I know this thread was done long ago, but I only just saw it a few days ago. Very interesting results with the putters, results which pose a number of questions regarding precision.
Assume 2 players both with, for example, the Daytona putter (the one I've used for the past 10 years on WGT). If we both have, say, a 30ft putt, both select exactly the same line, both hit exactly the same power and both ding. Going by the results of the test on page 1 of this thread, one player could sink the putt and the other could miss. That seems grossly unfair. One might say that over time things would even themselves out, but I'm pretty sure the precision deviation is random, and over 9 holes (and probably over 18 holes too) it is highly unlikely to 'even itself out', meaning that a player could lose a match even though they haven't played any worse than the other player.
That poses another question - can anything be done about it? You can't make it non-random because then it would no longer be a precision deviation; over time players would work out what the deviation is and allow for it. But can it me made fairer? Unfortunately it's not a question I have an answer to, but I'd be interested in hearing thoughts.
Another question that the precision deviation poses is does it affect players differently, i.e. does a player with a higher tier/lower average have less deviation or same deviation but fewer times than a player of a lower tier/higher average? Putting is about feel, and in the real game everyone uses a putter that suits them, for whatever reason. A cheap putter can be just as good as an expensive putter in the right hands.
When I first started playing this game 11 years ago I was a ding putter. But maybe 12-18 months later a WGT friend told me about off-ding putting. My putting became much better and I sunk many more putts than I did as a ding putter. Let's face it, if you are a ding putter it means that, in theory, you have to ding it to make the putt, and that doesn't happen every time. Now this opens the line to another question - how does the precision deviation affect off-ding putting? Is the deviation worse for off-ding putting than if you ding'd every putt?
Another question I have is whether a putter with a higher precision rating is better than one with lower precision when it comes to off-ding putting? And what part does forgiveness play in this?
A can of worms comes to mind!