|  Tour
Players, Instructors and avid golfers realize the importance of
a computerized swing analysis, and now the entire golf world can
benefit from a computerized putting stroke analysis and custom
fitted putters.
Just as irons and woods should be custom fit
to an individual's stance and swing, so should your putter. And,
while the importance of a putter that looks good at address cannot
be overstated, a properly fit putter can have a dramatic effect
on putting performance.
 One
should note however that there exist two schools of thought as
it relates to custom putter fitting - Static Fitting and Motion
Fitting. This article will not debate the merits of either but
simply explain and inform the consumer of these two types of systems
currently available to them.
There are three companies that offer custom fitting
- PING, Putter Fitting Inc. (Bettinardi Golf ex VP Dave De John)
and Titleist's Scotty Cameron Division. While Titleist and Putter
Fitting Inc. offer computer analysis, of which Titleist is totally
unavailable to the general public, PING offers both a static fitting
through their web site and through the use of their proprietary
Fitting Gauge.
It should be noted that both of these types of
putter-fitting systems have produced some of the highest percentages
of Tour wins for their companies.
 PING
putters can be professionally fit at those PING retailers that
have the PING Putter Fitting System. PING-trained fitters who
understand all the variables involved in putter fitting, staff
these retailers. They also have a variety of different putter
models and designs that can help golfers with specific types of
putting strokes.
This system utilizes the PING Putter Fitting
Gauge and three different length-fitting putters (33", 35",
and 37") calibrated to the standard lie angle and loft specifications
for the fitter to use as a benchmark during the fitting.
The fitter first determines the proper length
by having you assume your normal address position with one of
the 3 different length-fitting putters. Golfers with back problems
may benefit from the more upright posture a longer putter allows,
while golfers who prefer a crouched posture may benefit from a
shorter putter. Most PING putters are available in lengths ranging
from 30" to 42" in fractional increments.
 Your
preferred hand position and the length of the putter determine
lie angle. Having the proper lie angle enhances your ability to
square up the putter to the target line. During this step, it
is important that you use the same putter, gripped at the same
length, as was used to originally determine the final length of
the putter. While you are in the putter address position, the
fitter can read the proper shaft angle from the Putter Fitting
Gauge. Most PING putters with hosels can be adjusted as much as
8° upright or 8° flat. Putters with curved shafts can
also be adjusted, but to a lesser extent.
Loft plays an important role in helping to get
the ball rolling, and tracking, along the intended line. PING
putters have a standard loft of 3°, which is optimal for most
putting surfaces. However, golfers who play on slower greens may
benefit from putters with additional loft, while golfers who play
on faster greens may benefit from less loft.
Additionally, your preferences for hand position
and type of stroke influence the effective loft at impact. For
example, a player with a pronounced forward press may need a putter
with more loft since this hand position will reduce the effective
loft at impact. The fitter uses the Gauge to measure effective
loft at address, then observes the golfer's stroke to determine
the effective loft at impact. Since the ball comes off the putter
face at a higher angle when struck firmly, and a lower angle when
struck lightly, there is no ideal loft for every length putt.
For most players, playing a putter with standard loft is the best
compromise for putts of all lengths.
Grip style is also important since each has its
own profile that not only fits differently in your hand, but also
can actually encourage a certain type of putting stroke. Based
on your preferences, the fitter can make a recommendation that
will enhance your putting stroke.
Golfers who prefer a pendulum-type stroke may
benefit from a deeper profile, which will reduce wrist action
and encourage the golfer to swing more with his or her arms and
shoulders. Two such grips are the Palm Lock and the new Finger
Lock.
Golfers who prefer a "wristy" stroke
usually prefer a smaller grip diameter to encourage the release
during the stroke. These grips include the Textured Spiral and
the new Karsten Smooth and Karsten Etched grips.
Although a putter is usually selected based on
aesthetics, putters are also designed to help golfers who prefer
certain types of putting strokes. Designs can be categorized based
on the balance angle of the face when the club is suspended with
the shaft oriented horizontally. This angle is most influenced
by the way in which the hosel or shaft is attached to the head
of the putter.
The designs are described as ranging from more
face- balanced, where the face of the putter points up, to more
heel-shafted, where the toe points down.
Players who prefer an inside-to-square stroke,
or those who tend to "pull" putts, may benefit from
a heel-shafted putter like the Zing2TM, Pal2TM or Anser4TM.
Players who prefer a pendulum-type stroke, or
those who tend to "push" putts, may benefit from a face-balanced
putter, like the Darby or the Ally3.
As mentioned earlier, the only other computerized
putter fitting system currently available to the golfing public
is Putter Fitting, Inc.'s new system. Dave De John, formerly a
vice-president of Bettinardi Golf (one of the top three putter
manufacturers) and inventor of this new system, is releasing his
first computerized putting stroke analyzer in August. The Putter
Fitting, Inc.'s system is available for use with all other putter
manufacturers products.
The system was designed with both accuracy and
simplicity in mind. Even though total fitting time is less than
five minutes start to finish, it provides enough information to
accurately identify the player's loft, lie, squareness, hand and
ball position and tendencies.
The system works by using a Digital Image Transferring
camera, which captures the individual's putting stroke and putter
head position at the time of ball impact. The images are then
sent via the Internet (email) to Putter Fitting, Inc.'s corporate
office where trained technicians through the use of state of the
art software run a complex analysis on the images. An email is
then sent back to the retailer identifying the player's specs
along with specific putter recommendations based on the individual's
tendencies. This recommendation is determined after analyzing
specific factors based on information supplied by Dr. Jim Suttie
2000 PGA Instructor of the Year.
De John's philosophy: Why is it important to
have a putter fit to an individual's putting style? If the toe
of the putter is not level and is either up or down, it can immediately
misdirect the ball off line. If the individual's putter is not
square at impact, it can also immediately misdirect the ball off
line. If the loft of the putter is wrong (most putters have 4
degrees loft), the ball can immediately go airborne or be driven
into the ground, which will cause the ball to bounce. When the
ball makes contact with the ground it can skip, hop or skid which
can affect the speed of the ball. Improper loft can easily misdirect
the ball off line when it comes back in contact with the ground.
How important is the loft? Using baseball or softball as an example,
if you were playing shortstop, what would be easier to judge,
a ball hit to you in the air or a hard ground ball that bounces
2 or 3 times before it gets to you? The problem with the ground
ball is every time the ball bounces it can easily change directions
or speed, you never know what it's going to do or where it's going
to go. The same principle applies to improper loft on a putter,
if the ball leaves the ground it can very easily be misdirected
when it makes contact with the ground.
The simplicity of the system is one of the most
important factors that make it beneficial to both the retailer
and the individual golfer. A specially designed putting surface
manufactured exclusively for Putter Fitting, Inc. guarantees consistent
ball reaction through every one of the retailers (which assures
an accurate analysis from one retailer to another).
The system works by simply placing the camera
on the ground at the predetermined locations and viewed on the
computer monitor. The retailer clicks on the "fitting icon"
(with the mouse) on the computer screen. Within seconds an image
of a TV set appears displaying a live image from the camera when
the individual is ready is to putt. The retailer simply clicks
on the start button (with the mouse). The recording automatically
stops and resets for the next putt. It's that simple. The putting
images are captured from three locations, taking 3 putts from
each location (a total of 9 sample putts). The images are then
emailed to Putter Fitting, Inc. for analysis. Total fitting time
is the length of time it takes for an individual to take 9 putts.
Those retailers who carry these fitting systems
offer either of these two systems at no cost to the consumer.
For the PING retailers, the PING Putter Fitting Gauge is supplied
free of charge while the Putting Fitting Inc.'s system cost the
retailer $395. For those retailers who do have both systems, the
consumer should be advised to try both and see the results from
each system. Hopefully the blending of the two results will give
the consumer an even more exact fit.
Putter Fitting, Inc.
6621 Linden Drive
Oak Forest, Illinois 60452
708-687-8300 / 708-687-1608
www.putterfitting.com
PING, Inc.
P.O. Box 82000
Phoenix, Arizona 85071-2000
1.800.4.PING.FIT
www.pinggolf.com
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