I had a putter fitting that changed my game, here’s why you should get one too

Do you have the right putter for your game? I recently had a putter fitting and it’s a game changer. Here’s why you should have one too.

You might not think it, but the club you use the most when you’re playing on the course is your putter. So, it makes sense to get that fitted to you. 

However, it’s also the last thing we think of when getting custom fit for clubs. 

We all want to lower scores, play better golf and hole more putts, and having the right putter will help you save shots. 

You can pick a putter up and like the look and feel of it, but how do you know if you have the right one? 

Well, I recently visited Ping HQ in Arizona and got fitted for a putter. Here’s how it went…

When you enter the Ping putting studio there’s a huge 40-foot long runway to putt on and as you get to the top of it, you’re surrounded by putters and screens to deliver all the relevant data. 

There are three cameras: one down the line looking at your eye line, one from the front and another down the line with a closer look catching the putter at impact. 

All these data points are gathered, including the Closing Angle, Impact Angle, Tempo, Lie Angle and Shaft Lean. 

To begin with, I used my current putter and hit a number of putts. With all these data points, it grades you and gives you putting handicap. To my disappointment, I was given a four, but I was told that the putter I was using – which is a face-balanced design – is not what I need for my stroke type. That came as a bit of a surprise.

What I actually needed was something that allowed the face to rotate through impact with a slight arc, and if you are familiar with Ping, they have three stroke types: straight, slight and strong. 

I got put into a model similar in head shape but for my stroke type, which is a slight arc. We then went through the whole process again, and I was given a new handicap of +4.9, an improvement of 8.9 strokes!

It felt like a putter that wasn’t even close to what I should be using, but the results proved otherwise. 

So, if this teaches you anything, it’s that even if something looks good and/or feels good, you won’t know if it’s really right for you unless you get fitted.

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James Tait is bunkered’s Gear Editor. Want to know how the latest Callaway driver, Vokey wedge or Scotty Cameron putter performs? He’s the guy to ask. Better yet, just watch his videos on the bunkered YouTube channel. One of the biggest hitters in the UK, James also competes on the World Long Drive circuit and is a descendent of former Amateur champion Freddie Tait.

Gear Editor