Golf Galaxy Putting session

[zaphod]

I've been in a putting funk for the last 2 months. Distance control great but just missing mostly to the right. No 20+ foot putts made.

So I spent 1.5 hours at the local Golf Galaxy trying putters. The sales personnel were great unlocking the expensive putters and letting me alone to concentrate on various putter styles.

General impressions: First of all I have a crouched Jack Nicklaus stance with a slight slicing (like Billy Mayfair) stroke. No I will not bow to Pelz and change.

Face Balance putters--Tried various flavors of the YES brand. The word random error comes to mind. They look great but in my hands the direction was all over the place. Nothing consistent.

Ping Putters---Got along with the Anser Ok but still tendency to miss right. Good weight and distance control. I have a B60 which is a great putter for me direction wise but it a bit light.

HEAVY PUTTER--Not good in my hand
Rife 2 Bar Putter --Same thing

Voodoo 45" broomstick---Great direction control but speed especially at longer distances suffered.

TM Spider---Good putter for distance and direction. But I had to work too hard at controlling the head. It wanted to twist clockwise in my hands as I was entering my address.

TM Tourismo--Good Putter for distance and direction. I liked the smaller hitting service. Again I had to work resisting the clockwise twist at address. Also I would not prefer an insert on contact surface. Just does not give me a good feel. I think this is just my personal feel as results were good.

Scotty Camerons---I never had hit a Scotty before so I was quite interested in their allure!!! All the had on the rack was the DeTours, 1.5 and 2.0 Select Newports and Circa 62 #2 , #6 and a couple a mallets that did not fit my eye.

SC Detour-- Both the long and short extension putter had great distance control. I thought the extension helped in alignment but misses were right again.

SC Newport Select--- Drop dead gorgeous putters. I so wanted them to work. I got along with the 1.5 model with the plumbing hosel the best. Again superior distance control but right misses.

Circa 62 # 2---- A very friendly putter. Great feel, looks and distance control. The putter direction set up fine for me. I had to work at it a bit as slight tendency to right.

Circa 62 #6-----A true gem of a putter. I felt I could not miss. Set up great. Distance control was awesome. Direction was automatic. Downside was the $299 price tag.

And finally a Acuity B60/Circa 62 #6 knockoff---Just for a lark I tried this putter. Distance control not quite as good as the SC but still very good. Direction was almost as good as the SC. Not quite as pretty and the weight was somewhere between a B60 and SC #6. Price tag $29.

Since I was putting on indoor/outdoor carpet with holes larger than 4.5" I was reluctant to purchase a Scotty without some type of trial run on a real green. So I purchased the Acuity knockoff

Just came off the course 1 hour ago playing with the Acuity putter. I just plain putted great. Played 5 holes but at each green I threw down 5-8 balls at varying degrees of break and distance. I had NO 3 putts including a number 50 foot+ attempts. Even if I ran the lag putt by 3 feet the come backer was drained. The putts with breaks that were speed dependent were negotiated. What was even neater was those putts 10' or less. I was calling the shot looking to enter the hole at 4 o'clock, 5:30 , 7 o'clock etc. THAT WAS JUST PLAIN FUN. AND I made several 20 feet + putts

I am now looking for a Scotty Circa 63 #6. Any Advice?????

[Rockford35]

Originally Posted by zaphod

Any Advice?????

Ya, keep the Acuity in the bag.

Are you mad, man?

R35

[zaphod]

Yo Rock I want to be crazed, just plain a disease I guess,

the G2 Craz-E is out. the acuity in definitely in. A Scotty #6 is in my future, I think, at the right price. What's the right price is undetermined.

[DrivetheGreen66]

Ebay is the best place to look for putters

[Rockford35]

Originally Posted by zaphod

Yo Rock I want to be crazed, just plain a disease I guess,

the G2 Craz-E is out. the acuity in definitely in. A Scotty #6 is in my future, I think, at the right price. What's the right price is undetermined.

"My current putter cost me $40, and I can't miss. Might as well pick up a Scotty for 6 times the cost and no guarantees."

I just wanted you to see this in print. Think about it.

R35

[zaphod]

Rock I agree. The most I've spent on a putter is $50. That's the Craz-e. I currently have. That Acuity is a bargain!!!!! The Scotty search will be for one of value, ie not new, and not bought at a rash moment.

I have begun a ebay search.

The only draw back of the Acuity is it is still a bit light for the furry greens of my local nine holer. I stopped using the B60 for the same reason. On faster greens the Acuity I believe would be the ticket. And right now is still better than the Craz-E. Also has an insert on face I will just have to "get over"

[raven34]

Fascinating thread that tells me a lot about our (golfers) psyche.
Read the original post and see how much thought and time went into selecting the "right" putter. Plenty.
When you consider that the putter is by far the most used club in the bag - and I mean by far - for most golfers at least twice per hole and for really good putters somewhere between 25 and 30 times a round.
A driver on the other hand is used a maximum of 14 times or less than half of what a putter is used.
Yet golfers will think absolutely nothing about spending hundreds on a new driver regularly as the newest and latest drivers that come out promising us that extra magical 10 - 20 yards. Hell we just buy the things to have the latest and best.
Yet here we are not prepared to drop the same amount of money on a "just as important" club. Why? Because ......well because.......I suppose because it's not distance we need. We just need something to finish off that beautiful 300 yard drive, 150 yard 7 iron approach and short chip needed to get this far. "Hell I only have another 25 foot to negotiate and could do that with a broom! I'm not spending $200 on a club for that sort of distance!"
Or is it because I would be embarassed to tell my wife (AKA admit to myself) that I spent $200 on a club that loooks like a rod with a funny head.
Considering a 25 footer, a 2 footer or a three inch putt counts the same as that 300 yard drive, the approach shot or the chip why do we think spending money on a decent putter is such a sin?
I am not advocating you buy an expensive putter for the sake of a name - although why not I don't kow we all do exactly this with drivers, irons, wedges etc., but if we are going to be so selective in buying the cheapest we can that will "do the job" then we should do the same with all of our clubs.
In my case amny years ago - about 15 now - I checked in at Parkview Golf Club in Johannesburg and picked up a putter (the shape never appealed to me at all -which is why I picked it up) whilst waiting to register for my round. The putter felt absolutely great in my hand and I just knew I would putt well with it. I spent and astronomical unbudgeted R700 on it way back then. The exchange rate has changed somewhat since but I would guess it is the equivalent of US$350.00 today.
I have had it ever since and still putt like a star with it. It was a Scotty Cameron Napa! By far the best investment in a club I have ever made.
Sorry to ramble.
Feel good though.

[Eracer]

There is no reason that someone should think twice about dropping two bills on a putter. Unless the putter they have in their bag works for them.

Same with drivers. why buy a new $400 driver when the $150 driver in your bag works great.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a great believer in the "magic club" theory, and it's cost me a bunch of money to get to the point I am now. Only because I've haven't been properly fitted for anything.

But once you find a club that you have great confidence in, don't throw money away chasing one that might or might not be better.

[warbirdlover]

zaphod, I'd love to have you try my Spider with the 10 gr weights instead of the 4 gr that come with it.

[zaphod]

zaphod, I'd love to have you try my Spider with the 10 gr weights instead of the 4 gr that come with it. __________________

I did not have my reading glasses with so I assume it was the 4 gram weight.

That Scotty felt sooooo good. Just try to get over it compares in shape to a knock off or a used B60 that can be had for $30.

Raven 34, Yep I agonize over drivers also.


An issue when putting is the confidence you have as you start the putting process. Being in the right frame of mind is the first step. Right now when I walk up to the putt with the Craz-e I have doubts. Do I trust my eye or cheat by aiming left? To resolve this doubt I either have to buy a putter that will match my current (hopefully not daily) style. Or put in hours of practice or just make my approach shots spectacular. As Raven posted they all count as a stroke whether the ball is struck 300 yards or 1 yard. Is it marketing that makes the Scotty a holy grail or the quality of the product? EYE OF THE BEHOLDER I guess????

I have been happy investing just as much $ in my wedges as my drivers so why not a putter???? Right now I putting as well as I did 25 years ago with a Titleist Bullseye light blade putter. Yes I still have that one too. But you think after that long my accuracy would have improved.


Right now I'm seeing "experienced" Circa 62 #6 Scottys going for just shy of $200. I that the going price anyone????

[rubber314chicken]

Originally Posted by zaphod

Circa 62 #6-----A true gem of a putter. I felt I could not miss. Set up great. Distance control was awesome. Direction was automatic. Downside was the $299 price tag.

And finally a Acuity B60/Circa 62 #6 knockoff---Just for a lark I tried this putter. Distance control not quite as good as the SC but still very good. Direction was almost as good as the SC. Not quite as pretty and the weight was somewhere between a B60 and SC #6. Price tag $29.

Since I was putting on indoor/outdoor carpet with holes larger than 4.5" I was reluctant to purchase a Scotty without some type of trial run on a real green. So I purchased the Acuity knockoff

Just came off the course 1 hour ago playing with the Acuity putter. I just plain putted great. Played 5 holes but at each green I threw down 5-8 balls at varying degrees of break and distance. I had NO 3 putts including a number 50 foot+ attempts. Even if I ran the lag putt by 3 feet the come backer was drained. The putts with breaks that were speed dependent were negotiated. What was even neater was those putts 10' or less. I was calling the shot looking to enter the hole at 4 o'clock, 5:30 , 7 o'clock etc. THAT WAS JUST PLAIN FUN. AND I made several 20 feet + putts

I am now looking for a Scotty Circa 63 #6. Any Advice?????

good luck finding a circa 63

I almost got that acurity putter. But I ended up with their mallet putter only because the distance control was better, and I had about the same control for left/right. I don't like the grip on it though. I like the feel of the smaller one, but I hit the mallet one better, so that's what I use. I played a round today, and never did more than a two put, so I suppose its doing its job.

[zaphod]

Ya a 63 would be hard to find. My Bad. Agreed on the grip of the Acuity. not my fav also but for price and short term will do.