Some putter thoughts.

[natex14]

Great reviews.

I just wanted to say you really missed out on seeing the headcover. You would have laughed your ass off. Not only could you fit the small dog, but the small dog's mom as well. Some of them even have wire on them that you could tow a small car with.

[MIKE1218]

I agree, they are excellent quality, but I just think that you can get a putter of equal quality that feels a whole lot better custom made for you for similar prices. The feel of a Scotty Cameron has NEVER appealed to me.

Getting a tp mills tradition center shaft in 2 weeks by the way.

[limpalong]

Originally Posted by warbirdlover

You should have tried the Odysses 2-ball with the "White Hot XG" insert. Far better then anything I've used. I agree on the 3-ball and the 2-ball with those ugly rings on them. Ugly.

But the Odysses White Hot XG 2-ball mallet... Oh my!!

It' fairly undertandable why there are more than one line of putters on the market. I've had two XG insert putters in the bag at various times for various lengths of time. Couldn't putt with either!!! Hated the feel of the XG insert. (My two were a #7 "Fang" and a #9.) Just haven't had any degree of success with an insert putter... including the XG.

[Pa Jayhawk]

Originally Posted by limpalong

It' fairly undertandable why there are more than one line of putters on the market. I've had two XG insert putters in the bag at various times for various lengths of time. Couldn't putt with either!!! Hated the feel of the XG insert. (My two were a #7 "Fang" and a #9.) Just haven't had any degree of success with an insert putter... including the XG.

Yeah, I have always been the opposite. I never had any feel with a putter that did not have a soft insert, and the XG being the best for me. When I got the Fang, I actually liked and preferred the Rife Two-bar and loved the idea of the weighting possibilities, but couldn't get used to a putter without a soft insert. The fang seemed like the next logical choice because I also liked the alignment visual of the two-bar much more than say a 2 ball putter. Now it looks like Rife has gone to an insert model, but have no desire to try it now.

[limpalong]

Originally Posted by ClairefromClare

This question may be heresy, but can someone explain in simple terms what the big deal is with the whole Scotty Cameron thing? I know people get all bent out of shape about them (both ways), but I don't get it.

No question is heresy! As you will see, I bag a Scotty and have this entire season. Certainly, there is a cult following out there. That cult following is perpetuated by many of the tour players using Scotty's... by the fit and finish of the Scotty's... by, simply, the price tag of the Scotty's... by the way Scotty's hold their value... any number of reasons. To some, Scotty Cameron will reach certain sainthood.

Ping had the corner on the putter market. In the mid 80's, Odyssey came on the scene with insert putters. As an alternative, Scotty teamed w/Titleist and began marketing a metal insert in a carbon head. Tiger bagged one and the cult was begun.

To others, a Scotty depicts all that is wrong with the equipment business. High front end costs... copies of many of Karsten's designs... "nothing special". And, the dissention has initiated many a heated argument. No single person can collectively speak for all those who putt... and know what putter is best for all golfers.

I bag a Scotty, simply because it gets the ball in the hole. I struggled with putting for season after season. Found this Scotty last winter and it simply fit the eye and the stroke. I don't care what name is on a putter. I don't care what color a putter is. I don't care who else bags the same putter as I. I just want to have the confidence required to make putts. With my Scotty... I have that confidence.

[ualtim]

Originally Posted by Pa Jayhawk

Tim, not meaning to jack the thread, but what do you think of the Top Flite Strata TL-Tours? How do they compare to the old Strata Tour Professional that we used to play? Still not sure I don't like that ball better than any I have found since for what I pay for golf balls. I figure you are one of the few on here that may have played the old one as much as I.

Check out the date of my original post.

To be honest, I still have not got into my TL Tour supply yet. I still have about 2 dozen Strata Tour Pro's left and have been experimenting with Precept XP3's lately as I bought a gross of them real cheap a few months ago. The TL Tours are 2 generations newer than the Strata Tour Pro's (never did get into the Stratas with the card suits on them) and was played quite a bit on tour until Callaway pulled it in favor of their Hex Tour ball and sent guys like Furyk and Stenson looking for a new ball/sponsor and finding their way to Srixon. I recommended the TL Tour to a few friends back when then were closing them out and they loved them. Of course, they only bought a dozen and when they went to get some more they were gone for good.

If I can get myself back out to the course on a regular basis again, I should start to crack into the TL's some time next summer/fall.

[Pa Jayhawk]

Originally Posted by ualtim

Check out the date of my original post.

Ooops, I usually catch those things.

[ualtim]

Wow, I can not believe someone actually dug up this dinosaur.

Since January 2007, I have gone through a few putter changes.

Feb 2007: Heavy Putter A1-M. 33 inches: I had not got a hold of the Yes! rep at this time and got into the Heavy Putter after a demo at the 2007 PGA Show and meeting the rep in Golfsmith the week after the show. Probably the most accurate putter I have used for keeping the ball on line. Its downside is face feel. You really do not get the positive feedback for center hits and negative feedback for off center hits. This is the putter I have used as a baseline for every putter since. A center shafted Heavy Putter with Cameron face feel would be my ideal putter.

Mar 2007: Finally received my Yes! Carolyne 33 inch putter direct from the factory ($50 USD brand new in the plastic on the show deal) and almost immediately pulled the shaft for a UST Frequency Filtered and installed a 100g TLP weight in the grip. This was a sweet putter combo, but I was still sinking more putts with the HP and this puppy saw limited use. I still pull it out from time to time as I really love the way it rolls the ball, but I could not feasibly add enough head weight to it to get it where I wanted it to be. It did add a criteria to my ultimate putter wish list; a center shafted HP with Cameron feel and Yes! roll.

Late Summer 2007: Still itching for that Cameron feel, I bought a Red X2 at 35 inches used through Global Golf for around $100 USD and immediately pulled the shaft and installed a 33 inch shaft with a 100g TLP weight in the grip. Soon after, I pulled the plate from the bottom of the putter and added about 40g of weight in the cavity to increase the headweight up to the 365-370 gram range. This is as close as I have come the HP weighting with Cameron feel parts of the ideal putter and this putter has served me well. Unmatched feel with almost the swing consistancy of the HP. I would still be bagging this putter if my next experiment didn't fall into my lap unexpectedly.

Spring 2008: I loved the way the Yes! Carolyne and my tests with the Guerin Rife 2-Bar rolled the ball, but was not enamored with the feel. Somewhat accidentally, I stubled across a Guerin Rife 2-Bar Black series Mallet that was milled rather than cast like the standard 2-Bars and I knew I had to give it a try. Upon arrival, I added the heaviest screw weights I could find into the 2-bar's adjustable headweight ports and drilled the grip to add a 150g TLP weight. While still a bit lighter than its HP counter part, its as close as I have come to getting the HP weight and balance. Feelwise, its better than the standard 2-Bar's and Yes! putters, but still not quite up to my Studio Style or Red X2 level of feel in my hands. This putter is currently my gamer, and unless Scotty decides to issue a center shafted head with a significant headweight increase, this is as close to my ideal putter that I am likely to find. Center shafted, near HP weight, near Cameron feel, and the Yes! roll.

[Pa Jayhawk]

Originally Posted by ualtim

Wow, I can not believe someone actually dug up this dinosaur.

Suspicious looking laugh sign. You sure you don't know the guy is some way?

Why do I have the feeling that Tim is going to end up ho'ing a putter as a result of this.

edit 1 - Is that why you have a couple blank lines in you signature? Planning ahead

[ualtim]

Nope, I have not even thought about ho'ing a putter since I modified the 2-bar Black to my specs. I may go back to my Red X2 and exchange the 100g TLP for a 150g TLP weight to see how it goes, but that would be about the extent of my changes.

I can not even acurately count the number of putters I own off the top of my head. I believe that I am still holding at 5 Camerons, 1 Guerin Rife, 1 Yes!, 1 HP, and 1 Wilson 8813 for mainline putters, but I also have a slew of Snake Eyes and other component based putters that I can not put a number on unless I were to pull them out and count them.

And nope, no dual personality here. I was just totally shocked when I saw a putter thoughts thread with my name under it. I had totally forgotten about this post.

[Wi-Golfer]

Originally Posted by ClairefromClare

This question may be heresy, but can someone explain in simple terms what the big deal is with the whole Scotty Cameron thing? I know people get all bent out of shape about them (both ways), but I don't get it.

Sticky subject that tends to get very testy at times. Some of us feel someone who can read the greens & get their speed correct, would putt well with a 2x4. Others view the Camerons as art objects & simply like to collect them. Others feel they have magical properties that will enable the user to sink putts they couldn't make with any other putter.

There a lot of reasons for & against, these are just a few.

[Boulder]

Re: Odyssey XG-7 (Fang): The head looked smaller than I expected, but that could be because I had just put down the 3-ball and even my ample stomach fat was looking smaller. The fangs do add some alignment ability, but for whatever reason I could not get comfortable with this putter in my hands. The insert feels even softer than the White Hot insert in a 2-ball, but the putter provided better contact feedback than either the white hot or white steel inserts I have tried. I did not sink too many putts with this one, but I could probably get away with it in a different head style. The fangs did not do much for me.

I've kinda fallen in love with The Fang, but could have take The Sabretooth home too if I could have had a threesome with my new putters. Would be interested in how you would compare/contract The Sabretooth with The Fang if you ever get a chance to do so.

[zaphod]

Originally Posted by ClairefromClare

This question may be heresy, but can someone explain in simple terms what the big deal is with the whole Scotty Cameron thing? I know people get all bent out of shape about them (both ways), but I don't get it.

I believe it is related to the cost. Arm and a leg in terms of relative flatstick prices.
If I found a cheaper putter than my Scotty I would have been there in a shot. If it works it is my bag.

A not true and blue Scotty owner.

[ualtim]

Originally Posted by Boulder

I've kinda fallen in love with The Fang, but could have take The Sabretooth home too if I could have had a threesome with my new putters. Would be interested in how you would compare/contract The Sabretooth with The Fang if you ever get a chance to do so.

I did mess around witht he Sabertooth for a while at the show in January. To me, very similar feel to the Fang and I did not enjoy putting with it. I was more impressed by the Odyssey chipper. I was sinking chips left and right with it.

[BigJim13]

Your right about the 3 Ball putter. I sold an older version for a buddy of mine and the headcover is big enough to hide small children and animals in. It also, to me at least, did not have alot of feel to it. Every putt felt the same, regardless of where on the face I hit it.

Here is the one I just sold, not sure if its the same model you tried, can't imagine its much different.

Odyssey White Steel Tri-Ball SRT-Very Clean-Must See!!! - eBay (item 110301308702 end time Oct-21-08 18:33:14 PDT)