How would you guys go about finding a new putter? Given that I can't really go to a fitting or try one for 1 or 2 weeks (At least not that I know of). What do you think the best way to go about it?

Currently I game the White Hot Odyssey OG 7s. It's a decent putter on slower greens for me but when I get on faster greens I just find it so hard to judge the pace. I actually feel like I'm decent with these types of feels in general so I'm quite surprised about this.

The problem I have with the putter it's for me a little to inconsistent of how it comes off the face. Sometimes it will just jump off the putter and having felt like I've not even touched it just flies by the hole. Then other times just feels like it comes off dead. With the insert being so soft I just find it hard to get anything from it as far as feedback wise but could also be the mass behind the putter or both.

I was actually messing about the other day and purposely hitting the ball out the toe of the putter obviously not ideal but I felt I could judge it a bit better and gave me a little bit more feedback.


Maybe if I can get some sort of shortlist I can go to a local American golf or pro shop and see if they have any of the putters in stock to try.

I don't really have any good suggestions but I'd start with that. Not sure how well stocked your golf shops are, here the large shops will have space for putting and a large selection of putters to try - hundreds in the larger stores.

I'm sure there is science behind putter optimization but I prefer to believe that all putters are cursed and it's their fault I'm lousy.

I used the iPing-app - it needs a cradle-thingy to fit your mobile to your putter and then it will measure stuff and give you recommendations for what putter you should get.

I got a Ping Anser 6 based on its recommendation over 10 years ago, love it and have never considered switching since.

I'm not sure just how accurate it is and there may be some placebo involved, but nothing wrong with placebo if it helps

I have a couple of places I can go to that have decent stock but will give it a while before I go as I want to have my confidence up a bit with the putter.

Has Masters TV coverage always started so late on the weekends? 3pm EST today and I think 2pm tomorrow. Maybe I'm usually golfing this weekend and don't notice.

Which jacket do you have?

Should be this one. For me it’s about blocking the wind with another thin layer.

https://www.footjoy.com/men/golf-app...WS_color=32659

So much of the new golf specific outerwear is really good and thin with the synthetic materials. Only downside is that it’s not cheap.

Looks good. I'll have to find something that zips all the way . Seems like I'm always taking the last layer off and putting it back on.

Paging @ntnBO

This may have been discussed in the past during one of the many flag in or flag out discussions, but if not......

The consensus on the PGA seems to be to always pull the flag when putting. I know some people still leave it in but they're in the minority. What I'm wondering is this - if they're pulling the flag on basically every putt, why aren't they also pulling it on every chip shot that will be rolling like a putt as it gets to the hole? I don't mean the shots that are going to skip and check(though even then I think a case could be made for pulling it), but the ones that are definitely going to be on the ground and rolling. If someone like Scheffler is just short of the green, has a straight forward chip of about 50', and is going to play more of a bump and run, why are they leaving the flag in?

I had this discussion Saturday during a round with a buddy, then on Sunday, playing with the same buddy, I had the above situation come up. I hit a great chip, had it going right at the hole, and it bounced off the stick. It was pretty windy and the flag was blowing and bending straight towards me, so I'm about 99% sure it was going in if the flag was out. Of course I stare at my buddy and he just shakes his head and says "we just talked about this yesterday and you still left it in. Dummy." If I'd have had that same distance for a putt I'm pretty certain I would've had the flag pulled.

Is it as simple as there just being a better chance of the pin stopping an errant shot than keeping one from going in? And I don't mean for your weekend hacker who has a better chance of skulling one, but for lower handicap golfers who are usually going to have the ball rolling somewhere around the right speed. I see them pull the flag all the time for short little chips from just off the green when they feel they have a good chance of making it, but not on anything longer than 15' or so. What am I missing?

I would think at some point the slight benefit of having the flag out to have the ball fall in is outweighed by having a visual depth and target reference for shots of that length.

an appropriate consideration
quite meaningful for target location
hence why we all can't quite cut through to the crust of the madder

Yes, it's more or less that simple.

Here's how I look at putting and chipping regarding the flagstick. Naturally on short putts I want the pin out because the hole is so close and it provides the proper visual, for me anyway. Most of the time I want the pin out on medium length putts because of the visual but also I know I can put the proper speed on it making leaving it in to stop a putt hit way too hard not necessary. But there are times on putts that are tricky or just play difficult that I prefer the pin in because I'm just not confident I can hit the putt with the right speed when it gets to the hole. In that situation I'm playing more defense than offense so I want the pin in the hole to stop a putt hit with poor speed. On long putts I'm always leaving the pin in because I'm simply trying to get it close and quite frankly, at my age it's more difficult to see the hole from 50 feet away. It's naturally more difficult to hit a 50 footer with proper speed than it is a 5 footer.

Chipping works the exact same way, if I have a short chip from a basic lie, I'm taking the pin out because I know how the ball will be rolling when it gets to the hole and it also creates the proper make visual in my mind. Extrapolating all the different types of shots from around the green you can see when I might take the pin out by applying the putting logic. If I'm confident I will hit the shot with the proper speed and I can clearly see the cup, I'll take the pin out. If I've got short shot from an unpredictable lie, I'll leave the pin in. There have been times where I've got a basic bunker shot where I'll take it out, but that's pretty rare.

So in the end, if you are confident you can hit the putt or chip with the proper speed, then it's OK to remove the pin. Otherwise leave it in. Now ask yourself, how often does that happen? It's pretty rare for a golfer worse than scratch or better to have total control of a chip shot. And the fact that you see the best players in the world rarely remove the pin for shots hit with a club other than a putter, and that should give you the answer.

tldr, leave the pin in.

That all makes sense, thanks for the thorough reply. My pin shall remain in.