Clash of the titans: Putter vs Driver

[SilverUberXeno]

I think it's safe to say that putting and driving are probably the two most important aspects of the game. Driving and putting are the game breakers, especially the later. The question I pose to you is this:

I use a standard set (Wilson Matrix) with the matrix driver and a generic mallet putter I bought for 40$. I am starting to not like the feel of my putter as I play more and more, it seems to clank off, or every shot just seems stiff.

So, I've decided that I like a specific driver and a putter.

The driver is the Taylormade R580. There's no weights, and it's not nearly as expensive as the r7 (200$ compared to an omg 700$).

The putter is the odyssey 2-ball. I've used it at Dick's Sporting Goods a couple of times, and I really like how the ball comes off of the club.

I'm not a rich man, in fact, I only have a part time job (it ain't easy golfing at 17) and IF I can afford one, it'll only be one probably 'til christmas. I can drive a solid 240 as is. So, driver or putter?

[nsherman2006]

putter, most definitely. You use it WAY more than your driver and a hot putter can always shoot decent scores while a good driver has no guarantees

[SilverUberXeno]

True true, and it's an entire 30$ cheaper than the driver! Except right now I have four dollars, a round of 18 tomorrow, 9 on tuesday, 9 on friday, and maybe 9 next sunday. Also another potential 9 somewhere in the week against one of my good friends' brother.

Love hurts. Loving golf hurts my wallet. To within an inch of death at the present...

Anyone who wants to donate, when I become a pro, I'll double it back to you =D

[nsherman2006]

Lol. With your budget, i'd recommend looking for a 2-ball on ebay. I actually might have one to get rid of if my new putter stays in the bag

[SilverUberXeno]

I don't have enough dollars to buy the magnetic letters to spell "budget" on my refridgerator. How much would you be selling it for? I have an extra kidney, and I don't need my whole liver. In fact, sometimes I think I have too much liver!

[Avenged]

id say go w/ a driver. you need a good start to have a good finish

[Youngun5]

they have that terrible "drive for show............." quote for a reason man, unfortunately however many 20 footers you sink, the feeling of smashing a drive and watching the ball get small down the fairway is the best feeling in golf that i've experienced, theres no comparison

i've had days where i've missed only one fairway, but it does no good when you three putt every hole,


if you want to help your game, go for the putter now, the driver can wait


i've always had trouble with both putting and driving, recently conquered the driving problem, but the putting is as bad as ever and my scores are no better, my good days are when i actually putt good enough, or i'm hitting approaches so close i can get away with poor putting


just my two cents let us know how it goes

[caddyshackgolf]

Go for the putter and also I recommend you look on www.callawaypreowned.com for an odessesy putter or you find some some good deals on callaway drivers unless you have to have a taylormade.

[goatster]

the putter is the way to go as someone mentioned you will use it alot more.

i only hit driver at my course on 5 of 9 holes but i use my putter 14 to 18 times on the same 9 holes.so the putter is the better value buy.

also a new driver is not going to put you on the green so you can afford to 3 jack every hole but a good putter can save you strokes.

[Silver]

Besides all the reasons people have already given you, you're already driving the ball relatively well and the Matrix isn't a "bad" driver by any means. A friend of mine got one this year and is actually bombing it. He never used to hit it over about 200 and now it's not uncommon for him to crank it to 250.

The thing about putters though, a $10 might work better than a $450 one for you. It's all about snagging just the right one. Considering you can get a 2-ball on eBay for around $100 new, it's definitely not a bad route to take, given your financial situation. Although, if I were you, I'd spend some time looking at the C Groove putters as well as the White Steel 2-ball Blade because it's just killer. White Steel = so much better than White Hot.

[SilverUberXeno]

Well, today was was driving EXTREMELY well. I hit over a green at 280 into the next fairway (was like.. uh.. that is GREAT! But it sucks..) and I greened a par 5 in 2. But I ended up bogey-ing my eagle oppurtunity because of.. poor putting.. I can't blame my putter I guess. I was concentrating on mapping out the right-left slope and forgot I was putting uphill... ohhh.. furious..

First 3 holes - par, bogey, birdie.. then I was on a 5 in 2.. then it all went downhill..

Weeping openly, still.

So yes, when I get the money, I'm definitely going for a putter. Thanks fellas!

[SilverUberXeno]

General question to anyone else who reads this thread:

What's the putter to have nowadays, in general for ease to use and accuracy? I find that I'm very capable of reading breaks, but my biggest problem is the straight 10 footer. I just have a hard time creating an imaginary line from the ball to the hole, and then lining my putter up with it.

[Augster]

I would vote for the driver. Drive for show? My ass. How many times does your putter make you hit your 3rd from the tee? Does it really matter if your putter saves you the difference between a 7 or an 8? The driver is much more important. There is no COR limit on a putter.

BUT, since you seem to be hitting your driver well, don't mess with it. If you are hitting it pretty long, and keeping it in play, don't mess with it.

Putters are such a personal thing. You can get the 2-ball knock-off from Wal-Mart for like $30. I've had a 2-ball for, Jesus, 3 or 4 years now. I think I traded my 975D for it after I got my J and before I got my 983K. So if you like a putter, it does have some staying power. Others I know change their putter out once or twice a week.

It all comes down to the guy doing the putting really. If you believe a putter will put the ball online more often than another, it will.

For your 10-footer question, I really like the 2-ball from that distance. It's a lot easier for me to see where all "3-balls" are pointed than a stupid line or the face of the putter ever was. If I had to do it again, I'd get the $30 from Wally World than an odyssey for $190. Feel is all in what you like. The "technology" behind 2-ball has been easily cloned for lining up putts and is actually quite cheap.

[Silver]

My weapon of choice, as mentioned above:

http://www.odysseygolf.com/en/produc...lade&scroll=88

I think I've hit a combined total of less than 100 putts in my last 3 rounds. Not bad.

And to put it in perspective...I know a lot of people (ahem, cough) who have really nice drivers and still can't hit the fairway.

[SilverUberXeno]

Aye, it's a pretty one. I don't understand why they just bend the shaft though.. what's the advantage? You get to putt with an undercooked noodle? On Ebay the odyssey 2 ball models sell for around 100$, so I just gotta save up a little bit. Maybe I can unload my putter for like 30$