Golf For Beginners : When To Use The Putter ?

A putter is a club used in the sport of golf to make relatively short and low-speed strokes with the intention of rolling the ball into the hole from a short distance away. It is differentiated from the other clubs (typically irons and woods) by a clubhead with a very flat, low-profile, low-loft striking face, and by other features which are only allowed on putters, such as bent shafts, non-circular grips, and positional guides.
Putters are generally used from very close distances to the cup, generally on the putting green, though certain courses have fringes and roughs near the green which are also suitable for putting. While no club in a player's bag is absolutely indispensable nor required to be carried by strict rules, the putter comes closest. It is a highly specialized tool for a specific job, and virtually no golfer is without one.

 When To Use The Putter ?

The putter is the most used club in your bag and is also the most versatile. It can be used not only on the putting green but also areas like a flat bunker or the fringe. If you want to even use it from the fairway – go for it. Kathryn suggests not using it for a very long shot, but it is a club you can have the best contact with.
 
In choosing a putter, it’s all personal preference! There are mallet heads or blades. You can also choose larger grips as well. If you go to a pro shop or come in to the Haggin Oaks Super Shop you can test out many different putters. At Haggin Oaks, we even have an indoor putting green so you can practice and test new putters. Pretty awesome, right?
Just remember that your putter is your best friend and if you can start making putts, you’ll see your scores drop by a lot.

Remember your days playing putt-putt? The idea is the same on real grass. The putter rolls the ball along the ground and (eventually) into the hole. It’s the one club even beginning players usually have some experience using—and it’s the one where you can develop some skill the quickest. With just an hour or two of practice, you can learn how to save a half dozen shots per round.

What You Need to Know

• The putter’s flat face and short length makes it the easiest club in your bag to hit solidly. Don’t be afraid to use it even when you’re a few steps off the green and in the first cut of rough.

• The different slopes on the green will change where you need to aim and how hard you have to hit the putt to get it to the hole.

• The art of green reading—or predicting how your putt will curve—comes with practice, and perception.

• Watch what happens to your playing partners’ putts to get a preview of yours.