Instruction
Stickney: Why I switched from a mallet to a blade putter
To be honest, I’m not much of an equipment freak. I know enough about the newest technology that I can be helpful to my students, but for my own game I definitely don’t sweat the small stuff as I would with my clients. In fact, it is very hard for me to change anything in my bag unless it performs significantly better for me. If it doesn’t, I stick with what’s familiar, because I don’t get to play or practice as much as I would like.
For that reason, when I test new clubs I always use technologies such as Trackman, Quintic, and the SAM PuttLab. These machines give me the relevant data on each club from top to bottom so I can compare them side by side. Everyone has their reasons to switch equipment, but for me, I like to find a club that helps eliminate my “miss.”
Let me give you an example of what I am talking about and how I would personally go about testing a new putter using the SAM Puttlab. Full disclosure; I’m not that good of a putter. My stroke isn’t that bad, but again, I don’t get to play or practice a lot. Also, I have a tendency to be uncomfortable over the ball, so I search for a putter that makes me comfortable.
In my quest to be a become a better putter and find comfort, I had Duane Anderson, the Head of Putter Fitting at The Kingdom at TaylorMade, fit me with a Taylormade Ghost Tour Fontana 72 putter. The thought was that the face-balanced, mallet putter would, by design, stay more square back and through the ball, thus making it easier for me to repeat my stroke. And Duane was 100 percent correct. It worked for a long time, and all was right with the world. However, over time I felt for whatever reason I could not get the path of the putter to exit more left. The mallet always seemed to move from in-to-out, and got worse the more I played.
After much debate, I decided to try a new design to see if it would make any difference in my path. I was also hopeful that a new putter would help me to discover some lost confidence. So I contacted Sean Toulon from Toulon Designs, a new putter company in Carlsbad, to try one of his heel-toe weighted, blade-style putters called The Madison.
You can see the the data from my test below, which pitted my TaylorMade mallet against the Toulon blade. Let’s analyze the Sam PuttLab numbers to see what worked for me.
Mallet Aim
Blade Aim
Takeaway: Both putters are fine on the aiming side.
Mallet Face Rotation
Blade Face Rotation
Takeaway: Both putters return slightly open at impact; however, the path with the mallet was in-to-out 2.9 degrees while the blade’s path was 2.7 degrees LEFT!
The resulting launch of the ball with the mallet was 1.2 degrees right, and only 0.3 degrees right with the blade. So for MY stroke only, at this time, the blade works better to eliminate my excessive in-to-out stroke and the ball starts closer to my intended line.
It’s funny how just changing the look and weighting of a putter can alter your path this much. I didn’t believe it at first, so I tested the putters several more times. The same thing happened again and again.
Mallet Path and Impact
Blade Path and Impact
Takeaway: As you look at my mallet stroke, you can see that due to the excessive in-to-out stroke, I contacted my putts all over the face. This alters the consistency of the speed off the blade. I had a much more consistent impact point with the blade. Yes, it was on the heel, but at least it was predictable.
Mallet Face rotation
Blade Face rotation
Takeaway: One thing about the mallet putter, as previously stated; it does not open and close as much as a blade putter does. But the difference was minor, surprisingly.
I was always a golfer who practiced on a chalkline and believed in the square-to-square method, as most people did in the late ’80s and early ’90s when I was playing in college. For that reason, I preferred mallets and have little putter face rotation to this day. However, you can see that the blade putter actually is more consistent for me in regards to the rotation phase of the stroke, so actually the change is good.
Mallet Stroke
Blade Stroke
If you look at the bottom-right graph showing forward swing acceleration, you will see that the mallet putter’s “flat spot” slopes slightly downward, showing a decrease of acceleration though impact, which I like for faster greens. The blade putter’s “flat spot,” however, slopes slightly upward, showing an added acceleration. That can lead to the ball jumping off the blade from time to time. I don’t mind a few things getting better while a thing or two gets worse, and in my case I have always had good speed control. So the added acceleration shouldn’t be an issue. If it becomes an issue, I can always change the weighting of the putter itself.
What I Learned
In testing, the blade putter seems to work better and eliminate my consistent swing path issue, and this has been proven by the SAM. I need to test this on the golf course under pressures to find out if in fact it works as stated. Sometimes, you’ll find it will transfer fully; other times, only a few things will transfer. Other times, it works only in testing. The golf course is the real test, and the only test that truly matters to your scorecard.
I do know by looking at the data, however, that the TaylorMade Mallet works for me, but has some limitations. The Toulon blade works better for me in testing, proving sometimes change is good… but is it?
There may be no more painful affliction in golf than the “yips” – those uncontrollable and maddening little nervous twitches that prevent you from making a decent stroke on short putts. If you’ve never had them, consider yourself very fortunate (or possibly just very young). But I can assure you that when your most treacherous and feared golf shot is not the 195 yard approach over water with a quartering headwind…not the extra tight fairway with water left and sand right…not the soft bunker shot to a downhill pin with water on the other side…No, when your most feared shot is the remaining 2- 4-foot putt after hitting a great approach, recovery or lag putt, it makes the game almost painful.
And I’ve been fighting the yips (again) for a while now. It’s a recurring nightmare that has haunted me most of my adult life. I even had the yips when I was in my 20s, but I’ve beat them into submission off and on most of my adult life. But just recently, that nasty virus came to life once again. My lag putting has been very good, but when I get over one of those “you should make this” length putts, the entire nervous system seems to go haywire. I make great practice strokes, and then the most pitiful short-stroke or jab at the ball you can imagine. Sheesh.
But I’m a traditionalist, and do not look toward the long putter, belly putter, cross-hand, claw or other variation as the solution. My approach is to beat those damn yips into submission some other way. Here’s what I’m doing that is working pretty well, and I offer it to all of you who might have a similar affliction on the greens.
When you are over a short putt, forget the practice strokes…you want your natural eye-hand coordination to be unhindered by mechanics. Address your putt and take a good look at the hole, and back to the putter to ensure good alignment. Lighten your right hand grip on the putter and make sure that only the fingertips are in contact with the grip, to prevent you from getting to tight.
Then, take a long, long look at the hole to fill your entire mind and senses with the target. When you bring your head/eyes back to the ball, try to make a smooth, immediate move right into your backstroke — not even a second pause — and then let your hands and putter track right back together right back to where you were looking — the HOLE! Seeing the putter make contact with the ball, preferably even the forward edge of the ball – the side near the hole.
For me, this is working, but I am asking all of you to chime in with your own “home remedies” for the most aggravating and senseless of all golf maladies. It never hurts to have more to fall back on!
Over the last couple of decades, golf has become much more science-based. We measure swing speed, smash factor, angle of attack, strokes gained, and many other metrics that can really help golfers improve. But I often wonder if the advancement of golf’s “hard” sciences comes at the expense of the “soft” sciences.
Take, for example, golf instruction. Good golf instruction requires understanding swing mechanics and ball flight. But let’s take that as a given for PGA instructors. The other factors that make an instructor effective can be evaluated by social science, rather than launch monitors.
If you are a recreational golfer looking for a golf instructor, here are my top three points to consider.
1. Cultural mindset
What is “cultural mindset? To social scientists, it means whether a culture of genius or a culture of learning exists. In a golf instruction context, that may mean whether the teacher communicates a message that golf ability is something innate (you either have it or you don’t), or whether golf ability is something that can be learned. You want the latter!
It may sound obvious to suggest that you find a golf instructor who thinks you can improve, but my research suggests that it isn’t a given. In a large sample study of golf instructors, I found that when it came to recreational golfers, there was a wide range of belief systems. Some instructors strongly believed recreational golfers could improve through lessons. while others strongly believed they could not. And those beliefs manifested in the instructor’s feedback given to a student and the culture created for players.
2. Coping and self-modeling can beat role-modeling
Swing analysis technology is often preloaded with swings of PGA and LPGA Tour players. The swings of elite players are intended to be used for comparative purposes with golfers taking lessons. What social science tells us is that for novice and non-expert golfers, comparing swings to tour professionals can have the opposite effect of that intended. If you fit into the novice or non-expert category of golfer, you will learn more and be more motivated to change if you see yourself making a ‘better’ swing (self-modeling) or seeing your swing compared to a similar other (a coping model). Stay away from instructors who want to compare your swing with that of a tour player.
3. Learning theory basics
It is not a sexy selling point, but learning is a process, and that process is incremental – particularly for recreational adult players. Social science helps us understand this element of golf instruction. A good instructor will take learning slowly. He or she will give you just about enough information that challenges you, but is still manageable. The artful instructor will take time to decide what that one or two learning points are before jumping in to make full-scale swing changes. If the instructor moves too fast, you will probably leave the lesson with an arm’s length of swing thoughts and not really know which to focus on.
As an instructor, I develop a priority list of changes I want to make in a player’s technique. We then patiently and gradually work through that list. Beware of instructors who give you more than you can chew.
So if you are in the market for golf instruction, I encourage you to look beyond the X’s and O’s to find the right match!
Most pros take months, even years, to win their first tournament. Lottie Woad needed exactly four days.
The 21-year-old from Surrey shot 21-under 267 at Dundonald Links to win the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open by three shots — in her very first event as a professional. She’s only the third player in LPGA history to accomplish this feat, joining Rose Zhang (2023) and Beverly Hanson (1951).
But here’s what caught my attention as a coach: Woad didn’t win through miraculous putting or bombing 300-yard drives. She won through relentless precision and unshakeable composure. After watching her performance unfold, I’m convinced every golfer — from weekend warriors to scratch players — can steal pages from her playbook.
Precision Beats Power (And It’s Not Even Close)
Forget the driving contests. Woad proved that finding greens matters more than finding distance.
What Woad did:
• Hit it straight, hit it solid, give yourself chances
• Aimed for the fat parts of greens instead of chasing pins
• Let her putting do the talking after hitting safe targets
• As she said, “Everyone was chasing me today, and managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch and hit a lot of good shots”
Why most golfers mess this up:
• They see a pin tucked behind a bunker and grab one more club to “go right at it”
• Distance becomes more important than accuracy
• They try to be heroic instead of smart
ACTION ITEM: For your next 10 rounds, aim for the center of every green regardless of pin position. Track your greens in regulation and watch your scores drop before your swing changes.
The Putter That Stayed Cool Under Fire
Woad started the final round two shots clear and immediately applied pressure with birdies at the 2nd and 3rd holes. When South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim mounted a charge and reached 20-under with a birdie at the 14th, Woad didn’t panic.
How she responded to pressure:
• Fired back with consecutive birdies at the 13th and 14th
• Watched Kim stumble with back-to-back bogeys
• Capped it with her fifth birdie of the day at the par-5 18th
• Stayed patient when others pressed, pressed when others cracked
What amateurs do wrong:
• Get conservative when they should be aggressive
• Try to force magic when steady play would win
• Panic when someone else makes a move
ACTION ITEM: Practice your 3-6 foot putts for 15 minutes after every range session. Woad’s putting wasn’t spectacular—it was reliable. Make the putts you should make.
Course Management 101: Play Your Game, Not the Course’s Game
Woad admitted she couldn’t see many scoreboards during the final round, but it didn’t matter. She stuck to her game plan regardless of what others were doing.
Her mental approach:
• Focused on her process, not the competition
• Drew on past pressure situations (Augusta National Women’s Amateur win)
• As she said, “That was the biggest tournament I played in at the time and was kind of my big win. So definitely felt the pressure of it more there, and I felt like all those experiences helped me with this”
Her physical execution:
• 270-yard drives (nothing flashy)
• Methodical iron play
• Steady putting
• Everything effective, nothing spectacular
ACTION ITEM: Create a yardage book for your home course. Know your distances to every pin, every hazard, every landing area. Stick to your plan no matter what your playing partners are doing.
Mental Toughness Isn’t Born, It’s Built
The most impressive part of Woad’s win? She genuinely didn’t expect it: “I definitely wasn’t expecting to win my first event as a pro, but I knew I was playing well, and I was hoping to contend.”
Her winning mindset:
• Didn’t put winning pressure on herself
• Focused on playing well and contending
• Made winning a byproduct of a good process
• Built confidence through recent experiences:
- Won the Women’s Irish Open as an amateur
- Missed a playoff by one shot at the Evian Championship
- Each experience prepared her for the next
What this means for you:
• Stop trying to shoot career rounds every time you tee up
• Focus on executing your pre-shot routine
• Commit to every shot
• Stay present in the moment
ACTION ITEM: Before each round, set process goals instead of score goals. Example: “I will take three practice swings before every shot” or “I will pick a specific target for every shot.” Let your score be the result, not the focus.
The Real Lesson
Woad collected $300,000 for her first professional victory, but the real prize was proving that fundamentals still work at golf’s highest level. She didn’t reinvent the game — she simply executed the basics better than everyone else that week.
The fundamentals that won:
• Hit more fairways
• Find more greens
• Make the putts you should make
• Stay patient under pressure
That’s something every golfer can do, regardless of handicap. Lottie Woad just showed us it’s still the winning formula.
FINAL ACTION ITEM: Pick one of the four action items above and commit to it for the next month. Master one fundamental before moving to the next. That’s how champions are built.
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” on RG.org 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!
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Gary
Apr 27, 2017 at 11:22 pm
Very simple message to Tom Stickney II and all contributors to GolfWrx, I appreciate your articles and the fact that you take the time to read and respond to comments posted. Many times your response to questions posed clarifies information for the reader, and is appreciated.
I have no idea why golf enthusiasts would post negative comments or attack any contributors personally.
Read, learn, ask questions, and get better.
If you do not like the article, move on.
Desmond
Apr 2, 2017 at 8:55 am
After being fit by Edel, I play a mallet with no offset because it’s easier to see the line on which I want to start the ball. After that, it is technique. If you are in to out on path, that’s more easily resolved with a lesson on technique rather than aim.
Desmond
Apr 2, 2017 at 8:58 am
Need to add other factors are involved in selecting a head besides aim – hosel, offset, weight, balance, sightlines, etc.
Lowell
Jan 23, 2017 at 6:08 pm
Wow Tom you are the director of instruction on Vidanta. Awesome. I love the grand Mayan and the people there. Wish I could have taken my clubs. Was really tempted to borrow a set and tee it up. When I was there last June, they were building the Golf pro shop or where people would check in to play golf, visitors and guests alike. Hopefully I can tee it up there in the near future.
Stretch
Jun 3, 2016 at 10:28 pm
I love seeing the Trackman figures and have learned from your Trackman skills. How ever there is a statistical void in this study that I would love to see explored with Trackman. The weakness is the technology is terrific how it can show weak and strong patterns for the student to work on to improve scoring and ball striking. Correct me if I am wrong about the arcing in and then arcing in putting stroke that is going down the line for a minimum time. To roll the ball in a manner to create the highest likelyhood of rolling in the putter head must chase down the line with the minimal arcing motion left for a rightie. The kicker is even when the optimal stroke is created making putts when needed do not result. This is the problem with putting instruction as it does not take into consideration where the player is looking. A great stroke and poor aim result in all sorts of maladies loosely lumped as yips.
Bert
Jun 3, 2016 at 9:41 pm
Blade? An 8802 is a blade putter. This putter is nothing more than another Ping clone.
Dan
Jun 4, 2016 at 12:48 pm
What a stupid comment. A Ping clone as you call is categorized as a blade putter too!
Bert
Jun 5, 2016 at 9:18 pm
Not really
Bert
Jun 5, 2016 at 9:22 pm
Another point, I never said I didn’t like the article. It’s well thought out and well written and care has been taken to help not hinder the reader.
gofish721
Jun 3, 2016 at 1:16 pm
I had the original 1996 Newport for about 10 years and putted fairly well with it. Then in 2006 I tried the Red X mallet and never bagged the Newport again for a round. My inside 10 feet putting stats were notably better knee knocker 4 footers were in my high confidence level. A mallet worked great for me as I saw a drop in my handicap and I didn’t need a Sam Putt Lab to tell me that. As a rocket scientist for the government (really am) I love data and analysis. But the only stat I wanted regarding putting was my scoring average and putts/round.
Besides, maybe your aim for the mallet might be 0.2 degrees closed, but if you mistakenly picked a line or stroked your putt 0.2 degrees off/wrong to the right of the hole… BINGO!
Don OConnor
Jun 2, 2016 at 11:33 pm
Hey Steve,
The round was last year at Rustic Canyon in SoCal. It was a SCGA mid-am qualifier. It’s on record. I’m not selling fairy dust just letting you naysayers know that Tom can help you with your game.
steve
Jun 3, 2016 at 9:13 am
Didnt question that. One lesson made 7 birdies for you, without the lesson no birdies? That was the fairy dust
tlmck
Jun 2, 2016 at 10:21 pm
Or… You could adopt a grip and stroke where the putter does not matter.
Bob Pegram
Jun 3, 2016 at 1:39 pm
The weight distribution of the putter always matters, It is physics.
Milo
Jun 2, 2016 at 9:57 pm
I still game my OG Futura, it’s very nice.
Don OConnor
Jun 2, 2016 at 5:55 pm
I feel compelled to post a comment because I have actually taken a lesson from Tom. The day after that lesson I made 7 birdies and 6 of them where from inside 10 feet in a legitimate mid-am tournament. He knows more than most about the game. To question a man’s integrity without knowing him is a joke. He does these posts to help golfers first and foremost. The haters out there don’t improve at this game because they think they have a game that can’t be mastered figured out. This game is a journey not a conquest.
Steve
Jun 2, 2016 at 7:26 pm
One lesson and 7 birdies. Wow your a joke, sell your tonic somewhere else. How many birdies without the magical fairy dust lesson?
gdb99
Jun 2, 2016 at 7:55 pm
Wow is right.
tom stickney
Jun 3, 2016 at 10:25 pm
Too nice…thank you for your support! I hope you are well. Go see Dale Abraham at Bighorn this winter, tell him I sent you.
golfraven
Jun 2, 2016 at 3:48 pm
I made same experienced. Played a semi-mallet Scotty Del Mar for years as I originally liked a similar putter I played on a round but I was never 100% comfortable as with a blade. Moved this season back to a blade putter and likely will stick with it in future. Anser/Studio style models just suit me best and if you look on Tour you will see that most pros have those in the bag.
larrybud
Jun 2, 2016 at 3:12 pm
OMG, the whiners on here. Tom, as an instructor, don’t you think you should change you setup slightly so you’re not so heel-biased? Just standing another inch or so from the ball might just change your path. I know when I get too close, I have a tendency go take the putter outside the line, and that results in cutting across it. One might think a putter change would help (and it might), but it would be better if you were making center contact.
skip
Jun 2, 2016 at 2:04 pm
it’s not the arrow, it’s the Indian.
Rob
Jun 2, 2016 at 5:05 pm
But the arrow can effect the Indian.
Cr
Jun 2, 2016 at 6:13 pm
Indians don’t use crooked bow nor arrows
Chuck D
Jun 2, 2016 at 1:44 pm
I was thinkin’ the diagram would have helped to show an actual mallet putter. Two blades was shown was ehhhh.
gdb99
Jun 2, 2016 at 7:53 pm
I think that’s how the SAM shows the data, not something that can change for the article. I could be wrong though.
steve
Jun 2, 2016 at 1:18 pm
Wow talk about doing anything for a free putter. And who cares why you would switch? Gringe worthy plug for a putter maker. Hope you got more then a free putter
tom stickney
Jun 3, 2016 at 10:30 pm
Once again you troll this site and make negative comments on every article posted from myself and others…love to hear YOUR thoughts on golf instruction since you seem to be displeased with our stuff. We will all be waiting for your article…
S
Jun 4, 2016 at 10:03 am
Tom…Great article. As someone who has done thousands of putter fittings with SAM working for an OEM and most recently, a Top 100 Fitter, I can assure these clowns who always find the negative in these articles that a properly fitted putter can make a huge difference. Head design, length, loft, lie and weight balance makes a significant difference in putter movement. Putters are fit to stroke patterns and tendencies. SAM is a great stroke monitor that allows teachers and fitters focus on areas that need improvement. Trolls can eat a d*ck and continue to claim they drive it 300 and and shoot in the 70’s without instruction.
Tank
Jun 5, 2016 at 3:19 pm
That’s what you get for trying to be the golf wrx pro! Apparently you are a Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher, and has been honored as a Golf Digest Best Teacher and a Golf Tips Top-25 Instructor. Tom is also a Trackman University Master/Partner, a distinction held by less than 60 people in the world…. Why waste your time here posting articles that take way to many words to make a common sense point. Then get all but hurt when people chirp you for doing just that. WHY WHY WHY? keep wasting your time on golf wrx bud, Everyone appreciates it hahaha. You know people are idiots online. Seriously get a grip…
Dennis
Jun 2, 2016 at 12:30 pm
We really have become a country of whiners. Always finding faults in others to keep from having to look at ourselves. Such a shame.
alexdub
Jun 2, 2016 at 11:50 am
Take off the rose colored glasses–there was no shameless plug for Tulon in this article.
Weekend Duffer
Jun 2, 2016 at 10:54 am
Can we get some articles that aren’t shameless product shilling for once?
Kevin
Jun 2, 2016 at 11:04 am
This article showed insite on putter fitting. Something most golfers don’t do, but should
Geoff
Jun 2, 2016 at 11:16 am
They could have done it without the shameless plug for Toulon.
Adam
Jun 2, 2016 at 12:41 pm
They barely mentioned Toulon lol!