While much about the game of golf is based on “feel” or instinct, this is especially true when it comes to the putter. How it feels in your hands, upon impact with the ball, and indeed how the golfer feels toward the club are all important factors in choosing a putter.
Feel is one reason there is a greater variety of putters on the market than any other piece of equipment. Picking the right one can be difficult, and there’s only one way to find the one you’ll like best – try as many different putters as possible.
Aside from feel, there are other factors to consider:
- Price: What can you expect to pay for a putter? There is a big range – anywhere from $30 to $300. Remember, a high price and great quality won’t necessarily produce, for you, the best results, if the putter doesn’t feel right.
- Face materials: The faces of putters, where club meets ball, are designed with many different materials and styles to create a specific feel. Often, an insert is added for a softer feel, and helps keep the ball from jumping off the putter. Others produce a distinctive sound based on golfer preference.
- Weighting and balance: You may come across the terms “toe-weighted” and “face-balanced” putters, which refer to the putter’s weight distribution. (With the shaft balanced on a finger, the toe of a toe-weighted putter points toward the ground. The face of a face-balanced putter points to the sky.) Neither type is considered superior; it depends on your stroke style and, of course, feel.
- Offset: A design feature where the face of the putter is behind the line of the shaft, offset may if you are inclined to push your putts to the right (or left for left-handers). Offset offers a built-in correction that sets the hands ahead of the blade without the player having to make adjustments when addressing the ball.
Finding a putter that really works for you can take time and experimentation. If you play regularly and want to improve your handicap — perhaps significantly – finding a putter that instills confidence is often the quickest route.
Thomas Golf Putters
Traditional, Mid-Length/Belly & Long Putters
