Is Your Putter Too Light?
Over the last 10 years, the average putter has gotten heavier (we’re talking about the club, not the person swinging it). 350 grams used to be hefty, but now it’s average. It’s much easier to find a putter head that exceeds 400 grams than one that’s close to 300.
We wanted to know if this change has helped golfers to putt better or not. Should you be seeking out the newest, heaviest putter or searching eBay for the lighter putters of yesteryear? We have the answers and the data here.
The Myths
Myth #1 – Heavier putters create smoother, more consistent putting strokes
Myth #2 – Heavier putters provide better distance control
Myth #3 – Heavier putters are better on short putts
Myth #4 – Each player has one perfect head weight
How We Tested
For this test, we used eight testers across two separate testing sessions. In both tests we used Edel fitting putters so that the putter shape, length, lie, loft, and grip could be held constant. The only change was the head weight. We used head weights of 325, 340, and 355 grams. Every tester used the head weights in a different, random order.
In the first session, we tested medium and long range putts, 20 and 40 feet. Each player hit 7 putts with each head at each distance, and we charted how far each putt ended up from the cup.
In the second session, we tested short putts – 8 feet – on SAM Puttlab. Each player hit 7 putts with each head weight, and every stroke was recorded on Puttlab.
Testing was done at, and with the help of, Club Champion.
The Results
Having evaluated both the SAM Puttlab data and the real world data, we found nothing to indicate that heavier putter heads improved consistency or the quality of the putting stroke.
SAM Puttlab produces a metric called “Overall Consistency,” and it was not universally higher for the heavier putter. We also looked at the individual measures of consistency – face angle, speed, path, rotation, and impact location – and saw the same mixed results.
On our long and mid-distance putts, heavier putters did not produce the smaller dispersions that would indicate superior consistency. Some players were better with the heavier putter, but just as many were better with the lighter putter.
Nothing in our testing indicated the heavier putters provided better distance control. In fact, on mid-range putts, the heaviest putter head performed the worst.
For the mid-length putt, half our testers performed best with the lightest putter and the other half were best with the mid-weight putter. This was true whether we looked at average distance remaining or median distance remaining.
For our long putt, the heavier putter fared better. Based on average distance remaining, half our testers were best with the heavy putter, half with the light putter. Looking at median distance remaining shifted some players from the light putter to the mid-weight.
We also looked at the dispersion of putts for each golfer. Again, there was no consistent pattern. As many golfers were best with the lighter putter as were best with the heavy or mid-weight putters.
Based on the simple (but obviously meaningful) metric of putts made, the heavy putter did perform better on short putts. 75% of our testers made the most putts with the heaviest putter head. The other 25% were best with the mid-weight head.
What makes this particularly interesting is that the SAM Puttlab data could not tell us why. Our testers were not more consistent with their face angle, path, rotation, impact location, or speed with the heavy head. However, the combination of inconsistencies with the heavy putter put the ball in the cup more often.
It should be noted that the difference between most players’ best and second best putter weight was often just one putt out of seven. While that’s not a lot, who wouldn’t want to make one more putt per round?
One of the most interesting things that we found in our testing is that golfers seem to perform best with different head weights at different distances. A golfer who liked a light putter for long putts may be best with a heavy putter on short putts or vice versa.
Within our mid and long range putts, only one golfer was best with the same weight, and he performed almost equally with two different weights at long range.
Conclusion
There are three things that we took away from this test. First, if you’re struggling with short putts, it does seem that a heavier putter is worth trying. Second, and most predictably, there is not one head weight that will make all golfers better. Being fit and testing different head weights is the best way to find what works for you. Finally, it is unlikely that any given putter will be the best for you at all distances. You may need to decide whether you want the ultimate short range putter or the one that lags everything to a foot. Or you may want to bag two putters.
Matt Saternus
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I went to heavier mallet and it drastically improved my putting inside 8′. Way more stable for my. YMMV
It makes sense to me that in general a heavier putter would hole out better on short putts even with no variation in the SAM data. Everything else being equal a heavier putter will have a higher MOI and so twist less on off center impacts, so with the same impact dispersion pattern the impacts that were most of center would be more likely to miss with the lighter putter even though everything about the stroke was the same.
I just recently purchased a see more mallet putter and it definetly helps me get the putt started on line much better. I don’t make all my putts but my misses finish much closer to the hole.
Heavier putters with more MOI are harder to get back on swing path once off that path. It’s a double edge sword situation.
Interesting – thanks, Matt. Although his distribution of product is extremely limited…..and I suppose people can take his opinions or leave them, but Dave Edel was commenting about putter weight in a recent You Tube on putter fitting. Let’s just say he was quite skeptical about the trend toward heavier putters.
Excellent article, as always
Thanks!
I have a twitch with my hand and finger muscles. I have had this forever and shows up in other activities beyond golf ( would not make it as a surgeon or dentist). I have overcome this condition by back weighting my putter with a piece of rebar in the shaft under the grip. This my allows me to use my shoulder muscles to putt and takes my twitchy muscles out of the stroke I also putt left hand low and am naturally left handed, but play golf right handed.
The results of this test were surprising to me. But, I don’t consider 355 grams a heavy putter. My sweet spot is 380 to 400 gram; and I’ve found I’m much improved over the lightest putters. The thing I’ve noticed most is quieter hands with a heavy putter: I tend to have my left wrist break down with lighter putters. There is another variable with my putters, though; that being the fact that I significantly counterbalance my putters. At any rate, im curious as to why a heavier putter than the 355 wasn’t used in the test. It would seem that could have yielded quite different results.
While your sample size was very small, it was still very interesting to me.
It all comes down to the golfer more than the equipment
Thanks
There is also the issue of backweighting. I hit the ball too hard on shorter putts with a heavy putter, but my distance control on long putts is terrible with a lighter putter. I solved it by adding an 80 gram backweight in a light face balanced putter. Now both lag putting distance control and short putting are good.
I believe it’s possible to get the advantages of a heavy putter and a light head feel by using a heavy counter balanced grip such as the well over 200 gram grips made by Arm-Lock Golf.
Thanks. Surprising results!
I went to a heavy putter in about 1981. (Zebra putter with broken carbide end mills used for weight.)
Really helped me on faster greens but back then 9-10 was very fast. I do not think anyone else ever like that putter but I went that way for same reason drivers went lighter… Replaced it a couple of years ago with an original Kesch that was very close in weight.
This old golfer remembers that some pros played a heavy putter on fast surfaces and lighter putters on slow surfaces. I guess that I read that some 35 years ago. I would guess that even if that were true, it would not matter now because I expect that the putting surfaces on the tour are all pretty fast (12 or more on the stint?).
I recently changed from a heavy putter to a light putter at first I didn’t like it now I’m comfortable with the change and I personally like the lighter putter, #SecretGiveaway
I prefer a heavier putter because I can feel the weight of the clubhead better. #SecretGiveaway
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Surprising and interesting article.
IMO 355G is still on the lighter side… There were companies that made putters in the 450g to 800g plus range as well. Similar tests along with many years of club fitting showed remarkable improvement with tighter roll along the target line. Head models, lengths contributed to the better feels from distance and improvement inside of 10′. Thank you for the article.. Can you conduct this same test with clubs of heavier weight.
I was struggling with making 4 and 6 foot putts so I went to a heavy putter the Cure RX3 and it has made me a better putter. I use to pull a lot of putts but with the heavy weight it seems that the swing is smoother and I am putting straighter. They claim MOI is better with a heavy putter, I am forced to agree with them.
Agree 100% with the heavier putter. I use a Cure RX6 at 500 grams & a L2 at 620 grams and am deadly inside 5’ & tap in from inside 15’. Both of these putters have a large MOI so twisting is eliminated. I play on fast greens from 9-11 on a regular basis & find distance much easier to control than with a lighter putter. I will drop my RX6 to around 300 grams on slow greens to help with feel, but fast greens require light touch & the heavy weight provides that for me. If I could hit a few more GIR I could shoot more subpar rounds. I have won 3 state putting titles so for me it works. If you try a heavy putter you have to practice and stick with it & you will be surprised how much your feel will improve.
Nice article. I found it all very interesting. I have been seeking answers for years. In the amateur golf world I am above average at putting but want to be able to drop in one or two more per nine. I had an early version of the taylormade spider a few years back. I was sinking twenty footers but sucked with short putts. Guy at local golf shop suggested fatter grip to get short putts in order. Tried that and then I couldn’t make any putts from anywhere. Had a TW nike method blade putter. Did so so from everywhere on the green. There is currently a ping sigma 2 tyne stealth putter in my bag. It is a fang mid mallet with mid weight. I am a sniper from downtown. I feel like I am in full control from far away. I make one occasionally and put them all within 1.5-2 feet. I usually put a firm stroke on these hits. When it comes to Mid putts I get close, make some but not as many as I would like or think I am capable of. With short putts I miss more than I think I should. I think I try to slow the stroke down too much and lack flow allows the hands and wrists to get busy. The pressure seems higher on short ones because they matter a lot and should go in. I am looking forward to trying a ping 2021 Harwood this golf season for its “maximum forgiveness”. I thought it might help because lately I am an every other weekend 9 hole warrior. Is a big mallet a move in the right or wrong direction considering my circumstances? More practice? Ping Harwood vs odyssey 2 ball ten triple track vs ping tomcat 14 vs 2ball triple track who wins? How many more putts will I really drop if I upgrade to a high moi mallet? Any other suggestions?
Joshua,
The best advice I can give you is to get fit. High MOI mallets are only good if they fit you’re putting stroke. Your fitter might also show you some options you’re not currently thinking about, like LAB putters.
Best,
Matt
I believe you can make anything work if you use it long enough. I personally like heavier putters with weighted grips. It makes a more consistent stroke for me and my putting is more predictable.
I think your test methodology is flawed and was designed to give you the result you wanted before the testing began. Most good putters do not use wrists and rely on the larger muscles. Longer test periods were needed to get better data.
There was no testing with low, med, and high handicappers over longer periods, so meh.
Donald,
I look forward to reading the results of your long term studies with “low, med, and high handicappers”.
-Matt
I am probably the world’s worst putter so I was very interested in your analysis of heavy putters in the hopes learning something helpful. While it seemed like it was a well controlled study, I don’t think it is at all that accurate and more importantly a bit misleading. I have tried every type of putter; blade, mallet, long, short, fat grips etc. with little success. I have tried all the conventional grips; left hand low, pencil grip claw grip and some I have invented myself. In all fairness, I know two of my problems are not staying still and taking the putter back outside the line. These should be easy fixes, but apparently not by me. Several years ago I purchased a Boccieri heavy putter A1-M which has been living in my garage. I apparently didn’t like it then, but I recently took it out to give it another try. I’ve been using it for about two weeks and I have turned into a pretty decent putter. A lot in your testing talked about long puts, short puts, fast greens and slow greens and I have used it on both. I have no problem with distance on either in fact my distance control is infinitely better than when I used one of my standard putters. Probably the biggest advantage I have seen is with the 5 and 6 footers. With my standard putters I was probably making three or four out of ten – I’m now up to about eight out of ten and my three putts are rare. I think the weight of the putter helps the tempo of the stroke and keeps the wrists and hands quiet. It works for me and I think your “busted myths” aren’t all that scientific and may be a disservice to others like myself.
You spent a lot of time writing a comment for someone who didn’t take the time to actually read the article.
-Matt
I just cut down a Ping B90 Long Putter to 33″ and have actually added 28 grams of total weight to slightly increase the MOI and also increase the total head weight to maybe 450 G. Love this head and the putter is easier to keep online. The now regular putter has an 80 degree lie angle – I’ve always preferred putters with more upright lie angles. Touch / distance control seems to be no problem.