, which I’ve used for decades. Then I sipped the heavier putter kool aid and spun down the rabbit hole, trying/buying a myriad of Anser clones and other unique putters…

My teacher got me to the “Dark Side” of mallets. I still pull the Ansers out, as well as other mallets, but I end up back with the “chosen mallet.”  

[fossil]

20 years ago. To the then two ball odyssey.  Really,  if there is nothing structural wrong with a putter, then it is the person using it.

[GolfSpy AFG]

54 minutes ago, FmrCaddie13 said:

You already own the Evnroll so this isn't a $ question. You got fitted and bought it for a reason. In practice you prefer it. So it's all mental now. Why wouldn't you play it at this point? What is holding you back? Subconsciously you may be putting worse with the Odyssey to give yourself a reason to switch. Or you have lost confidencd in it knowing the Evnroll seems like an even better choice for you. Stop torturing yourself and game the Evnroll already. It's not like you have to throw the other putter away.

Appreciate all the feedback.  Yeah, I'm likely to go this route.  Part of my hesitation is that I don't want to scapegoat the putter versus correcting my own deficiencies, if that makes sense?  I've been making plenty of putts with the Odyssey and now I'm not, and obviously the putter didn't change.  

My main challenge seems to be sub-optimal or inconsistent contact, which in term impacts speed and distance control, so I'm wondering if moving away from an insert-based putter like the Odyssey might be a good idea.

[Zatty]

I have had the same putter for 15 or so years.    Whitehot sabertooth.  Only thing I have changed is a big grip - that was very beneficial - took hands/wrist out of stroke.  Balance/feel is unmatched in anything else I have tried.  Putting is the strongest part of my game and this beauty is the reason why. 

 

 

[Kevyn Nightingale]

I'm loyal to a putter. When I took up golf, a few people told me: "Buy cheap clubs, because you'll replace them soon; buy the most expensive putter that feels good." That was sage advice. 

The first putter I bought - a Ray Cook Blue Goose - I used (with a couple of intermissions) until last year. That's 32 years. 

I even changed hands 6 years ago (yes, I hit from the other side now), but I still putt leftie.

I've moved to an Evnroll ER5, because it's more stable, but I still love that original putter. It's still in my locker, and I use it with my Sunday bag (because it's lighter to carry).

This is not mine, but this is what it looks like.

[HDTVMAN]

LOL. Friends joke every time I play with a different putter! Tomorrow will be the third change in a week!

[NoRebound]

I'm the guy who doesn't switch.  I won a Scotty Cameron Newport 2 at an outing around 10 years ago and have never put it down.  I've regripped it twice and played around with lead tape on it from time to time but I just love the feel and balance of it so much that I've never even seriously considered moving on from it.  I'm playing fairly well this year (averaging 1.8 putts). 

[cnosil]

13 minutes ago, Getoffmylawn said:

My main challenge seems to be sub-optimal or inconsistent contact, which in term impacts speed and distance control, so I'm wondering if moving away from an insert-based putter like the Odyssey might be a good idea.

Changing the putter may not fix those issues,   Insert was fine before so insert should continue to be fine.   Miss hits with a different putter will still be a miss hit and you may get better or worse performance depending how the ball comes off that area of the putter.   Just like other clubs, putters lose ball speed based on where on the face you hit them.   I believe insert vs non insert has little effect on the performance and other factors would have more of an influence.  
 

Where are you hitting on the face?  Have you tried putting something on the face to give you feedback during practice to try and fix the contact issue?   Have you checked if ball position has moved?  

[GolfSpy AFG]

2 minutes ago, cnosil said:

 

Where are you hitting on the face?  Have you tried putting something on the face to give you feedback during practice to try and fix the contact issue?   Have you checked if ball position has moved?  

All annoyingly good questions Chris.   I'll be doing that this week before I commit to a course of action.  I would bet that my ball position has crept back in my stance some, and I'm getting a more downward de-lofted "top of the face" strike.  More to follow...

[Woody83]

I don't switch putters often.  I have a David Musty putter made from wood but will switch when the course top dresses the greens because the sand will pit the wood.

[MCore]

I've been pretty stuck on my Ping Anser, it's an older one I was gifting by a friend's uncle when I started golfing. I've had it for about 10 years now and I still can't find myself changing it. As silly as it sounds, the feel and sound just can't be mimic'ed. 

[MuniGolfer]

I have had the same Scotty Cameron Newport 2 pro platinum for over 20 years and have always been a decent putter. However, the last two seasons I have struggled with distance control. I have done a lot of testing and found the Scotty may have too much loft for my stroke. I thought about bending it, but decided to pick up a Piretti on eBay for a good deal to try out the lower loft and a little more weight. Gives me a similar look and toe hang, Which I like.

Edited April 24, 2023 by MuniGolfer

[Steverzero]

I would have to say honestly that if I cannot hear the music on the dance floor, I am willing to change partners. I like to think of it as a time out. When I do not feel the magic, or question the advanced putter technology, I am willing to give another putter a try. Though  I realize it is not the putter.

[Joe-in-OR]

I usually switch when things aren’t going well on the greens to reorient my self and  get to a spot where things are rolling.  I find a change to be just what I need sometimes 

[Kenny B]

I don't understand why people change putters, unless the putter is damaged (and no, smashing a putter to get a new one is not an excuse).   A putter is purchased because it was fitted or it just worked at one time.  If it doesn't work all of a sudden, it's not because the putter changed... your stroke changed.  Rather than spending hundreds of dollars on a new putter, see a putting instructor and fix your stroke.  However, I suppose that if you can persuade the instructor to agree that your putter doesn't fit you, then I believe it's a law that you must get a new putter.   Choose wisely.  

[GPS111]

1 hour ago, Frickenhacker said:

Never, It's not the putter. My putting issues are self inflicted!

If you date your driver but marry your putter then I'm an unfaithful swinger as I have six (different brand/model) putters and they all screw me.  But in all honesty Frickenhacker probably has my issue pegged.  Despite thinking the five putters waiting in the corner are plotting against me waiting for their next turn in the bag it all comes down to me.  And why do I have six putters. And tried different shafts in some of them?  I need to marry one.  I mean I've been fitted for everything, EXCEPT the putter, including the ball.  Which is probably why I have so many - my thinking I can fix it myself.  Whew is that expensive!  Now I've bared my unfaithful soul I need to get fitted and stick to it.  Putting is the last strokes I need to break 80.

[cnosil]

7 minutes ago, Kenny B said:

I don't understand why people change putters, unless the putter is damaged (and no, smashing a putter to get a new one is not an excuse).   A putter is purchased because it was fitted or it just worked at one time.  If it doesn't work all of a sudden, it's not because the putter changed... your stroke changed.  Rather than spending hundreds of dollars on a new putter, see a putting instructor and fix your stroke.  However, I suppose that if you can persuade the instructor to agree that your putter doesn't fit you, then I believe it's a law that you must get a new putter.   Choose wisely.  

Kenny, can’t we ask the same set of questions about every club in the bag?  We could even extend that to adapter settings and grips.   
 

I change putters like some people change irons or drivers, just because I like to try different ones.    Sure there is some desire to improve performance, but sometime a different look helps the player focus a little bit more….I know probably a short term “fix” that results in another switch down the road .  Or over time our vision or physical ability changes which may change what we need from a putter.  

[Smackey17]

I've stayed with the same putter for about six years now, though I have experimented with others now and again. Usually, I'll have a "Putt Off" between my gamer and the challenger on the putting green. If the challenger fares about the same as my gamer I'll play it for a round or two. So far, nothing has really supplanted my regular putter. However, I just ordered a used Toe Up putter that I want to try to see if the lack of torque makes a difference. I feel like I'm missing 1-2 mid-range putts (5-10 feet) a round that I should be making. If I like the Toe Up in practice I'm going to give it a good run of at least ten rounds to see if it makes a difference.

[Striker]

I have had the same putter since 2004 a Scotty Cameron mil-spec Newport 2. I keep going back to the golf stores as a I travel for business and messed around with it for probably 18 months before I purchased. It is still the benchmark. I have been experimented with the Double wide Hot OG Odyssey and I had a chance to try the latest Scotty Cameron but at the end of the day I still love the one I got. In 50 years of playing if I take out my youth set I have had 3 putters. Ping Answer, Black Ping Pal 2 and Scott Cameron. 

[knotthead17]

On 4/22/2023 at 8:12 PM, Getoffmylawn said:

So let me bare my soul for a moment..I've been positive strokes gained in putting for the bulk of the season (so far) but over the last 3-4 rounds my distance/speed control has been atrocious.  I game an Odyssey White Hot OG Double Wide; it's face balanced, which I prefer...I'm more of a straight-back/straight-thru kind of putter. I was fitted for it. However, waiting in the wings is an Enroll ER7 which is also face balanced and I have had bent & tweaked to fit my specs (more upright and more loft), and every time I pick it up I hole everything on my practice green.

So, when is time to put the back up in play?  I'm VERY tempted to promote the Evnroll,  but  another part of me says "this too shall pass" and to dance with the girl I brought...the Odyssey.

Thoughts anyone?  When do you dance with the girl you brought versus promoting the girl you're a little bit interested in?  

I’m curious, do you know the loft, lie, and length of both? 

[jbern]

@Getoffmylawn My vote is that you put the Evnroll in play simply because I like the look behind the ball better than the Odyssey (I couldn’t think of anything else; they are both very nice).
 

As @cnosil asked about ball position moving… I recently got a putting mirror and I really do think it’s helping me be more consistent in my setup and ball position. Just something to try out. 

[GolfSpy AFG]

1 minute ago, knothead17 said:

I’m curious, do you know the loft, lie, and length of both? 

Yeah, they're identical.  Both have been fit to me.  34", 3 degrees of loft, lie is at 72 degrees (2 up).  The only real difference is 20 degrees of toe hang in the Evnroll vs Odyssey being face-balanced. 

[bellken]

If you are positive strokes gained in putting with your current putter, you probably don't need to change.

With that said, it shouldn't hurt to try your ER7 in a casual round, it could improve your putting, but, if it doesn't, you can always switch back.

[GolfSpy AFG]

3 minutes ago, jbern said:

@Getoffmylawn My vote is that you put the Evnroll in play simply because I like the look behind the ball better than the Odyssey (I couldn’t think of anything else; they are both very nice).
 

As @cnosil asked about ball position moving… I recently got a putting mirror and I really do think it’s helping me be more consistent in my setup and ball position. Just something to try out. 

Thanks; that's my plan...I have a mirror that I've gotten away from using since I can't find a straight putt in my basement. (Yes, the rental house I'm currently in is that old.) Plan to blow the dust off it tonight.

[Kenny B]

10 minutes ago, cnosil said:

Kenny, can’t we ask the same set of questions about every club in the bag?  We could even extend that to adapter settings and grips.   
 

I change putters like some people change irons or drivers, just because I like to try different ones.    Sure there is some desire to improve performance, but sometime a different look helps the player focus a little bit more….I know probably a short term “fix” that results in another switch down the road .  Or over time our vision or physical ability changes which may change what we need from a putter.  

We change other clubs because they wear out, or there are measurable increases in performance due to technology changes, or we made a swing change that require new specs.  Don't see many putters that are worn out.  I agree that putters are mostly changed because people want to try others looking for magic or they just like the looks of a new putter.  I'm just saying that unless the putter doesn't fit, money would be better spent finding out why putting stats are not where you want them rather than buy a new putter.  Of course, a new putter would be needed if a new putting technique is used.

[tjcat219]

I have tried to replace the first putter that was gifted to me over 15 years ago, I can’t find one to replace it. I play the Original White Hot Pro #1. I went to Club Champion for a fitting in the last few years, the guy bent the putter a little and said I can’t sell you anything better for the putting stroke. 

 

Eventually I’ll just get another one off eBay since they are cheap and have someone paint it black to give it a different look for when I want to try something “different.”

[cnosil]

2 minutes ago, Kenny B said:

We change other clubs because they wear out, or there are measurable increases in performance due to technology changes, or we made a swing change that require new specs.  Don't see many putters that are worn out.  I agree that putters are mostly changed because people want to try others looking for magic or they just like the looks of a new putter.  I'm just saying that unless the putter doesn't fit, money would be better spent finding out why putting stats are not where you want them rather than buy a new putter.  Of course, a new putter would be needed if a new putting technique is used.

@Golfspy_CG2 do you really wear put wear out clubs that fast that you go through multiple iron sets and divers a year?

Kenny, Totally agree with what you are saying about performance,  but we know not everyone is driven in their purchases simply based on performance.  based on what @Getoffmylawnis asking,  fixing what changed is probably the best path forward. 

[Jbreck10]

I swap putters wayyyy too often, mostly because I like playing with all the putters in my collection. I have already bagged 5 different putters this season. It would be wise for me to consolidate and stick with one putter for the season, but I typically average the same amount of putts per round regardless of what I play.

[knotthead17]

29 minutes ago, Getoffmylawn said:

Yeah, they're identical.  Both have been fit to me.  34", 3 degrees of loft, lie is at 72 degrees (2 up).  The only real difference is 20 degrees of toe hang in the Evnroll vs Odyssey being face-balanced. 

If you're making everything on the practice green I say go for the Evnroll, but I'm biased towards Evnroll--I was fitted at Evnroll and replaced my Newport 2.0 and never looked back. I've only had a few putters, and rarely change. Once I do make a change it's always stuck and I haven't gone back. I was struggling with speed control at the beginning of this season and a very slight change in ball position was an instant fix.