Will A New Putter Help Me Improve My Putting? Find Out Now

Will A New Putter Help Me Improve My Putting? Find Out Now

You can argue that putting is the most important part of the game.

If you putt well it can be the difference of you shooting your best score, consistently shooting in the 70’s, 80’s or 90’s or beating your mates in your weekly game.

Note From The Owner: “I recently upgraded my putter to an Odyssey Stroke lab and it definitely helps, it’s much smoother and easier to hit well. I have found alignment and focus far more important, however. It’s easy to complain about the putter, but you can at least not rush with your putting and practice off the course when possible.”

Having the correct putter in your bag is extremely important. The putter needs to do a few things for you to be consistent. In this article we will dive into all the details you need around buying a putter and what you should look for.

Will A New Putter Help Me Improve My Putting?

This is a tricky one, the short answer is yes and no. Putting is simple in theory, but there are so many aspects to it that it is much more complicated than you think.

A new putter could definitely improve your putting, but if your putting stroke is the issue then you are just compounded an issue with another issue.

If you are struggling with your putting we highly recommend going for a lesson and then a fitting first before you buy a putter. There are so many aspects to putting well, that going in blindly to buy a putter gives you very little chance of getting the right putter for you.

What Should I Consider When Buying A Putter?

There are loads of things to consider when buying a new putter. Let’s dive into some details below.

Look

Personal preference is one of the most important aspects when it comes to putting. If the putter doesn’t feel right with regards to weight and length as well as doesn’t look good on the eye then it probably won’t be right for you.

Putting Stroke

Your stroke itself could be the issue, before buying a new putter we recommend seeing a teaching pro to see if he can help improve your stroke.

The putter you buy is built around your putting stroke. Depending on how much your putter arcs when you take it back and through will determine what type of putter neck you should use.

If you take the putter straight back and straight through you should use a face balanced putter. Players with a slight to moderate arc should use a putter with a slight toe hang, and players with a big arc in their stroke should use a putter with a lot of toe hang.

If your putter hossle is wrong it will either cause you to push or pull your putts.

Length

The length of your putter should also be considered. The stock length on the shelf is 35 inches. However depending on your height and your posture, cutting the shorter or extending the putter must be considered.

The length of your putter will affect your speed, consistency and strike.

Loft

The standard loft of a putter is 2 degrees. Some people don’t know, but the ball actually launches off the face, bounces a few times and then rolls. Depending on your stroke you might need to adjust your loft to get the ideal roll.

I have found that often putter lofts may be out. I have found some putters to have 5 or even 6 degrees of loft. This will negatively affect how you putt. Changing the loft back to standard can make a massive impact.

Lie Angle

The lie angle of your putter is extremely important, just like it is with your irons.

The lie angle of your putter is determined on how you stand over the ball. Often golfers think the lie angle is determined by their height, but they are wrong. It all depends on your hand position when you stand in your posture.

If your lie angle is too upright with your putter it will cause the balls starting line to be slightly left of target, and if your lie angle is too flat this will cause the balls starting line to be slightly right of target.

Both instances also cause you to not hit the ball out of the center of the putter. It will affect your roll and distance control when putting.

Weight

If the weight of your putter is wrong it can cause you to putt poorly. Your putters swing weight should be between C-6 and D-8. If your putter is too heavy or too light it can negatively affect your distance control.

Each person’s feel is slightly different with regards to swing weight, my suggestion is to try different options and see which feels best for you.

Head Shape

The head shape of your putter is very much a personal preference, however going with a large head can improve your putting. The large mallet style putters are far more forgiving compared to blade style putters.

The weight in mallet putters are positioned back and away from the face, this increases MOI, which prevents the face from rotating, you can imagine this is extremely beneficial when putting.

Sight Line

The sight lines that are present on your putter can influence how you aim when you putt, I also feel like it affects your focus. Some players prefer no sightlines, some prefer small sightlines like a short line or dot and others prefer a long line.

This again all comes down to personal preference. Try a few options out and see what looks and performs best for you.

Face

The face of your putter is quite important too, this is going to give you direct feedback when hitting the ball.

Milled face putters have a hard feel and are great for short and long putts.

Putters with face inserts are more forgiving than milled face putters and can give you a better roll. The inserts are usually soft giving you a different feel off the face compared to milled face putters.

I do tend to struggle a little bit more with long putts when using a face insert in my putter, the face is soft which makes it hard for me to judge the correct speed.

How To Get Better At Putting

Practice is the key to improving your putting. Good putters and professionals spend hours working on their stroke.

I like to think of it like this, on the putting green if you sink 100 4 footers in a row or leave 50 long putts in a row within two foot from the hole, then the next time you are in the same situation on the course you can think back and take confidence from your practice.

Some people are naturally good and putting, but to become a great putter you need to practice.

Unfortunately it is not as easy as that. Specific practice is needed, there is no point in bashing a few balls around on the putting green with no purpose. You need to work on a few important things, like they say ‘quality over quantity’.

The two putting aids below are my most recommended, you will see most professionals use them.

The Best Putting Aids

Putting Arc

This is simply an arc that you place on the green, it replicates your putting stroke. It allows you to practice the perfect stroke every time.

To set it up, pick a relatively straight putt about 6 feet. Place the arc down so that it is aiming at the hole. From there you need to take your putter back and forth along the arc. Try keeping your putter along the arc at all times.

To purchase one click here

Putting Mirror

Most professionals use a putting mirror. It serves a few purposes, firstly it helps you with your eye alignment.

The ideal position for your eyes is inline with the ball and slightly to the right (right handed player), this may vary slightly between players as everyone sees slightly differently.

It also helps with your shoulders alignment, as you will be able to see your shoulders in the mirror.

Most mirrors have a few guidelines on them, they show the ideal stroke. When using the mirror be sure to take the putter back along these lines.

Lastly, the mirror allows you to work on your starting line. There should be two holes just wider than a ball width at the end of the mirror, place two tees in these holes. From there when you putt if you start the ball off line you will hit the tees.

The putting mirror is great because it gives you instant feedback on so many aspects. To purchase on click here

Conclusion

Buying a new putting can definitely help you with your putting. I myself have a few putters in my garage, this just helps when my putting goes bad, it allows me to look at something different.

But there is one thing for sure that all of them are correct for me with regards to loft, length, lie and swing weight.

When purchasing a new putter be sure that the putter is fit for you, putters are expensive and you don’t want to go wasting your money. If you are struggling with your putting, go see a professional first before you commit to buying a new putter.