Impact imprint of the golf ball on the putter face is about a 1/2 inch area. Is it not somewhat insignificant to have the putter face highly milled when it has virtually no significance to the accuracy of impact? What can be the deviancy of an "as cast" face over 1/2 inch?!

Over / under / at the equator ball impact. Can one consistently strike the golf ball when swinging a putter on ~ 35" to 50" swing radius? Does it really matter if the ball is struck at or slightly under the ball equator? It gonna skid anyway.

Given that the grass friction / interference varies significantly depending on the initial ball velocity, is it significant to start the ball rolling rather than skidding ? .... and can the initial path of the ball be consistently controlled by putter head design as is so often claimed? I have my doubts about putter head claims based on idealized advertised test conditions.

Are the exotic, machined from a block of metal putter$ with all the R&D claimed, that much better than an old Reuter Bullseye or 8802 ? Pardon my cynicism, but I would like to hear your take on what is truly significant and what is not ... thanks ... !

Ball diameter = 1.68"
Ball circumference = 5.28"
Ball settles into green ~ 1/8"
Ball sector in contact with grass ~ 7/8"

Assume that a 0º loft putter face contacts the equator squarely then:

5º loft contacts ~ 1/16" below equator
7º loft contacts ~ 1/8" below equator
15º loft contact ~ 1/4" below equator

Even if the center of mass of the putter head is slightly below the face center strike position, will these contact measurements be significant or insignificant to the impulse between the putter and ball?

Is it measureably significant or insignificant if he ball stops skiding and starts rolling within 6", 8", 10", 12", or more ??

Is it possible to determine how much the ball is initially elevated due to the loft of the putter, and what happens to the ball once it's full mass hits the ground full force?

Great forum ...

Given the long swing radius and very slow angular movement of the putter and arms::

a) is it possible to have the identical angle of attack for putterhead path from putt to putt?

b) what range of angular horizontal deviation of the putter face at impact is reasonably attainable .. +/- 1º .... +/- 5º ...?

c) combining the factors of swing path and velocity at impact, positions of impact on ball surface and putter face, position of putter CG relative to ball CG, effective putter face loft at impact, settlement depth of ball into grass, frictional relationshiip between ball, putterface, grass .... is it really relevant to worry about putter construction when the chaos factors of uncertainty inherent in the impact event and the grass path the ball follows is so much greater than any attempt to engineer out inaccuracy in the putter design?

Hope my questions are not too tedious for you .... regards