Putter Fitting is
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In putter fitting the objective is to establish the best combination of the variables shown above.
There are two options:
- Have a putter custom-built for you
- Find a putter that fits your eye and putting stroke,
and then have a club fitter tweak it for you.
Off-the-shelf putters are not designed for optimal putting as they are built on the mass production principle of one-size fits all. It is possible to putt the ball straight with an ill-suited putter, but the odds are stacked against you when it comes to consistency.
There are two forms of putter fitting systems - self-help and dynamic.
An example of a self-help system is Ping’s Putter Fitting Web-Fit available on their web site. Callaway also offers a Putter Fitting Module on their web site.
Both are based on general questions such as your height, wrist-to-floor measurement, preferred posture, hand position, stroke type, stroke path and so on. Using this information they recommend a putter length.
More useful is dynamic putter fitting with the help of a club fitter.
At the simplest level the club fitter will take certain measurements and then alter your putter by making a series of adjustments so that it suits you.
At the top end the club fitter will use laser technology combined with high-speed cameras and computerised analysis to plot every aspect of your stroke and ball reaction, and then custom build a putter individually for you.
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Putter fitting will not correct a poor setup and stroke. It will only make it "less bad". |
For most amateurs the simple level is adequate for the amount of golf they play. The two most common adjustments in putter fitting will normally be the length and lie angle of your putter.
Most golfers could benefit from putter fitting. This is because they (especially women)are using putters that are too long for them and this contributes to their poor putting.
With the correct length you can stand to the ball with the proper setup.
The club fitter will establish the correct length for your putter based on your height and arm length. When your hands are centred on the grip, there should be only one inch of the grip visible above your hands.
A typical method is to use a putter with an adjustable sliding shaft calibrated in inch measurements.
Increasing or decreasing the shaft length changes the arc of the putter path and the way the putter head rests on the ground.
A putter that is too long or too short can cause an error in your stroke path that leads to inaccuracy.
Too Long
You will stand further from the ball and your eyes will be well inside the ball. The plane of your putter path will be flatter and the toe of your putter will be off the ground pushing your aim to the left.
To accommodate the extra length you will have to cramp up your elbows to close to your body rather than let your arms hang naturally under your shoulders.
Too Short
You will stand closer to the ball and your eyes will be beyond the ball. The plane of your putter path will be more upright as your putter shaft will be more upright. The heel of your putter will tend to lift off the ground causing it to aim to the right.
A putter that is too short for you will cause you to crouch over putting added pressure on your back. It will restrict the smoothness of your stroke. It can also cause you to straighten your arms into a locked position.
The lie angle is the angle formed by the shaft and sole of the putter head when the putter is held in a neutral position at address. It is a major factor in controlling the starting direction of your ball. If the lie angle of your putter is not correct, you will consistently misdirect your putts.
Here is what Ralph Maltby, a leading expert in golf equipment, has to say on the subject:
"The lie angle is a major factor in controlling the initial direction the ball will go after impact. If the toe of the putter is sticking up in the air, the ball will be pulled slightly to the left. Conversely, if the toe of the putter is down and the heel is up in the air, the ball will most likely be pushed slightly to the right.An incorrect lie angle will also cause a slightly less solid hit because the ball is being impacted at more of a glancing blow which also adds some degree of side spin".
Poor energy transfer will make distance control more difficult.
The standard lie angle for most off-the-shelf putters is between 70 and 72 degrees. Some manufacturers advertise lie angle as the offset from 90 degrees, for example 19 degrees. The minimum offset allowable by the Rules of Golf is 10 degrees.
The most important aspect of the lie angle is that when you are set up at address, your putter sole rests flat on the ground and is not canted toe-up or toe-down.The adjusting putter for length allows the club fitter to establish the correct lie angle.
The length of your putter and the corresponding lie angle are related. The longer the shaft, the flatter the lie angle should be. The shorter the shaft the more upright the lie angle should be.
The club fitter, after altering your putter length, will change the lie angle of your putter by bending the hosel or shaft so that the putter head is correctly soled.
Bear in mind that the lie angle of a putter is difficult to alter when the shaft is inserted directly into the putter head without any hosel or shaft bend.
The loft of a putter is the angle formed by the putterface and a level surface when the putter is held in a neutral position at address. It is measured in degrees.
You need some loft to lift your ball out of the shallow depression caused by the ball’s weight and on to the top of the grass for a truer roll.
Too much loft can jeopardise distance and directional control as the ball will tend to bounce after impact. With too little loft you will compress the ball into the turf with the same undesirable effects.
The standard built-in loft of most putters is three to four degrees based on the mowing height of modern greens. The rule of thumb is that for slow greens you need more loft, and for fast greens you need less loft.
The way you set up and then putt can alter the dynamic loft of your putter. For example, when you position your hands well forward of your ball or forward press at the start of your stroke, you effectively decrease your putter’s loft. Even a variation in ball position can change the dynamic loft at impact.
The club fitter may decide to adjust your putter so that the loft at impact remains within the parameters of three to four degrees.
My preference is not to mess with the loft during putter fitting, but concentrate more on achieving a more neutral hand position.
The grip is the only connection that your hands will have to your putter. If your putter length needs to be adjusted, it is a good time to consider the type of grip you prefer, and have the club fitter fit it for you during the putter fitting session.
Conventional thinking equates thin grips with a wristy stroke with the shaft placed in your fingers. Fatter grips put the shaft more in the lifelines of your hands, giving you a steadier hold on your putter as well as promoting an arm-and-shoulder pendulum stroke. They help to prevent your wrists from breaking down during your stroke.
Off-the-shelf putters use a standard paddle rubber grip of about 11 inches with a flat front flange so that you can place both your thumbs on top of the shaft one under the other. If the grip has been properly fitted, the flat part should be 90 degrees to the putterface.
I prefer an oversize grip as it allows me to place both thumbs on the shaft side by side. This balances my hands on the putter and levels my shoulders.
There is one small disadvantage of an oversize grip in that your putter may not fit into putter tube on your golf bag.
There is no standard head weight for a putter. It can be anything nowadays. The relationship between the length, the head weight, and the overall weight of the putter varies from manufacturer to manufacturer and by model.
Most mass-produced putter heads are weighted for a standard off-the-shelf 35-inch putter and weigh around 330 to 350 grams. In theory the head weight should change to keep the same relationship of head weight to grip weight when you either shorten or lengthen the putter.
For the technically minded the head weight is used to calculate the swingweight of the putter. Swingweight is the relationship between the weight of the grip end of the club and the head end and is measured on a 14-inch fulcrum (balance) scale. It has an impact on your tempo and feel.
There is a school of thought that you should use a heavy putter to putt on slow greens and a light putter to putt on fast greens. There are some putters on the market with adjustable head weights, but to me this is just an added complication.
Shortening the shaft stiffens it and changes the overall weight of the putter, but I have found that the change in feel is not that great. It is far more important that your putter is exactly the right length for you, otherwise you are never going to putt consistently.
If you are not 100% satisfied with the balance of your altered putter, the club fitter can change it to suit you by either adjusting the weight under the grip or by applying lead tape to the putter head.
In summary, if your putter head is too light, you could find yourself flicking at the ball with too quick a tempo. A putter with more head weight will promote a slower and more consistent tempo. However, too heavy a head can lead to less touch.
Custom fitting is not just for your driver, fairway woods and irons. The club you use most is your putter and it is one of your main scoring clubs. Proper putter fitting will allow you to putt with more confidence and get better results.
To view a video clip of Todd Sones explaining the importance of Putter Fitting CLICK HERE.
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