Quote:
Originally Posted by tmtp
I had my putter fitted for me through the Taylor Made performance lab. I definitely noticed that there was a increase in distance control, mainly because they discovered that I needed a little less loft on the face due to keeping my hands behind the ball. As a result of this, I was able to see, through super slow motion cameras, the ball take a big hop at impact and two smaller bounces before the ball started rolling. After the subtle adjustment, the ball took a much smaller hop and then started rolling much faster, this made it easier to control how far it went, especially on longer putts where I had to hit the ball a bit harder.
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Or you could do what I do and simply move the ball a tiny bit further back in your stance on long putts which accomplishes the exact same thing.
And why is this true?
Because of my basic setup which is quite open. My normal setup does not lend itself to generating a whole lot of power but is rather geared more for overall control. Consequently, when I need to add a bit of punch to a long putt, I have to bring the ball further back in my stance in order to create the power I need which illustrates my point in this argument - that a "fitted" putter will only work if the player's swing remains constant and unchanging.
In my case, I move ball position, stance and body angle so frequently that a fitting would be pointless for someone like me. What would I use as a benchmark or an index point? And how does all of that carefully thought-out geometry change when I change my stance or ball position?
I didn't say that fitting was a bad idea, I just said that fitting wouldn't work for me and would be rather pointless because I'm always changing my setup to suit the situation. As for my "regular" clubs, that's a whole 'nother issue. With the "full-swing" clubs, you're looking for consistency and an overall feel that doesn't vary from club to club because the overall setup doesn't vary. As far as soft-stepping (or hard-stepping) that's stricly about feel. Soft-stepping simply offers the feeling of a bit more flexibility in the tip section without altering the overall flex of the shaft.
And the best way to describe wedge grinds is to draw an analogy to a well worn and very comfortable pair of shoes. The heels, the soles and the insoles all feel comfy because the sharp edges and pinch points have all worn to fit your foot. Grinding a wedge is an attempt to get that comfy feeling in a golf club.
But all of that has to do with feel. My lofts and lies are fitted to me and my game as are my shaft flexes. But when it comes to a putter - at least in my case - I change the conditions with it so often that a fitting would be a waste of time.
-JP