Instruction

Custom Fitting: The most overlooked club in your bag

Published

12 years ago

Jun 27, 2014

Golfers have learned that custom fit clubs are necessary to lower their scores, but they often neglect a crucial scoring club in the fitting process: the putter.

Last year, I was able to perform close to 50 club fittings in only 6 months. In 2012, I performed enough club fittings to be named a PING “Fitter of the Year.” This shows me that the golf consumer is getting smarter, but there is one issue with how the fittings have worked out. Of those 120+ fittings, not a single player directly asked me to be fit for their putter, which is used more than any other club in the bag.

Golfers tend to head to a retail store and merely pick out the putter that “feels the best” without any basis as to why they want that particular model. Now, that doesn’t mean club fitting for longer clubs carries any less importance. As found in advanced metrics on professional tours, the ability to hit it long off the tee with the driver within a reasonable distance to the fairway is arguably the No. 1 factor to scoring average. So it is very important to have a driver that optimizes distance. However, if driving is “1a” in terms of importance, then putting is most certainly “1b.”

If you are looking to get better, but you don’t have the time to work with a personal trainer to build your speed and power or a swing coach to give you the perfect swing plane, putting is the next solution to lowering your scores.

The No. 1 issue with golfers who come to me for a short game lesson is that they feel their putting stroke is off. However, the putter they use is usually more off. For a decent putter, this leads to inconsistent days on the greens, and it can lead to less-skilled putters developing bad habits.

The putter is a club that you usually only have to fit once, and unless you are a junior golfer who is growing or you develop some sort of physical ailment, you could possibly keep it for the rest of your playing career. At our facility at Deerpath Golf Course in Lake Forest, Ill., I tell students that the $75 they spend on a putting evaluation could save them thousands of dollars in putter trial and error.

With the use of SAM Puttlab and high-speed video, these are the areas that I look for when fitting a putter and the effects that each could have on the stroke.

No. 1: Length and Lie Angle

The length of the putter has a tremendous impact on the shape of your stroke. The putter is meant to swing on the inclined plane on which the shaft rests. If the length of the putter is longer, the putter will need to arc more around your body, while a shorter putter can travel a bit more “straight back and straight through.”

A putter that is not the right length will affect the path of the stroke, which can have an influence on making consistent contact and controlling the rotation of the putter face. The lie angle has an effect on the ability to hit the center of the putter. At the speeds we swing the putter, there may not be enough force to send a ball off line from an off-center hit, but it will have an effect on distance control.

Throughout this article, I will reference measurements and results from the putting stroke of a sample student with his original putter, which was center-shafted and face-balanced. After a putting fitting, I then took his measurements with a properly-fit heel-shafted, toe-balanced putter, and I will also reference those results as well.

The original putter lie was incorrect and lead to toe contact.

After the switch, contact started to move toward the center of the putter face. There are a few inconsistencies in the contact, which can be improved with drills.

No. 2: Head Type/Shaft Hosel Design

Aiming is the most important aspect to putting and the putter you select has a big effect on how well you aim at the target. It is very common to see even a tour-caliber player have issues aiming the putter directly at their target.

It can be argued that it is more important to be consistent with where you aim the putter and work with that, but if you truly do not want to compensate in your putting stroke, aiming the putter at the target is the first step. The head design has a huge effect on this.

My student aimed his center-shafted, face-balanced putter 1.3 degrees closed, and although he was very consistent, he had to manipulate his putter during his stroke to get the putter face “square” at impact. The other thing to note was that the putter was set up on the toe, which was consistent with the impact point. This was the No. 1 factor that determined a switch from a center-shafted putter to a heel-shafted putter was needed. The results were a much improved aim with a similar level of consistency shown below.

The putter head design can have a huge effect on how much the putter face rotates throughout the stroke, as well as an effect on the resulting path. With his original putter, my student had the path and face rotation results shown below.

My student switched to a center-shafted, face-balanced putter because he felt he had “too much arc” in his stroke, and center-shafted, face-balanced putters are known to create a more straight-back, straight-through path. While he thought his stroke was more linear, its arc was actually traveling to the left, or out-to-in. A more pressing issue was the inconsistency of his backstroke, however, which is represented by the dotted line above.

The result of my student’s original path and his initial aim was that he opened the putter during the backstroke and then “held off” the rotation of the putter face on the way through in an attempt to keep the putter face square. He was surprisingly consistent, but we saw how difficult it was for him to find the center of the putter face making these compensations.

Below are the results from the properly-fit putter:

When the student switched to a properly fit putter, the path became more neutral. His stroke also changed from outside-in to having just a little bit of arc, which got him closer to his goal of having a straight-back, straight-through stroke.

With a properly fit putter, the putter head rotated more freely and he was able to release it through the stroke. There is still work to do, because the putter was still about 2 degrees open at impact after the change, but it is an improvement from 2.9 degrees open with the old putter that effectively had him “cutting” his putts.

No. 3: Loft

Loft is an aspect of putter fitting that depends on the golf courses you typically play. It’s needed on a putter because when the golf ball rests on a green, it settles down into the grass ever so slightly. This means that we need to launch the golf ball into the air a little bit so it can get on the grass and start rolling as fast as possible. This has a huge influence on speed and distance control in putts.

There are a few factors to look at including what your green speeds typically are at your home course. The slower the green, the more loft you need on the putter. If you are putting at Augusta National, maybe you can get away with only 1 degree of loft on your putter, but at your home course with a green speed of 8, you may need 3-to-4 or more degrees of loft.

The other factor is the hand position and the amount of “delofting” a golfer does through impact. For example, on a green speed of 11, we would like the golf ball to launch at approximately 2 degrees. This could be achieved with a 3-degree putter that has 1 degree of deloft at impact and a neutral rise angle.

If you are a putter like Matt Kuchar, however, who has a serious putter deloft through impact and a level rise angle through impact, then you may need 5, 6 or even 7 degrees of loft on your putter.

A putter like Zach Johnson, who has his hands positioned behind the ball at address and through the stroke, can use less loft on his putter to achieve a desired launch angle.

After getting fit for a new putter, my student had a slight improvement in rise-angle-to-loft and his putts were launching with less backspin. For most part, the launch angle of 4 degrees up stayed the same.

No. 4: Grip

The grip on a putter works just like a golf club. If you have a putter that does not allow the putter to rotate square to the path of the club, then adjusting the grip can help this problem along with putter head design.

If you are player with too little face rotation, then a smaller grip size can help you release the putter head. A larger putter grip can help minimize face rotation or even help take the hands out of the stroke for golfers who struggle to keep their hands steady. These are considerations that can be looked at from the rotational diagrams we saw above.

Conclusion

As established in the categories above, there is a lot that goes into picking the right putter, and quite frankly, an off-the-rack putter is probably not the best one for you. If you take the time to get fit for a putter, it can save you money down the road and some closet space.

There were numerous areas that I could have worked on with my student with his old putter, and we could have spent hours trying to fix his flaws. Through one 60-minute session and a new putter, however, we were able to improve several areas in far less time and with far less effort. Fewer dollars spent and fewer strokes taken is always a good combination.

Do yourself a favor and go through a putter fitting!

Instruction

How to play your best golf when the temperature drops

Published

3 months ago

Feb 3, 2026

Brendon Elliott

The LPGA Tour is kicking off its 2026 season this week at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, and the pros are dealing with something most Florida golfers rarely face: freezing temperatures.

“It’s colder here than in the UK at the minute, which is a first,” said England’s Charley Hull during Wednesday’s media day at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.

Even Lydia Ko, who lives at Lake Nona, seemed surprised by the cold snap. “We’re pretty much getting to below zero in celsius here, which maybe in other parts of the country they would be thankful, but when you’re in Florida it is a little bit of a surprise,” she said.

If the world’s best players are adjusting their games for cold weather, recreational golfers should, too. Here’s how to play smart when the mercury drops.

Understand What Cold Does to Your Game

Before you change anything, you need to know what you’re fighting against. Cold air is denser than warm air, which means your ball won’t fly as far. Period.

Hull noticed this immediately during practice rounds at Lake Nona. She mentioned hitting a gap wedge into the 18th hole during a previous win but needing a 4-iron during Tuesday’s practice round. That’s a difference of four or five clubs for the same shot.

Action item: Expect to lose 5-10 yards on every club in your bag when temperatures dip below 50 degrees. Plan accordingly and don’t be stubborn about club selection.

Layer Up Without Restricting Your Swing

Hull admitted she wore three pairs of pants during practice. While that might be extreme for most of us, staying warm is critical to playing well in cold conditions.

Your muscles need warmth to function properly. When you’re cold, your body tightens up and your swing gets shorter and faster. Neither of those things help you hit good golf shots.

Action item: Wear multiple thin layers instead of one bulky jacket. Look for golf-specific cold weather gear that stretches with your swing. Keep hand warmers in your pockets between shots. And don’t forget a good hat because you lose significant body heat through your head.

Take More Club Than You Think You Need

This is where ego gets in the way of good scores. When it’s cold, the ball doesn’t compress as well off the clubface. Combined with denser air, you’re looking at serious distance loss.

The pros at Lake Nona are dealing with a course that measures 6,642 yards but plays much longer this week. If they’re adjusting, you should too.

Action item: Take at least one extra club on every approach shot. In temperatures below 40 degrees, consider taking two extra clubs. It’s better to fly the ball to the back of the green than to come up short in a bunker.

Adjust Your Expectations on the Greens

Cold weather affects putting in ways most golfers don’t consider. The ball is harder and doesn’t roll as smoothly. Your hands are cold, making it harder to feel the putter. And if there’s any moisture on the greens, they’ll be slower than normal.

Ko mentioned that she still sometimes reads the greens wrong at Lake Nona despite being a member for years. Cold weather makes that challenge even tougher.

Action item: Hit putts more firmly than usual. The ball needs extra speed to hold its line on cold greens. Take a few extra practice strokes to get a feel for the speed before you putt.

Embrace the Mental Challenge

Hull said something interesting about cold weather golf: “I like the mental toughness of it.”

That’s the right attitude. Everyone on the course is dealing with the same conditions. The player who stays patient and doesn’t get frustrated by the extra difficulty will come out ahead.

Action item: Lower your expectations by a few strokes. If you normally shoot 85, accept that 90 might be a good score in 40-degree weather. Focus on solid contact and smart decisions rather than perfect shots.

Warm Up Longer and Smarter

This might be the most important tip of all. Cold muscles are tight muscles, and tight muscles get injured easily.

World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul revealed she’s been protecting a wrist injury that bothered her late last season. Cold weather makes those kinds of injuries more likely if you don’t prepare properly.

Action item: Spend at least 20 minutes warming up before your round. Start with stretching, then hit easy wedge shots before working up to your driver. Keep moving between shots on the course to maintain body heat and flexibility.

The pros at Lake Nona this week will adapt and compete at the highest level despite the cold. You can do the same at your local course by following these tips and keeping a positive attitude.

PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.

Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!

Instruction

3 lessons from Brooks Koepka that’ll actually lower your score

Published

3 months ago

Feb 2, 2026

Brendon Elliott

Brooks Koepka is back on the PGA Tour, and whether you love him or hate him, the guy knows how to win when it matters. After his LIV Golf stint, the five-time major champion returns this week at the Farmers Insurance Open.

What makes Koepka fascinating? He doesn’t fit the mold. His swing isn’t textbook. He doesn’t obsess over mechanics. Yet he’s won three PGA Championships and two U.S. Opens, regularly making it look easier than guys with prettier swings.

So, what can average golfers learn from someone who treats the game so differently? Quite a bit.

Stop Overthinking Every Shot

Koepka describes his approach as “reactionary” rather than mechanical. While most tour pros grind over swing thoughts, Brooks sees the target and hits it. No mental checklist.

This might be the most valuable lesson for weekend golfers who’ve watched too many YouTube swing videos.

How to actually do this:

On the range, hit five balls where you stare at the target for three seconds prior to addressing the ball. Don’t think about grip or stance. Just burn that target into your brain. You’ll be shocked at how pure you hit it when your brain focuses on where the ball is going instead of how you’re swinging.

Next time you play, give yourself a rule: Once you pull the club, you’ve got 15 seconds to hit. Koepka is one of the fastest players on tour because he doesn’t give his brain time to sabotage him.

If you feel tension in your hands at address, you’re trying to control too much. Koepka’s grip pressure is famously light. Loosen up until the club almost feels like it might slip, then add just enough pressure to hold on. That’s your swing thought: soft hands, see the target.

This approach works better under pressure. When you’re standing over that shot with water left and OB right, the last thing you need is a mental checklist. See it, feel it, hit it.

Play to Your Strengths (Even If They’re Not Pretty)

Koepka uses a strong grip that wouldn’t pass muster in some teaching circles. But he’s built his game around what works for him, elite driving distance and recovery skills. He doesn’t try to be someone he’s not.

Here’s how to build your game like Brooks:

Look at your last five rounds and figure out where you’re actually gaining strokes. Bombing it off the tee, but can’t hit greens? Lean into it. Play courses where distance matters more than precision. On tight holes, grip down on your 3-wood instead of trying to thread a driver through a keyhole you’ll miss seven times out of ten.

Koepka knows he can scramble, so he’s not afraid to miss greens. If you’re deadly from 50 to 75 yards, start leaving yourself those distances on the par 5’s instead of going for them in two every time.

Know when to take your medicine. Koepka in the trees at the PGA? He’s punching out to 100 yards, not trying to bend a 6-iron around three oaks. You’re in the rough with a flyer lie and water short? Hit your 8-iron to the middle and move on. That’s not playing scared, that’s playing smart.

Save Your Best for When It Counts

Here’s a wild stat: Koepka’s putting average in majors is often more than a full stroke better per round than in regular events. He elevates when pressure is highest.

How does an amateur tap into that gear? It’s not about trying harder, it’s about caring differently.

Here’s what actually works:

Decide which rounds matter to you. Club championship? Member-guest? That annual trip with college buddies? Circle those dates and treat them differently. Koepka doesn’t care much about regular tour events, but majors? That’s when he locks in.

Two weeks before your big round, change your practice. Stop beating balls mindlessly. Play nine holes in which every shot has consequences. Miss the fairway? Hit from the rough on the next hole too. Three-putt? Twenty push-ups. Koepka’s practice intensity ramps up before majors because he’s rehearsing pressure, not just swings.

Develop a between-shot routine that resets your brain. Koepka is famous for his blank expression after bad shots. Try this: After any shot, take three deep breaths while walking, then find something specific to notice, a tree, a cloud, someone’s shirt. That’s your reset button. By the time you reach your ball, the last shot is gone.

The Bottom Line

Brooks Koepka’s return reminds us there’s no single path to success in golf. His “substance over style” approach proves that results matter more than looking good.

You don’t need a perfect swing; you need a reliable one that holds up under pressure. You don’t need to hit every shot in the book; you need the shots you can count on. And you don’t need to play great every time; you need to play great when it matters.

Welcome back, Brooks. Thanks for the reminder that golf is ultimately about getting the ball in the hole, not winning style points.

Instruction

What we can learn from Blades Brown’s impressive American Express performance

Published

3 months ago

Jan 29, 2026

Brendon Elliott

Blades Brown made a big impression last week in the California desert, and not just because he’s only 18. He put up numbers that would catch any weekend golfer’s attention. Most of us won’t hit 317-yard drives or find 86% of our greens in regulation, but there’s a lot to learn from how Brown managed his game at The American Express.

Here are three practical lessons from his performance that you can use on your own course this weekend.

Step 1: Give Priority to Accuracy Over Distance Off The Tee

Brown’s driving stats are impressive. He averaged almost 318 yards off the tee, ranking 12th in the field. More importantly, he hit 76.79% of his fairways, tying for fourth place in the tournament.

Think about that ratio for a second. Brown could have swung harder, chased more distance and tried to overpower the course. Instead, he played smart golf and kept his ball in play.

Your Action Item: Next time you’re on the tee box, ask yourself a simple question before pulling the driver. Do you need maximum distance here, or do you need to be in the fairway? If there’s trouble lurking or the hole doesn’t demand every yard you can muster, take something off your swing. Grip down an inch. Make a three-quarter swing. Do whatever it takes to find the short grass. Brown’s approach illustrates that fairways lead to greens, and greens lead to birdies. He made 22 of them last week, along with an eagle.

The math is simple. When you’re hitting three out of every four fairways like Brown did, you’re giving yourself legitimate looks at the green with your approach shots. That’s when scoring happens.

Step 2: Commit To Hitting More Greens

This is where Brown really separated himself. He hit 62 of 72 greens in regulation, an 86.11% clip that tied for first in the entire field. Read that again. An 18-year-old kid tied for the lead in one of the most important ball-striking statistics in professional golf.

How did he do it? By keeping his ball in the fairway (see Step 1) and giving himself clean looks with mid-irons and wedges.

Your Action Item: Start tracking your greens in regulation. You don’t need a fancy app or a statistics degree. Just mark down whether you hit the green in the regulation number of strokes. Par 3s in one shot. Par 4s in two shots. Par 5s in three shots.

Once you know your baseline, set a goal to improve it by 10%. If you’re currently hitting five greens per round, aim for six. The beauty of this approach is that it forces you to think strategically about club selection and shot shape. Brown’s strokes gained approach number was positive (0.179), meaning he was better than the field average. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be on the dance floor more often.

When you hit more greens, you eliminate the need for heroic short game shots. Brown only had to scramble 10 times all week, and he got up and down 70% of the time. That’s solid, but the real story is that he rarely put himself in scrambling situations to begin with.

Step 3: Minimize Mistakes And Stay Patient

Here’s the stat that jumps off the page: Brown made only three bogeys all week. Three. In four rounds of professional golf against the best players in the world.

He also made just one double bogey. That kind of clean card doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you play within yourself, avoid the big miss and trust that pars are never bad scores.

Your Action Item: Before your next round, decide that you’re going to play boring golf. No hero shots over water. No driver on tight holes just because you can. No aggressive pins when there’s a safe side of the green.

Brown’s performance shows us that consistency beats flash every single time. He didn’t lead the field in any single strokes gained category, but he was solid across the board. That’s how you post numbers and cash checks.

Give these three steps a try. Your scorecard will thank you.

PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.