| It's a truism to say that you drive for show, but | | | | alternatives such as aluminium reduce the total |
| putt for dough. Whether you can perform a | | | | weight, which is of benefit on slicker surfaces. |
| tour-worthy 28 putts a round, or putt way over | | | | Many of the latest putters favour the soft feel of |
| par, the putter is your most used club. We will | | | | copper, aluminium or synthetic inserts, which offer |
| help you choose the right putter for your game, | | | | a more controlled strike on today's manicured |
| with guidelines on weighting, feel and alignment so | | | | greens. Meanwhile, their lightness enhances a |
| you can choose a design that suits your style - | | | | putter's perimeter weighting for extra stability. |
| and your purse. | | | | The quest for perfection has brought us some |
| Mallets v Blades | | | | amazingly exotic inserts, including gold-plate, |
| Putters fall into the categories of blade, | | | | platinum, and even 12-carat industrial diamond! As |
| 'heel-and-toe' and mallet. Purists claim that even a | | | | well as the more usual tungsten, nickel, copper |
| cheap and cheerful blade forces a more | | | | and aluminium, of course. All are naturally reflected |
| consistent stroke, but many golfers - both pros | | | | in the price, but generally you do get what you |
| and amateurs - now favour the larger sweet spot | | | | pay for. |
| and high MOI (moment of inertia), which creates | | | | Expensive putters tend to feature more |
| the resistance to twisting that you find on mallets. | | | | accurately engineered weighting, more precisely |
| Blade | | | | milled (i.e. flatter) faces, and of course more |
| Heel and Toe | | | | sumptuous headcovers to protect that precious |
| Mallet | | | | insert. Computerised milling of head from solid |
| They help us all to hole more putts with | | | | blocks of metal, especially, offers a high-precision |
| less-than-perfect strikes, as the deeper body also | | | | alternative to forgings and castings, whose feel |
| physically pulls the centre of gravity back from | | | | can be compromised when the hosel is welded to |
| the face, encouraging golfers to develop an | | | | the head. Look out also for other features ranging |
| upward stroke for path-hugging topspin, and | | | | from perfect face balancing (for golfers with |
| reducing the destructive 'bounce and skid' that can | | | | 'square to square' strokes), premium grips (like |
| characterise the early stages of a putt. | | | | the excellent Winn range) and belly or |
| Mallets really are all the rage as their deep bodies | | | | broomhandle shaft options for those seeking a |
| offer the most scope for the bold alignment | | | | more mechanical action. |
| features that have transformed the market. We | | | | Putter Shafts |
| used to be satisfied with tiny notches, dots or | | | | The other thing to consider is the shaft length. |
| small arrows to point us in the right direction, but | | | | Most will opt for a standard putter length, but long |
| today's graphics include colourful stripes, long | | | | putters can benefit some golfers. Broomhandle |
| perpendicular sight lines, and even golf-ball sized | | | | and belly-putters, pioneered by 2002 European |
| circles that encourage us to line up the ball with | | | | Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance among others |
| the hole itself. | | | | during the late 1980s and early 1990s, are tucked |
| The Feel Factor and Insert Technology | | | | under the chin or into the belly. They are swung in |
| Feel is vital when buying a putter, with a whole | | | | a pendulum fashion, and crucially make demands |
| range of distinctive face inserts offering a slightly | | | | on a different set of small muscles and nerves - |
| different sound and feel at impact. Heavier | | | | and have revived the careers of several Tour |
| weights, such as tungsten and brass, are | | | | players who have suffered from the yips. |
| recommended for slower greens, whilst lighter | | | | |