When choosing golf clubs, many golfers tend to focus on the irons and woods in an effort to improve their performance on the fairway. While maximizing distance and accuracy are key to setting up the best shot, anything can happen once the ball reaches the green. Choosing the right putter can help amateurs and experts alike reach the hole in fewer strokes and improve their game overall.
Significance
Golf putters are used to sink your shot once your ball reaches the green. It's estimated that approximately 50 percent of all the shots you take on the golf course are made with a putter and they play a significant role determining the accuracy of your shot.
Types
Putters can be classified in many different ways, and the most general categorization is based on the location of the club's center of gravity in relation to the shaft's axis. Face balanced putters feature faces that point upwards when you balance the shaft on your finger while toe balanced putters feature a toe that points downward when balanced on one finger.
Putter Head Design
The blade putter is the classic design for putter heads and it is typically smaller and more lightweight than other putters. Blade putters are generally face balanced and offer softer control on faster greens. Mallet putters are larger and are face balanced with a lower center of gravity to increase accuracy and reduce twisting. Peripheral weighted putters or teardrop putters are heel-toe weighted and are designed to produce a smoother, more efficient roll.
Putter Face Design
Traditional putter faces are made from stainless steel, which offers a solid, more controlled feel and a softer response on impact. An insert faced putter is a metal putter that features a lightweight insert that redistributes the putter's weight to the heel and toe. Insert faced putters typically offer a smoother roll. Groove faced putters feature semicircular pattern of grooves which are designed to grip the ball to allow for a more accurate roll.
Putter Shafts and Grips
The traditional length of a putter shaft is between 32 and 36 inches; however, certain types of putters feature longer shafts. Belly putters range from 41 to 46 inches and these are meant to create stability by resting on the player's stomach as they putt. Long putters are generally 48 to 52 inches long and may be rested on the stomach, chest or chin to provide increased control with less wrist movement. Putter grips come in varying thicknesses and may feature a raised or flat edge.
Considerations
When choosing a putter, you should consider what will be best suited to your stroke style, i.e., straight, in and out or through and back. You should also choose a shaft length that corresponds to your height and stance and a grip that feels most comfortable in your hands. The thickness of your putter grip should also correspond to the amount of wrist movement you typically use on the stroke.
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