How to Fit a Golf Putter

Using a putter that doesn’t fit your body or your stroke is an uphill battle on the green, turning what should be a moment of precision into one of frustration. A properly fitted putter removes variables, gets out of its own way, and lets your natural ability shine through. This guide will walk you through the five most important elements of a putter fitting, giving you the practical knowledge to adjust your current flatstick or find a new one that feels like a natural extension of your arms.

Start with Putter Length: The Foundation of Your Setup

Putter length is arguably the most important component of the fit, as it directly influences everything else, especially your posture and eye position. A putter that is too long forces you to stand too upright, with your hands awkwardly close to your body and your eyes well inside the target line. Conversely, a putter that’s too short will cause you to hunch over excessively, creating tension in your back and shoulders. Both scenarios make a consistent, repeatable stroke nearly impossible.

The standard off-the-rack putter length is typically 35 inches, which is actually too long for a majority of golfers. Finding your ideal length is a straightforward process you can do right at home or in any golf shop.

How to Measure Your Putter Length:

• Step 1: Get into your natural putting posture. Stand comfortably with your feet about shoulder-width apart and bend forward from your hips, as if you’re about to address a putt. Don't hold a putter yet. Let your arms hang down naturally from your shoulders without reaching or tensing up. This is your body’s true putting position.
• Step 2: Let your hands come together. Gently clasp your hands together as if you were holding a putter grip. They should hang directly below your shoulders.
• Step 3: Measure to your hands. Have a friend measure the distance from the floor straight up to the top of your hands. This measurement is an excellent starting point for your ideal putter length. For many golfers, this number will fall somewhere between 32 and 34 inches.

When you have a putter that fits your length, your eyes will be positioned either directly over the golf ball or just slightly inside the line. This gives you a clear and accurate view of the target line, making alignment much simpler and more intuitive.

Dial in the Lie Angle: Your Directional Control

Lie angle is the angle of the putter shaft relative to the sole of the putter when it’s resting flat on the ground. Think of it like the alignment on your car’s tires. If it’s off, you will constantly be correcting your aim without even realizing it. A proper lie angle ensures the putter’s sole sits perfectly flush with the putting V, preventing the face from pointing left or right at impact.

When the lie angle is wrong for your setup, you'll see two common problems:

• Too Upright: If the lie angle is too upright, the heel of the putter will be digging into the ground while the toe sits up in the air. This causes the putter face to point slightly to the left of your intended target at impact. If you find yourself consistently missing putts to the left, having an upright lie angle could be the cause.
• Too Flat: If the lie angle is too flat, the toe of the putter will dig in while the heel is raised. وهذا يؤدي إلى أن وجه المضربة يشير قليلاً إلى اليمين من هدفك عند الصدم. إذا وجدت أنك تفتقد باستمرار الكرات إلى اليمين، فقد يكون لديك زاوية مسطحة للمضربة.

How to Test Your Lie Angle:

You can easily check your lie angle at home. Place a strip of masking tape or impact tape on the sole of your putter. Or, if you have one, you can color the sole with a dry-erase marker. Hit about 5-10 putts on a firm surface (a putting mat or even some firm carpet works). You'llsee a mark on the tape or a scuff in the marker ink. If the mark is perfectly in the center of the sole, your lie angle is good to go. If it's towards the heel, your putter is too flat. If it’s towards the toe, it’s too upright. A club fitter can easily bend a putter a few degrees in either direction to correct this for you.

Understand Loft: Getting the Perfect Roll

Yes, putters have loft! It might seem odd since we want the ball to roll, not fly, but a small amount of loft (typically between 2 and 4 degrees) is necessary. At address, a golf ball settles into a slight depression in the green. Putter loft is designed to lift the ball gently out of that depression and get it rolling smoothly on top of the grass, rather than digging into the turf and skidding or bouncing initially.

Too little loft (less than 2 degrees) can press the ball down into the putting surface, causing it to hop and skid before it finds its line. Too much loft (more than 4-5 degrees) will launch the ball slightly airborne at impact. While it might look okay at first, this little bit of airtime costs you both distance and directional control. The goal is to get the ball rolling end-over-end as quickly as possible. For most golfers and green conditions, a standard loft of 3-4 degrees is perfectly fine. The main thing to be aware of is how your hand position affects the loft. If you have a strong forward press, you are de-lofting the putter and may need a putter with slightly more static loft to compensate.

Match the Head Type to Your Stroke Arc

This is where putter fitting becomes more personalized. Putter heads are generally designed to complement one of two common stroke types: a straight-back-and-through path or an arcing path. Figuring out which one you have is the first step to finding a head that works with you instead of against you.

Finding Your Stroke Type:

The "gate drill" is a simple way to see your path. Place two objects (like sleeves of balls or a couple of headcovers) just outside the heel and toe of your putter, creating a "gate" for your putter to swing through. Now take some strokes. Do you consistently bump into the inside gate on your backswing and the outside gate on your follow-through? If so, you have an arcing stroke. If you can cleanly move the putter back and through the gate without touching either side, you have a straight stroke.

Matching a Head to Your Stroke:

• For an Arcing Stroke: Use a "Toe Hang" Putter. These are typically blade-style putters. If you balance the shaft horizontally on your finger, the toe of the putter will point down towards the ground. This "toe hang" allows the putter face to flow open on the backswing and release closed on the follow-through, matching the natural path of an arcing stroke. Fighting this natural flow is a common cause of pushes and pulls.
• For a Straight Stroke: Use a "Face-Balanced" Putter. These are usually modern mallet-style putters. If you balance the shaft on your finger, the face of the putter will point directly up to the sky. This design resists twisting and wants to stay square throughout the stroke, which is ideal for a player who takes the putter straight back and straight through their line.

Consider Putter Grip Size and Shape

The grip is your only connection to the putter, and its size and shape can have a significant effect on your stroke. There isn't a single "correct" grip, as it often comes down to what feels most comfortable and gives you the most confidence.

However, there are general principles that can guide your choice:

• Standard/Thin Grips: Smaller grips allow for more sensitive feel and feedback through your hands. They also promote a more natural "releasing" of the putter head, which can be beneficial for players with an arcing stroke. The downside is that they can also encourage excessive wrist action, leading to inconsistency if your hands get too active.
• Oversize/Thick Grips: Larger grips, like the popular SuperStroke models, are designed to fill your hands and quiet down the small muscles in your wrists and forearms. By forcing you to use the larger muscles of your shoulders and torso to power the stroke, these grips can dramatically improve consistency for players who tend to get "wristy" or "handsy." The trade-off is sometimes a slight reduction in distant feel on long lag putts.

The best way to decide is to try a few different sizes. Grip a club with an oversized grip and then one with a standard grip. One will likely feel more stable and natural in your hands, giving you the feeling that you can make a smooth stroke without manipulation.

Final Thoughts

By assessing your length, lie angle, head type, and grip, you can build or find a putter that truly complements your physical build and putting stroke. A correctly fitted putter removes guesswork and inspires confidence, allowing you to focus completely on reading the green and making a solid, committed roll.

Having that deep-seated confidence in your equipment and your strategy is an advantage anywhere on the course, especially on the greens. We designed Caddie AI to deliver that feeling for your entire game. From a swing anaysis that analyzes every movement for issues such as head type versus stroke path imbalances, to having your own personal on demand swing instructor for personalized feedback 24/7 or wheneve you need I can analyze any situation and provide you a PGA certified professional path towards becoming a more confident and skilled player so you are always prepared to conquer any round of golf and your next career low score!