How to choose a golf putter?

Do you get a headache from every three-putt? Money is made on the greens.

Improving your game on the greens can impact your score more than 100% fairways hit.

Putting is an area of the game where a recreational player can be as good as or better than the best golf professionals. You don’t need fitness, strength, or mobility like the top players because on the green, every player can "reach" the hole. Two putts should be your main goal on every hole, and the right putter can definitely help you achieve that.

Is a mallet or blade better for you?

• Mallets usually have heavier and larger heads, which helps players who struggle with long putts. Mallets generally have a higher moment of inertia, so the ball will roll farther even on off-center hits. Their heavier head is more stable than blades, so the head doesn’t open or close as much on imperfect contact. Another big advantage is the larger top surface of the head, which can feature more alignment aids (long lines, dotted ideal areas, round dots, etc.)
  
  
• Blades usually have a lighter head and can improve the game for players on short putts thanks to better tempo with a shorter backswing. With blades, you get better feel and feedback on contact with the ball. This helps you easily identify mistakes in your putting stroke. Their smaller heads make it easier to focus on hitting the center of the face, leading to better results.

The head balance determines which model suits you best.

You can check the putter head balance by placing the putter (shaft) on your index finger about 20cm from the head. If the head stays horizontal, it’s suitable for players who putt straight toward the hole. If the tip rotates about 45° downward, it’s suitable for players who putt with a slight arc. If the tip rotates nearly 90° downward, the putter is suitable for players who putt with a strong arc.

Putter length and the new Counter Balance trend.

Everyone has their own natural stance for putting. When choosing a putter, take your natural stance and try conventional lengths (33”, 34”, 35”) until you find the one you feel best with. If none of these fit, there are two options from Ping, a pioneer in putter development for over 50 years. You can have a Ping putter custom-made to a fixed length, for example 31” or 36”, or choose a model with adjustable length from 31” to 38” using a wrench included in the package.

Recently, most manufacturers have introduced Counter Balance models. These putters are generally longer, usually 38”, combining a heavier head with added weight at the end of the grip. The goal of these putters is to improve tempo during the backswing and follow-through. Thanks to heavier heads and better weight distribution, these putters also have a higher moment of inertia (MOI), which means better control over putt distance even if you don’t hit the ball perfectly in the center of the face.

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

Choosing the right putter grip is very important, especially for comfort.

From our experience at CityGolf.cz, we can confirm that for women’s grips, color and softness are usually the main considerations, while for men, thickness is the most important factor. There is a wide variety of grips on the market, from thin to thick, which also changes the grip technique.

Thick grips have the big advantage of reducing unwanted wrist action. However, if you choose a thick grip, you also need to make sure the putter with the thick grip will fit through the top divider in your golf bag.