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