There are plenty of mistakes golfers make when it comes to their golf accessories, but one of the most common ones has to do with putter fitting. Indeed, even though putter fitting is perhaps one of the simplest things to do, it is not something that happens a great deal.
Components
So, what should you keep in mind when it comes to getting the right putter for you? Here’s the list: toe hang, off seat, shape of the head, loft, length, lie angle, weight, grip and material used for the face.
Toe Hang
This refers to where the toe of the putter points when it hangs naturally. A full toe hand is one that points almost directly down. ¾ toe hang points to the ground by 75 degrees, while a half toe hand is one where it points down about 45 degrees. A quarter toe hang has a a hang of about 25 degrees. Finally, one that is face balanced points to the sky.
Offset
This one is typically discussed when it comes to full swing golf clubs, but it also applies to putters. It refers to the placement of the shaft relative to the face of the putter. You can pick one that has no offset, which means that starting at the address, the shaft’s left edge lines up with the putter face’s leading edge. Half shaft offset is when half of the shaft’s width is ahead of the leading edge. Finally, there’s the full shaft offset, where the entire width of the shaft is ahead of the putter face.
Head Shape
Many golfers pick the head based on its looks, but it is also important to keep in mind that the shape affects the use of the putter.
Loft
As far as the loft goes, it has a direct affect on the quality of the spin and the launch. It appears as though putters with 4 degrees of loft launch putts too high, while also leading to too much backspin.
Length
The length of the putter is one of the most important things players should keep in mind, and it is also the most overlooked one. Essentially, the length of the putter influences the setup, which then influences the stroke. Having the right putter length helps the golfer get into the appropriate address position. Having this not only makes playing easier, but also learning how to play from someone else.
Now, research discovered that most golfers don’t fit the standard length putter, which is 35 inches long. In fact, only 33 percent of them are able to work well with the standard measurement. It seems that 45 percent of players either needed a putter with a length between 34.5 to 35.5 inches, but 44 percent needed one that was either 34 inches or less. Finally, only 11 percent needed putters that were 36 inches or longer than that.
Lie Angle
This one refers to the angle the shaft intersects the head in relation to the ground. Most standard one have a lie angle of about 70 degrees.
Weight
When it comes to weight, there are three things to look for: the head weight, the grip weight and the counterweight. As far as the head weight goes, most are at about 350 grams. When doing a fitting, you should work with different weights to make sure you find the one that works best for you.
It is important to spend some time figuring out what type of putter works best for you, if you want to see your game improve. Indeed, just like you wouldn’t go running with shoes that don’t fit perfectly, you should not use a putter that doesn’t fit you like a glove.
