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It's time for a new putter

• alosso 21,066 Posts

  Sat, Apr 14 2012 1:51 AM

  ETVKPProductions:

  I haven't been here for long yet but on the masters weekend I tried out the TM Rossa putter in comparison with the Ping Redwood putter I have at the moment. When comparing it seemed to me that, although the Rossa is supposed to be better when looking at forgiviness and meter speed, it didn't fit my game well. The Redwood that it less forgiving and has faster meter speed suited me much better. When thinking about it I came to the conclusion that it must be something mental like that I think the Redwood is better because I achieved nice stuff with it. Also I'm used to the Redwood. But then I looked closer and saw a difference between them 2. For me it seems like the Redwood comes off the clubface at a different speed than the Rossa putter, thereby affecting on how the breaks will react and how distance will react. The Redwood speed seems to fit me a lot better, so I went with it.

  In the end it's all about how you putt and just getting used to and getting comfortable with what you have. If you have a few credits to spend I recommend that you first rent 2 or 3 putters and choose the one that suits the best to your game. If you go through a putting slump, just deal with it getting a new putter won't help you (real life expirience :P).

  Hope I could help you.

  I've done the same and came to a different conclusion, partly due to the mental factor.

  Trying both redwoods of different level, I soon realised that I wouldn't be lucky with the lower quality of the cheaper one. It was more by feeling than by proof.

  I switched between the Rossa and the Redwood with comparable results and good feeling, but I read some subjective comments that the Redwood ain't worth the money against his lower brother.

  I even checked against my longtime companion, the Starter putter, but he had no chance any more, especially on the long putts.

  In the end, I bought the Rossa with a positive feeling. Rational arguments were the price and the more familiar scaling of 15 - 30 - 60 - 90 - 150 over the different Redwood scaling (45?).

  Having pushed my longest putt record to 61 ft and benefitting from the 15 ft scale I'll keep it for a while.

  It all comes down to my favorite golf quote by Bobby Jones (American Amateur Golfer, 1902-1971):
  
  

  Competitive golf is played mainly on a five-and-a-half-inch course... the space between your ears.

• gr8flbob 592 Posts

  Sat, Apr 14 2012 9:19 AM

  Until the various Ghost putters hit the pro shop, if you'd done a survey of what putter was predominantly in the bags of top WGT players, you would have found it to be the Rossa - with only a smattering of Spiders and Redwoods.

  It represents an excellent set of balance, precision and the other attributes, together with a slower swing meter speed thus allowing (IMO) better chance at the ding. Buy it in confidence and spend some time to get the feel of it - you won't regret it. I sure didn't!

  Alosso has it right in the post above.

• pUGfANmn 436 Posts

  Sun, Apr 22 2012 1:04 AM

  spam48:

  Well I did it.  I went and bought the L19+ Spider and regret doing so.  Rounds that were -2 to +2 for a round of nine turned into +5 to +7.  The swing meter seems too slow if that's even possible.  Putts roll like they are passing through cement.  I agree with pUGfNmn that the ball carries away from the aiming point.

  Give it time - adjusting to a new meter speed and getting a feel for how far points on the meter are take time no matter what.  I'm STILL using the darn thing and hesitant to give it up for that reason - I've gotten very used to it and know it very well.

  Patience, grashoppa.

  gr8flbob:

  It represents an excellent set of balance, precision and the other attributes, together with a slower swing meter speed thus allowing (IMO) better chance at the ding. Buy it in confidence and spend some time to get the feel of it - you won't regret it. I sure didn't!

  If you're comparing the Ghosts to the Rossa, the Ghost actually has the slower meter speed, until you get to the 66+ Ghost and the 55+ Rossa. 

  If looking at the 55+ Rossa compared to the 35+ Ghost, you lose 1 dot of forgiveness and gain only a half dot of precision when going with the Rossa, along with the faster meter.

  I'm at the point that I'm comparing the 66+ Ghost with the Rossa, though, debating if the half dot of balance a full dot of forgiveness is worth 425 credits.  My 19+ Spider has met the end of it's usefulness, I think, because I'm not getting any better with the ding, so I need to upgrade if I'm going to improve my putting at all.  Then again, 1.7 per hole and 20.29 per 18 really isn't all that bad.

   

• alosso 21,066 Posts

  Sun, Apr 22 2012 1:33 AM

  Do you know the worst putter in the game?

  It's the Swing Starter putter!

  Trying to play the game with beginner's clubs from Master tees, I once chose a full bag of Swing Starters. Driver, woods and irons worked as expected, a little spreading, no complaints, but putting became awful. Difficult to get the right speed (practice should solve this problem), and short range putting was worse than putting blindfolded. I 3- and 4-putted from 3 feet several times on level greens!