Equipment
What really happens during a putter fitting?
With all due respect to the flastick, it’s probably safe to say when most golfers envision a club fitting, the last “club” they are thinking about is the putter.
Dial in a driver, optimize your bag setup and gapping, find the right irons and shaft combination — even wedge fittings probably garner more attention.
Should they? Shouldn’t we be paying more attention to making sure the club we use on every hole — with which the margins are the slimmest — is optimal? Shouldn’t the process of putter calibration be more sophisticated than grabbing one off the rack that feels good and you holed a couple of putts with on the equivalent of outdoor carpet?
The team at Club Champion, the nation’s No. 1 club fitter, certainly think so, and they were kind enough to answer a few questions on the subject of putter fitting.
And we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention golfers get their fitting fee waived all September long at Club Champion — a $100 value — this month when they purchase a new putter.
GolfWRX: Why is putter fitting important, first of all?
Club Champion: So many reasons, but the easiest to understand is that the putter is the only club you use on every hole. It’s not a full-swing club so it’s not as sexy as a driver when people think of fitting — you aren’t gaining distance or obvious bragging rights. Instead, you’re dialing in your control on the greens, which is where the most strokes can be saved. For most average players, putts account for 40% of their strokes…there’s a ton of room for error there if your putter isn’t the proper head style, weight, length, and so on.
GolfWRX: What should a golfer bring to a putter fitting?
CC: Their current gamer and an open mind. We find that putters, more often than many other clubs, tend to be an emotional purchase versus a performance-based one. Putters are so stylized and can be so beautiful, so we see a lot of people coming in with preconceived notions about which brands or models they’re dying to have in the bag, but that isn’t always the right option for their stroke. Having an open mind and trusting the SAM PuttLab data is just as important as trusting the numbers in front of you when TrackMan is telling you which driver is the best performer.
GolfWRX: Is a putter fitting done as part of a full-bag fitting, or what is the process?
CC: The putter is included in our full bag fittings and we offer putter fittings as a separate fitting type as well. The best value is to do the whole bag at once but there are plenty of people who want to experience a putter fitting on its own.
GolfWRX: How do the goals of a putter fitting differ from (or are similar to) the full-bag fitting?
CC: At the end of the day, all fittings share the same goal of lowering your scores. A putter fitting is a slightly different approach, in that we use SAM PuttLab technology instead of TrackMan, but we have a similar process — set a baseline with your gamer, use that data to dial in the club specs you need, test your options, recommend the best performer. We’re looking for more control, better feel, consistency and more.
GolfWRX: What is the process for putter fitting?
CC: As stated above, we’re starting with your gamer. We use the SAM PuttLab system to collect dozens of metrics about your stroke with your current putter; everything from your face at impact to your spin to your lie at impact and so on. We then take the data generated by SAM PuttLab to dial in the ideal head style (mallet, blade, etc.) and then we go from there. We’re looking at everything — weight, toe hang, even sightlines and shaft options — to make sure that you’re aiming properly and staying on-line each time.
GolfWRX: In terms of results, what do most golfers see?
CC: There’s no one-size-fits-all result in any fitting, but we usually see a measurable difference in speed control. When your putter looks and feels right, you’re able to better judge distances and the force needed to get the putter to the hole. We also tend to see a correction for common problems — consistent left or right misses and so on.
GolfWRX: If a player likes to switch between putters for different green speeds or has a few putters in rotation, what do you suggest s/he does?
CC: We don’t see this often, but we always try to dial in the basics like length and grip size so there’s consistency across all options. Then, we take a look at their specific uses for each putter and work on tweaking the other elements to best suit those uses.
GolfWRX: How often should a player be fit for a putter? Is it best to do it before, during, or after the season?
CC: There’s never a bad time to be fitted but before the season makes the most sense. Frequency is really dependent on the player and what they’re looking to get out of their game but a rule of thumb is to check in on your gamer annually to be sure lofts/lies are still dialed in, to replace grips, etc.
GolfWRX: Do you ever recommend non-traditional putter styles?
CC: Yes! We have a couple armlock options, including the SIK putter that Bryson plays. We worked on an exclusive Bettinardi collaboration that yielded a great long-neck option. We even have a couple putters that stand up on their own so you can read the green with the putter lined up. We have a little bit of everything.
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Whats in the Bag
Matthieu Pavon WITB 2024 (May)
- Pavon’s WITB accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G430 Max (9 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 6 X
3-wood: Ping G430 LST (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 7 X
Hybrid: Ping G430 (19 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 10 X
Irons: Ping i230 (3-PW)
Shafts: Nippon Modus3 Tour 120 X
Wedges: Ping Si59 (52-12S, 58-8B)
Shafts: Nippon Modus3 Tour 120 X
Putter: Ping Cadence TR Tomcat C
Grip: SuperStroke Claw 1.0P
Grips: Golf Pride MCC Align
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Check out more in-hand photos of Pavon’s gear here.
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Equipment
Spotted: Tommy Fleetwood’s TaylorMade Spider Tour X Prototype putter
Tommy Fleetwood has been attached to his Odyssey White Hot Pro #3 putter for years now. However, this week at the Wells Fargo Championship, we did spot him testing a new putter that is very different, yet somewhat similar, to his current gamer.
This new putter is a TaylorMade Spider Tour X head but with a brand new neck we haven’t seen on a Spider before. A flow neck is attached to the Spider head and gives the putter about a 1/2 shaft offset. This style neck will usually increase the toe hang of the putter and we can guess it gets the putter close to his White Hot Pro #3.
Another interesting design is that lack of TaylorMade’s True Path alignment on the top of the putter. Instead of the large white center stripe, Tommy’s Spider just has a very short white site line milled into it. As with his Odyssey, Tommy seems to be a fan of soft inserts and this Spider prototype looks to have the TPU Pure Roll insert with 45° grooves for immediate topspin and less hopping and skidding.
The sole is interesting as well in that the rear weights don’t look to be interchangeable and are recessed deep into the ports. This setup could be used to push the CG forward in the putter for a more blade-like feel during the stroke, like TaylorMade did with the Spider X Proto Scottie Scheffler tested out.
Tommy’s putter is finished off with an older Super Stroke Mid Slim 2.0 grip in blue and white. The Mid Slim was designed to fit in between the Ultra Slim 1.0 and the Slim 3.0 that was a popular grip on tour.
- Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
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Equipment
Club Junkie WITB, league night week 4: Some old, some new
We enter week 4 of Thursday night men’s league feeling a little more confident in the game. BK is hoping to go a little lower and reduce the mistakes out there with these clubs in the bag. Watch the video for the full breakdown of why these clubs are getting the starting nod this week!
Driver: Titleist TSR2 (10 degrees, neutral setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana WB 63 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)
Shaft: UST Mamiya Lin-Q M40X TSPX Blue 7F5
7-wood: Ping G430 Max (-1 degree, flat Ssetting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 8 S
Iron: Mizuno Pro Fli-Hi 4
Shaft: Aerotech Steelfiber hls880 S
Irons: PXG 0317 Tour (5-PW)
Shaft: LA Golf A-Series 105 Low (4)
Wedge: Titleist Vokey SM10 (50-08F)
Shaft: UST Mamiya Dart V 105 F4 Wedge
Wedge: Ping S159 (56-10H)
Shaft: Ping Z-Z115
Wedge: Ping S159 (60-08B)
Shaft: Ping Z-Z115
Putter: PXG Battle Ready II Brandon
Shaft: BGT Stability Tour Spec One
Ball: Callaway Chrome Tour X
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Frank
Sep 14, 2021 at 8:23 am
Totally agree with Bill above. Overall, I’d rate this article a “flop” at best. Didn’t learn a thing.
MCoz
Sep 14, 2021 at 3:34 am
People have to be open to what works best for each individual. And most often the best putter head and fit is nothing like what they think they should putt with. I have worked on fitting putters as a side favor for putter manufacturers and the players for several years across the country. Most of the time someone can become a better putter but they have to start with a “clean sheet” and an open mind. Often their “favorite” model doesn’t fit the player at all. Overlooked is the players vision and their dominent eye can play a part also. It can be much different than other club fittings and no less important, maybe more so!
William Dutton
Sep 13, 2021 at 11:35 pm
this should be marked as an advert for club champion I didn’t learn anything at all about putter fitting.
“we use SAM put lab and sell you a putter’
Mike
Sep 13, 2021 at 8:24 pm
This was a useless article it’s stating the obvious who doesn’t know to get fit.