putters
 

VJ would you give me your opinion on TheHeavy putter and Guerin Rife?I have been trying dozens of putters and have got down to these two.Thanks in anticipation;)

HI There
 

Hi Neil,
I am not VJ, but that shouldn't matter :D I have tried both putters. The Heavy putter, I found hard to control the distance with fast greeens. It never felt right to me. I know a couple of people who claim it has cured their yips. Having never had them, I don't know if it works that way or not. The Two bar/rife putter, is a great putter, adjustable weights and all. I love the way the ball comes off the putter head and rolls well. Play with the weights, etc. The lie adjustment tool and the instructions for that worked great. I didn't bother to watch the McLean/Bake-Finch video. So I can't comment on that. I sent mine back because I did not find it significantly better than the center shafted Ping Crazee. This is the other putter that may work for you VERY well, and is cheaper. This is the putter I am using since my dear old friend (Original Ping), was dropped by a bag boy and bruised, probably beyond repair. The ball comes off it nicely, it has great feel and adapts easily to different speed greens.

Remember 90% of it is liking the putter you are using and believing the ball is going in. The other 10% is all in your head :cool:
Obi WunPutt

putters
 

Thanks for your comments Fred .I've heard similar words of wisdom about the heavy putter -I may just stick with my 7 year old teardrop;)

Try a "Yes" putter (C-groove) if you like the roll you get with Rife.

What's with the different styles?
 

I'm hoping some of you more knowledgeable folks can explain what the different style putters are all about. There's the center-shafted one, the Ping Anser one, the mallets, those other really big ones. Someone once told me that the way the putter is shafted has to do with a person's stroke, but I can't remember what he said about which one suits what.

It goes back to what I said a while ago about what fits your eye. The advantage of a center shafted putter is that it will do better on off center hits than a heel shafted putter. That's simple physics. But what matters is what looks good to you when you are over the ball, what gives you the best feel for distance and what looks lined up when it really is lined up. Those three things are why there are so many putters out there. Remember NOBODY makes every short putt they look at. If the putter looks lined up when it is (see previous post about how to check this), then it is a good design for you. If it then provides you with a good feel for distance, it is a good putter for you, and if it looks good when you are standing over the ball, then it has fit all three criteria in order of importance. If everyone else on the planet thinks it is the stupidest ugliest thing they have ever seen, but it works for you, then keep it.:D Putting is 10% lining up right, 10% hitting the putt the right distance and 80% BELIEVING that the first two are going to happen.

Obi WunPutt

This is a good putter, but, for me, the feel is one of the worst I have every used. Feels like you are putting with a cement putter.

Rife is the new guru and the heavy putter is counterweighted a ton. GR putters have 1 win already on the PGA Tour with Campbell in Hawaii. Heavy putter is having some problems with the tour players because of the "look" of their head designs.

Here is my opinionated list from best to really good- TP Mills new (and tough to get) "answer" design (TPMILLS.com), Bobby Grace "answer" and Mini(McGregorgolf.com), Scotty Cameron "answer" with sight dot, Coutour putters from Todd Sones (Coutourgolf.com), and the rest heap together.

You can't go wrong with a new putter if it is fit properly. No amount materials in the putter can make up for a bad fit. Keep that in mind as you buy.