Putters

Golf Putters

Up Your Game With Impressive Golf Putters

Most golf games are won or lost on the putting green, and although many players attribute their performance to their stroke form, the choice of putter really plays a major role. Using the wrong putter will simply add strokes to your game, whereas the right putter allows you to focus on the green instead of the stroke. Let's quickly have a look at how to choose between all the different golf putters for a better game.

Is Your Golf Putter Stroke Straight or Arced?

The first thing to do when analysing your putting play is to determine whether you have a straight or an arced stroke or a combination of both strokes. The procedure is quite simple: place a ball between two parallel lines and observe the movement of the putter head as you play practice shots.

• Straight stroke. The putter stays within the parallel lines and moves in a straight line back and then forward. The face-balanced, mallet type is the recommended putter for this motion of the stroke. The natural balance of the head aids with keeping the stroke straight, allowing the player to make consistent putts.
• Arced stroke. The putter moves towards the line closest to your feet at the extremes of the stroke, i.e. when pulling back and in the follow through. It looks like you're drawing a circle with the putter. The amount of arc can vary from slight to pronounced. The recommended style of putter is the toe- and heel-weighted Anser. The correct weight contributes to the consistent motion of the putter through the arc, causing you to strike the ball with the sweet spot of the putter every time.
• Mixed stroke. You either start with an arc during the back movement, but the follow-through is straight, or your stroke is the inverse. This stroke is more difficult, but luckily putters with a high moment of inertia (MoI) are a good compromise. They are designed to absorb the energy caused by striking the ball and reduce twisting and inconsistent roll on off-centre hits.

Some Other Considerations When Looking at Golf Putters for Sale

Now that you've realised what type of putter will best complement your natural stroke movement, we'd like to point out a few more aspects about putters that can seriously affect your game. These should also be taken into consideration when choosing your next game-winning putter.

• Shaft length. Many players tend to use a shaft that’s too long on their putters. The effect is that your eye line moves inside of the ball, making it difficult to accurately see the projected course of the ball. The longer shaft also increases stroke arc and face rotation, both of which will have a negative effect on accuracy.
• Weight. The weight of the putter head plays an important role in the transfer of kinetic energy, so the rule of thumb is that a heavy putter is recommended for slow greens and a light putter for fast greens.