The Golf Swinger Doctor

Updated: March 26, 2025

In golf, your putter is your power. After you’ve driven your golf ball as far as you can off the tee and chip it onto the green, it’s time to pull out the putter. This is where the feel for the club becomes so important, because you need to have a deft touch to caress the ball into the hole. Putters typically feature a very flat striking face, a bent shaft and non-circular grips that play a key role in getting the ball to the hole with confidence.

Since the putter is used during what can be considered the most important moments of a golf game, it is very important to choose the one that is going to give you the right swing. You’ll be using most often out of all of the clubs in your golf bag, so make sure to make your decision count. Here are the things you should look for when trying to find the right golf putter:

Design of the Head:

The head design you prefer is highly influenced by your signature stroke. There are three types of putter head design: blade, peripheral-weighted and mallet. If you have more of a straight putting stroke and consider yourself a precise player, a blade putter is your best choice. If you have intermediate skills, the peripheral-weighted putter features longer, thinner blades as well as additional weight in the heel to allow for a greater level of forgiveness for your stroke. If you are new to the game, a mallet putter contains a lot of alignment aids that assists with improving performance.

Balance Type:

If you have a straight-back-straight-through putting stroke, a face-balance putter is ideal for you due to its face that looks upward. If you have an arc in your putting stroke, a toe-balanced putting is the best choice for you.

Putter Face:

There are three types of putter faces: metal-faced, insert-faced and groove-faced. Metal-faced putters are best for players looking for a controlled feel. Insert-faced putters re-distribute the weight of the putter, allowing more forgiveness on the stroke.

Length:

The length of the putter plays a key role in determining the quality of consistency in your stroke. The minimum required length is 18 inches. Ideally, your arms should hang naturally when you are about to putt so that there is no strain. There are two legal shaft lengths: traditional and long. The most commonly used is traditional, which ranges from 32-26 inches in length. If you have the tendency of breaking your wrists through the stroke, an arm-lock putter is best for you.

Grip:

The grip is the part of the putter that you touch, so it is important that it is comfortable for you. Putter grips can vary in thickness, shape, weight, length and materials. Firmer grips lessen the impact creating more feedback, while softer grips enhance rhythm and provide less feedback. A longer grip allows you more range of where you prefer to hold the putter, allowing you to distribute your weight according to what’s comfortable for your swing. Thicker grips, which are extremely popular, eliminating the influence of your finger and wrist which provides opportunity for a larger margin of error.