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Looking into center shafted mallet putters

bames

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I've done some research on putters (its sad that it took me 5 years to realize that almost half my shots come from the flat stick) and I've discovered that I need to change putters. I have a straight back - straight through putting motion. I want to find a center shafted mallet style putter. I've looked into the SC red x3 and x5, as well as the Odyssey offerings. Just looking for any advice or opinions on some CS mallet putters - thanks hos.
 

SiberianDVM

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Look into a CS version of the Bobby Grace model that Fred Funk used to win the Tour Championship. I have it in a belly putter model, but I quit using a belly putter when I discovered I needed a smaller belly to use it properly.
 

ualtim

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Do yourself a favor and try out some of the Rife models. It took me a bit longer than necessary to pull the trigger on one, but I am glad I did. The Rife 2-bar Hybrid is probably the best one in their current line up, but I tend to prefer either a steel insert or a solid metal putter and went with the 2-Bar Mallet Black Series.

I went through the same transition about 2 years ago after experimenting with a lot of putters at the PGA Show and at the local golf shops. I used to be a plumbers neck style guy and putted OK with that style for years, but after a lot of success with a Yes! Carolyne at the 2007 show and a putter fitting performed by the Heavy Putter guy at my local Golfsmith I have become a center shafted/no offset guy. Interestingly enough, most of the center shafted putters still have a bit of toe hang built into them as no one us truely a straight back and straight through putter. Rife has a description of this somewhere on their website, and even Scottie's Red X2 (my second most succesful putter) had a bit of toe hang built into it.

I hit my first Rife about 2 years ago at the local Golfsmith and sank just about everything with it. At the time, they only had 35" models at the store which was a no go for me as a confirmed 33" putter guy. I was not enamored with the feel of it nor the gray color of the original mallet. Fast forward a year, Rife came out with the 2-Bar Hybrid and had a run of the orginial 2-bar mallet that had a milled aluminum head versus cast and came with a black finish over the gray. When I read up on the Black Series Mallet and that it came in 33" length, I snapped one up almost immediately. I have not played another putter since.

Some of the other center shafted putters I had some success with were:

Heavy Putter A1M. Almost automatic inside 10 feet. Would be the perfect putter if it had any face feel. This putters weighting and balance would become the prototype for all future putters I bought and have since modified.

Yes! Carolyne. At a 355g head weight its a bit light for me and I never really played it on the course a whole lot. Added the UST Frequency Filtered shaft to try and get better feel out of it and a 100g TLP back weight to try an mimick the HP, but it never really duplicated my results with the HP.

Scotty Cameron Red X2. Got a deal on a used one through Global Golf discount at 35"/330g. Reshafted it, pulled the plate off and added weight to the head to get it up to 365g, and added a 100g TLP back weight. This configuration is my second favorite putter I own. Great face feel (Scotty GSS insert), great balance with the increase head weight and back weight, and good roll. This puppy would probably still be in the bag if I did not come across the 2-Bar Black series.

Guerin Rife 2-Bar Mallet Black Series. The milled head versus the cast head provides good face feel. Not as good as the Cameron, but acceptably good. I put in the heaviest weights possible into the head weight ports to pump up the head weight and found a 150g TLP back weight to put into the grip. This is the closest I have come to the weight and balance of the HP. This putter produces the best roll I have ever experienced. Rife puts less loft on its 2-bar series of putters and the roll grooves provide the lift needed to get the ball out of its depression and get it rolling almost immediately. The Yes! Carolyne is second when it comes to roll and the Cameron was third. The improved face feel, modified weighting, and second to none roll characteristics have made this the most consistant putter I have ever played. I am sinking more putts from greater distances on a consistant basis. I am not going to say that I will never use another putter, but its going to take one hell of a putter to kick this one out of the bag.

The Rife Hybrid series also have a great feel to them. I like the look of the new Tour style black heads, but alas they do not offer the Black 2-Bar Hybrid with center shaft, yet. If they ever make one of those, I may end up with one in the bag as the feel of the 2-Bar hybrid is really good. Of course, it would require some more weight to meet my specs. :D
 

Pa Jayhawk

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I have a straight back - straight through putting motion. I want to find a center shafted mallet style putter.
In deciding, it is probably worth considering that with a straight back - straight through putting motion, you may likely benefit from a faced balanced putter. You may already know, but you can balance the putter on your finger and the face would point straight up.
 
OP
bames

bames

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  • Thread Starter
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Thank you gentlemen. I will look into those SiberianDVM.

Ualtim, that was an awesome review. That is exactly the type of information I am after. It feels as thought there are so, so many dang putters that any insider scoops will help a ton. Thanks again, and keep them coming!

PA Jayhawk, that is what I was guessing, and for what I understand the face balanced putters are normally mallet stlyes right?
 

ManchesterGolfer

AKA.... Obi-Wan Ho-Nobi
Jan 4, 2006
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I've tried Rife putters but I found it hard to judge distance's of putts and where I felt i had put the same stroke on the ball they would be 4 foot apart. I like the tidy compact style of the Red X2, the feel is good and the fact that the sole plate can be removed so you can add weight to the head is a bonus.
 

Stanters

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Aug 13, 2006
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Not used one but just an idea to throw into the mix --- Seemore?

Have heard good reports on them but not hit one myself.
 

LBlack14

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Scotty Cameron Futura Phantom Mallet 2

titleistfuturaphantommalletputter2_2252005.jpg

ai169.photobucket.com_albums_u230_LBlack14_IMG_0077Medium.jpg
 

ualtim

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Not used one but just an idea to throw into the mix --- Seemore?

Have heard good reports on them but not hit one myself.

I have messed around with the original Seemore and it did not really sing to me. The face feel and distance control was not there for me.

Seemore does have some newer models out, but I have not had a chance to putt with them yet. Some of the new models are milled heads so the face feel/distance control may be improved over the original cast head design. Of course, the price goes up quite a bit to get into the milled heads. Seemore has also gone into other neck styles as well and could be an intreaguing option if you can find some to mess around with and see if they work for you.
 

DH4816

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Jun 20, 2008
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I just got a center shafted Ping 1/2 Craz-E. Not really a traditional mallet but similar concept. After two rounds and several hours of practice I think it is a keeper. I'm adjusting to the different look but it feels very smooth and I pull and push fewer putts and when I do I miss by less than I used to.

DH
 

Pa Jayhawk

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PA Jayhawk, that is what I was guessing, and for what I understand the face balanced putters are normally mallet stlyes right?
From what I have seen for the most part that is true, but not to say you cannot find blade or maybe flange style putters that are faced balanced. Ping will usually have one. Like right now they have a Karsten series C67 that is not only faced balanced but Center shafted as well. So they can be found. I know many of Pings older blade models had a few as well, from when I demoed putters. Usually one of their Ansers would be face balanced. I used to prefer a blade, and probably the reason I like my #7 fang and hated the 2 ball, it has more of a blade or flange that mallet look when over the ball IMO. Prefered them so much so, that my last putter had a slight toe drop, simply because the look outweighed the effect of the face balance IMO. So I went with a #4 White Hot initially, as it was pretty close but still looked right.
 

Bignose

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Oct 23, 2006
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If you are committed to a straight-back straight-through stroke, you may want to look into a "reality" balanced putter. Toe weighted, and even face balanced putters will tend to swing open on the backstroke and closed on the forward stroke. You can see this simply by allowing the putter to rotate to its natural balance point. Hold one finger on each hand out straight and put one finger near the head and the other near the top of the grip -- the idea is to let the putter rotate freely until it goes still on its own due to gravity. Even face balanced putters will open, though not as much as toe-weighted. A reality balanced putter will rotate to a position where the face is perpendicular to gravity. Basically, the balance of the putter is such that the face remain perpendicular to the arc the entire time.

There are two companies that I know of:
Positive Putter: http://www.positiveputter.com/ (They have some very good videos showing what I wrote about above)
Axis 1 Putters: http://www.axis1golf.com/

There aren't a lot of companies doing this, but again, if you are committed to SBST stroke, it might be worth looking in to. Not that you can't do a SBST with any putter -- it doesn't take a whole lot of force by your hands to overcome the opening/closing tendency of the typical putter -- but these reality based putters are the most natural fit to the SBST stroke.
 

ezra76

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Feb 5, 2006
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Thank you gentlemen. I will look into those SiberianDVM.

Ualtim, that was an awesome review. That is exactly the type of information I am after. It feels as thought there are so, so many dang putters that any insider scoops will help a ton. Thanks again, and keep them coming!

PA Jayhawk, that is what I was guessing, and for what I understand the face balanced putters are normally mallet stlyes right?

There are blade putters that face balanced. Look for the models with the shaft directly into the head and a double bend shaft. Yes Tracy is face balanced as well as the Mizuno Bettinardi C-06 (I believe, it's either the 05 or 06, can't remember). A couple CS mallets you might not have thought of, Futura Phantom and the Ping C-67.
 

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