putter offset?

[magicmarker]

I just spent 45 minutes reading about offset in putters and it was a waste of time because the things I am reading from different sites are giving me opposite suggestions.

There seems to be opposite schools of thought on the correlation of right eye or left eye dominance to the amount of offset.

Anyone have an opinion on this correlation and some corroborating evidence.

 

[dschultz6072]

Why try to be so scientifically in depth about it? Putting is all about confidence. Get a putter that feels and looks right in your hands and pray it feels and looks the same years from now.

 

[magicmarker]

Because the right tool for the job is essential. The worse the tool fits the job, the more you have to work around its shortcomings.

Just trying to understand why the same information is leading to two entirely opposite suggestions and which school of thought is more 'proven'.

I get what you are saying but when you work in an assistant's position you get asked a lot of questions and are expected to have all the answers. I'm just trying to learn as much as I can. I'm already an asset, but I'm always trying to increase my value.

 

[mgranato]

Putting is all about confidence.

Every seen anyone confidently read the wrong line?

 

[mgranato]

Because the right tool for the job is essential. The worse the tool fits the job, the more you have to work around its shortcomings.

Just trying to understand why the same information is leading to two entirely opposite suggestions and which school of thought is more 'proven'.

I get what you are saying but when you work in an assistant's position you get asked a lot of questions and are expected to have all the answers. I'm just trying to learn as much as I can. I'm already an asset, but I'm always trying to increase my value.

My advice for putters... find you you can aim were you think you are aimed (much more difficult than most realize). Then get it the right length and lie (much easier to do). Then if there are options, choose the one with the least amount of "stuff" going on (simple and uncluttered with lines and crazy shapes). Putt with what you aim the best, and then get dangerous with speed control.

 

[ParHunter]

I guess it all comes down to doing some tests yourself. What you need is a small mirror (size of your putter head), double sided tape, an alignment laser (e.g. for DIY stuff) and a friend.

Stick the mirror onto the club face. Set up the laser behind a hole (best is to have a wall or something behind the laser) and place a ball in line with the laser. Now addresss the ball and aim it the best you can. If you think you've aimed correctly let your friend remove the ball.

The laser is now being reflected by the mirror. If you really aimed it straight at the hole you will see the laser behind the hole on the wall (or whatever you placed behind the hole).

If the laser points to the left of the hole you aim with a closed club face and you will have to open it somewhere during your stoke, if the laser points to the right you aim with an open club fave and you have to close it more during our stroke.

Now repeat that with some other putters until you find our favourite. But be aware that you might actually miss initially with that putter as you might be used to opening/closing the club face.


I am right eye dominant and have a putter with offset which turns out to be not ideal for me as I aim with a closed face.

 

[94monarch]

I have found that an offset and or heel shafted putter is better for thise who tend to aim right, and a non offset and or center shaft seems to help left aimers. No science or study to back it up, just tons of putting lessons where alignment is priority one do I base this on. Good Luck.

 

[Erik_K]

I don't mean to sound crass, but won't all of these questions be answered via a competent putter fitting? As Mike pointed out, you need a way (or an adjustment) to verify that where you are lined up is in fact, actually the case. Years ago when I was working at a golf club in south florida, the assistant pro hooked up a laser to my putter and I was amazed about far off I was on my aim.

Erik

 

[ej20]

A line drawn on the ball helps with alignment tremendously.Most touring pros do this and for a good reason.

The trick is to get the line aimed correctly and it's not that easy to do once the putt is over 6 feet.Some days alignment with your eyes can be way off.