“Putting – a game within a game – might justly be said to be the most important part of golf.” - Bobby Jones
On May 18th, I will be conducting putter fittings for those interested in making more putts. Both Ping and Callaway (Odyssey) will be on property on Saturday May 18th, so you will also be able to test drive some putters.
Putter fittings will be 30 minutes in length, using the SAM PuttLab. If you have ever wanted to make more putts, now is your time. SAM is the world leading system for making you a great putter.
What can you expect from a putter fitting?
The SAM PuttLab system can not only help you train to become a better putter, but it can also help you find the perfect putter for your game. During a putter fitting, we will determine the following factors and find you the perfect putter:
- Length
- Head Type
- Head Balance
- Loft
- Lie
- Grip
Length: Putter Length is one of the most important factors in a proper putting setup. A putter that is either too long or too short will lead to improper alignment of the wrists, forearms, and elbows and will lead to a posture that is either too tall, or too hunched over. This will invariably affect how you line up your eyes while you putt.
Head Type: All heads are not created equal. Head type refers to the shape of the head of the putter. There are essentially three types of heads - a blade, a mallet, and a square putter. The choice of head is determined by how you stroke the putter, that is, how you take it back and through. SAM will determine exactly how you take it back and through.
Head Balance: As mentioned above, head-balance is in relation to toe hang and while in the past, this was predominantly determined by the style of putter head, manufacturers now produce many different styles of heads, with varying degrees of toe-hang. In the picture below, you will see examples of toe-hang. The putter on the left is a face-balanced putter, while the putter next to it has roughly 30 degrees of toe-hang, and so on.
So why is this relevant? If you’re a player who tends to take the club straight back and straight through, like a true pendulum, less toe-hang is preferred. If you are like me and tend to swing it a little on the inside in both the backswing and follow through, one of the others would suit you better. SAM PuttLab helps you discover exactly which style of putter you would benefit from.
Loft: The loft of a putter is measured in the same way we measure driver lofts, and that is by determining the optimal launch of the golf ball. Effectively, every putter has a certain degree of loft and depending on whether you deloft the club at impact or add loft, finding the proper loft is important. Not enough loft will cause the ball to skid on the green and lead to putts that come up short. Too much loft will start the ball in the air, right off the face of the putter.
Lie: While most putters come with a standard lie angle of 70 degrees, this is also an important fitting parameter. It is simple to determine your proper lie angle, as SAM measures the lie angle of the toe of the putter through impact. Whether you are too upright, or too flat will determine your proper lie angle.
Grip: Grip size can be either helping you or hurting you. Based on the rotation of your club throughout your stroke, SAM will also determine the proper grip for your putter.
Putter fittings will take place from 10am until 12pm for those interested and more times may be added based on demand. Please email me at
[email protected] to book a 30 minute session.
Ryan Rinneard
Director of Instruction
PGA of Canada Class A