39 replies to this topic

[dtowngolf]

with all of the crazy putter designs on the market, ive found some of the crazy looking face balanced putters look awful but are very forgiving. would you play a crazy looking putter if it performed better than yours?

Edited by dtowngolf, 16 January 2013 - 09:50 AM.

[Ri_Redneck]

Exactly! Performance & Looks!!

BT

[KYMAR]

Played Blades for years, tried mid mallets and didn;t like them. Figured out i had a very SBST stroke and tried a face balanced blade, liked it and was messing around with some face balanced Ping putters and ended up wit a Craz-e But even the Wack-e was in the running.

I prefer the look of a blade, but the performance of the craz-e makes it an easy choice.

[golfluvzme]

I was asked this very question by a 6'-4" woman recently, not knowing that she was the inventor of the putter she was pushing.  It was the YAR putter.  I have always tried to maintain an open mind when it came to a putter looking any version of "normal", but in the case of her putter, I had to balk.  My heart said that if using that putter was the only way I would ever be a good roller of the rock...............I'd NEVER be a good roller of the rock.
I think it has to be as close to a blend of looks and performance as your mind will stretch to accept.
Some of the new styles make me wonder why anyone watched THAT much Star Trek, but it takes all efforts at pushing the envelope to create the next "ANSER".  Try to imagine what the PGA Pros were saying when Karsten walked on the practice green with the original Anser and told that THIS putter will make the game easier.  Were there a few who's mind slammed shut, like mine did with the YAR?  Probably more than might be willing to admit it, today.
I'll take a blend of both.  A very talented Utah Pro once told me, "A good putter can putt with the flat side of a hammer and still roll it well."  He never gave me poor advice and his stories still echo in my mind.
Have a great week!
LaMont in AZ

[Socrates]

You lost me at 6' 4" woman….

This very conundrum has lead to millions of ill-fated marriages.

But, seriously, if the putter doesn't look good there isn't a chance that you will putt well with it.

[J9293]

The answer should be performance then looks.

Last time I checked, scoring your best is the goal of a round of golf  - not who has the coolest gear. I don't understand why someone would choose a putter that looks awesome (stamping, rare finish, etc.) than a putter that fits their stroke and holes more putts.  There are a bunch of guys with tour Cameron or Bettinardi  blades that would probably be better off with a more forgiving and easier to use putter.  I guess cool stamps and finishes are worth the extra strokes to their score.  To each his own I guess.

I think golf is the only game where it is not uncommon for someone to choose looks over performance.  I've seen many hacks playing blades and extra stiff low lofted drivers. I think "poser" would be the technical term for these guys.

Edited by J9293, 13 January 2013 - 10:44 PM.

[thisgolf4me]

I pick looks but have loss many many putts (probably) because of that. I putt the best with a face balanced mid mallet (odyssey metal x rossie) but I game a scotty monterey, because I putt ok with it and I love the look of it (blades and scottys)

[tangojay]

I lucked out, I got both,,,

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[moocherpix]

TJ, I think that believing that you have found that perfect balance for yourself, between looks and performance is HUGE!
Great looking flat stick and best of luck with that rascal.
Nick

[station2station]

intertwined concepts with putter - not necessarily with other clubs - but with putters if it looks good from address I stroke it well.

[benjammin172]

I think there is a lot of middle ground on this question. So much of good putting comes from confidence, and all of the game improvement technology in the world won't help you if the putter you're using just doesn't fit your eye. I think the easy answer is performance and then looks, but there is a lot of overlap there IMO. If my putter was so ugly that it hurt my eyes to look at it every time that I stepped up to the ball then I can't imagine that I would be able to putt effectively.

[rrkman]

Pure looks.  Who cares how I putt as long as it looks as good as I do in my all puma orange jump suit.

In reality, it is a combination of both.  High MOI putters would probably make me a better putter if I didn't have to look at it.  Pure blades would probably make me a better putter if my stroke was as 'pure' as the lines of the putter.  I've settled in the middle.  An anser style putter gives me a great classic look that I love with a little forgiveness that I need.

[shaffe]

A lot of golf is played between the ears. If you don't like the way a putter looks it probably isn't going to perform. Classic, which came first ... the chicken or the egg?

[thisgolf4me]

you should make this a poll. see what people think, This is a very good and interesting subject.

[shaffe]

Sparty, on 14 January 2013 - 04:07 PM, said:

This has got to be the most idiotic question ever! If its flourescent pink with orange highlighter grips.......WHO CARES!!!!!!!!!

As long as you dropping shots as an athlete/competitor thats all that matters. If for one second you are worrying about what others think you shouldnt be playing any sport. Some of the conversations in here make me think Im dealing with a bunch of spoon fed adolescents..... oh wait I probably actually am.

Great post! We're all smarter for having read it.

[Colby327]

I think the overwhelming (and probably obvious) answer here will be you need a combination of both.

With so much of putting being mental, can you really putt great with something that doesn't suit your eye even a little?  Possibly... And maybe for a little while things will work, but eventually your eyes and mind will start looking for something else that still performs but looks better.  And so goes the search for the "holy grail".

[samlax13]

Confidence is a huge factor in putting.  From a psychological standpoint, there are probably many people who (if they feel more comfortable over a putter because of its aesthetics) could putt better than with a putter that may in fact "fit" them better.

[finalist]

If you know what length, loft, lie, weight, offset, neck placement works best for you there are many forms to choose from. Form always follows function.

Part of marketing a putter from many BS campaigns is to make them really different looking (spaceships, white, spiders, angles, holes, colors, etc.). It's not the looks that typically do anything... it's the length, loft, lie, weight, offset, neck placement and how that works with or against YOUR swing.

[Breaker999]

Were I paid to play golf, I would base a putter on pure performance.  I play the game for fun, so it's a mix of looks and performance.  If a putter doesn't look good, I probably would not try it.  On the other hand, I won't use a good looking putter that doesn't set up for me.  I've gotten rid of a bunch of sexy putters I can't put with including custom made putters.

[Scotty1140]

At this point all I need to think about is looks. Nothing other than plumbers neck Anser/Anser 2 putters last more than a minute in the bag. Regardless of band, Byron, Cameron, Betti, Ping, etc if it's 34 1/2", 340-350g, 71* lie, 3* loft, I'll be able to make it work

[Tim Delgado]

There are certainly enough good-looking putters out there, that you should never have to sacrifice looks for performance.

I agree with LaMont on the Star Trek and YAR putters!  lol  I just couldn't use something that was so busy and ugly.

TD

[dtowngolf]

WeGoGolf, on 14 January 2013 - 08:50 PM, said:

you should make this a poll. see what people think, This is a very good and interesting subject.

just did!

[rrkman]

I think you need a 3rd choice.  Both.  If I look down and see the uss enterprise, I'm distracted and probably won't putt well.  When the spider came out, it felt great but I couldn't putt with it because it was distracting to me.  But, I'm also not going to putt with something that feels horrible and doesn't make putts because it looks pretty.

And if I had to go with just those 2, I'd go looks.  I love the soft feel of a putter but performance trumps that as well as looks.

[RRFireblade]

Puttng performance is in your mind and your hands.

So.....looks.

Edited by RRFireblade, 16 January 2013 - 10:06 AM.

[station2station]

I think that putters, more than any other club, can have it's feel altered by changing balls.  My Golo putter feels like a soft forging if I use a Titleist ProV1x golf ball - but if I use a Bridgestone E6 or 20X1  - or the Callaway iX it feels hard, louder, and yucky - clicky.

So while feel is important, it's somewhat controllable - so I voted for looks.  If feel on a putter were terrible and no ball helped, I'd say feel is more important.  But I've never met a putter that didn't have a somewhat good feel with a good ball.

Edited by station2station, 16 January 2013 - 10:11 AM.

[8thehardway]

If you want to improve, use what works best and practice. Your mechanics will improve and you'll putt well with almost anything.

[sackgolf]

dtowngolf, on 13 January 2013 - 07:16 PM, said:

with all of the crazy putter designs on the market, ive found some of the crazy looking face balanced putters look awful but are very forgiving. would you play a crazy looking putter if it performed better than yours?

No, With all my clubs, I need to like the "look" of the club/putter for confidence.  If it perfoms well, great, however, I have to like the look to even try it.  Just my opinion.

[sackgolf]

samlax13, on 15 January 2013 - 02:55 PM, said:

Confidence is a huge factor in putting.  From a psychological standpoint, there are probably many people who (if they feel more comfortable over a putter because of its aesthetics) could putt better than with a putter that may in fact "fit" them better.

Perfectly said!  I couldn't agree more.

[Jack Pearsall]

A lot of both.

[Sean2]

I dated a 6'4" woman in college, but I'm 6'5" so it worked...

As to the putter, you have to like what you're looking at, don't you? I would think that would affect performance.