2008 Putter Buyer's Guide

If you’re in the mood for a new flatstick, this is a good year to find one—’08 brings forth a slew of new shapes, sizes and materials that are visually appealing, feel great and are often adjustable for your specific needs. Speaking of which, whether it’s mallet, blade, movable weights or specific inserts that you’re looking for, there’s a putter for you. The question really shouldn’t be what type of putter do you want, but rather what kind of putter are you? The best way to learn what putter is going to work best for you is to start by simply analyzing what kind of stroke you have. If you arc a lot, a heel-toe blade is the best choice. If you putt with less opening and closing of the putterface, try a mallet. If you tend to come up short on a lot of putts, try a heavier-weighted model. Finally, if you want to concentrate on putting a better roll on the ball, try a putter with an insert or a textured putterface. Both are designed to impart a truer, faster roll. Then again, if you’re a player who wants all the above, there’s a collection of adjustable putters in ’08 that are right up your alley.

Understanding Our Charts
Key Features: What distinguishes this putter from the rest.
What We Like: We have our preferences, too. Basically, what impressed us in our review.
Who It’s For: The type of player putter was made for.
Putterhead: The material used for head construction.
Putterface: Indicates the material used for the strike area.
Weight: There are three general categories: heavy, standard or adjustable.
Designs: Indicates the putter’s general shape, as well as the other models available.