The Putter for You

We had a reader email us with a great question this morning. Our reader wants to find out the difference between a face-balanced and a toe-weighted putter and what type of stroke fits each model. The different putter styles are in fact designed to suit different putting strokes. The easiest way to tell the difference …

We had a reader email us with a great question this morning. Our reader wants to find out the difference between a face-balanced and a toe-weighted putter and what type of stroke fits each model. The different putter styles are in fact designed to suit different putting strokes.

The easiest way to tell the difference between a face-balanced putter and a toe-weighted putter is to balance the putter on your index finger with the shaft and let the head fall to its natural position. If the face sits parallel to the ground facing the sky it is a face-balanced putter. If the toe of the putter hangs toward the ground it is a toe-weighted putter.

A face-balanced putter is better suited for a player with a straight-back, straight-through putting stroke. This is the method of putting taught by some teachers, notably by Dave Pelz. Most mallet, and oversize putters on the market are face-balanced. Another indicator is to look at your misses, if you tend to push your putts you may want to look at a face-balance model.

On the other hand, a face-balanced putter is better suited for a player with a gate in their stroke, the face opens up on the backswing and closes on the follow through. This method is subscribed to by Scotty Cameron as well as many of the world’s best putters. Most blade style putters like the Ping Anser, Scotty Cameron Newport, etc. are toe-weighted. A player who tends to pull their putts may also want to consider a toe-weighted model.

Most pros will tell you that there is no right or wrong way to putt but matching a putter head with your stroke can definitely help you out!