I recently came across a putter called the Positive Putter. Have you had any experience with this putter. Is the balancing any benefit over a name brand putter such as the Never Compromise 5.2 which I currently use? I t sounds like it MAY have merit but I don't know anyone who has ever used it.
I had the pleasure of meeting the folks who make the Positive Putter at the IMG Golf Expo last year, and tried it for quite a while. My experience was very positive. The putter swings right on track very nicely, due to its unique balancing.
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Geoff Mangum
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The Positive Putter has a vertical face balance, instead of horizontal face balancing, when balanced on your finger at the Center of Mass (CofM) on the shaft. This is accomplished by positioning the shaft attachement to the putter head towards the toe or on the other side of the putter head CofM ... thus positioning the putter longitudinal gravity axis UNDER the shaft axis.
This makes the putter heel portion heavier than the toe portion causing it to face balance vertically with the toe up. The contention is that the putter head should naturally align vertically and face square at address and not horizontally.
There are other putter designs with the gravitational axis beneath the shaft axis to achieve a vertical face balance, but these designs seem to feel unstable or uncomfortable when stroking the putter. It seems more natural with the gravitational axis above the shaft axis like with the heel-shafted 8802 bladed putters, and the eccentricity is better controlled since the hands and forearms are above the putter shaft.
Perhaps these "under-shaft" eccentricity putters depend on the amount of displacement of the axes for acceptable "feel". The toe bias of the Positive putter appears mild and that may be the factor that makes it feel "positive" ... whereas the heavily toe biased putters are too extreme.
I get what you say about the line of the shaft pointing into the putter head on the toe side of the head's center of gravity (midway between toe and heel). But your terminology of "longitudinal gravity axis", "shaft axis", and "naturally align vertically and face square at address and not horizontally" are elusive. Can you elaborate in more common language what you mean by these terms, and also what difference it is supposed to make in the dynamics of the stroke and why? Thanks.
Sorry for the late response, but I lost track of this topic thread, so here goes ...
The "shaft axis" is just that ... the central axis of the shaft along it's centerline length.
The "longitudinal gravity axis" is the axis that is formed between the top of the shaft and the "sweet spot" of the club or putter head when hung vertically from the top of the shaft. The distribution of mass is equal about this axis, and is the axis on which the total center of mass is located. To visually isolate the LG axis just twirl the hanging putter from the top of the grip and the putter will spin around this axis.
If the shaft axis and LG axis coincide the putter is neutral.
If the shaft axis is below the LG axis the putter is toe heavy.
If the shaft axis is above the LG axis the putter is heel heavy.
The shaft axis is above the LG axis in the Positive Putter and that aligns the putter face perpendicular to the putting line when held at address. Since we tend to sense the eccentricity of the toe- or heel-heavy putters, and we are used to a toe heavy club and it's eccentricity with the LG axis above the shaft axis, some may find the Positive Putter with it's eccentricity below the shaft a tad strange.
The Positive Putter people are advocating the advantage of statically setting up the putter to the ball with a putter face that naturally falls perpendicular to the putting line, but they ignore the dynamic aspect of the feel of their putter as it is being stroked. If you want to demonstrate the strangeness just build a simple putter from a piece of say 3/4"sq. x 4" piece of steel and drill a 3/8" hole at the toe at about 65º lie angle. Install a putter shaft and try to use it ... with the shaft axis well above the LG axis ... it's strange and somewhat uncontrollable. Perhaps the Positive Putter is not that extreme eccentric, and if it's only a tad eccentric it may not be that noticeable.
The Positive Putter people are quite right in claiming that the horizontal face-balanced putter , when balanced horizontally on one's finger, does not naturally fall or line up perpendicular to the putting line at address, while the Positive Putter does ... but at what compromise once the stroke begins ??
A few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to find a Positive Putter model C-1 in my fathers " putter grab bag ". I had been struggling with visual alignment and keeping the blade square through impact. For a low handicapper this was killing my round in missed opportunities.. saves and birdies. I had been using a Scotty Cameron Newport which I've had for a few years.
I immediately noticed the blade staying square, the ease of alignment, and the solid feel that the putter had so I took it out on the course and gave it a try. The results were absolutely amazing. I saved 5+ putts per round right off the bat. 5 feet in became gimmies as opposed to a struggle and longer putts began to fall as well. They should call it the perfect putter. I've tried many over the years trying to get that perfect combination I needed. Never finding anything that felt or performed any better than what I already had.
Before this, I had never heard of this putter before. You would be doing your game a disservice not to put one in your bag. They have a model now that resembles an Anser in appearance if you just can't get past the looks of the other model.
