Buying Guide: Putters
With The Masters and Augusta’s brutal – yet superb – greens just around the corner, it got us thinking: How many of you are missing putts you should be holing?
Equipment
Line vs Distance
Just about half of all shots on the course are taken on the short grass, and putting - love it or hate it - is where the scorecard is won or lost.
Putting is a lot more complex than it first appears. You may consider getting the ball in the air and getting it onto the green in two shots the challenging part of any par-4. But greens are designed to be manipulative to test your skill, and mis-reading your putts can result in a frustrating 3-putt and a bogey on the scorecard.
Broadly speaking, there are two aspects you need to get correct when executing the perfect putt. The line your ball is facing, and the exact amount of power needed to find the back of the cup.
Think for a minute about your own game. Do you find it easy to find the correct line but usually leave your putts shot? Or do you tend to go for the hole, but often find yourself putting back the other way?
Line VS distance
Finding the right line is of paramount importance when reading your putt. If you misjudge the break of the putt, you instantly have no chance of it dropping into the hole.
It can feel demoralizing however to know you have the line just right but not quite enough pace to find the back of the cup.
Leaving the ball short is a pain as it means you won’t know how the ball is going to break going into the cup. When you hit it past the hole you can at least see how the ball breaks for your next putt.
Equally important as accuracy is having the power and confidence to commit to your strike with the appropriate degree of power. Putting requires a soft-yet-firm touch, and it’s finding this middle ground on the short grass that’s the weak point of many good golfer’s games.
Finding the line
Making the perfect putt begins way before you walk onto the green. When you’re hitting your approach shot, you want to get a good look at the slope of the green. As you’re walking towards it, keep an eye on the natural slopes turns that form around the pin position.
You’ll also want to keep an eye on how your chip shots run out onto the green. Where does it bounce to? Is it where you predicted it would go or did an unforeseen bounce take it another way?
Once your ball has come to rest and you’re sizing up your putt, it’s good to crouch down behind it and take a look at the high and low points of the green. Can you feel the slope of the green in your feet when you’re standing over the ball? Can you trace the natural line relative to the slopes beneath your feet?
The latest golf putters from Scotty Cameron have been engineered to help you find the exact line when you’re standing over the ball, and strike through your putt with tempo and confidence.
Scotty Cameron Phantom putters
Scotty Cameron putters are simply phenomenal, and the tech under the hood combined with the flawless looks makes them an ideal tool to add to the bag. The Phantom putters feature a dual-milled face that offers a purely consistent putting roll on every strike.
This club has been rebranded from the previous model and has aerospace-inspired shapes and is available in a striking metallic grey finish. Each model in the Phantom range has an alignment line on the top of the clubhead, these range from dots to straight lines. If you prefer to play with a mallet, there’ll be a putter in the Phantom range for you.
Scotty Cameron Super Select putters
The Super Select putters are another fantastic putter offering from Scotty Cameron. They also benefit from a dual-milled face that gives them an incredible sound and feel. This club features performance weighting that increases balance and MOI, this essentially means the clubhead is very resistant to twisting on impact with the ball, ensuring you’re making some very accurate strikes.
These putters also look fantastic, and certain models have a new I-Beam neck design for a sleek, elegant look. There are ten individual clubs in the set that range from blades the weightier mallets, so if there’s sure to be something in the range to suit your playstyle.
You’ve got to have a go with a few different kinds of putters to find your ideal feel, and find out what makes you feel comfortable. If you’re unsure of which kind of putter would be best for you, we’d be happy to show you our stock in the pro shop.
