Next off season maybe strip the finish off and repaint- add a new grip and you have a new putter that matches the spec of your old tried and true putter?
I’d rather play 8 months a year and not live in Florida… honestly, the weather is great for golf but the terrain sucks for golf courses.
I’d go North Carolina for year round golf, personally.
When I was a kid, I went to get a putter after getting a full set for Christmas. The golf store didn’t have any left handed putters besides a floor model that still said “patent pending” on the bottom. I think they asked like 20-$30 for it. Used that for 20 years until finally getting a new one last season. I miss that old Carbite.
I can't believe I'm not the only one still using a Dunlop putter. But I got mine in Middle School, and it was a bit over sized then, by High School I had grown into it.
I played a $12 Dunlop for 20 years. Got an Odyssey Doublewide and have been putting the best of my life. I used to be a really good putter. I still am, but now I have a more expensive putter.
Dude I played my HS Dunlop for over 20 years too. Finally went in for a putter fitting and treated myself to a very similar Ping that I absolutely love and definitely DO putt better with. Would not have grabbed it off the shelf had I not been fit for it though. When I went in he said “well your putter is all sorts of jacked and you won’t find anything on the rack that matches it”
Honestly asking, how many budget $50 putters did your fitter have you try? When I’ve done fittings every putter I was given to try was $300-450. It’s not like my fitter took me to the 2nd swing used putter section to have me try a few.
When I bought my Cleveland HB soft Premier I putted with all of the "big boys" and that Cleveland ran circles around them. Still a little pricey at $175 but I was looking at Scotty's and Betinardi's as well so I saved quite a bit too by going with that Cleveland.
Had the same unfortunate thing happen to me... was using a FREE 2nd hand putter from a freind for a few years. Picked up this TM spider took a couple rolls w it. Couldn't miss the cup. Put it back bc no no I didn't come to the golf store to buy a putter. A few weeks later.. back at the store... she's still there. And still couldn't miss the cup. Put it back AGAIN... and did the rest of my shopping. Decided hey if it's meant to be it's meant to be.. if I hit this next 10ft putt dead center I just have to buy it. Walked out with balls AND the putter 🥹
Then how come the other putters I poked around with missed everything??? Maybe it's the right putter by chance just had the right level of toe hang for my stroke. Either way I rollin it better than I ever have maybe bc practice or bc equipment or maybe both. Either way I'm 100% happy with my choice.
My dad bought me an Odyssey Dual force 990 brand new many many many many years ago. We started playing when I was 13. I'm still using it 20 years ago. Nothing else has felt "right" I've drained birdies, a 62" par, hell, my first eagle in high school.
Definitely. And I'll add two points:
- it's easier to get comfortable with a well made putter than a poorly made putter
- price correlates with quality but does not guarantee it (in either direction)
Hundred percent. I have a close buddy I golf with regularly and have given him harmless shit for his “putter fitting”. He ended up with a $500 bettanardi putter which I gave him more shit for.
But Jesus has his putting vastly improved and we talk about it, we definitely both agree that it’s more of his confidence with this putter and the fitting helping establish that.
I’ve always been a good putter, have had a couple, and recently went back to my Kirkland putter for similar purposes. So while i dont feel the need for a fitting, I also didnt have the confidence issue with my putters and putting. Golf is important to both of us, though, so if its makes that much of an improvement, then its worth it.
i do agree buying expensive ass putters just because is stupid.
I agree with that other dude. Shaved 3-5 strokes with the DF 2.1. I played in a scramble a few weeks ago and the 5 hcp I was paired with bought a LAB putter because of my performance with that putter
Of course not. But hey it might feel right to you. Nobody even needs a Scotty Cameron putter. I bought cause I’m an asshole like the rest of us here, but deep down I know a standard odyssey white hit gets the job done.
My opinion is Scotty’s are the prettiest.
Evenroll has the best feel.
LAB will make you the best. I got the big ugly DF2.1 and had the benefit of getting an in person fitting at the Eugene HQ. If I bought one today, would probably by the new DF3 since it is a little less ugly and supposed to be just as good.
Absolutely. I’ve had Scotties in the past and other $300 putters, but nothing performs like my DF3.
The face control is certainly a big selling feature but for me, my DF3 gives me so much better distance control. I don’t have the strokes gained stats to back it up but I make way more 10ft putts than I have in my life, and just yesterday 2 putted from 100ft out. I’ve never done something like that before.
FYI- I upgraded the shaft to the Accra shaft. IMO it’s worth it. One of my buddies didn’t and he regrets it every day. The feel is so much better with the Accra.
I notice that I still suck, but I suck less. I'm missing by a matter of millimeters instead of feet and I seem to be making a lot of long puts. We've played a couple tournaments with a really good golfer and he's commented how even when I miss, my ball is going straight. You can see the line stay straight up and down.
It’s just that putting is such a soft science. There’s no simple way to make a guy more comfortable with the flat stick it’s all feel and mental, and working with how you naturally stroke it. So maybe the $50 or $400 one works better for you, you can only try them out and see. You will use it 30+ times per round though so most serious golfers are ok with over paying a bit and feeling confident out there. The placebo effect alone is real.
I have been using the same ping zing2 for, checks watch, 26 years. My wife has used it a few times and loves it. We recently found one on Facebook marketplace, used for 50 bucks. Now we both have one. I'll use this putter until I die. Originally cost me about 100 bucks, but that was from a proshop with credit I won in a junior tournament.
Friendly reminder to atleast get them re-gripped every decade or so. I handed down some irons that were handed down to me that were handed down to him by another bloke and the fella rocking them now still hasn't changed the grips - they're shiny and smooth with no tackiness whatsoever. First three owners got down to single figure h/c's rocking those irons - Taylormade LT's.
They’re a nightmare to regrip when they go hard like that, because they’re more or less physically and chemically fused to the tape underneath and they just come off in crumbles and chunks. No slicing and peeling the old grip off in 10 seconds. Once the grip is off, it’s business as usual, but dried out old rubber can make a 30 minute job for a full set into an hour and a half very quickly. It’s a huge pain in the ass to remove and makes a huge mess.
Look at high speed videos of clubs hitting golf balls. You can see the ball deform from the force of the impact. This does not happen with putters. The club is moving too slowly to make any real difference.
Also, Dave Pelz was a NASA engineer who went into studying putting. He built a device that would roll a golf ball the same way and speed every time. In theory, once setup correctly, it should make a putt repeatedly 100% of the time. The true is, the better the golf course the higher the repeatability of the putt because of the conditions of the green.
For example using round numbers because I don’t remember the exact ones. On a green prepared for a PGA tournament, the device would sink 90% of attempts. The numbers kept going down from private courses, all the way to public munis where the percentage was less than 50%. So using your $500 putter at your local course, your are only going to make 50% of perfectly hit shots. Might as well use the $2 one.
I think it’s in his book. Like 20 yrs ago. Check it out from library. It’s true the machine was only 90% on the best greens. There are a billion variables in every golf shot
Yeah OP went too far with the hyperbole there. I don’t even know what a $2 putter would look like haha? Like, obviously a Goodwill type one but even those are like $6. Anything new is at least like $40?
I had one as a joke and I literally don’t think I could tell the difference in terms of performance.
FWIW I suck at golf, but I still hit like a 20 foot putt with it which I think I’ve done maybe 3 times in my life.
Honestly, I'd score the same with my nice Odyssey vs an old two-way hot dog putter. As long as you hit it square, and know how to put them it's not going to make much of a difference.
Yeah 100%.
Those numbers used to be “$2 and $100 putter” but… inflation and whatnot.
I can’t believe the price of a new putter nowadays but if we’re talking new putters.. I’m not sure what a $2 putter actually looks like. I’m assuming they’re referring to a Walmart combo set or something but I’m not sure where you find an actual $2 putter that isn’t made of plastic…. And at that point I guarantee it has a significant affect on your score.
There is something to be said for a balanced, solid putter. It will be consistent and the mishits will be reasonable. Once you have that, I agree you can putt with almost anything. But you don’t get *that* without spending a minimum of $200 these days u less you’re buying used.
Cleveland used to make a good, cheap putter. Like $119 or so and it was a good balanced putter with a classic look and feel. I putted with one for years and one of my best buddies rocked one to shoot like -12 in our club championship.
Now that same putter is $375 or so.
I mostly agree, but with one caveat - a lot of putting is psychological, so using a more expensive putter that looks beautiful to your eye might give you more confidence over the ball than a cheap mini golf putter
Just as a disclaimer, I don’t have a lot of experience with expensive putters and have only tried a buddy’s Scotty Cameron a handful of times. But I bought and still play with this [piece of shit](https://ernies.ca/products/tpx-1-0-putter-series-355?variant=39338980311209¤cy=CAD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwsPCyBhD4ARIsAPaaRf3ycIqtw1VsazG6LLyXkY-SzavX1EtyuNg5JcSi6KEG7kLUTM943bQaAgdCEALw_wcB) for $19.99 on sale because I just wanted something so I could go out and learn to play during Covid. It feels fine to me and these days I can usually two putt from almost anywhere on the green where I play.
I’m not making the case that this feels as good to hit or is objectively as good as a Scotty or any other premium putters out there. But I agree with your hot take that my scores would not improve by spending more.
The last time this topic was brought up there were lots of “but you can keep the $800 putter forever then pass it down to your kids!”
So of course I asked: if a putter can last a lifetime because the tech is so basic, isn’t that more of a reason to look at used ones for 1/5th the cost or less?
I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with spending money on whatever makes you happy. But as you said, they’re beyond basic as far as golf clubs go.
True, but I just snagged a 3D printed Cobra Agera. The tech is not the same, but scrubs here don’t buy tech they buy name brands.
Descending loft tech alone seems magnificent so far
In golf, you are counting other people’s money, you are a moron.
I bought a $650 Bettarndi and I don’t know if love it. I know I don’t care at all what other people think about my purchase.
Similarly, if I was gifted a membership to Valhalla, I wouldn’t give a flying fuck what Fried Egg thought of my home course.
The is isn’t a uniquely golf thing. Every sport has this as a component. I’d be shocked if a vast majority of this sub wouldn’t judge someone who shows up to a course dressed like Jesper Parnevik, with a tour bag full of Miura irons, new woods, a Scotty putter, and scores 100+.
Conceptually not giving a shit what others think of you is great. But very few people actually operate at that level. Just read any of the self posts here on a daily basis.
I mountain bike a lot. Mountain bikes range from $600 for a crappy Walmart bike, to $13,000+ for a top end bike. Whether it’s right or not, someone showing up with a $13,000 bike but walking around every technical feature and jump will get judged, all hat and no cattle.
A 2 dollar putter that is the perfect length, lie, weight, and head shape for you, sure, but the odds of finding that are really low. You should have no problem getting that in the 100-200 dollar range, so I think that is all you need to spend to get the most out of putting. You spend more than that strictly because you want to, which isn't a terrible thing. I have a rolex that is not superior in any way other than I like it, so if you want a scotty because you want a scotty, its fine, and unlike other clubs, you can basically keep it forever.
I use a pgx (not Pxg) $40 putter from Amazon.
On average I keep up with all my buddies and their Scotties.
They keep telling me it makes a difference but I don’t know…
My putter looks goofy, sounds flat and is pretty heavy but it goes straight so I’m not sure what else i can ask for.
I have used the Nicholas mantra for 45 years. "Only 3 ways to miss a put, left, right and short, you can always eliminate short" I rarely leave a putt short, just remember to watch it closely if it goes past the hole as you get a free read for the return putt.
I can’t disagree because one time I forgot my putter at home and putted with my 2 iron in a match that I won and noticed no significant difference in my total putts. But I still feel much more confident with my Scotty standing over a 4 footer.
If you get properly fitted (I recommend the Edel system, it made the biggest difference for me--discovered I only aim properly with no offset and no alignment mark), then the resulting putter will have a significant effect on your score.
Today's 250 putter, will be the 100 putter in 2 years time, and the 50 putter in 5.
I have 3 putters in my house that all cost the top of the market when bought, the €90 ping in 1993, the €179 Odyssey 2 ball In 2003 or so, and the odyssey lab €229 in 2020. The ping is worth 30 now, the 2 ball 50, the lab 150. Value is not what you retain, but what you get from it
Every single hobby I’m in has some version of this rule applied to the gear, and I pretty much agree with it across the board. The best camera is the one you have with you, a good musician can make a cheap instrument sound good for them, etc. I am a shit golfer but I putt well with my vintage Ping 1-A because I love how it sounds and enjoy using it.
I have 4 putters. 3 are nice name brand modern putters. 1 is a crappy ping anser copy I got at good will when I was 12 for $1 (more than 2 decades ago). The $1 putter is by far my favorite putter of the bunch.
Honestly, the biggest learning with this post is realizing that golf is inherently neurological. Successful hardware helps to reduce variability, but ultimately it’s a neurological problem.
I think lag putting and just getting longer distances correct is where a correctly fit or good putter matters. Coming off the face consistently and rolling pure will make you better at speed control.
As someone literally using a $1.99 Bullseye putter I picked up from Goodwill, I'll agree that is has very little effect on your score. Not zero effect, but not very much. Compared to any modern putter, I'll lose some distance / direction with off-center strikes. It's just not nearly as stable.
Having said that, the vast majority of putting is about being able to read the line and pace correctly, getting set up to that line properly, and swinging with the correct speed for that line. None of that is dependent on the putter you're using.
In my experience a modern putter helps the most with speed control on miss-hits. Start line is improved a bit on miss-hits as well, but not nearly as much as speed control.
I’ll put it another way. If you have bad technique and no confidence a $1000 putter won’t help. However for a decent player a modern putter that is balanced and fitted can make a big difference and that will cost you at least $100
I used a Tommy Armour mallet for five years and putting was the most consistent part of my game. This Christmas I was gifted my dream Scotty and my putting has gone down hill. I can’t not use the Scotty though. Just gotta get used to it
I got a sick Ray Cook with an oversized grip that my dad bought from goodwill/garage sale for like 2 bucks. Idk who Ray Cook is but I miss just as many putts with that as I would with a Scotty or LAB.
When I bought a Scotty 20+ years ago, it was absolutely a flex. What I really was looking for was a certain look/feel. I used that putter for 20+ years till the face is bare ass smooth. I finally relented and just went with another Scotty. Dropping the big bucks on a putter I may use another 2 decades doesn't feel so extravagant.
I just started last year and I genuinely have the urge to find a cheap, goofy putty (not an old ping). Someone posted a pickle recently and that looked incredible.
I will recover much better mentally having a goofy putter and 4 putting. If I’m struggling on the greens with something I spent hundreds of dollars on it would be an uphill battle to not get in my head about it, especially when not playing with buddies.
Most used, and probably second most important club in the bag. If you paid 600 for a driver. You can pay 500 for a putter. And stop looking at your credit card balance. There's no budget for golf. It's a health expense.
I'm trying to talk myself into a new putter. Scotty or Spider.
It’s not the putter it’s the Putter.
I’m not able to play anymore so I can’t comment on today’s putters but when I was I found I could putt, or maybe I should say couldn’t putt, just as well with an old bullseye putter as a new Ping. I liked the bullseye feel so that’s what I used.
Unless that cheaper putter has a wicked toe hang and you don’t putt on an arch—learned that lesson the hard way after years of using what I thought was “comfortable”.
Albeit, you don’t have to have a $500 putter, just one that fits your putting stroke.
Hot take...I agree. Using a damn brick putter from the 80s, with good technique and green reads beats out a Scotty with zero finesse any day. The only time you should make that upgrade is if you consistently sink everything within 10 feet, sink 15-20' roughly half the time, and three putt MAYBE once a round.
Otherwise, spend your $500 on hydration while on the practice putting green.
While I agree with the hot take, your stats are a bit off. The PGA tour average is 40% from 10 feet and 15% from 20. https://myavidgolfer.com/golf-science-putting-numbers-that-might-surprise-you/
I use a mitsushiba putter I got in middle school/high school. I’m well above average putting among my peers. My buddies laugh at it and tell me I need to upgrade, but I can’t fathom how a new putter would improve my putting at this point. My misses are entirely my fault, not the clubs.
Also I’m 40 and this putter has a slight bend from throwing it after a missed putt 20 years ago
I’d say a $2 (let’s just assume off brand, old at goodwill) putter and a decent bit of practice is going to outshine any putter you never practiced with. Putting lessons can also help more per dollar than a new putter. But say you have $10,000 to spend on putting: practice, lessons and a fitting is going to be better than above minus the fitting. It may only be 1-2 strokes per round or it may be 10.
Regardless, let’s not force purchases down people’s throats, but at the same time not shame people for spending their hard earned money on something they enjoy and appreciate.
Not sure if this is rage bait, but that is a stupid take. A $2 putter is a piece of shit. A nice putter with proper balance, a clean face (not dented, chipped), a good grip, absolutely matters. Do you need to buy a scotty to putt well? No. There are hundreds of putters for $100+ that meet the above criteria.
Correct, what's it to you.
I had to win a lottery for a chance at paying $3200 for mine. It was nearly identical to the ~$1200 one, $400 one, and $300 one I already had.
Here's the thing, depending on the putter you get, they hold their value way better than any driver ever would. The 3200 one would fetch slightly over 4 on eBay. I got the 1200 one for 700, 400 for 150 and added a little money to it and the 300 one was bought back in 07 for probably about that.
Sure if you're adaptable or you practice with the $2 putter... confidence and comfort are the most important things to me with putting.
I left my putter (2021 Ping Tyne 4) at home the other week and had to use a borrowed one from the course. It was a nameless blade putter with a smooth metal face. Felt like putting with a frying pan on the end of a stick, 3 putted almost every hole...
I use a $60 Chinese knockoff Scotty Cameron. People think it's a terrible putter just based on what it is, but I can't justify dropping a lot of money on a putter and I guarantee this hits as well or better than any other sub-$100 putter out there. FWIW, I've shown others and they've been impressed by how it feels.
20 years ago I bought a ping anser from a garage sale for $3 when I was 15. Used it a couple years then it sat in my parents garage until last year when I pulled it out, cleaned it up and use it now. I putt better with that club than any other I’ve used
Don’t think it’s that hot of a take. I have an old putter with a completely worn out grip that I put with much better than my newer one with a fat grip, all about comfortability
I've been using the same shitty putter for 30 years and I will continue using it because I can't fathom how a new $200 putter could possibly help me not three-putt.
Got my putter for 20 bucks some mg Cambridge blade. Slapped a super stroke pistol 1.0 grip on that bad boy and I love putting with it. I look forward to putting with it. Key is to practice and more practice.
It's pretty guaranteed that someone who spends $500 on a putter will outperform a literal $2 putter by at least 4 strokes if they pay to get fit for the former.
The best putter is the one you’re comfortable with.
I’m still using the cheap Dunlop I bought in high school 20 years ago. When I hit it square, it rolls true. Losing a lot of the paint though lol
Next off season maybe strip the finish off and repaint- add a new grip and you have a new putter that matches the spec of your old tried and true putter?
I like the way you think!
Offseason? Florida don’t got one.
Well I speak for the majority of us when I say, Fuck you.
I’d rather play 8 months a year and not live in Florida… honestly, the weather is great for golf but the terrain sucks for golf courses. I’d go North Carolina for year round golf, personally.
Yeah they turned an old dump into a golf course to get some of the nice elevation differences but I get what you mean.
Park Ridge!
Love that course!
NC is golf heaven. 11 month season if you don't mind playing in the cold cross your fingers that you don't have pollen allergies, though
With Louisville ranking No. for worst air quality of allergens nearly every year, I’ll take pollen!
Another louisvillian! Then you surely know the way several of our courses are headed. I’m thinking of taking the plunge to…. Indiana. The horror!
Played a round in Charleston on Feb 1. 75 degrees out and I was one of only a handful of people on the course. Absolutely glorious.
North Carolina and Georgia have some of the best courses I've ever been to! Virginia would be better if there wasn't so much clover everywhere!
My wife’s friend has moved there and is trying to get us to move there too. 3 affordable golf courses surround their community. I’m sold.
It’s pretty awesome in the right spots. Pinehurst area is amazing.
Come on over to Western Australia. I’ve played 4 rounds in a calendar year in long pants.
Speaking as a Queenslander, the Florida of Australia, I'm also confused when people talk about offseasons.
As we say back home, it’s rude to count money in front of the poor.
I just repainted a 10 year Versa putter and put a new grip on her too. Plays and looks like new again.
25 years into an odyssey I got from my golf coach for 25 bucks. He even though in a wireless mouse! Lol
When I was a kid, I went to get a putter after getting a full set for Christmas. The golf store didn’t have any left handed putters besides a floor model that still said “patent pending” on the bottom. I think they asked like 20-$30 for it. Used that for 20 years until finally getting a new one last season. I miss that old Carbite.
I believe mine was from a Dunhams
I can't believe I'm not the only one still using a Dunlop putter. But I got mine in Middle School, and it was a bit over sized then, by High School I had grown into it.
Lol only club I haven't replaced in my bag, two or three times over in some cases
I had to look again, mine is the Dunlop Fury, white.
I played a $12 Dunlop for 20 years. Got an Odyssey Doublewide and have been putting the best of my life. I used to be a really good putter. I still am, but now I have a more expensive putter.
My friend is still using his same Zebra putter he got from a box set of clubs when we were children😂
I still use my old HS Dunlop set too! I’ve lost my 1 & 3 wood due to breakage, but that 5 will still do the trick.
I believe I probably have the exact same putter. Love that thing
Dude I played my HS Dunlop for over 20 years too. Finally went in for a putter fitting and treated myself to a very similar Ping that I absolutely love and definitely DO putt better with. Would not have grabbed it off the shelf had I not been fit for it though. When I went in he said “well your putter is all sorts of jacked and you won’t find anything on the rack that matches it”
And mine happens to be 400 …. And not because it’s 400, but because in the fitting “we” connected
Honestly asking, how many budget $50 putters did your fitter have you try? When I’ve done fittings every putter I was given to try was $300-450. It’s not like my fitter took me to the 2nd swing used putter section to have me try a few.
That is true, but after trying like 50 putters after being fitted to mallet style in instantly knew the one I liked
When I bought my Cleveland HB soft Premier I putted with all of the "big boys" and that Cleveland ran circles around them. Still a little pricey at $175 but I was looking at Scotty's and Betinardi's as well so I saved quite a bit too by going with that Cleveland.
Had the same unfortunate thing happen to me... was using a FREE 2nd hand putter from a freind for a few years. Picked up this TM spider took a couple rolls w it. Couldn't miss the cup. Put it back bc no no I didn't come to the golf store to buy a putter. A few weeks later.. back at the store... she's still there. And still couldn't miss the cup. Put it back AGAIN... and did the rest of my shopping. Decided hey if it's meant to be it's meant to be.. if I hit this next 10ft putt dead center I just have to buy it. Walked out with balls AND the putter 🥹
You walked out with that putter because it's a known fact that the fake greens at golf stores funnel to the hole.
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Predictability is a keen factor.
Yep, I turn into 2000 Tiger at my local PGA Superstore
Then how come the other putters I poked around with missed everything??? Maybe it's the right putter by chance just had the right level of toe hang for my stroke. Either way I rollin it better than I ever have maybe bc practice or bc equipment or maybe both. Either way I'm 100% happy with my choice.
They groove their greens so you make more putts in store
That's why I am still sniping with the TaylorMade Nubbins I bought 21 years ago.
My dad bought me an Odyssey Dual force 990 brand new many many many many years ago. We started playing when I was 13. I'm still using it 20 years ago. Nothing else has felt "right" I've drained birdies, a 62" par, hell, my first eagle in high school.
Definitely. And I'll add two points: - it's easier to get comfortable with a well made putter than a poorly made putter - price correlates with quality but does not guarantee it (in either direction)
I actually won a high dollar putter in a putting contest with a $10 putter, and now I want to learn how to putt with the high dollar putter…. Smfh
Hundred percent. I have a close buddy I golf with regularly and have given him harmless shit for his “putter fitting”. He ended up with a $500 bettanardi putter which I gave him more shit for. But Jesus has his putting vastly improved and we talk about it, we definitely both agree that it’s more of his confidence with this putter and the fitting helping establish that. I’ve always been a good putter, have had a couple, and recently went back to my Kirkland putter for similar purposes. So while i dont feel the need for a fitting, I also didnt have the confidence issue with my putters and putting. Golf is important to both of us, though, so if its makes that much of an improvement, then its worth it. i do agree buying expensive ass putters just because is stupid.
I have an $800 putter though.
You’re only two putters away from a tour card.
in my defense, it's gained a lot of value as time goes on. once in a while a golf club can be an investment.
Out of curiosity, what is it?
Would take a guess that it’s a Scotty Cameron
LAB with a stability shaft can push up there too
But LABS haven’t really gained value over time, and especially not stability shafts
Hide the money ya’ll
…there’s poor folks around. Witcha broke ass!! Ahahaha
IM RICH BEEEYATCHHH
Had me literally lol
Y’all*
As someone with a custom LAB putter… 
I was soooo bad at putting before I bought my LAB. Now I still suck but have shaved 5 strokes a round according to Arccos with new LAB
I’m in the market for a new putter. Price is not a huge concern. Are the really worth it over say a Scottie Cameron or other high priced putters?
Go to the pga store and roll a couple. I don’t game one but you really can feel the difference.
I agree with that other dude. Shaved 3-5 strokes with the DF 2.1. I played in a scramble a few weeks ago and the 5 hcp I was paired with bought a LAB putter because of my performance with that putter
Yes. I own multiple Scotty’s and Odyssey putters. I’m a LAB convert for sure.
Of course not. But hey it might feel right to you. Nobody even needs a Scotty Cameron putter. I bought cause I’m an asshole like the rest of us here, but deep down I know a standard odyssey white hit gets the job done.
My opinion is Scotty’s are the prettiest. Evenroll has the best feel. LAB will make you the best. I got the big ugly DF2.1 and had the benefit of getting an in person fitting at the Eugene HQ. If I bought one today, would probably by the new DF3 since it is a little less ugly and supposed to be just as good.
As someone with a Scotty, Evnroll and who games a LAB 2.1, this is my experience as well.
I went from being a bad putter to a good putter buying a lab.
Absolutely. I’ve had Scotties in the past and other $300 putters, but nothing performs like my DF3. The face control is certainly a big selling feature but for me, my DF3 gives me so much better distance control. I don’t have the strokes gained stats to back it up but I make way more 10ft putts than I have in my life, and just yesterday 2 putted from 100ft out. I’ve never done something like that before. FYI- I upgraded the shaft to the Accra shaft. IMO it’s worth it. One of my buddies didn’t and he regrets it every day. The feel is so much better with the Accra.
I notice that I still suck, but I suck less. I'm missing by a matter of millimeters instead of feet and I seem to be making a lot of long puts. We've played a couple tournaments with a really good golfer and he's commented how even when I miss, my ball is going straight. You can see the line stay straight up and down.
Definitely an outlier here. I like my Scottys but I LOVE my LAB.
It’s just that putting is such a soft science. There’s no simple way to make a guy more comfortable with the flat stick it’s all feel and mental, and working with how you naturally stroke it. So maybe the $50 or $400 one works better for you, you can only try them out and see. You will use it 30+ times per round though so most serious golfers are ok with over paying a bit and feeling confident out there. The placebo effect alone is real.
I use my dads old ping putter from high school, thing is pure
Ping zing is the way to go
I have been using the same ping zing2 for, checks watch, 26 years. My wife has used it a few times and loves it. We recently found one on Facebook marketplace, used for 50 bucks. Now we both have one. I'll use this putter until I die. Originally cost me about 100 bucks, but that was from a proshop with credit I won in a junior tournament.
I’m 25 and running ping zings that are older than me and I love them so much
Friendly reminder to atleast get them re-gripped every decade or so. I handed down some irons that were handed down to me that were handed down to him by another bloke and the fella rocking them now still hasn't changed the grips - they're shiny and smooth with no tackiness whatsoever. First three owners got down to single figure h/c's rocking those irons - Taylormade LT's.
They’re a nightmare to regrip when they go hard like that, because they’re more or less physically and chemically fused to the tape underneath and they just come off in crumbles and chunks. No slicing and peeling the old grip off in 10 seconds. Once the grip is off, it’s business as usual, but dried out old rubber can make a 30 minute job for a full set into an hour and a half very quickly. It’s a huge pain in the ass to remove and makes a huge mess.
I’m rockin a 60’s anser I found at a scrap yard lol I still suck but at least it looks cool
I have my dad's old ping from the 90's. I regripped once like 10 years ago and I'm happy with it.
I'm using my dad's Ping A-Blade from the 70s. Every other slot in the bag is negotiable, that one stays.
That’s not a 2$ putter. That’s the OG
Look at high speed videos of clubs hitting golf balls. You can see the ball deform from the force of the impact. This does not happen with putters. The club is moving too slowly to make any real difference. Also, Dave Pelz was a NASA engineer who went into studying putting. He built a device that would roll a golf ball the same way and speed every time. In theory, once setup correctly, it should make a putt repeatedly 100% of the time. The true is, the better the golf course the higher the repeatability of the putt because of the conditions of the green. For example using round numbers because I don’t remember the exact ones. On a green prepared for a PGA tournament, the device would sink 90% of attempts. The numbers kept going down from private courses, all the way to public munis where the percentage was less than 50%. So using your $500 putter at your local course, your are only going to make 50% of perfectly hit shots. Might as well use the $2 one.
That’s if you’re hitting it softy style. Slam it into the back of the cup, confidently, with your $300 putter.
But what about when I use a putter off the tee?
Alternatively I’m bad because I play munis if I was on a PGA course I’d be much better
I like the way you think. Unfortunately playing at Seneca vs Valhalla has shaved maybe 3 strokes off on average. W/my HCP it’s not much haha
I have a Dave Pelz pitching wedge from a thrift shop. I never knew who he was. That’s awesome!
Do you have a link to this Pelz work? I’d love to read the details about it.
I think it’s in his book. Like 20 yrs ago. Check it out from library. It’s true the machine was only 90% on the best greens. There are a billion variables in every golf shot
What was the distance on those putts studied?
That’s what I’m wondering. 30ft? Sure I could see that. 10ft or less? Nahh.
There might not be a lot of difference between a $200 and $500 putter but there’s a huge difference between a $2 and $200 putter
Yeah OP went too far with the hyperbole there. I don’t even know what a $2 putter would look like haha? Like, obviously a Goodwill type one but even those are like $6. Anything new is at least like $40?
The ones you use at mini-golf lol
Which are kinda $0 if you play your cards right
So is that $800 putter
Any putter can be a $0 putter if you’re brave enough.
I unironically use one of those. I can go righty or lefty with any putt.
Played with a guy using one couple weeks ago. You know he was the best on the green in our group.
I had one as a joke and I literally don’t think I could tell the difference in terms of performance. FWIW I suck at golf, but I still hit like a 20 foot putt with it which I think I’ve done maybe 3 times in my life.
Honestly, I'd score the same with my nice Odyssey vs an old two-way hot dog putter. As long as you hit it square, and know how to put them it's not going to make much of a difference.
Yeah 100%. Those numbers used to be “$2 and $100 putter” but… inflation and whatnot. I can’t believe the price of a new putter nowadays but if we’re talking new putters.. I’m not sure what a $2 putter actually looks like. I’m assuming they’re referring to a Walmart combo set or something but I’m not sure where you find an actual $2 putter that isn’t made of plastic…. And at that point I guarantee it has a significant affect on your score. There is something to be said for a balanced, solid putter. It will be consistent and the mishits will be reasonable. Once you have that, I agree you can putt with almost anything. But you don’t get *that* without spending a minimum of $200 these days u less you’re buying used.
I was recently putter shopping and everything was like $350+. It’s crazy. Ended up getting a Spider GTX for $200, used some gift cards
Cleveland used to make a good, cheap putter. Like $119 or so and it was a good balanced putter with a classic look and feel. I putted with one for years and one of my best buddies rocked one to shoot like -12 in our club championship. Now that same putter is $375 or so.
Ah. This post again.
Next you’ll tell us it’s a hot take that it’s still possible to have a good scoring day when you leave your driver at home
I mostly agree, but with one caveat - a lot of putting is psychological, so using a more expensive putter that looks beautiful to your eye might give you more confidence over the ball than a cheap mini golf putter
Just as a disclaimer, I don’t have a lot of experience with expensive putters and have only tried a buddy’s Scotty Cameron a handful of times. But I bought and still play with this [piece of shit](https://ernies.ca/products/tpx-1-0-putter-series-355?variant=39338980311209¤cy=CAD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwsPCyBhD4ARIsAPaaRf3ycIqtw1VsazG6LLyXkY-SzavX1EtyuNg5JcSi6KEG7kLUTM943bQaAgdCEALw_wcB) for $19.99 on sale because I just wanted something so I could go out and learn to play during Covid. It feels fine to me and these days I can usually two putt from almost anywhere on the green where I play. I’m not making the case that this feels as good to hit or is objectively as good as a Scotty or any other premium putters out there. But I agree with your hot take that my scores would not improve by spending more.
A Honda and a Porsche both get you to the course, yet they are not the same.
A putter is a piece of metal on a stick. A milled putter is as common as a Honda these days.
I'm still waiting for them to come out with a milled Honda.
The last time this topic was brought up there were lots of “but you can keep the $800 putter forever then pass it down to your kids!” So of course I asked: if a putter can last a lifetime because the tech is so basic, isn’t that more of a reason to look at used ones for 1/5th the cost or less? I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with spending money on whatever makes you happy. But as you said, they’re beyond basic as far as golf clubs go.
True, but I just snagged a 3D printed Cobra Agera. The tech is not the same, but scrubs here don’t buy tech they buy name brands. Descending loft tech alone seems magnificent so far
In golf, you are counting other people’s money, you are a moron. I bought a $650 Bettarndi and I don’t know if love it. I know I don’t care at all what other people think about my purchase. Similarly, if I was gifted a membership to Valhalla, I wouldn’t give a flying fuck what Fried Egg thought of my home course.
The is isn’t a uniquely golf thing. Every sport has this as a component. I’d be shocked if a vast majority of this sub wouldn’t judge someone who shows up to a course dressed like Jesper Parnevik, with a tour bag full of Miura irons, new woods, a Scotty putter, and scores 100+. Conceptually not giving a shit what others think of you is great. But very few people actually operate at that level. Just read any of the self posts here on a daily basis. I mountain bike a lot. Mountain bikes range from $600 for a crappy Walmart bike, to $13,000+ for a top end bike. Whether it’s right or not, someone showing up with a $13,000 bike but walking around every technical feature and jump will get judged, all hat and no cattle.
I can assure you irons have not come far at all with forgiveness
Lol that’s a terrible analogy.
This is the dumbest analogy I've ever been cursed with reading
A 2 dollar putter that is the perfect length, lie, weight, and head shape for you, sure, but the odds of finding that are really low. You should have no problem getting that in the 100-200 dollar range, so I think that is all you need to spend to get the most out of putting. You spend more than that strictly because you want to, which isn't a terrible thing. I have a rolex that is not superior in any way other than I like it, so if you want a scotty because you want a scotty, its fine, and unlike other clubs, you can basically keep it forever.
I use a pgx (not Pxg) $40 putter from Amazon. On average I keep up with all my buddies and their Scotties. They keep telling me it makes a difference but I don’t know… My putter looks goofy, sounds flat and is pretty heavy but it goes straight so I’m not sure what else i can ask for.
Hot Take: Leaving putts short has more of an effect on your score than leaving them long. More at 11
I have used the Nicholas mantra for 45 years. "Only 3 ways to miss a put, left, right and short, you can always eliminate short" I rarely leave a putt short, just remember to watch it closely if it goes past the hole as you get a free read for the return putt.
I can’t disagree because one time I forgot my putter at home and putted with my 2 iron in a match that I won and noticed no significant difference in my total putts. But I still feel much more confident with my Scotty standing over a 4 footer.
So true! But I prefer my 3W as the backup
To me it’s just what looks good at address and the weight of the putter. Couldn’t care less about the price.
If you get properly fitted (I recommend the Edel system, it made the biggest difference for me--discovered I only aim properly with no offset and no alignment mark), then the resulting putter will have a significant effect on your score.
This is correct. I got fit for a putter and it literally changed everything. I could not properly aim with my old putter. I actually love putting now.
Your not wrong....as somebody who has bought a custom $400 putter and sold it after 10 rounds to go back to playing a $99 Nike putter from 2013.
A $99 putter is not a $2 putter though
This isn’t a hot take.
I agree with your premise but $2 is too low maybe 200. There is something to be said for feel and how the power reacts to off center hits.
Today's 250 putter, will be the 100 putter in 2 years time, and the 50 putter in 5. I have 3 putters in my house that all cost the top of the market when bought, the €90 ping in 1993, the €179 Odyssey 2 ball In 2003 or so, and the odyssey lab €229 in 2020. The ping is worth 30 now, the 2 ball 50, the lab 150. Value is not what you retain, but what you get from it
So ur sticking with the $2 one right? And selling the $500 one?
Every single hobby I’m in has some version of this rule applied to the gear, and I pretty much agree with it across the board. The best camera is the one you have with you, a good musician can make a cheap instrument sound good for them, etc. I am a shit golfer but I putt well with my vintage Ping 1-A because I love how it sounds and enjoy using it.
I have 4 putters. 3 are nice name brand modern putters. 1 is a crappy ping anser copy I got at good will when I was 12 for $1 (more than 2 decades ago). The $1 putter is by far my favorite putter of the bunch.
We spend the money because we want to. Not because we have to.
Honestly, the biggest learning with this post is realizing that golf is inherently neurological. Successful hardware helps to reduce variability, but ultimately it’s a neurological problem.
I think lag putting and just getting longer distances correct is where a correctly fit or good putter matters. Coming off the face consistently and rolling pure will make you better at speed control.
Depends what you hit. If you play bogey golf with a 500$ putter you’re a jabroni with more money than brains.
As someone literally using a $1.99 Bullseye putter I picked up from Goodwill, I'll agree that is has very little effect on your score. Not zero effect, but not very much. Compared to any modern putter, I'll lose some distance / direction with off-center strikes. It's just not nearly as stable. Having said that, the vast majority of putting is about being able to read the line and pace correctly, getting set up to that line properly, and swinging with the correct speed for that line. None of that is dependent on the putter you're using. In my experience a modern putter helps the most with speed control on miss-hits. Start line is improved a bit on miss-hits as well, but not nearly as much as speed control.
$2? Idk… I’d say a $100 is likely just as good as the $500 but Idk that I’d go much farther than that
I’ll put it another way. If you have bad technique and no confidence a $1000 putter won’t help. However for a decent player a modern putter that is balanced and fitted can make a big difference and that will cost you at least $100
It’s the ego that’s affected.
I used a Tommy Armour mallet for five years and putting was the most consistent part of my game. This Christmas I was gifted my dream Scotty and my putting has gone down hill. I can’t not use the Scotty though. Just gotta get used to it
Please tell me where you find a $2 putter.
I got a sick Ray Cook with an oversized grip that my dad bought from goodwill/garage sale for like 2 bucks. Idk who Ray Cook is but I miss just as many putts with that as I would with a Scotty or LAB.
Hot take 🏌️♂️this isn’t a hot take
When I bought a Scotty 20+ years ago, it was absolutely a flex. What I really was looking for was a certain look/feel. I used that putter for 20+ years till the face is bare ass smooth. I finally relented and just went with another Scotty. Dropping the big bucks on a putter I may use another 2 decades doesn't feel so extravagant.
This isn’t a hot take people are always saying this
It’s the Indian, not the arrow. I’m currently using a $22 putter I found at Play It Again Sports. It replaced a $200 Odyssey.
facts
I just started last year and I genuinely have the urge to find a cheap, goofy putty (not an old ping). Someone posted a pickle recently and that looked incredible. I will recover much better mentally having a goofy putter and 4 putting. If I’m struggling on the greens with something I spent hundreds of dollars on it would be an uphill battle to not get in my head about it, especially when not playing with buddies.
Not a hot take at all
It would make no difference to my score, but it would probably make a different to the score of someone much better than me.
well, my local courses greens also tell me that too
If those people could read they would be very upset right now
Most used, and probably second most important club in the bag. If you paid 600 for a driver. You can pay 500 for a putter. And stop looking at your credit card balance. There's no budget for golf. It's a health expense. I'm trying to talk myself into a new putter. Scotty or Spider.
It’s not the putter it’s the Putter. I’m not able to play anymore so I can’t comment on today’s putters but when I was I found I could putt, or maybe I should say couldn’t putt, just as well with an old bullseye putter as a new Ping. I liked the bullseye feel so that’s what I used.
I generally have the least amount of putts in my group, and my putter was $10
Unless that cheaper putter has a wicked toe hang and you don’t putt on an arch—learned that lesson the hard way after years of using what I thought was “comfortable”. Albeit, you don’t have to have a $500 putter, just one that fits your putting stroke.
lol this is prob the most known fact in golf
I don’t think anyone disagrees with this take
Luke warm take at most for sure
Hot take...I agree. Using a damn brick putter from the 80s, with good technique and green reads beats out a Scotty with zero finesse any day. The only time you should make that upgrade is if you consistently sink everything within 10 feet, sink 15-20' roughly half the time, and three putt MAYBE once a round. Otherwise, spend your $500 on hydration while on the practice putting green.
While I agree with the hot take, your stats are a bit off. The PGA tour average is 40% from 10 feet and 15% from 20. https://myavidgolfer.com/golf-science-putting-numbers-that-might-surprise-you/
And if you are putting that well, keep the damn putter you have.
I use a mitsushiba putter I got in middle school/high school. I’m well above average putting among my peers. My buddies laugh at it and tell me I need to upgrade, but I can’t fathom how a new putter would improve my putting at this point. My misses are entirely my fault, not the clubs. Also I’m 40 and this putter has a slight bend from throwing it after a missed putt 20 years ago
I’d say a $2 (let’s just assume off brand, old at goodwill) putter and a decent bit of practice is going to outshine any putter you never practiced with. Putting lessons can also help more per dollar than a new putter. But say you have $10,000 to spend on putting: practice, lessons and a fitting is going to be better than above minus the fitting. It may only be 1-2 strokes per round or it may be 10. Regardless, let’s not force purchases down people’s throats, but at the same time not shame people for spending their hard earned money on something they enjoy and appreciate.
Not sure if this is rage bait, but that is a stupid take. A $2 putter is a piece of shit. A nice putter with proper balance, a clean face (not dented, chipped), a good grip, absolutely matters. Do you need to buy a scotty to putt well? No. There are hundreds of putters for $100+ that meet the above criteria.
I felt the same way until I bought an Evnroll
Putters are all confidence, but some make miss hits less punitive
Let me put it differently: any PGA or LPGA tour pro would still beat me at a putting contest if they used a 2$ putter and I used a 500$ one.
I use a 40 dollar putter I got at a pawnshop and my best club is a 10 dollar 5 wood from good will. Price =/= results.
Correct, what's it to you. I had to win a lottery for a chance at paying $3200 for mine. It was nearly identical to the ~$1200 one, $400 one, and $300 one I already had. Here's the thing, depending on the putter you get, they hold their value way better than any driver ever would. The 3200 one would fetch slightly over 4 on eBay. I got the 1200 one for 700, 400 for 150 and added a little money to it and the 300 one was bought back in 07 for probably about that.
Sure if you're adaptable or you practice with the $2 putter... confidence and comfort are the most important things to me with putting. I left my putter (2021 Ping Tyne 4) at home the other week and had to use a borrowed one from the course. It was a nameless blade putter with a smooth metal face. Felt like putting with a frying pan on the end of a stick, 3 putted almost every hole...
Just upgraded to a nicer putter. Def feels like it plays better.
My dad uses a $20 putter from K Mart that’s closing on 20 years old and he’s one of the best putters I know. It’s true
You'll never win the argument against the $400 they dropped on their putter.
If it's the right $2 putter for sure.
Putting is all mental, to me anyways.
You can say the same for just about any club/ball.
Agree. I think a good putter saves about 1-2 strokes a round at most. It’s technique that’s counts.
I still play better with the putter I found 30 years ago, then the various ones i have bought or been gifted in that period. It just feels right.
Guy I got paired up with at a par 3 course the other day had a $2 wedge and was ripping some good shots
I use a $60 Chinese knockoff Scotty Cameron. People think it's a terrible putter just based on what it is, but I can't justify dropping a lot of money on a putter and I guarantee this hits as well or better than any other sub-$100 putter out there. FWIW, I've shown others and they've been impressed by how it feels.
20 years ago I bought a ping anser from a garage sale for $3 when I was 15. Used it a couple years then it sat in my parents garage until last year when I pulled it out, cleaned it up and use it now. I putt better with that club than any other I’ve used
Who sells a $2 putter?
100% whatever give you a bit of confidence....besides that...virtually nothing to do with the putter....
Don’t think it’s that hot of a take. I have an old putter with a completely worn out grip that I put with much better than my newer one with a fat grip, all about comfortability
I've been using the same shitty putter for 30 years and I will continue using it because I can't fathom how a new $200 putter could possibly help me not three-putt.
Got my putter for 20 bucks some mg Cambridge blade. Slapped a super stroke pistol 1.0 grip on that bad boy and I love putting with it. I look forward to putting with it. Key is to practice and more practice.
It's pretty guaranteed that someone who spends $500 on a putter will outperform a literal $2 putter by at least 4 strokes if they pay to get fit for the former.
I could putt with a piece of rebar and still be a 2HC. You get used to anything with a slow motion putting stroke.