General Putting question...

[BigJim13]

Question 1: Is there a way to judge what length putter you need other than feel? For example when you do a fitting on a website, like TGW.com and i put in my height and wrist to floor they tell me i need +1/2". Is there something like this with putters or is it just feel?


Question 2: I have been putting great lately, albeit on my living room carpet, and have been practicing my stroke. I have noticed that at address and even when I make contact the toe of my putter is higher than the heel, like it needs to be adjusted flat? I have been making good contact and rolling pretty well, will there be any negative affects from adjusting the lie flatter?

[acarty]

Jim - as for question 1, I always go for feel. Both my dad and I got new putters last year in USA, I went for a 34" and he went for a 35". We've both done fairly well with them, but as soon as we went for a lesson on Thursday night, we did some putting with a Yes! 33". And we both loved it. Now we both drop our hands down the grip a little and we're doing a lot better with it.

However, dad also has the toe-up stance like you do. He hits a good roll most of the time, but he does occassionally catch the heel on the ground, and he doesn't always hit centre putts. I would say 60-70% of his putts are centered, and so I guess when he learns to put the toe down, he'll hit some great putts.

But I guess again it's all about feel. I love to be right over the ball, left eye over it, and keep the sole as flat as possible. Whatever works for you I guess!

[Augster]

The length of a putter is totally dependent upon what kind of setup you use. Though, in general, a shorter putter is better.

Toe up.

This should not be. Set the putter on the ground behind the ball. That is how it should look at address. You "should" be able to just walk up to it now and putt it.

If you can't do that, and need to manipulate the putter somehow to get into your putting stance, the putter needs to be adjusted, or you need to adjust your stance/stroke. Either you fit yourself to your putter, or you have the putter fit you.

But if you keep putting with the toe in the air, it is a SURE recipe to never hit another left to right putt. You are costing yourself strokes by not using the club the way it was designed.

Either go somewhere, like Golfsmith etc., that has a hundred putters sitting around and find one that you like that you can just "step into". OR take your current putter and make it a putter you can step into. Either by making it shorter or longer or adjusting the lie angle. Or have a clubfitter do it for you.