Putter Fitting At Club Champion
Whether it’s woods, irons, or even wedges, anyone familiar with Plugged In Golf knows we truly believe in getting fit for clubs. But what about the putter? For me, selecting a putter has involved little more than spending time in a putting bay trying numerous putters. That process seemed to have served me well for many years (ok, decades), and I even consider myself a pretty good putter. Then one day while picking up a hybrid build at Club Champion I asked, “What’s up with that SAM PuttLab thing?” An hour later I learned that it’s simple to improve on pretty good.
The Fitting Process
After a brief warm up, Master Fitter Jay Marino attached a wireless sensor to my putter shaft and had me set up in front of the SAM BaseUnit for calibration. Locking in the sensor position with my putter head aligned square to the unit and target, the SAM PuttLab system utilized its extremely accurate ultrasonic 3D technology to track my subsequent strokes. Seven 10’ putts later and my results were ready for review.
Jay took me through each page of the report, and the data was revealing and, fortunately, not too scary. I take the clubhead back slightly outside, have a closed face at impact, and a bit too much loft. The good news is I’m very consistent – with room for improvement.
It’s worth noting that Club Champion doesn’t push buying a new putter. Often they are able to make minor adjustments to the setup of your gamer or install a different grip to enhance performance. But with a room full of putters and a PuttLab report concluding I could go blade or mallet, face balanced or moderate toe hang, I wanted to explore options.
Putter Selection
I quickly concluded most of the modern looking designs didn’t suit my eyes. Rolling putts with a few blade models Jay observed a slight inconsistency with my aim. He had me try a couple mallets with more pronounced alignment features, and my aim was back on target. It didn’t take long to narrow down the selection to three putters that looked good to me, felt nice in my hands, and performed well. Back on the SAM PuttLab, seven putts with each revealed solid results, and I opted for the Scotty Cameron Special Select Fastback 1.5.
Jay made a few adjustments, checking each one with PuttLab to dial in the specs – including loft, lie and length. The stock Scotty grip just didn’t suit me, so Jay took me to the wall of grips where I selected one with a shape and feel I preferred. This was truly going to be a putter fit and built for me – but I had one further request.
The Results
As you can see, Club Champion took my request for custom paintfill and created a work of art that exceeded my expectations [full review HERE].
It’s one thing to roll putts indoors, but the true test of my new putter was on the golf course. Jay had made recommendations on shaft length and loft based on the typical green speeds I encounter, and I found his guidance was spot on. I love how quickly and consistently the ball gets rolling off the face. The flow of the putter improved both my accuracy and distance control. If nothing else, I feel more comfortable and confident over every putt. Plus it’s nice when my playing partners say, “Let me see your putter.”
Conclusion
Going through the Club Champion putter fitting process was an amazing experience. Seeing actual data was a great way to learn about my own stroke and gain awareness of the science behind putting and putters. Personal preferences still play a role, but to optimize your putting potential a putter needs to be dialed in to your specs. Club Champion states it perfectly: “Your putter accounts for 40% of your game. Be sure your stick fits your stroke.”
Find your closest Club Champion location HERE.
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8 Comments
Would you say that you have a straight back backswing to a slight arc follow through? Would that be the reason the fitter said both face balance and moderate toe hang would work for you?
I actually have a slight natural arc in the backswing also Brandon. My previous gamer was promoting a more straight back path, which I didn’t recognize before the SAM PuttLab captured it. The recommendation you see in the graphic is generated by the program.
– Meeks
Club Champion is offering free putter fittings when you purchase a putter from them.
I have had a putter fitting there and the SAM system is extremely helpful in determining how you putt and what putter type / set up will help you putt better.
Hi Matt
Thanks for the write up. Based on this I scheduled a Putter fitting at Club Champion for tomorrow morning.
Thanks Dean – and enjoy the fitting.
– Meeks
Hi Matt your putter looks great. and the fitting seemed to go smoothly. Sadly I got a different result. My fitting at club champion was three years ago. It took 20 minutes as opposed to the one hour stated on their website. I got a printout similar to yours but there were no printed recommendations, rather my fitter came out with a blade putter and explained why it was better than my old Ping B60. My fault for not questioning him further. At home I struggled for weeks to feel comfortable with it. At that point he had no advice. I eventually adjusted to it and used it for two years but it just wasn’t for me. It now sits in the garage. I switched to a face balanced putter (cost $50) and am now putting better than I thought possible. I called Club Champion and they suggested I retry the fitting (for free they do have great customer service) but by then I had lost faith in the whole process. While I always thought of myself as an above average putter I did not see any improvement with the fitted putter. Unfortunately it cost me $350 to find that out.
Love the review and breakdown, but your Scotty is $400. My Cleveland Newport Soft #6 on sale $109. 15hdcp 33 putts average, the price upgrade won’t make me that much better, if at all.
I had a putter fitting at Club Champion last year. Found out more about my stroke than I ever new before. Great experience. #SecretGiveaway2021