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 Cleveland 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.
Cleveland HB Soft 2 Milled putters
Cleveland putters are simply special, and the tech under the hood combined with the flawless looks makes them an ideal tool to add to the bag. The HB Soft 2 putters feature a dynamic groove milling pattern that enlarges the striking area, giving you a more consistent, predictable performance.
This putter also features a 20g weight in the butt end of the shaft in the longer models to help keep your stroke steady. There are nine individual models in the HB Soft 2 range, each with their own head shape and hosel type. Soe whether you prefer to play with blade putters or mid-mallets, we’ll have something available to suit your putting style.
Cleveland Frontline Elite putters
The Frontline Elite putters are another fantastic putter offering from Cleveland. This club looks fantastic in a glossy matte black finish, and you’ll find white colour contrast alignment aids on the head of each club.
Treated with Cleveland’s Tungsten SOFT face technology, each putter in the set features tungsten in the head that pulls the center of gravity down and forward, helping you make steady, accurate strikes. Each model also features adjustable sole weights that as well as built-in counterbalance weights for maximum stability. There are eight different models in the range, all of them uniquely shaped.
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.
