The importance of the putter

The putter is an interesting golf club, and it’s unlike any other in your bag.

Some say putting is the most important part of the game. Others say it’s overrated, and statistics suggest that although 40% of your strokes during your round might occur with the short stick, your score is mostly determined by your tee shots and approach shots.

I believe the truth is somewhere in the middle. Putting is important, and it’s a part of the game where many golfers are throwing away shots unnecessarily (mostly through three putts). If you can figure out a way to control your speed and line more effectively, you will lower your score.

I’ve spoken to a couple of putter manufactures about this issue, and many of them claim that getting fit for your putter can be your best option for actually lowering your scores with equipment changes. They’ve seen dramatic jumps in performance with golfers who had their strokes analyzed, and then were given the right putter for their particular tendencies.

This was a bit surprising to me, but after seeing other results with equipment refinements I could see why this might be the case.

Just like with other clubs, if you are making your purchase decisions based on looks and marketing claims, you are throwing caution to the wind.