How Many Putters Should I Own?

Written by Todd in Online Golf Instruction

Golfers often fall into two different camps when it comes to golf putters.

  • The first group has their one putter that they have used for the last 10-20 years.  They love this putter and it has been tested and tried out and they would never change.
  • The second group might change a putter every round and there is always the possibility that this golfer owns 5-25 putters which are sitting in a basement or garage.  These golfers never seem happy or content with their putting and often look for a different feel or look to help improve their putting results.
Some golfers might own 50-100 putters!

How Many Putters Should I Own?

We would recommend that every golfer own at least 2 putters.  This provides an opportunity to change things up when the putter is struggling to give the golfer a different feel or visual while standing over the golf ball.

Golfers ultimately have to carry a certain level of confidence in their putter and their putting stroke.  The worst thing for a golfer is to stand over a putt with a lack of confidence.  Golfers for many years have tried numerous variations and styles in putters, grips, stances, and length of putters.  Most golfers are willing to just about try out anything to find a solution.

Which Putter Should I Buy?

Recommendation: Own 2 Putters That Are Different

The recommendation is to own at least 2 putters that have some difference.  Here is a list of combinations you might carry:

  • A blade putter and a mallet putter
  • A short putter and a long putter
  • A short putter and a belly putter
  • A right handed putter and a left handed putter

The thinking behind this recommendation is that putting is often about confidence and feel.  When you can change a feel and get some quick results, the confidence levels start to increase quickly. If a golfer then proceeds to have a really good putting round, the confidence increases even more.

Best careful on how many total putters you own. Too many options can sometimes cause confusion.

Mallet Putter vs Blade Putter

Putting is vital to the score of the golfer. Make sure you are spending time practicing!

How Many Putters Can You Carry?

A golfer can carry up to 14 putters if they wish.  Of course, we wouldn’t recommend carrying more than 1 putter for a round of golf.

Obviously, carrying 14 putters in your bag would hurt the rest of your game and at a max a golfer might carry 2 putters if they are completely unsure (check out how to test out the best putter for you below).

We believe that you should select one putter and play with it for the 18 holes.  If you want to change putters between rounds, if you are playing in a tournament, or change after several rounds, that is fine.  However, the golfer should work on getting used to that putter for the round.

What Length Putter Should I Use?

How To Test Which Putter You Should Use For A Round of Golf

Golfers that own more than one putter might get stuck trying to decide which putter to use for a round of golf or a tournament.  We believe in testing out your options and using a combination of results, feel and confidence to make your final selection.

I would recommend testing over several sessions.  Here is a process you can follow.  Repeat this process 3 times for the most accurate comparison.

  • Hit 10 putts from 10 feet with each style of putter.
  • Record how many putts you make with each style.
  • Next hit 10 putts from 30 feet.
  • Record your distance left on each putt.
  • Average your distance left and also how many putts here made.
  • Compare your putts made from 10 feet, average distance from 30 feet and putts made from 30 feet over at least 3 practice sessions.

When To Use A Putter?

Some of the best golfers change putters often, while someone like Tiger Woods hardly ever changed.

Putting Great!

Putting great often comes down to two things: start line control and speed control.  When you can match your start line and your speed, you increase your chances of making more putts.  If you can’t start a ball on the intended line or your speed is often way off, you are going to have less chances for the ball to roll into the hole.

When picking out a putter, make sure you test your start line and your speed control.  Collect your own data and make an educated decision that takes into account your results and the feel that you have with each putter that is an option.

Also, don’t forget to track your stats on the course.  What percentage of putts do you make between 6 and 10 feet?  How many times do you 3 putt from 30 or more feet?  Track this data over time and make educated adjustments based on results.

Is a New Putter Worth It?

BONUS TIP: Draw A Line on Your Golf Ball

Regardless of the putter that you use, make sure you draw a line on your golf ball prior to your round. With every putt, make sure you mark the ball, clean the ball and line up the line on your intended start line. We do not have the capability to line up from on top of the ball and are so much better from behind the ball looking directly at the hole.

My Secret To Golf Improvement

Let’s face it, in order to get really good at golf, we must practice frequently.  About four years ago, I made the leap and invested in a golf simulator build for my garage.  I went with a SkyTrak Launch Monitor and the TGC software and can now play over 100,000 courses including Augusta, Pebble Beach, Bethpage Black, Whistling Straits. St. Andrews and many other of the top 100 courses in the world.

This golf simulator setup, which is more affordable that you might imagine, has been a game changer.  I can now play golf everyday of the year regardless of rain, snow, cold weather or time of day.  I can practice or play rounds of golf.  I can stand in the 11th fairway at Augusta and with the auto-rewind feature I am able to practice my approach shots from various differences.

It is worth checking out through Rain or Shine Golf as they offer some incredible packages along with financing offers that are difficult to beat.

Some direct links to Rain or Shine Golf for pricing and financing:

Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better

What does this mean for you?  I believe in the following recipe to get better:

1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor.  Here are some options:

Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:

2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed.  Here are some options:

Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:

3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier.  Here is a series on breaking through:

We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.

4 – Practice Frequently

Did you know that I build a golf simulator in my garage and have played over 500 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak system?  It has been a game changer and one worth checking out. Here are some of my other posts on golf simulators frequently asked questions:

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