Why you should check how much loft you have on your putter
Chewing the fat at NCG Towers the other day, one of my colleagues was saying he has 4° of loft on his putter and another colleague was intrigued. Putter loft? It’s a good question, and not all golfers actually know why.
When we buy new drivers, fairway woods or even irons, a key thing people are always eager to find out is what loft is correct for them. The adjustability available in most woods now means manufacturers can alter the lofts to match your specific swing.
But one thing people often forget about is putter loft.
So why is putter loft important?
Loft is needed on a putter because as the ball rests on the green it pushes down slightly into the grass. The loft is therefore needed to lift the ball up and on to the surface for an end-over-end smooth roll.
If you have too little loft on your putter it will drive the ball into the green making it difficult to get it rolling quickly. Too much loft and ball will hop on impact and skid more before rolling out.
Scotty Cameron say the perfect amount of putter loft to use is 3.5° as this is optimum for lifting the ball up and onto the surface for a smooth roll. Whereas Odyssey choose to use 3° of loft on their putters instead – loft that comes set on the putter is called static loft.
Nearly all golfers either add or take away loft at impact due to their stroke tendencies – this is known as dynamic loft.
The graphic below displays data collected on SAM Puttlab. You can see the static putter loft is set at 3°. As the player is pulling their hands back at impact, however, they are adding loft which makes the dynamic loft (below called effective) 5.4°.
Having the correct amount of loft allows you to produce the correct launch angle. You can see on the image, because the loft is too great, it is generating backspin. This is not ideal to say the least – the best putters use topspin to generate a true roll and get the ball to stay on line.
This is why it is so important to get custom fit for your putter. Phil Mickelson has been known to use up to 7° on his putter. As he has such a severe forward press, his dynamic loft comes down to 4°. That’s the loft he feels he putts best with.
Anyway I hope that helps and if you have any questions please feel free to put them in the comments below, or you can tweet me.
Here’s some equipment releases that have caught my eye this week…
Motocaddy launch M-tech
Motocaddy have announced a new addition to their range of products – the M-tech. This sits within the current M-series and is now available in limited quantities.
This is designed to be a premium, super-compact folding trolley. It features a super-lightweight 36 hole lithium battery, automatic downhill control, an electronic parking brake, adjustable distance control as well as many other additional features.
The aesthetics have also been updated to provide luxury detailing, such as hand-stitched genuine leather handle grips, a sunlight friendly, full colour LCD screen, polished chrome detailing and carbon-fibre styling.
Keep your eye out on NCG for a full review coming soon…
The trolley is now available and will retail at £1,199.99. More information can be found on the Motocaddy website.
Bushnell to provide Pro XE Lasers for Solheim Cup
The European Solheim Cup team are partnering with Bushnell and using the Bushnell Pro XE Laser during their practice rounds at Gleneagles in September.
The big technology in this model is ‘Slope with Elements’, which adds temperature and air density to the Slope technology we’ve been used to in previous Bushnell models.
In fact, the Slope system has been improved all round, with the company saying a new algorithm, updating ball flight measurements, gives a much sharper angle of descent over previous versions.
The Pro XE is has an RRP of £449 and you can find out more on the Bushnell website.
No. 1 iron model at all five LPGA majors
At the conclusion of the AIG Women’s British Open it was confirmed the Ping i210 irons were the No. 1 model at all five LPGA majors in the 2019 season.
Among the players gaming them was champion Hinako Shibuno, who had a full bag of Ping equipment in play for her win.
A 7-under-par final round saw Lizette Salas finish in solo 2nd, she also had Ping i210 irons in the bag. The American has already qualified for the Solheim Cup, where she will be representing Team USA for a fourth time.
FedEx Cup Play-Offs putter covers
Finally, take a look at these snazzy headcovers Odyssey have handed out to their staff players to use throughout the FedExCup Play-offs.
I’ll take one please…
The Road to the Cup begins now 🚚 Keep an eye out for these 🔥headcovers in the bags of Odyssey users tomorrow and throughout the #FedExCup playoffs. NJ ✈️ IL ✈️ GA pic.twitter.com/9m79FdC9ti
— Odyssey Golf (@odysseygolf) August 7, 2019
Hannah Holden
Hannah Holden is the Equipment and Instruction Editor here at National Club Golfer. If you’re looking to improve your game, by changing your golf swing or upgrading your golf equipment she’ll have the answers.
As well as writing lots of features and reviews you can find her on our YouTube channel giving you insights on the latest rules, clubs and tips to improve your golf game.
Hannah is a member at Alwoodley golf club. You will either find her here or driving up and down the country playing in a variety of elite amateur events.
