Geoff:

You favor center-shafted and face-balanced putter and you said heel-shafted putter opens and closes along the path. Is it true that heel-shafted putter tends to send the ball to the left of the hole?

Thanks

NewGolfer

Dear NewGolfer,

Welcome to this forum!

No, putters that have the face balancing around the shaft more toe-heavy, like heel-shafted putters, have what Scotty Cameron likes to call "toe flow." The physics of "toe-flow" doesn't at all square with how he talks about it. The added mass in the toe makes the toe harder to start swinging and harder to stop swinging. This means different things at different points in the stroke, as the stroke starts and stops and starts again in a different direction and then stops again.

At the start of the stroke, the toe of a heel-shafted putter tends to stay where it is while the heel starts more easily: "the toe won't go." This closes the putter unless the golfer does something by way of grip pressure or manipulation to control things. At the top of the backstroke, the heel stops more easily than the toe, and the toe wants to keep going, which opens the toe more thaan the golfer's moving of the putter would do in another sort of putter design: "the toe won't slow." Transitioning to the forward stroke, the toe wants to stay behind, and this opens the toe more: "the toe won't go." Thru the impact zone, then, the toe got a little c losed and then a lot open. This means that toe-flow putters tend to miss to the outside (which is to the right for a right-hander).

What actually happens is that toe-flow putters train the golfer to make a stroke that compenstes for the toe-flow physics. This results in a learned "shutting" of the putter face back to square at impact, which strikes me as totally unnecessary.Some get it down pat, and some don't. I know it's not necessary for touch, and I can't imagine why someone would thinks this sort of timing problem in the stroke helps consistency and accuracy for line. It's just one of those goofy things about golf that some people try to make a virtue of without much careful or insightful thought.

Cheers!

Geoff Mangum
Putting Coach and Theorist
PuttingZone.com
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Geoff:

First, thank you very much for your prompt response. I have learned a lot from this site.

I am using a heel-shafted (L-neck)Monza Corza with two heaviest TLC cartridges and this putter is slightly toe-down with the L-neck (otherwise it will be totally face-balanced). My putting stroke is more like inside backswing and straight forwardswing. But lately I am missing left occasionally on short putts and I feel like I have to manipulate with hands to keep the putter square at impact. I blame this problem on the L-neck shaft and consider to change to a center-shaft COrza. Or does it help if I switch to a really toe-down blade putter? But I like the Corza.

Thanks again.

NewGolfer

Dear NewGolfer,

If you have a golf retail store nearby, they probably have a nice selection of Taylormade putters you can try out. If not, and you want to experiment a bit, try adding some weight to the toe end only and see what happens.

And let me know.

Cheers!

Geoff Mangum
Putting Coach and Theorist
PuttingZone.com
Golf's most advanced and comprehensive putting instruction.

Visit the new PuttingZone Blog for podcasts of putting tips:
Site PuttingZone Blog
RSS XML Subscription

Geoff:

I have switched to a heel-hoseled but center-aimed Corza and this putter is face-balanced. What difference it has made. My stroke is more natural and confident with this putter and I don't have to manipulate with hands. Most importantly I do not miss to left anymore. Acturaly this is putter I had before and I putted very well with it. Then my insturctor who is associated with Marius Filmalter said I should change to a toe-down blade putter. This was why I changed to a toe-down Corza with a heel shaft (Tour preferred L-neck). Then I got into trouble (missing left) and of course it took me long time for me to realize it. I think this slightly toe-down putter does not have enought toe weight to produce toe flow so it tends to close at impact. Does that make sense to you?

Geoff, thank you very much for your help and this site is the most informative in terms of golf putting.

NewGolfer

Have to agree with most parts of what Geoff has said relative to the physics of toe flow described.
Most of the players using these putters have a posture and stance, and ball position that all produce excessive rotation within the stroke.
They are also prone to miss more due to timing issues also.
Many also aim further right than most and then counteract their set up with a closed putterface.
Ball strike on the face can also have a bearing too,towards toe,towards heel etc, not as much if consistent face strike relative to sweet spot is hit, but a variable all the same.
Saying all that players can miss at both sides, one as Geoff has described then due to the ones above.
From our own results the better players who do finish left, then compensate by trying to hold the face off - similar to hitting a wedge effect.
Many then go left hand low because they blame the right hand.