What Makes A Great “Putter”?

If you play with a Great Putter you can become a Great Putter!

 

My wife and I just returned from a wonderful 10 day vacation in Ireland.  While there I had the chance to play 4 courses, including 2 great links courses.  One of my golfing friends during the trip said the following:

    "People who putt better like fast greens"

This comment lead me to think about a related question – What Makes A Great "Putter"?  The reason I put putter in quotes is that the question has two parts – the equipment and the one who is putting.  

Seems to me that to be a great Putter you will more often than not do the following….

     Have great speed control on longer putts,

    Make almost all putts 3 feet or less,

    Make a high percentage of 4 to 10 foot putts,

    Are good at reading greens,

    Make "your share" of putts longer than 10 feet, and 

    Have the attitude that you are a great putter – even when you miss some.

I am certain that any one has the potential to be a great Putter if they play with a Great Putter (the equipment).  Most people have little chance, though, of becoming a great putter because it is not easy to find a putter that TRULY fits the player in terms of aim and speed control.  

The Kiss Of Death for finding a good putter that has good aim and speed control is to go to a golf store and putt on a putting carpet and hope that this putter will work on the golf course that you most often play at.  While you may be "fit" at a very low level for the right putter length and lie angle, you have no idea if you can aim the putter at a target – and when I say Aim I mean Dead On Right On Line Aim – or if this putter has the right overall weight feel for your golf stroke so that you can easily control speed.  

When you actually are fit for a putter that has Great Aim and Great Speed Control, you free yourself up to be able to make a stroke that has few manipulations – you can use your natural stroke to get the ball in the hole, and know that you are not being held back by your equipment.

EVERYONE has the potential to BE a Great Putter if they putt with a Great Putter.

The Fit Is IT!!

Tony