Jaysus said:
Party Foul! :lol:
I had two main putters until my favorite Rattler cracked on a basket this winter, leaving me with my favorite Magnet as my primary putter. Btw, the formerly 2nd string Rattler has not performed nearly as well as the cracked and departed one, except for touch upshots.
I found my main Magnet in a regrind bin at the Discraft factory. It was a color blem (swirls of orange and a dark color, probably black or blue) and decidedly homely. It looked weird enough that I picked it up and felt it. It felt great! A little concave and medium stiffness and grippy. So I got permission to rescue it, then put 5 hotstamps on it. A triple stamp from Bell's Brewery and Discraft Baby grip stamps on top and bottom. I hoped that the disc would feel a sense of loyalty to me since I saved it from being reground (like a puppy rescued from the dog pound) and it has worked that way. I like very unique looking putters-and discs in general.
Feel trumps color for me. I would prefer a bright, pretty color but the only color I used to shy away from was white. White putters get dirty and look terrible. (I once asked Red Whittington why he didn't clean his world-class-ugly white Magnets and he claimed the dirt was "chain juice" which made them work better. Whatever, they looked ghastly.) Now that I have figured out that ground-in dirt can be cleaned out and the disc returned to as bright and shiny as new by using a product known as Goof Off, I would be open minded to using white.
I do clean my putters regularly, not just for appearance but because it restores a tacky feeling. Be careful if you use Goof Off to clean them because it will take the hotstamp off.
Weight is not important. I have had putters anywhere from 165 to 175. The only downside to lighter weights is how they fight the wind. I carry enough putters in my bag so there is always one which is heavy and overstable for wind duty.
I note and appreciate the little nicks and markings putters get from hitting the basket. I consider them badges of honor which improve the character of the disc. A putter doesn't get retired because it is too broken in, only if it fails to perform or becomes too concave (then it doesn't fit right in the hand).
Although I have tried a lot of different putters, the Magnet has been my mainstay through the years, with the Rattler coming on for putter duty only in the past couple years. I usually walk up to a putt with a towel and one Magnet and one Rattler in hand. I decide which putter to use and hold the towel and other putter in my off hand. I went to this format because I know I am too lazy, once I set up for a putt, to go back to my bag to change putters. Oh, and I practice putt holding a towel and extra discs so I don't want to change my routine.
I used to prefer hard putters. Some of you may remember the sticker Magnets. The hard Magnets lose a little tackiness as they age which is more noticeable in cold and wet. I try not to use a disc which needs to be replaced in bad conditions. Some runs of hard Magnets are on the soft side and some runs of Soft Magnets are on the hard side: these "Medium" Magnets are what I look for. There was a limited run of Rubber Magnets which are superb (medium, tacky and slightly concave)and are my main backups. Since becoming sponsored I have become much more picky, no doubt because I can be.
