3balls Golf
Putting is a delicate science that requires a gentle touch and the right equipment. Golfers struggling with three putting on the green often look for answers in high ranking putters, but the solution isn’t that simple. Just because a putter is highly ranked doesn’t mean it will improve your game — in fact, the wrong highly ranked putter can make your game even worse. Instead of focusing on ranking the best golf putters, you should be looking for the characteristics that will improve your putts.
Important Characteristics in Putters
When choosing your next putter, look at more than just rankings. Check out the overall package, what it offers your swing and try a few out if you have an opportunity. These are the most important features to pay attention to when choosing a putter:
Head Design
You have two main choices in head designs: the old fashioned blade putters and the more forgiving mallet putters. If you struggle with a blade putter, there’s no shame in giving a mallet putter a chance — you’d be surprised how much they can change your game.
Putter Length
Putters currently come in three lengths: standard, belly length and long. Belly and long putters may soon be things of the past in professional competition, so if you plan to play at a semi- or professional level, stick with the standard length. Longer putters can help with shaky wrists, though, if you plan to stick to playing with your friends.
Balance
Putters are typically face balanced or toe weighted. Face balanced putters are better for pendulus putts, toe-weighting is better for arc putts. Consider how you stroke before you choose a balance option and if you’re not sure, have a fitting — there are few things that can affect your putts as much as proper putter balance.
Alignment Aids
One of the most overlooked features on putters are the alignment aids. These simple black, white or silver lines and circles may not seem like much, but they can improve your aim and confidence if they’re designed correctly. If you struggle to hit the ball square, look for alignment aids that allow you to frame your shot rather than those that force you to align the target with the center of the ball.
Once you know what kind of putter you’re looking for, you can check out some of the best putters in the game, new and gently used, at 3balls.com. Putter ranking isn’t nearly as important as how well a club performs for you or the confidence it instills for you on the green, but it’s hard to go wrong with Odyssey, Scotty Cameron, or TaylorMade putters.
Photo credit: eMaringolo / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)
