Tour Players, Instructors and avid golfers realize the importance of a computerized swing analysis, and now the entire golf world can benefit from a computerized putting stroke analysis and custom fitted putters.
Just as irons and woods should be custom fit to an individual's stance and swing, so should your putter. And, while the importance of a putter that looks good at address cannot be overstated, a properly fit putter can have a dramatic effect on putting performance.
Why is it important to have a putter fit to an individual's putting style? If the toe of the putter is not level and is either up or down, it can immediately misdirect the ball offline. If the individual's putter is not square at impact, it can also immediately misdirect the ball offline.
If the loft of the putter is wrong (most putters have between 3 and 4 degrees of loft), the ball can immediately go airborne or be driven into the ground, which will cause the ball to bounce. When the ball makes contact with the ground it can skip, hop or skid which can affect the speed of the ball.
Improper loft can easily misdirect the ball offline when it comes back in contact with the ground. How important is the loft? Using baseball or softball as an example, if you were playing shortstop, what would be easier to judge, a ball hit to you in the air or a hard ground ball that bounces 2 or 3 times before it gets to you? The problem with the ground ball is every time the ball bounces it can easily change directions or speed, you never know what it's going to do or where it's going to go. The same principle applies to improper loft on a putter, if the ball leaves the ground it can very easily be misdirected when it makes contact with the ground.
One should note however that there exist two schools of thought as it relates to custom putter fitting - Static Fitting and Motion Fitting. This article will not debate the merits of either but simply explain and inform the consumer of these two types of systems currently available to them.
There are at least three companies that offer custom fitting specifically while each major golf manufacturing company offer computer analysis. Check with each company to see whether they offer both service to the general public as well as a static fitting through their web site or have retail outlets available with putter fitting systems and equipment. A good putting system is designed with both accuracy and simplicity in mind for both the retailer and consumer. Even though a total fitting usually takes less than fifteen minutes start to finish, it must provide enough information to accurately identify the player's loft, lie, squareness, hand and ball position and tendencies. The cost to be custom fitted ranges from free, if a putter is purchased, to 5+ if performed by a custom putter manufacturer.
Many of these systems have three different length-fitting putters (33", 35", and 37") calibrated to the standard lie angle and loft specifications for the fitter to use as a benchmark during the fitting.
The fitter first determines the proper length by having you assume your normal address position with one of the 3 different length-fitting putters. Golfers with back problems may benefit from the more upright posture a longer putter allows, while golfers who prefer a crouched posture may benefit from a shorter putter. Most putters are available in lengths ranging from 30" to 42" in fractional increments.
Your preferred hand position and the length of the putter determine lie angle. Having the proper lie angle enhances your ability to square up the putter to the target line. During this step, it is important that you use the same putter, gripped at the same length, as was used to originally determine the final length of the putter. While you are in the putter address position, the fitter can read the proper shaft angle from the Putter Fitting system. Most putters with hosels can be adjusted as much as 8° upright or 8° flat. Putters with curved shafts can also be adjusted, but to a lesser extent.
Loft plays an important role in helping to get the ball rolling, and tracking, along the intended line. Most putter manufacturers have a standard loft of 3°, which is optimal for most putting surfaces. However, golfers who play on slower greens may benefit from putters with additional loft, while golfers who play on faster greens may benefit from less loft.
Additionally, your preferences for hand position and type of stroke influence the effective loft at impact. For example, a player with a pronounced forward press may need a putter with more loft since this hand position will reduce the effective loft at impact. The fitter uses their particular fitting system to measure effective loft at address, then observes the golfer's stroke to determine the effective loft at impact. Since the ball comes off the putter face at a higher angle when struck firmly, and a lower angle when struck lightly, there is no ideal loft for every length putt. For most players, playing a putter with standard loft is the best compromise for putts of all lengths.
Grip style is also important since each has its own profile that not only fits differently in your hand, but also can actually encourage a certain type of putting stroke. Based on your preferences, the fitter can make a recommendation that will enhance your putting stroke.
Golfers who prefer a pendulum-type stroke may benefit from a deeper profile, which will reduce wrist action and encourage the golfer to swing more with his or her arms and shoulders. A variety of grips from a standard to a jumbo and everything in between are now available. If the user still cannot get a comfortable grip, the golfer can install a grip upside down for a feel that could solve your problem of wrist breakdown and comfort.
Golfers who prefer a "wristy" stroke usually prefer a smaller grip diameter to encourage the release during the stroke.
Although a putter is usually selected based on aesthetics, putters are also designed to help golfers who prefer certain types of putting strokes. Designs can be categorized based on the balance angle of the face when the club is suspended with the shaft oriented horizontally. This angle is most influenced by the way in which the hosel or shaft is attached to the head of the putter.
The designs are described as ranging from more face- balanced, where the face of the putter points up, to more heel-shafted, where the toe points down.
Players who prefer an inside-to-square stroke, or those who tend to "pull" putts, may benefit from a heel-shafted putter.
Players who prefer a pendulum-type stroke, or those who tend to "push" putts, may benefit from a face-balanced putter.
Top tier retailers and private clubs will normally carry at least two putting fitting systems. The consumer should be advised to try both and see the results from each system. Hopefully the blending of the two results will give the consumer an even more exact fit.
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