28 replies to this topic

[sblocker]

hi i was wondering what is a good putter for beginner's? and what's a good cheap ball for beginners

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[Bayou Kato]

Any putter that makes you happy!

Seriously, go to a golf store, go to the putter section and ... putter around!

I would think for a first putter, buy something around $100. While there are 10-gazillion choices, I suggest a basic mallet style, or a 'anser' style.

Really, everyone will have a different view (most likely ... like they do on drivers, irons, wedges, hyrids, etc.). But like anything in the game, it's what works for you. And the putter, especially, is VERY individual.

On the ball ... go for something in the $20-$25 range.  Titleist NXT are good, as are the Bridgestones.  Trouble is that these things are now so complicated, you can make yourself crazy trying to pick one.  I'd stay away from the 'premium balls' until you get to the point where you're not going to chuck $4 or $5 into the woods, pond, or weeds on every shot.  Makes the game expensive that way.

Oh ... and look for X-outs or 'PRACTICE' balls (not RANGE balls) ... as those are usually cheap, but still good quality.


Enjoy!

Edited by Bayou Kato, 11 August 2009 - 01:18 PM.

[chrisroe88]

"Treat yourself to a nice putter and stick with it for the rest of your life!"

Some advice i heard an old tour pro say to a beginner lately, he's 70 and still using an ancient Ping Anser.

Good advice, wish I'd heard it when i started.

[NCJaguar5]

I started out with an Odyssey White Steel 2 Ball Blade, and it was a great putter.   Good balance, nice feel at impact, great alignment (obviously), and it really helped me visualize a proper putting stroke.  Ball-wise, the Top Flite D2 series would be worth a look.  Pretty good ball for a great price, and it has a wide variety of options for different results (feel/distance/etc.)

[fatgolfer]

you might want to spend a little on a putting lesson and fitting.  find your grip and stroke and then go find your weapon. it is the most important club you will bag

[sshadow2]

Ones that have a low cost. There are a good number of putters that cost less than $100. PING Karsten Series and Cleveland Classic Series own this space in the U.S. You have great 2 and 3-piece ball choices under $30 at dozen (many are on sale right now for 2 dozen for the same price). Srixon AD333 and Soft Feel, TM Burner and Burner TP, Top-flite Gamer and D2, Bridgestone E5+ and E6+, Wilson Zip and Fifty-fifty are some of the best.

[sblocker]

are the dunlop loco's a good golf ball?

[kauaigolf]

putters are totally personal preference...pick one that fits you and you think looks and feels good.  Just have confidence that you picked the perfect one for you.  Price doesnt really mean crap when it comes to putters.

For balls...the Maxfli Noodle is a good cheap ball...and believe it or not, the Pinnacle Gold Soft is a great beginner ball.

[kauaigolf]

 sblocker, on Aug 11 2009, 10:20 AM, said:

are the dunlop loco's a good golf ball?

actually yes, the dunlop loco was a really popular ball back when they first came out and was a big competitor against the Maxfli Noodle.

[jaemcsd]

Yup, whatever putter you like the looks of, there are a few putters at Dicks that are 20-30 that I like and would work just fine. Or look at Play-it-again sports, or other used sporting goods place. I got a bag of 60+ good enough balls for about 10 bucks there Play-it-again sports.


Some balls that would help you go straight for $20-25:
Callaway Diablo
Bridgestone e6+

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[ScooterMcTavish]

For balls - Precept Laddie X - $20 per double dozen just about everywhere.  Feel nice, pretty durable, go far for learning golfers.

For putter - Same as others have suggested, you have to try them to like them.  However, I have seen it recommended that if one has a "pendulum" putting stroke, a mallet is better.  I can vouch for this; after years of using Anser knockoffs, I found I pushed/pulled less with a mallet.

Only advice - Spend a little money on this club, and buy a good quality brand one.  A good putter will have good balance to it, and the ball should go in the direction you want it to alot better.

Trying other's putters on a practice green can also be a good way to figure out what you like, plus opens the possibility of buying a used putter.  For example, my Bettinardi was $200 new, and I now see them going for ~$50 plus shipping on eBay.

[Carolina Golfer 2]

If I were to suggest one, I'd say a nice Odyssey Two Ball, will really help you alot and most likely be one you'll keep for a long time.  I did, until I switched to the Spyder.   But as others have said, try them and see what feels good and looks good to you.   I agree with the poster that said, don't be afraid to spend some money here for one you really like.  You'll be using it at least twice a hole (in most cases) every round.   A $400 driver might be used 12 to 14 times at most during a round.

I'll throw in one more ball for consideration.  The Srixon AD-333.  Right now they are two dozen for $25 and it's pretty good ball for that price.  Taylor Made has some similar two for prices on their Burner balls I believe.

[three-jack]

Putter- Anything that feels good to you.  Pay attention to shaft length; most are too long IMO.
Ball- The Top Flight D2 Feel is a nice ball for the money.  It has the feel of a premium ball, but at a much lower cost.

[tbowles411]

Ditto to any putter that feels good.  As for balls, if you're not comfortable with your swing, maybe go the used ball route to see what you like in a 2 piece ball.  Once you know, you can get new pills if you like; but at $25 for 24 balls, you can't beat that for new.

[rover]

 sblocker, on Aug 11 2009, 04:20 PM, said:

are the dunlop loco's a good golf ball?

as good as anything you will find in the woods.  honestly, just go out and have fun when you are just learning.  i found a beat up old callaway ball in the woods on my tenth hole yesterday.  i was playing terrible so I just put it into play.  i scored 5 pars, a birdie and 2 boggies with it.  1 over par for an 8 hole stretch is pretty good for me, excellent actually.  your swing is more important than any club.  just find a putter that feels good and a cheap ball and get out swinging.

[swartzd]

Agree with most that you need to find what looks and feels good to you.  There are a LOT of choices--blade, mallet, insert or no, length, color, etc.  Once you have narrowed that down, you can pick up a great putter for WAY less than $100!  Ebay is a great place to score awesome deals.  Other etailers such as rockbottomgolf.com are great too.  As for balls, as a beginner, almost anything will do.

[iCollector]

Really can't add much more - except to echo the sentiment that putters are SO personal. It might suit you to get a putter fitting, that way you can be sure that you have something that suits your putter stroke, and can feel good about. As for balls - you can get fit for those as well. FWIW, Top-Flight Games are 20 bucks a box, and 3 piece to boot. IMHO, a decent ball.

[dlygrisse]

Balls-I have just recently bought and love the Titleist Tour distance SF, 24 balls at Costco for $30, great distance, soft feel and decent spin, I am a 7 handicap and have no problem using them unless the greens are real hard and fast.  Best ball for the money ever.  Also you can buy the Titleist Prestiege??? at Golf Galaxy and Target, I thnk they are both the same ball just differnt packaging for the differnt discount outlets.  

Putter, find a good used putter you like, there are millions of styles to choose from, go to a place that sells used clubs and find one that is the right length for you and have the lie adjusted if needed, brand doesnt matter but I would always reccommend a good name brand putter over a brand new cheap one.  Also if you find a new expensive putter you like look for it used on ebay.  Ping, Odyssey, TM, and Scotty are always good picks, nothing wrong with some of the smaller companies like Rife, or Cleveland either.

[bjtiger75]

If you have a Sam's Club near you they had Maxfli Noodles double dozens for $17 a week or so ago.  My brother in law shoots high 80's low 90's and loves this ball.  We played 18 on Monday and he shot 38 on the front with it so you definitely can score with this ball.

As far as putters go I agree with the other guys.  Go to the local golf shops and putt with as many as you can and find one that feels comfortable for you.  When I first started playing a lot I went through 6 putters in my first year of golf.  The Two Ball that I am playing with now has been in my bag for almost five years.  It may be getting replaced soon by something similar, but I will always play a mallet style putter.

BJ

[adam_mac84]

another vote for the Laddie X ball.  I used to play 'experienced' proV1's, but have since decided to play a lower spin/compression ball (laddie) until i get more consistant with my shots.  The only difference is i play a little less club, and alter my shot selections because i usually back up a proV 3-5 feet from where my divot is, and a laddy will stick on the ball mark (6" or so) or release a foot or 2 depending on the club

Edit: i will say that chipping with a premium ball is 100x easier/better because i can go for the pin and know it will stop and hold as opposed to having to plan for a bit more run out with the precepts

Edited by adam_mac84, 12 August 2009 - 09:16 AM.

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[three-jack]

One thing that might help you narrow the putter options:

If you have a straight back, straight through type putting stroke (typical with cross handed putting), then a center shafted putter will work better.
If you have a more rounded stroke, then a heal shafted putter will be better.

[2muchclub]

Best cheap ball out there = Noodle Longest, get a 15 pack at Walmart for $15. Good all around performance with sufficient spin (golf mag tests confirmed high spin numbers)

Lots of putters out there, but I recommend finding a used 2-ball putter.  There is a reason for its long-term popularity with the pro's and general public - good feel, good alignment, relatively forgiving.

[sblocker]

Ok thanks for the help. So I should get a 2 ball putter mallet. What is the difference with a 2 ball putter compared to other putters

[ScooterMcTavish]

Hey sblocker,

I wouldn't get too locked into the Odyssey 2 ball yet.  One thing I disliked about it (and agin, we come back to what YOU like) was the face insert.  Personally, I can't STAND the feel of an insert putter, and feel it deadens my "feel" for the ball.  This is what I liked about my Bettinardi; it has a unique milled face to soften the contact with the ball, but I don't feel I'm "losing" contact with the ball like I do with an insert putter.

However, the two-ball alignment aid is a very nice touch that a lot of people like, and it has a number of head shapes available to suit your tastes and stroke style.  I personally like the "T" on my Bettinardi.  Some people like the big frames and straight lines on the TM putters, or an alignment aid like the pipe on a Nickent putter.  Others like just a few lines on their Scotty Cameron or Ping.

Although I think it is good to have an idea of what you like when you go the store, don't let this make your decision.  Me, I went to the store looking for a new Anser-style putter with an insert.  After trying about 30 models and sinking no more than 50% of my putts, I grabbed the putter I currently own (thinking, "Let's try this stupid thing") and proceeded to sink 6 balls in a row.

Not to get too mystical here, but it's like in Harry Potter, "The golfer doesn't choose the putter, the putter chooses the golfer."

Edited by ScottCrick, 12 August 2009 - 01:43 PM.

[johnnybogey]

As mentioned throughout the thread, it all comes down to personal preference.

Go to your local golf shop and try all the putters (i.e. blade, mallet, etc...)

BUT, just make sure they have the PING Karsten Craz-E putter.

[NativeTxn]

I'm going to put in my plug for the Cleveland Classic series.  I game the Classic 1, and I love it.

Great feel, no insert, nice milled face, and at about $70 new in the stores, it's hard to beat.  At least worth a try during your search, IMO.

But at the end of the day, as has been said already, you've got to go with what works for you.

As for balls, I too am a beginner.  I've been using the Srixon Soft Feel and like them a lot.  However, if you are still in the phase where you lose a lot of balls, I would just suggest going out and getting some cheap balls, or even used balls at a place like lostgolfballs.com, until you get more consistent.  In the beginner stage, I've tried to keep my per ball cost as low as possible until I've become a little less "consistent" at losing shots in the water or woods.

My $0.02

Good luck and have fun

Edited by NativeTxn, 12 August 2009 - 06:32 PM.

[jrsharp21]

MacGregor Bobby Grace DCT. A $150 putter that can be had for less than $20 brand new on ebay from golfetail.com.  That is the best deal around in my opinion.

[cuddytime]

like many others have said above me, go with a putter YOU like and try out different types at a golf shop.  I've had my cameron since i started playing golf (8 years ago) and I used it until last week (replaced with a mizuno bettinardi)

[sblocker]

What exactly is the difference between a insert putter and one that's not inserted?