How to choose a golf putter?

Does every three-putt give you a headache? Scores are made on the greens.

Improving your play on the greens can have a greater impact on your score than hitting 100% of the fairways.

Putting is an area of the game where a recreational player can match or even outperform the best professional golfers. You don’t need the fitness, strength, or mobility of the best players, because on the green, every player can get the ball close to the hole. Two putts should be your main goal on every hole, and the right putter can definitely help you achieve it.

Is a mallet or a blade better for you?

• Mallets tend to have heavier and larger heads, which helps players who struggle with long putts. Mallets generally have a higher moment of inertia, and the ball will roll a longer distance even when struck away from the center of the head. Their heavier head is more stable than that of blades, so the head will not open or close as much on an inaccurate impact. Another major advantage is the larger top surface of the head, which can feature more alignment aids for easier aiming (long lines, a dotted ideal area, round balls, etc.)
  
  
• Blades usually have a lighter head and can improve a player’s performance on short putts thanks to better tempo with a shorter backswing. With blades, you will have better feel and feedback when contacting the ball. This makes it easy to identify an error in your putting stroke. Their smaller heads make it easier to focus on striking the center of the head, leading to better results.

The balance of the head determines which model is most suitable for you.

You can check the balance of a putter by placing the putter (shaft) on the index finger of your hand approximately 20 cm from the head. The head will either remain horizontal, making it suitable for players who putt along a straight line toward the hole, or the toe will rotate toward the ground (approximately 45°), making it suitable for players with a slight arc in their putting stroke. If the toe rotates almost 90° toward the ground, the putter is suitable for players with a pronounced arc in their putting stroke.

Putter length and the new Counter Balance trend.

We all have a standard stance that feels natural for the putting motion. When choosing a putter, take up this stance and gradually try the conventional lengths (33“,34“,35“) until you find one that feels best. If none of these is right for you, there are two options from Ping, a pioneer in putter development for over 50 years. Either you can have a Ping putter made to a fixed length based on your measurements, which could be, for example, 31“ or even 36“, or you can choose a version whose length can be adjusted freely from 31“ to 38“ using the wrench included in the package.

So-called Counter Balance models are now appearing from most manufacturers. This is a putter that is longer by design, most commonly 38“, and combines a heavier head with added weight at the end of the grip. The aim of these putters is to improve tempo during the backswing and through-stroke. Thanks to their heavier heads and improved weight distribution, these putters also have a higher moment of inertia (MOI), which means better control over putt distance when the ball is not struck perfectly in the center of the head.

Counter Balance putters are also a popular option among PGA Tour players, who are gradually moving away from Belly or Long putters.

Choosing the right putter grip is very important, especially in terms of comfort.

Based on our experience making selections at CityGolf.cz, we can confirm that when it comes to women’s grips, color and softness are generally the main considerations, while for men, thickness is the most important factor. There is a wide range of different grip types on the market, from thin to thick, and the grip style also affects the putting technique.

Thick grips have the major advantage of eliminating unwanted wrist activity. However, if you choose one, you must also make sure that the putter with its thick grip can fit through the top divider of your golf bag.