Our conclusions from a day testing 60 putters

Feel, feel, feel

We firmly believe in using technology and custom fitting when it comes to golf equipment. And there’s no doubt an expert can help suggest some good areas to look at when it comes to a new putter. But we’ve concluded that, in putters, feel trumps everything. If you believe a putter is for you then you’ve got a chance. If it doesn’t look or feel right then no matter how much it suits your stroke or has a great insert or alignment aid then you are always going to struggle.

Try long and short putts

Where do you struggle most? Holing out or to judge distance from long range? If it’s the former then you should at least experiment with a modern design. These putters are amazingly stable and can help take any twitches out of your stroke.
If it’s the latter then you might find a smaller head is easier to control when making a longer stroke. Then again, if you are missing the sweet spot more often than not then a model with a bit more forgiveness could well help.
The key is to experiment and make sure you are as happy with your new putter when tickling in a downhill three-footer as when clubbing one from the fringe of a slow green.

Weighty matters

Don’t confuse a large head with a heavy one, or a minimalist blade with a light one. It doesn’t necessarily work like that. In our experience, the opposite is often the case. Some people like a bit of weight in the head. Others find they are more smooth with a light head. Again, it’s crucial to try putters before buying.
Where the shaft enters the clubhead is arguably one of the most important things to consider aesthetically.

Grooves really work

When you hit thousands of putts with different clubs the difference in roll from putter to putter becomes noticeable. And generally speaking grooved putters created the quickest and effective roll. That’s not to say flat inserts and normal faces don’t roll it nicely.

Soft might not be good

Some of the more expensive putters on test are milled or forged from soft steel and, although this feels fantastic at impact, it comes off the blade slowly and makes getting the ball to the hole quite difficult. It also exaggerates your mis-hits as the toe and heel are both much firmer than the soft centre and this can affect distance control when you miss the sweet spot. If you play fast greens, there is nothing better.

Necks matter

Where the shaft enters the clubhead is arguably one of the most important things to consider aesthetically.
Heads of the same shape look dramatically different with different neck types, so make sure you try out a few and get the one that best suits your eye.