Head Shape and Your Putting Stroke
The shape of your putter head can help or hurt your ability to make more putts. Surprisingly enough, this simple characteristic has proven to be a vital part of the putter purchasing process. Not only does this mean how the putter appears to you visually and how that affects your perception and confidence, but also how easy or difficult it is to aim the putter properly. This topic goes beyond a blade or a mallet and with some help from our friends at Edel Golf and their new Array Putter line we’ll break it all down.
If you haven’t already read our topic on choosing a blade or mallet putter we recommend you hop over to that topic before continuing to read the rest of this one, and then come back to us here. As far as aiming is concerned, the differences between a mallet and a blade really come down to the visuals and where those visuals are trying to direct your attention. With a blade style putter, like the B-1, your brain doesn’t have a lot to process, and it’s easy to focus on the relationship between the back of the putter and the face of the putter. This is great for players who are very reliant on their putting stroke to take care of their start line rather than relying on the alignment features of the head. Blade style putters are also usually going to feel a little bit more closed at address because there isn’t as much visual attention drawing you back away from the face of the putter. This works well for players who feel very in control of their putting stroke and have a consistent path.
As we stated, a mallet putter like the Array F-Series also leaves more room for alignment features. Something as simple as an extension of a sightline can be really helpful for golfers who like to visualize their putting stroke using the sightline throughout the putting stroke. Having a larger sightline, or other alignment features, allow players to visually maintain that alignment through the entire stroke by seeing that alignment feature stay “on track” through impact of their putt. Golfers who struggle to maintain the relationship of the face of their putting to their intended start line can really benefit from this sort of help.
There are also more subtle ways that shaping can affect your aim. The sharper the lines and corners are on the putter, the more you’re going to notice the head, and allow the head to aid in your alignment. The smoother the lines are, the more you’re relying on your skill level and putting stroke to accomplish a good putt. Sharper lines and corners can frame the ball more in specific areas of the head, particularly when it comes to blade style putters. Smoother lines are often preferred by players who like to see the putter head blend into the putting surface a little bit more. They want to feel like the head is blending in and not interfering with their visuals on the putting green.
Thanks to our friends at Edel Golf for sending us their new line of Array Putters and Breakthrough Golf Technology for providing the Stability putter shafts you see used to help demonstrate. Click either logo above for more information on the equipment used or to purchase your own!