Inevitable putter quest inevitable? Call me a n00b

[elmexdela]

^^lol i heard not even the softs will stick

 

[namar]

man, if I could get back all the $ I've spent on putters over the years...

I started out with P&A Aviars and like most discers I thought perhaps something different would speed up my improvement. I bet I have multiples of a dozen different putter molds in milk crates collecting dust, and after 16+ years of playing what do I bag for putting? P&A Aviars. An OLD dx for longer or anny putts, a (lightly) seasoned star that gets 95% of my putts, and a new g* that I am really liking for sloppy conditions. They may fly slightly different lines but they all feel the same in hand, at least as far as wing shape, which inspires confidence and ultimately helps out my game.

All that being said, everyone's learning curve varies and I don't regret any of my putter experimentation. a P&A Aviar is my comfort food.

 

[jrmac0]

For my actual putting putter I use a Black Magic 99% of the time. If I'm putting into a large headwind 20+ mph I will switch to a Premium Jokeri cause it has so little glide it doesn't get picked up and thrown around easily. As far as upshots and driving thats a different game too, Opto/RGL Pure, Jokeri or my Magic on delicate turnovers. 4 putters.

I use two different putters. The zone is for wind otherwise i use a sss voodoo. I have found that this putter combo works well for me.

 

[TrustYourRubber]

I added a medium Vibram VP to my putter collection today. I like it on hill sides as it sits if a putt is missed.

I like it too for this reason. It fades hard left and when it does it loses a lot of its energy into the ground, making it less likely to roll. In theory, if you miss on a hard throw that hits a basket, then it may be prone to rolling away, especially on a steep slope. Otherwise, I am not too concerned with roll aways, or over-shooting the basket.

 

[General Scales]

I carry more putters than any other mold in my bag because they are that important. I rely on them for a good portion of my game. Currently my set up is like this.

2 Organic Wizards at 175 (both scaled at exactly that weight). One beat up and one freshie for putts from 50 and in.
2 Organic Wizards at 175 (scaled at 175.5 for both). One beat up and one freshie for throwing on up shots and shorter drives (200 and in).
2 RGL Spikes (177 and 176) These are my crushers for putters. One fresh and beastly overstable (for a Spike) that are for anything that has to hold and fade out and one that is slightly beat for anything that has to hold and finish right.

For the rest of my bag, I have 4 max distance (2 Wraiths, 2 Villains) I will occasionally throw in an ESP Nuke (for huge open shots) and a Venom (for big overhands). That is a rarity though. I have 5 fairway drivers at all times (3 Strikers, 1 Patriot, 1 Trident) and 4 mids (2 ESP Comets, 1 Z MRV and 1 Ti Wasp). Putters are more key than anything else so I carry enough to make sure I have all my bases covered.

 

[Prodigium]

2 molds, 6 putters.

Pures:
1 really beat opto. Has some turn now.
1 new opto. Stable.
2 Zeros for putts only.

JOKERis:
1 basic. Straight with fade.
1 premium. OS.

I too rely on these a lot-> if it's under 300' I usually just throw one of my putters.

 

[TrustYourRubber]

I carry more putters than any other mold in my bag because they are that important. I rely on them for a good portion of my game. Currently my set up is like this.

2 Organic Wizards at 175 (both scaled at exactly that weight). One beat up and one freshie for putts from 50 and in.
2 Organic Wizards at 175 (scaled at 175.5 for both). One beat up and one freshie for throwing on up shots and shorter drives (200 and in).
2 RGL Spikes (177 and 176) These are my crushers for putters. One fresh and beastly overstable (for a Spike) that are for anything that has to hold and fade out and one that is slightly beat for anything that has to hold and finish right.

For the rest of my bag, I have 4 max distance (2 Wraiths, 2 Villains) I will occasionally throw in an ESP Nuke (for huge open shots) and a Venom (for big overhands). That is a rarity though. I have 5 fairway drivers at all times (3 Strikers, 1 Patriot, 1 Trident) and 4 mids (2 ESP Comets, 1 Z MRV and 1 Ti Wasp). Putters are more key than anything else so I carry enough to make sure I have all my bases covered.

This is my theory, as well, though I rely heavily on the VP, because it's shown its quality in the wind and overall consistency.

One thing I realized is that I need to carry more putter molds, because the Vibram X-link doesn't "beat-in" like plastic does. Simple fact that rubber is more durable than plastic. I honestly don't think that my VP will ever beat in (not at the low speeds that it flies). Interesting dilemma for me, which is a little different than plastic throwers in this thread.

 

[HardstyleBeast]

I am also on a putter quest. I have used an Aerobie Arrow and it has been great for a while but recently has decided that it wants to flip end over end and tumble or roll down inclines.

I have never had any other putter before but I have heard good things about the wizard and the magic.

 

[TrustYourRubber]

I am also on a putter quest. I have used an Aerobie Arrow and it has been great for a while but recently has decided that it wants to flip end over end and tumble or roll down inclines.

I have never had any other putter before but I have heard good things about the wizard and the magic.

Part of why I posted this thread is to try to awareness too that not everyone uses one putter. If you're a beginner, it makes double-sense to me to use more than one, but that's just my opinion.

 

[Curtis_Valk]

I started with a Challenger, but switched to an Omega SS early on (within the first month or so). I can't even remember why I switched, but the Omega is still with me. I use ONE "putter". Within the circle it works for me upwind, downwind, sidewind or whatever. Out to around 50 feet I still use it, but I can't jump putt so I throw a light backhand and hope for the best.

Admittedly, when the winds are fierce I will use my DGA Breaker instead. Oh, but you say I claimed to use only one putter. Well, I actually consider my Breaker an approach disc along with my Classic Roc and Innova Wedge. I prefer the shallow, slow mids (which are now considered putt/approach) over the deeper putters for that role. So yeah, aside from the very few times I putt with my Breaker, I only have one putter.

 

[TrustYourRubber]

I started with a Challenger, but switched to an Omega SS early on (within the first month or so). I can't even remember why I switched, but the Omega is still with me. I use ONE "putter". Within the circle it works for me upwind, downwind, sidewind or whatever. Out to around 50 feet I still use it, but I can't jump putt so I throw a light backhand and hope for the best.

Admittedly, when the winds are fierce I will use my DGA Breaker instead. Oh, but you say I claimed to use only one putter. Well, I actually consider my Breaker an approach disc along with my Classic Roc and Innova Wedge. I prefer the shallow, slow mids (which are now considered putt/approach) over the deeper putters for that role. So yeah, aside from the very few times I putt with my Breaker, I only have one putter.

Lob putters... I don't know how someone can lob their putt into the wind. They, at the very least, need to answer for themselves how to attack the basket without trying to throw a loaf of bread onto a moving train, which is what trying to lob putt in a wind seems like.

Some people like understable putters, but then they're left in the dust when it comes to fighting the wind putts.

If you prefer an overstable putter, then you have better consistency in the wind, but then there are drawbacks with that as well.

If you have a glide-y putter, such as a mid-range, then you run the risk of over-shooting the basket entirely, turning your missed-birdie run into a bogey hole.

One recent development in this debate is one of my friends recently came back from the Memorial Championship. (He is considered one of the better players in our league, though he doesn't always win a tournament or league event.) He posted a decent score the first day; only to find himself near the bottom the second day. He cited trying to putt in the large winds that were present this year at the Memorial, as one factor among others. My friend subscribes to the one-putter theory. He frequently talks about "the one" putter, and in the past year, he made the tell-tale sign of being a "one-putter" by switching his putting from one disc to another, i.e. he stopped putting with his primary putter altogether in favor of a different putter although similar in its characteristics. My point that I'm trying to make here is that, even a newer professional player, would fail to recognize the importance of a diverse putt (and approach) game, particularly with respect to the more difficult scenarios in that present themselves to pros and amateurs alike, such as sub-par conditions on the day of a contentious tournament.

Is anyone feeling me? This thread suggests yes, but only mildly.

 

[Curtis_Valk]

I don't know. I may change philosophy one day, but for now I just adjust my throw not the disc I putt with.

Into the wind I'll aim lower and put more hyzer on it since I know it will rise and try to turn a bit. Downwind I aim higher and throw flat and a little quicker since I know the wind is robbing me of lift and I'm liable to hit the cage. R to L wind or L to R wind I just try to compensate for the direction the disc will get carried, and I try not to show the bottom of the disc to the wind. Seems to be working so far.

My friends got a laugh one windy day when my putter seemed almost motionless just as it neared the basket and then dropped in. I almost didn't put enough on it to get it there.

 

[TrustYourRubber]

I don't know. I may change philosophy one day, but for now I just adjust my throw not the disc I putt with.

Into the wind I'll aim lower and put more hyzer on it since I know it will rise and try to turn a bit. Downwind I aim higher and throw flat and a little quicker since I know the wind is robbing me of lift and I'm liable to hit the cage. R to L wind or L to R wind I just try to compensate for the direction the disc will get carried, and I try not to show the bottom of the disc to the wind. Seems to be working so far.

My friends got a laugh one windy day when my putter seemed almost motionless just as it neared the basket and then dropped in. I almost didn't put enough on it to get it there.

Another thing I realized is this: how hard it must be to carry more than putter from more than one manufacturer. I have Vibram putters, so each putter compliments the other putters in some fashion. Trying to learn two new discs is hard enough. Let alone trying to tease out how variables such as plastic grade, flight ratings, and general disc differences effect hits/misses. Could be an impossible proposition for an experienced player, let alone an inexperienced one to figure out two discs from two manufacturers.

But then again, it could also work well. Assuming that each putter has a niche. Who knows? The only way to settle this would be to do a study, designed by expert scientists, and to run the numbers head-to-head to find out, which is the empirically more accurate and precise method, the one-putter method or the multi-putter method.

 

[joecoin]

I carry a Wizard and Ion or Anode.

If it is windy I will add a Cro and use it for longer putts. It drops like a rock so if I miss I don't have much of a comeback putt.

 

[Kodachrome]

i think you may be confusing accuracy with consistency - what you are searching for is consistency of the putting motion, not accuracy or precision - it's kind of like saying using more ingredients makes a tastier cake. there is no direct correlation for you to find. you are searching for a disc that, in the wind, lets you putt the same as if you were putting with your regular putter, and the same for a putter outside of 30'. obviously using the same putter is not going to do that, so the experiment is moot.

however, i bet if you practice putting flat, you'd find that your textbook moderately overstable putter would perform admirably in the wind. beat one up and it will perform very well at long distances.

we are dealing with people, not machines - different strokes for different folks. keep in mind that switching putters is a completely different feel, so there are other variables than just stability.

 

[geoblime]

I've always carried two to three Innova putters. Aviars have a great range with not much difference between the discs. I think you can achieve consistent results with changing the putter but not your stoke. As Kodachrome stated, we're looking for consistency, so doing the same motion over and over but making minor changes to the equipment helps me a lot!

-My main putter is an Aviar P&A. Very consistent with nice glide. Loving the new Gstars. Just enough stability.
-For headwinds I'll switch to the BB Avair (Aviar Driver). The bead adds more stability so into the wind it flies very much like my P&A. You can be confident it wont flip to much. I like the Yeti but will be picking up the newly released Gstars. I also use these for my 70-200+ft upshots as I feel I can crank on them more without any worries.
-The occasional third putter is my beat up P&A, 9X KC. There's times where I need to anny around objects but don't want to manually turn the disc out of the hand. Just a tiny anny and the disc does the rest.

The common thread...they're all the same disc. They all feel the same in my hand. But they do different things. Most manufacturers make putters with different stabilities. Find a putter you like and feel comfortable with. Once you've found "the" putter of choice, stick with it...and try to work in the other models for that manufacturer as needed.

 

[Broken Shoulder]

I kind of think this is being over-complicated.

A disc is a disc. Each behaves differently and has its own unique characteristics, even if it is the same mold. Some are better at certain things than others, generally speaking, but they're all different.

Throw disc. Learn disc. Adjust.

Same mold, different mold...throw, learn, adjust.

 

[_.-Dut-._]

I think there are many more reasons to start removing discs than to start adding new ones. "Yeah but I like to use this putter when there is a lot of traffic noise." Then keep using it, but its all in your head.

 

[BIGHAFNER]

The best way I've noticed to deal with this is just pick a putter that feels good and use it. I'm guilty of wanting to try everything and thinking that X disc will work better. And the same way with different types of putts. Adjust how you putt, not what you putt with.

That being said, I do carry separate putters for upshots/drives. But those are discs like a jokeri for headwind drives and upshots. And whenever I get up to putt, I'll always use my wizards.

 

[TrustYourRubber]

I think there are many more reasons to start removing discs than to start adding new ones. "Yeah but I like to use this putter when there is a lot of traffic noise." Then keep using it, but its all in your head.

Yeah, that's true. Having said that, why carry 10 discs and 1 putter? Why carry no putters, as some people do by putting with a mid-range?

This post was a challenge to the status quo. I've gained a lot more information, but the challenge is still standing.