Buying the right putter - how to find it!
There are blade, half-mallet and mallet putters, long and short, heavy and light, with thick or thin club handle - the variations of golf putters are almost endless. And it's hard to believe: the putter is one of the most important golf clubs in the golf bag and is the club that is most often held in the hand. Amateur golfers use their putter an average of 40 times per 18 holes - for professionals, the average is around 30.
So it becomes clear very quickly that the score is decisively dependent on the play on the green. How often do we get annoyed when we have overcome the course seemingly effortlessly, we were able to leave the obstacles behind us and in the end we needed two, three or even four putts, so that the score is ultimately worse than desired.
Deciding on the right putter depends on a number of factors. We'll take a closer look at three of these factors to help you decide which one to buy.
- Length of the putter: Your personal set up is important here. There is no rule of thumb that calculates that if you are a certain height or arm length, you need a putter that is X inches long. Every golfer gets used to his personal set up. There are people who tend to stoop when putting, others tend to stand upright. Unlike irons or woods, there is no "fault" in the set up. The personal feeling is the right one.
- Impact moment: Determine how centrally you hit your putter. If you can answer this question, you will know which putter head shape is right for you. There are three different shapes: 1. blade, 2. half mallet, 3. mallet (see fig.1). A blade putter should always be hit in the middle of the club face, otherwise you run the risk of twisting the putter at impact. A larger club head (half mallet or mallet) counteracts this situation. Therefore, the rule is: the greater the risk that you will hit the ball off center of the club face, the more likely you should choose a half-mallet or even a mallet putter.
