There is nothing more personal to a golfer than his or her putter is. Golfers of all levels live or die by their putting ability, and the choice of a putter is as much by personal preference of style, look and weight as it is by technology. There are, however, certain guidelines that can help you in your selection of a putter.
Types of putters
There are a number of basic types of putters.

Blades
o Narrow and flat
o Best feel for the ball
o Popular among low handicappers
o Blades differ in where the shaft enters the head, either at the heel or center shafted, where it enters more in the middle of the blade.

Mallets
o Has a large, rounded head
o The weight is usually balanced throughout the club, which provides golfers with a more consistent putting stroke

Perimeter weighted
o A very forgiving design where the weight is distributed around the edges
o Provides for a larger sweet spot because the perimeter weighting stabilizes any slight mis-hits

Insert
o Designed with composite inserts made of a softer material
o Provide for a better feel on the putt and a smoother role
o The insert is in the face of the putter, therefore neatly defining each club's sweet spot

Offset
o The actual putter blade is placed back from the shaft slightly
o Allows the golfer's eyes to be more directly on top of the ball when standing over the putt. This increases top spin for a truer roll.
Choosing the right length
A putter that is too short will throw off your view of the putting line, as will a putter that is too long
Determining the proper length putter for your frame is important. To ensure the proper fit follow these steps:
o Assume your regular putting stance
o Let your arms hang down naturally
o Measure to just above the top of your hand for the proper length of the putter
Types of putters
There are a number of basic types of putters.
Blades
o Narrow and flat
o Best feel for the ball
o Popular among low handicappers
o Blades differ in where the shaft enters the head, either at the heel or center shafted, where it enters more in the middle of the blade.
Mallets
o Has a large, rounded head
o The weight is usually balanced throughout the club, which provides golfers with a more consistent putting stroke
o A very forgiving design where the weight is distributed around the edges
o Provides for a larger sweet spot because the perimeter weighting stabilizes any slight mis-hits
o Designed with composite inserts made of a softer material
o Provide for a better feel on the putt and a smoother role
o The insert is in the face of the putter, therefore neatly defining each club's sweet spot
o The actual putter blade is placed back from the shaft slightly
o Allows the golfer's eyes to be more directly on top of the ball when standing over the putt. This increases top spin for a truer roll.
Choosing the right length
A putter that is too short will throw off your view of the putting line, as will a putter that is too long
Determining the proper length putter for your frame is important. To ensure the proper fit follow these steps:
o Assume your regular putting stance
o Let your arms hang down naturally
o Measure to just above the top of your hand for the proper length of the putter
Guide created: 03/06/08 (updated 03/01/11)




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