The importance of being fit for your putter

Not much is written about the lie and loft of the putter and there are many teachers who feel that if your putter is the right length, then lie will be standard and that if the ball position and stroke is correct then loft will be standard (3* to 4* is industry standard.) Although I agree with these statements to some degree, there are many great putters who do it "their way."  I think of Steve Stricker, Ben Crenshaw, Phil Mickelson, Tiger, Jack, Bobby Locke, Dave Stockton, Tom Watson, to name a few.  All of them set up differently and use different length putters.   Even the guru teachers (Dave Pelz and Stan Utley come to mind) look different at address.  Putting is about feel, touch, seeing the line, reading the putt correctly, and being consistent.  How you set up to a putter is where the artist can create. How one person sets up to a putter should be unique to some degree to achieve true artistry.

I have always used a flat putter (69 degrees) and very litte loft (1.5*)  and it has always worked for me.  I set my hands pretty centered at address (think a Zach Johnson) and at impact I tend to add a little loft. My true roll number is between 2 and 3 degrees- optimal for getting the ball rolling perfectly which can be seen using high speed cameras. My current putter had 5.5* of loft when I purchased it and at impact I was launching the ball sky high!  As for using a flat putter, I have always been comfortable bent over more than "standard" (think Jack Nicklaus) and for my hands to hang the way I want them, it requires a flat putter. My dad uses a flat putter and has been a great putter for 50+ years so I guess its in the genes.

Recently I did a putter fitting for one of my students.  He has the exact same putter as me although his putter had 3* of loft to start (remember mine was 5.5*!)  YES, PUTTERS WILL VARY BASED ON MANUFACTURING INCONSISTENCIES although I will say the high end $300+ putters tend to be pretty consistent.  As for my student, he tends to play the ball a little back in his stance (Instructor note - has for years and it is hard for him to change) and he has forward shaft lean (de-loft) at address.  At impact he had negative loft basically bouncing the ball into the ground and dribbling the first few feet before the ball settled down.  I changed his ball position and his hands at address and that solved some of the issues.  For him to achieve a perfect roll, he needs the putter to have around 4-5* of loft. This coupled with the set-up changes we achieved perfect roll numbers.  Knowing his history and where he will drift to over time with his set up, I personally want to error on the side of "extra loft" which is why having a teacher who also specializes in fitting is key to optimal performance.  Bottom line is that we both use the same putter, both are pretty good putters, and mine has 1.5 degree of loft while his is set just under 5*

Next time you are in the market for a new putter, see your PGA Professional first to discuss your set up and impact, then get on a high speed camera with striped golf balls to see your true roll (systems like Tomi and Sam Putt lab work great as well) then have your putter adjusted to fit your style of putting.