It is no longer uncommon for golfers be custom fit when buying new irons or woods. But, now getting custom fit into a putter is still something the majority of golfers are unaccustomed to. So I headed down to Leeds Golf Centre to meet Nick Sharples from Titleist. I went through a full Scotty Cameron putter fitting to learn about how it can benefit your game.
You can see how I get on in the video above, or if you’d prefer to read about it then head to the next page…
Scotty Cameron putter fitting: Current setup
Before the fitting I had a Titleist Scotty Cameron Futura 6M putter in the bag which had recently replaced my previous Scotty Cameron Select Newport 2.
I felt the mallet putter I had recently put in the bag gave me more stability over the blade putter so I was really keen to be fitted into a mallet again.
Scotty Cameron putter fitting: Looking at my stroke
The first part of the fitting involved Nick finding out about my putting and what tendencies I see on the golf course.
He also asked me if there is anything I am working on or any particular areas I would like to improve. Personally I feel like my holing out is good and pretty consistent, I struggle more on long putts and often leave them short.
The main thing to understand about a Scotty Cameron fitting is that they don’t use any technology to measure data from your stroke. The only thing they look at is slow motion videos. They very much have the philosophy that they want to get you in the best posture to allow you to create the best stroke from this neutral position.
Scotty Cameron putter fitting: The length
I had been using a 33-inch putter. But, from looking at my set-up and videos of my stroke Nick recommended going half an inch shorter.
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With the longer putter my stance was slightly too upright which brought my eyes too far inside the target line. A slightly shorter putter improved the position of my eye line over the ball.
Nick also showed me slow motion videos of the ball through impact, this allowed us to look at the quality of the roll and check I had the correct amount of loft on the putter. All putters require a small amount of loft as when the ball sits on the putting green it actually sits in a slight depression in the grass.
The loft on the putter is used to lift the ball out of this depression and start the ball rolling. The objective is to get as reduce skid and get the ball rolling smoothly as soon as possible.
Scotty Cameron putter fitting: The model
After selecting the putter length and checking what loft was suitable we started looking at the different models available. There was a choice between the Select range or the new Phantom X range. I was instantly drawn to the new Phantom X range. Due to it being a range of high MOI mallets, similar to the Futura 6M putter I currently have in play.
But what is a high MOI putter? MOI stands for moment of inertia, this is basically a measurement of how much the putter twists when you hit a putt with an off-centre strike. The higher the MOI the less the putter twists if struck off-centre, effectively increasing the size of the sweet spot and allowing the ball to set off online more consistently. We are seeing more and more high MOI putters being put in play on tour showing their growing popularity.
A big factor of getting the right putter is choosing the correct shaft bend to complement your stroke. What many people don’t realise is that the amount of toe flow a putter has is all down to the shaft type. There are three shaft options offered across the new Phantom X line, low-bend, mid-bend and straight.
As the putter moves on an arch, everyone needs some toe flow to allow the putter face to come back to impact square. The amount of toe flow you require depends on how much face rotation you have in your stroke. This is influenced by how much arch you have in your stroke.
Getting the correct amount of toe flow to match your stroke will reduce any tendency to manipulate the putter face. Manipulation often happens with your hands in the stroke.
If you have a big arch you need more toe flow. Whereas, if you only have a slight arc to your stroke you want to look at a face balanced putter instead.
Scotty Cameron putter fitting: My new putter
A key thing that drew me to the Phantom X 12 was how easily I could accurately line the putter up to my target. I think the continuous alignment lines, which frame the side of the golf ball, really helped with this.
I also liked the fact the aircraft aluminium used for the face construction extends all the way back into the putter.
Watch out for my full review of the Phantom X 12 putter coming soon on NCG…
Have you had a putter fitting? Let us know on X!
More information can be found on the on the Scotty Cameron website.Â
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