Breaking Down Putter Design: Head Types, Hosel Styles, and Alignment Aids
A comprehensive guide to understanding the key components of a putter.
by Jake Tingey & Judd Lyon · Updated: 5/1/23
When it comes to golf, the putter is arguably the most important club in your bag. A good putter can make all the difference in your score, and putter design plays a key role in how well you're able to sink those crucial putts.
In this article, we'll break down the key components of putter design, including head types, hosel styles, alignment aids, and shaft length. By understanding the impact of each of these elements on your putting stroke, you'll be better equipped to choose a putter that suits your game and helps you sink more putts.
Key Takeaways
- Putter head types impact performance and cater to golfer preferences
- Hosel styles affect alignment and suit different putting strokes
- Alignment aids and shaft length influence accuracy and posture
Head Design
The head of a putter is the most visible and defining component of its design. It significantly impacts the putter's performance and the golfer's ability to sink putts. There are several different types of putter head designs, including:
- Blade: A blade putter is a traditional putter design often favored by golfers who prefer a classic look and feel. Blade putters have a thin, flat face and a simple design with minimal perimeter weighting. They offer more feel and control on shorter putts but can be less forgiving on longer putts.
- Mallet: A mallet putter is a more modern design that offers forgiveness and stability. Mallet putters typically have a larger head with perimeter weighting that distributes the weight around the edges of the putter. This design provides more stability and forgiveness on off-center hits and longer putts.
- Cavity Back: A cavity back putter is a mallet putter with a cavity or indentation on the back of the putter head. This design distributes the weight towards the heel and toe of the putter, increasing the moment of inertia (MOI) and providing more stability and forgiveness.
- Insert Face: An insert face putter has a soft insert in the face of the putter that helps reduce skidding and promotes a smoother roll. This design offers more feel and control on shorter putts but can be less forgiving on longer putts.
- Perimeter Weighting: Perimeter weighting is a design feature that distributes the weight around the edges of the putter head. This design increases the MOI and provides more stability and forgiveness on off-center hits.
Each putter head design has its own advantages and disadvantages, and the best one for you will depend on your putting stroke, preferences, and playing style.
Hosel Design
The hosel of a putter is the part that connects the shaft to the putter head. The hosel's design can significantly impact the putter's performance and the golfer's ability to sink putts. There are several different types of hosel designs, including:
- Plumber's Neck: A plumber's neck hosel is a popular design with a bend near the putter head that creates a slight offset. This design helps golfers with an arcing putting stroke by positioning the hands slightly ahead of the putter head.
- Double Bend: A double bend hosel is a design with two bends, one near the putter head and one near the grip. This design helps golfers with a straighter putting stroke by positioning their hands directly over the putter head.
- Straight: A straight hosel is a simple design that has no bend. This design provides a clean, classic look and is often favored by golfers who prefer a traditional putter design.
Each hosel design has its own advantages and disadvantages, and the best one for you will depend on your putting stroke, preferences, and playing style. By understanding the impact of different hosel designs on your putting stroke, you can choose a putter that complements your style and helps you sink more putts.
Alignment Aids
Alignment aids are features on a putter that help golfers align the putter head and line up their putts more accurately. They are an important component of putter design and can significantly impact a golfer's ability to sink putts. There are several different types of alignment aids, including:
- Sight Lines: Sight lines are lines on the top of the putter head that help golfers aim the putter and line up their putts more accurately. They are often straight lines that run perpendicular to the putter face and help golfers align the putter head with the target line.
- Dots: Dots are small marks on the top of the putter head that help golfers aim the putter and line up their putts more accurately. They are often used with sight lines to help golfers align the putter head with the target line.
- Parallel Lines: Parallel lines are two lines on the top of the putter head that help golfers align the putter and line up their putts more accurately. They are often used with sight lines and dots to create a more precise aiming system.
Each alignment aid has its own advantages and disadvantages, and the best one for you will depend on your putting stroke, preferences, and playing style. By understanding the impact of different alignment aids on your putting stroke, you can choose a putter that helps you aim more accurately and sink more putts.
Shaft Length
The length of the shaft on a putter can have a significant impact on a golfer's ability to sink putts. It can affect the golfer's posture, alignment, and stroke mechanics. Several different shaft lengths are available for putters, ranging from 32 to 36 inches. Some putters also come with adjustable shaft lengths.
The suitability of a shaft length depends on the golfer's height, posture, and putting stroke. A golfer who is taller or has a more upright posture may benefit from a longer shaft, while a golfer who is shorter or has a more crouched posture may benefit from a shorter shaft.
Choosing the right shaft length for your putting stroke is crucial to achieving a consistent and reliable stroke. The best way to determine the right shaft length for you is to get fitted by a professional or experiment with different shaft lengths on the putting green. By finding the right shaft length for your putting stroke, you can improve your alignment, posture, and stroke mechanics and sink more putts on the green.
Putter Design: An Essential Element
Putter design is an essential element of any golfer's game, and understanding the impact of different design features can help you choose a putter that complements your style and helps you sink more putts. In this article, we have explored the different aspects of putter design, including head design, hosel styles, alignment aids, and shaft length.
Each of these design elements can significantly impact your putting stroke. By understanding the advantages and disadvantages of each, you can choose a putter that is best suited for your game. Remember that selecting the right putter is a personal decision, and what works for one golfer may not work for another.
We encourage you to experiment with different putter designs, try out different models on the putting green, and find the one that feels most comfortable and effective for you. By finding the right putter design for your game, you can improve your putting performance and take your game to the next level.