Golfspy_CG2 NEEDS a new Putter---Help!

[Golfspy_CG2]

 

Help!! I need putter advice!

 I know there will be no shortage of that here especially on one particular brand. But i haven't felt comfortable with a putter in the last 6 months Including the following

Scotty 1.5 Flowback-my gamer for the past 2 years.

Odyssey Ai 1 Rossie a couple rounds

PING Shea-a couple rounds

EVNROLL 11 some good days and some really bad ones!! 

 MEZZ Max  was good but not great.  Only a month or so with it.   I didn't miss any short putts inside 3 feet, but I didn't make ANY putts in the 10 foot range and I'm usually good for a couple of those a round. 

Look at these stats yesterday.  Yes, I'll take the shame of publicly posting a 49....I deserve it  

Granted i played on greens that were aerated 24 hours earlier.  Also the lack of greens hit isn't too alarming. I played tees longer than I normally do  and was into a wind all day.  Par 3’s and 1 par 5 were the only ones i was capable of reaching.   And all just barely missed. Driver was excellent (more on that in my driver shootout thread) and hitting 7 fairways and 23 putts just doesn’t work.  If I had a "decent" day putting I would have shot 43 or 44 and been pretty happy.    Call me the Scottie Scheffler of the Forum  

Ok so lets hear any and all thoughts

[Girldad18]

Putting can be pretty mentally abusive.  In college our mental coach told me something that stuck.  You can only control two things, line and speed.  If you hit the putt on the line you intended and the speed you intended and it didn't go in, then there is nothing more you can do.  Its frustrating, but true.  I would start there if I was you.  Aerated greens are no fun and in my opinion you have a built in excuse.  

For me, you have to find a putter you like the feel of, one you know works and stick with it.  Then it is line and speed.  You cannot be on the course thinking about your putting stroke or golf swing for that matter.  

When I am struggling with this, when I am about to putt and give the hole that last look, I draw a line back to the ball on the intended line with any break and that is what I try to putt on.  Basically visualize it rolling along its intended line and going in.

Now if you are not hitting your line or your speed is way off, then you need to do some work on the putting green.  After all, we have more strokes on the green with our putter than with any other club per round so we should spend a large majority of practice time putting.

Edited March 27 by Girldad18

[Owengeorge13]

Try a SiK putter, you can get them cheap now.  2nd swing golf has them available slightly used

[OdinSnipes414]

8 minutes ago, Golfspy_CG2 said:

 

Help!! I need putter advice!

 I know there will be no shortage of that here especially on one particular brand. But i haven't felt comfortable with a putter in the last 6 months Including the following

Scotty 1.5 Flowback-my gamer for the past 2 years.

Odyssey Ai 1 Rossie a couple rounds

PING Shea-a couple rounds

EVNROLL 11 some good days and some really bad ones!! 

 MEZZ Max  was good but not great.  Only a month or so with it.   I didn't miss any short putts inside 3 feet, but I didn't make ANY putts in the 10 foot range and I'm usually good for a couple of those a round. 

Look at these stats yesterday.  Yes, I'll take the shame of publicly posting a 49....I deserve it  

Granted i played on greens that were aerated 24 hours earlier.  Also the lack of greens hit isn't too alarming. I played tees longer than I normally do  and was into a wind all day.  Par 3’s and 1 par 5 were the only ones i was capable of reaching.   And all just barely missed. Driver was excellent (more on that in my driver shootout thread) and hitting 7 fairways and 23 putts just doesn’t work.  If I had a "decent" day putting I would have shot 43 or 44 and been pretty happy.    Call me the Scottie Scheffler of the Forum  

Ok so lets hear any and all thoughts

Hear me out here check out sub 70 putters or Lombardi putters all good weight and smooth in the mid to long game!

[revkev]

Wait, no one has replied yet?  

 

I have to tell you I love my Sacks-Parente and I mean I love it and I'm significantly better with it than I have been with a putter in a long, long time - and I was pretty good with the EVNroll - passable with the LAB the issue being I couldn't putt with it from off the green and down here that's death.

 

The beauty of the Sacks-Parente was that because of the test we agreed that we would game what our fitter recommended - remember the Ping long game test where we had to do the same thing and many of us found that what we were gaming wasn't right?  It was the same eye opener for me with putter.  I'd highly recommend that you at least try an online fitting with them and see what they come up with.  It may be radically different from what you have tried and you might find that it helps.

 

Obviously there are a myriad of great putters that you can try.  If you aren't finding success on your own perhaps its time to let someone else recommend something for you.

 

Go Huskies!

[ZackS]

My main suggestion is a putter fitting, especially the Edel fitting process is really good in my option. I already thought this but was even more convinced on it after my TPT shaft fitting. Jon Sinclair who did the fitting and has been around the business and the tour for many years said the original Edel putting fitting kit is the best he has seen. The only problem with it he said is on the business side as people were not buying anymore putters after getting fit. 

[Girldad18]

If you are really frustrated and want to try something different, go with the LeanLock.  Weird but it does work with the proper technique and time put into it.

[SteveGH7]

I've been very happy with the Cleveland HB Soft Milled from last year.  Especially for long putts.  Looks good too.

[Golfspy_CG2]

2 minutes ago, Girldad18 said:

Putting can be pretty mentally abusive.  In college our mental coach told me something that stuck.  You can only control two things, line and speed.  If you hit the putt on the line you intended and the speed you intended and it didn't go in, then there is nothing more you can do.  Its frustrating, but true.  I would start there if I was you.  Aerated greens are no fun and in my opinion you have a built in excuse.  

For me, you have to find a putter you like the feel of, one you know works and stick with it.  Then it is line and speed.  You cannot be on the course thinking about your putting stroke or golf swing for that matter.  

When I am struggling with this, when I am about to putt and give the hole that last look, I draw a line back to the ball and that is what I try to putt on.

Now if you are not hitting your line or your speed is way off, then you need to do some work on the putting green.  After all, we have more strokes on the green with our putter than with any other club per round so we should spend a large majority of practice time putting.

That's a really good post thanks.  And I agree with it 100%

On a recent PING Proving Grounds Podcast Marty and Shane had Shasa on and they talked about short game and putting in particular.  And I'm going to forget the stat, but we discussed it in MOD Slack Chat,  that the most common reason for missed putts is bad green reading, after that it was speed control.   And down the list were poor contact or something like that.   But the general thought was along what your saying,  if you can read the green (i.e. speed and break) correct your chances of making more putts goes up significantly. 

[cptnkirkdog]

LAB Golf all the way! I’ve had an armlock DF2.1 with LA Golf shaft for a couple years and love it. I’m seriously contemplating switching to broomstick, either Mezz Max or DF3. Have you contemplated switching methods entirely, like broomstick? When I’ve tried in stores, it really helps me to putt more freely. Also try going with the “heavy” weight setup in the Mezz, might help with the longer putts in feeling the head. And LA Golf or TPT shaft can also help keep the longer putts online. Yes, shaft on a putter is important. All that said, I’m working on my short game proximity to hole. What could be mistaken as poor putting might more accurately be reflected in getting it closer to the hole before the first putt. Oh, and green reading and distance control in general…I’ve been working on learning Aimpoint the past few months and it’s helping a lot with holing more and reducing 3 putts. For whatever it’s all worth

[Golfspy_CG2]

4 minutes ago, ZackS said:

My main suggestion is a putter fitting, especially the Edel fitting process is really good in my option. I already thought this but was even more convinced on it after my TPT shaft fitting. Jon Sinclair who did the fitting and has been around the business and the tour for many years said the original Edel putting fitting kit is the best he has seen. The only problem with it he said is on the business side as people were not buying anymore putters after getting fit. 

That is the 2nd recommendation for Edel putter fitting, @GolfSpy BOS also suggested it. I do know the local Edel fitter who is only about 30  minutes or so from my course.   

Also @revkev that is very interesting on the SP putter and fitting and you are correct about the PING Long game and having to go with the recommdations.  Often we stick with what is comfortable for us. 

@Girldad18 The reason for my emoji on your reply about Lean Lock is that scares me to death, I tried it once a few years ago out of curiosity not need,  and you might as well told me to try putting left handed that's how much I hated it.  

[BringerofRain]

@Golfspy_CG2 you seem like a pretty good dude. Pick it up next time this gimmes on me. 

[bmess51]

I feel your pain!  It appears you are a Titleist guy stoke this with a grain of salt is you wish. When nothing feels right sometimes it pays to go away from what you know. See if your course has any Taylormade Spiders you can demo for a week. They feel will be different from those you have tried. This could help or not but it's worth a shot

[sled51]

More practice is probably the best answer.  

[ZackS]

3 minutes ago, Golfspy_CG2 said:

That is the 2nd recommendation for Edel putter fitting, @GolfSpy BOS also suggested it. I do know the local Edel fitter who is only about 30  minutes or so from my course.   

If you know a local fitter than probably even better. I a fitting at Club Champion which I was happy with but they have their own processes as well so do not do the full Edel process as David Edel designed it. I would still love to do the full process as well to see. 

[Shrek74]

Before I include some options to look at, let me ask something.

What's your process on the greens?
Do you look at the putt from all 4 sides to find the break? Do you use Aimpoint, or at least the foot feeling part? How much pre-round practice to you do to get a feel for the greens that day? Do you use an alignment aid on the ball to point it to your start line? Do you utilize any points long the putt for aim above just the hole (grass color change, piece of dirt, leaf, etc)? Do you do any visualization of the putt once you have your line? Do you do any practice swings before address?

All of these things can help with putting, and although it took a minute to read them all, it usually doesn't take long to have this routine down with practice. It's not so much the putter as the process of reading the putt and setting up to it. Yes, the putter has to help with any stroke irregularities or with distance control on mishits. But ultimately it's you and your process that has the most impact on the putt.

Also, so additional questions.
Have you tried to take notes for where on the face you hit each putt to see if you have any tendencies for mishits? Do you have notes about where your misses generally are (left, right, short, long)?

Stats help with lots of things, and knowing your putting strikes and misses are just as important as knowing your club distances and misses.

I'm going to throw out an off the wall option to think about (that will also be super easy on the wallet) - Maltby Moment putters. The MOI on the Moment X is over 9000! It's a different look and might not be for everyone, but it's worth a look if you think twisting or off-center contact is an issue. It's a thought - https://www.golfworks.com/maltby-moment-x-putter-head/p/ma0295/.

I'm having them build me a Moment X Tour putter with a TrueTemper black steel shaft, SuperStroke Pistol grip and slant hosel all for under $140, assembled. They're also including the SuperStroke weight kit for the grip, free.

[GolfSpy BOS]

So we didn't get to this part on the staff Slack, but I have a question for you:  Do you know what is happening with those putters? 

Do you putt with a line on the ball?  I think what you should do first is try to understand what is going on with your putting stroke.  

Is it your face angle?  If you use a line on the ball and are able to roll it end-over-end to you target then you can eliminate the face being open or shut (to your path anyway).  If you cannot roll the ball well with any of them I think it would be difficult to diagnose a push/pull or just general green reading issues. because your face angle will be causing issues.

If you are able to roll the ball end-over-end then you can look at where you miss to help figure it out.  Are you missing mostly to one side? Then maybe you have a path issue, or an alignment issue that could be solved with a fitting.  

Are your misses all over the place?  Then it could just be an alignment/green reading issue and a lesson might be in order.

 

 

[Josh Parker]

I would say check out SP like @revkev mentioned. Everyone had pretty good success after the fitting and trusting the process. 

[russtopherb]

24 minutes ago, SteveGH7 said:

I've been very happy with the Cleveland HB Soft Milled from last year.  Especially for long putts.  Looks good too.

My answer here as well. Won't break the bank, solid looks and performance. 

[bx4026]

I went through the same thing. I think spending the money to be fit is money well spent. I went for an Edel fitting only to find I should be using a blade and not a mallet. Switched and feel much better about it. Number of 3 putts has also dropped.

[EMDorsch88]

I quote Yogi Berra when it comes to putting “The game is 90 mental and the other half physical”. While the yips and dips of putting are real I have always found putting to be between the ears. If you like what you are seeing when you look down and you feel comfortable over the ball then 99% of the time you will putt it well. Brand doesn’t mean a whole hell of a lot to me. I’ve putted like crap with a Scotty and then gone on insane runs with a blade putter from 1950 that I found in my grandpa’s golf bag. To me it’s about the stroke and whether or not you’re comfortable when you make it. So really it is just about picking which one feels the most comfortable and then just trusting that It will roll in if you put your swing on it.

[JohnSmalls]

40 year old Ping Anser.  When I have a putting funk and am too stubborn to practice, it comes off the bench for a month and works a Miyagi miracle on the greens.  Gamer comes back in and all is well.

[Samuel09152]

Take this with a grain of salt becasue I do not know as much as most of the guys mentioning stuff above me. I know that for me, putting is 95% mental. If I do not have confidence in myself, I will not make 1 putt. This was the worst part of my game until about 2 months ago. I would 3 putt everything. I changed putters around the New Year time frame and was still struggling, also. Then I played with a buddy, who watched me putt during a round and on the 5 hole, looked at me and some words I wont post here with "Just look at the d*mn hole, stop thinking, and be an athlete". Did I 1 putt that hole? Absolutely not, but like most of my game I don't just swing or rotate. I go through a check list as I swing. Putting was no different. It hit me to leave the checklist (reading the green, lining up the ball, routine stuff) before the putting. But when I step up to putt, I better putt. I have to trust in myself that I did the rountine stuff right, and then go with it. Live with the outcome. This has changed alot for me. Now my problem is trying to get the ball closer to the flag on approach shots so I am not 2 putting everything, but that is somehting different. 

 

With that said, my advice is get a putter (use the above suggestions) that makes you confident in what you are trying to accomplish, leave the routine to the routine, execute the putt by trusting yourself, and be "THE BAD MAN ON THE GREENS". 

 

[Girldad18]

@Golfspy_CG2 no worries. Yeah I get it. I was a tester for it and basically feel that you have to put in work for it. The amount of work put into equates to how well you putt with it afterward. My opinion is if you put that much work into your own putting with your own putter you’d improve there too. It’s not a quick fix. 

[StrokerAce]

not sure what length your using but trying a counterbalanced version with a few extra inches at the top could be helpful...

https://odyssey.callawaygolf.com/putters/ai-one-cruiser/putters-2024-ai-one-cruiser-jailbird-db.html#product-specs-anchor

also - since you're a college hoops fan, commentator, radio host and player (at some point) can you recall thinking about technique before you shot the ball? maybe you're getting too technical and you just need to let it flow...

Edited March 27 by StrokerAce

[Erin B]

34 minutes ago, Golfspy_CG2 said:

 

Help!! I need putter advice!

 I know there will be no shortage of that here especially on one particular brand. But i haven't felt comfortable with a putter in the last 6 months Including the following

Scotty 1.5 Flowback-my gamer for the past 2 years.

Odyssey Ai 1 Rossie a couple rounds

PING Shea-a couple rounds

EVNROLL 11 some good days and some really bad ones!! 

 MEZZ Max  was good but not great.  Only a month or so with it.   I didn't miss any short putts inside 3 feet, but I didn't make ANY putts in the 10 foot range and I'm usually good for a couple of those a round. 

Look at these stats yesterday.  Yes, I'll take the shame of publicly posting a 49....I deserve it  

Granted i played on greens that were aerated 24 hours earlier.  Also the lack of greens hit isn't too alarming. I played tees longer than I normally do  and was into a wind all day.  Par 3’s and 1 par 5 were the only ones i was capable of reaching.   And all just barely missed. Driver was excellent (more on that in my driver shootout thread) and hitting 7 fairways and 23 putts just doesn’t work.  If I had a "decent" day putting I would have shot 43 or 44 and been pretty happy.    Call me the Scottie Scheffler of the Forum  

Ok so lets hear any and all thoughts

Here’s my two cents. When did you last feel good about putting? When were you last stroking the best? After you remember those, what putter were you using? Putting is so much more mental than anything else. I don’t know if I’d value the last round you played as a gauge to your putting ability. Aerated greens are extremely difficult to hit the line and speed. Also it’s a new season. For instance my pro buddy just played in AZ and played horrible. He was crushing it in the sim and I had to remind him that sim golfing is different than actual play. I played horrible in Mesquite, then came home and shot a 75. Sometimes we just overthink it. The same can be said for putting as I’m sure you know. I think I’d give it a couple practice sessions with your favorite putter, starting with 4 balls with the first one at 3’ then placing one right behind the other at 2’ increments on the same line. Then do the same thing at 90* increments until you hit 360* around the hole. Do this while focusing on your grip and stance more so than if the ball goes in the hole. This helps you focus more on technique. I don’t know if this is the right answer for you, but I do this every time I get in a putting slump. The last thing I would do is buy a new putter. But if you’re convinced on buying a new putter, don’t be afraid of off brands. I tried a Pyramid putter at a golf expo and probably would have bought it if the rep wasn’t such an A**. I also tried other brands as well, but liked the Pyramid because of it’s alignment feature. (We should test them sometime on MGS.) I also like some of the other brands like PXG, Edel, and Sacks Parente. (Excuse my spelling if I butcher names.) Ping is my gamer and I’ve been with it for almost as long as I’ve been playing golf. I’ve tried other putters but have always found my way back to it. Just my two cents, I hope you find the answer. Good luck!

[cnosil]

@Golfspy_CG2, this may come as a shock, but let’s not look at putters test.   We have talked about putters in the past and you have been pretty devoted to the Scotty.   I’m also going to ignore the aerated greens number of putts.  

let’s break down putting into its skills: aim, stroke, touch, and read.   The putter really only impacts aim and stroke.   Touch is probably the most important skill.  Read is important but obviously not putter related at all…so if your reads are bad a new putter probably won’t help,  

Aim and stroke:   Most people will say this is the easy stuff and anyone can do it.   We still need to develop the skill to aim the putter on the intended line and then make a stroke that starts the ball on that line.  Putter design can help with this,  but your body will still need to be able to perform this task.   Given a straight 8 foot putt, you should be able to make 90+% of them.  This is simply being able to control club face.  I know people will say specific putters will help, but it is more how you hold and move the putter.   From my recent reading some people are stroke oriented and some are face oriented which may influence the putter and configuration.  
 

Touch:  this is the key to good putting and I’d say it is questionable how much the putter helps.   Center contact is key, so maybe some higher MOI designs help if you miss hit a lot.  How do you control speed?  This can be more mechanical by usinG how far you move the putter to more feel based where you do something mentally/visually to calculate how to move the putter.   I’d say tempo based is probably a little more difficult since you change speed to control distance.   This is where I would look first, how good is your speed control?   
 

[scotter032]

I am loving my new Toulon Alcatraz double bend honestly. Forgiving, feels great, and I mean it looks fantastic with the black shaft.... 

[Dustin J. Thomas]

I've noticed none of your putters you've used are blade. Maybe switching to a blade will make something click. I did the opposite, I had a blade then switched to my Scotty phantom and it balanced out my take away. 

Secondly, have you tried changing the weights in your Scotty? Could be a the missing piece. Heavier face will allow more energy transferred to your roll and less swing distance needed, that way you can keep your swing plane nice and tight. This would be my first choice as opposed to switching clubs again. 

It's already been said, but putting is so mental. Scotty Scheffler said he stopped taking practice strokes once he gets on top of the ball because it makes him think too much, that's clearly helped him the last month. 

[aguybadatgolf]

Some people are adamantly opposed to this and I don’t know what camp you’re in. Try an armlock or broomstick. 

I’ve gone through about 6 putters in the last 2 years. Cheap, used, high end, none of them really worked for me long term. (Teardrop roll face, Yes! C-groove, Taylormade Ardmore 3, Zebra AIT3, Bettinardi SS, and an Odyssey 2ball)
 

Just got an armlock Cobra Agera last month and my putting has turned around big time. I’ve gamed heavy mallets before but that mixed with the armlock has helped me a ton. Speed control took a few sessions to get the hang of but the line was spot on from the start. SIK face rolls the ball really well too. 

Edited March 27 by aguybadatgolf