Equipment
What really happens during a putter fitting?
With all due respect to the flastick, it’s probably safe to say when most golfers envision a club fitting, the last “club” they are thinking about is the putter.
Dial in a driver, optimize your bag setup and gapping, find the right irons and shaft combination — even wedge fittings probably garner more attention.
Should they? Shouldn’t we be paying more attention to making sure the club we use on every hole — with which the margins are the slimmest — is optimal? Shouldn’t the process of putter calibration be more sophisticated than grabbing one off the rack that feels good and you holed a couple of putts with on the equivalent of outdoor carpet?
The team at Club Champion, the nation’s No. 1 club fitter, certainly think so, and they were kind enough to answer a few questions on the subject of putter fitting.
And we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention golfers get their fitting fee waived all September long at Club Champion — a $100 value — this month when they purchase a new putter.
GolfWRX: Why is putter fitting important, first of all?
Club Champion: So many reasons, but the easiest to understand is that the putter is the only club you use on every hole. It’s not a full-swing club so it’s not as sexy as a driver when people think of fitting — you aren’t gaining distance or obvious bragging rights. Instead, you’re dialing in your control on the greens, which is where the most strokes can be saved. For most average players, putts account for 40% of their strokes…there’s a ton of room for error there if your putter isn’t the proper head style, weight, length, and so on.
GolfWRX: What should a golfer bring to a putter fitting?
CC: Their current gamer and an open mind. We find that putters, more often than many other clubs, tend to be an emotional purchase versus a performance-based one. Putters are so stylized and can be so beautiful, so we see a lot of people coming in with preconceived notions about which brands or models they’re dying to have in the bag, but that isn’t always the right option for their stroke. Having an open mind and trusting the SAM PuttLab data is just as important as trusting the numbers in front of you when TrackMan is telling you which driver is the best performer.
GolfWRX: Is a putter fitting done as part of a full-bag fitting, or what is the process?
CC: The putter is included in our full bag fittings and we offer putter fittings as a separate fitting type as well. The best value is to do the whole bag at once but there are plenty of people who want to experience a putter fitting on its own.
GolfWRX: How do the goals of a putter fitting differ from (or are similar to) the full-bag fitting?
CC: At the end of the day, all fittings share the same goal of lowering your scores. A putter fitting is a slightly different approach, in that we use SAM PuttLab technology instead of TrackMan, but we have a similar process — set a baseline with your gamer, use that data to dial in the club specs you need, test your options, recommend the best performer. We’re looking for more control, better feel, consistency and more.
GolfWRX: What is the process for putter fitting?
CC: As stated above, we’re starting with your gamer. We use the SAM PuttLab system to collect dozens of metrics about your stroke with your current putter; everything from your face at impact to your spin to your lie at impact and so on. We then take the data generated by SAM PuttLab to dial in the ideal head style (mallet, blade, etc.) and then we go from there. We’re looking at everything — weight, toe hang, even sightlines and shaft options — to make sure that you’re aiming properly and staying on-line each time.
GolfWRX: In terms of results, what do most golfers see?
CC: There’s no one-size-fits-all result in any fitting, but we usually see a measurable difference in speed control. When your putter looks and feels right, you’re able to better judge distances and the force needed to get the putter to the hole. We also tend to see a correction for common problems — consistent left or right misses and so on.
GolfWRX: If a player likes to switch between putters for different green speeds or has a few putters in rotation, what do you suggest s/he does?
CC: We don’t see this often, but we always try to dial in the basics like length and grip size so there’s consistency across all options. Then, we take a look at their specific uses for each putter and work on tweaking the other elements to best suit those uses.
GolfWRX: How often should a player be fit for a putter? Is it best to do it before, during, or after the season?
CC: There’s never a bad time to be fitted but before the season makes the most sense. Frequency is really dependent on the player and what they’re looking to get out of their game but a rule of thumb is to check in on your gamer annually to be sure lofts/lies are still dialed in, to replace grips, etc.
GolfWRX: Do you ever recommend non-traditional putter styles?
CC: Yes! We have a couple armlock options, including the SIK putter that Bryson plays. We worked on an exclusive Bettinardi collaboration that yielded a great long-neck option. We even have a couple putters that stand up on their own so you can read the green with the putter lined up. We have a little bit of everything.
Cameron Young’s WITB from his win at the 2025 Wyndham Championship. Cameron is a Titleist staff player but his bag is definitely filled with some unique clubs. Here are the clubs he used to secure his first PGA Tour win!
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus HB Black VeloCore+ 10 X
Irons: Titleist T200 (4), Titleist T100 (5), Titleist 631.CY Prototype (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F @57), WedgeWorks (60-K* @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom 9.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Prototype
- Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist GT3 (10 degrees, C2 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Project X Denali Blue 60 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 7 X
7-wood: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 8 X
Irons: Titleist T150 (4, 5), Titleist T100 (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper AMT Tour White X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F, 56-08M @57, 60-04T @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Fastback 1.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Yellow
We’re proud to once again partner with 2nd Swing Golf to bring you GolfWRX Members Choice 2025! 2nd Swing has more than 150,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.
What is the best driver in 2025? At GolfWRX, we take great pride in our online community and the cumulative knowledge and experience of our members. When it comes to the best driver of 2025, we want to know what our forum faithful think.
Since our founding in 2005, the bedrock of GolfWRX.com has been the community of passionate and knowledgeable golfers in our forums, and we put endless trust in the opinions of our GolfWRX members — the most knowledgeable community of golfers on the internet. No other group of golfers in the world tests golf clubs as frequently or as extensively, nor is armed with such in-depth information about the latest technology.
Below are the results of GolfWRX member voting for the 2025 best driver, along with the vote percentage for each club.
Best driver of 2025: The top 5
5. Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond: 6.02%
Callaway’s pitch: “For golfers looking for a fast, forgiving, yet workable driver, the Elyte Triple Diamond features a tour-inspired shape and is the preferred model by most Callaway tour players.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond here.
4. Ping G440 Max: 6.86%
Ping’s pitch: “The most forgiving G440 model, MAX has a hotter face to generate speed and distance, and a lighter overall system weight with a longer shaft (46″) for faster clubhead speed, higher launch and longer carries. The Free Hosel and Carbonfly Wrap crown save weight to create our lowest CG ever and increase forgiveness while contributing to a more muted, pleasing sound.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 Max here.
3. Ping G440 LST: 9.53%
Ping’s pitch: “LST is an especially good fit for faster swings, offering less spin and more control with a penetrating trajectory. A hotter face, lighter overall system weight and longer shaft (46″) deliver more speed and distance while maintaining tight dispersion.”
@phizzy30: “Not a fan of Ping drivers in general, but 440 LST takes the cake. It’s super forgiving across the face for a low spin head, looks and sounds good and the ability to make it play neutral or slightly fade biased through the hosel settings is very appealing.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 LST here.
2. Titleist GT3: 16.55%
Titleist’s pitch: “The GT3 Driver offers Titleist’s boldest combination of power and personalization through adjustable performance. Dial in the CG Track to your frequent contact location to make your biggest drives even bigger while taking total control over flight and shaping.”
@mrmikeac: “I’ve been Anti-Titleist for years and years and years (outside of Vokey, of course). With that being said, HOLY BEGEEZUS the GT3 driver is an absolute NUCLEAR MONSTER! This thing blew my G430 10K Max out of the water in every single category. Forgiveness is the biggest thing that stands out of me, the 3 model has always been one of the less forgiving models in the past but this GT3 can take bad shot after bad shot and still end up in the fairway, I think a ton of that has to do with the adjustability, it’s actually effective. Feel and sound is perfect, that solid crack is so addicting to hear and when you hit it out the screws this thing can absolutely bomb it. Titleist, I’m sorry for doubting you. You have converted me.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT3 here.
1. Titleist GT2: 22.91%
Titleist’s pitch: “Delivering impressive distance from any impact point, the Titleist GT2 Driver extracts maximum performance through a forgiving design. Get the stability and added confidence of a high-MOI driver without sacrificing speed.”
@DTorres: “The Titleist GT2 has proven to be the best driver of the year. Packaged in a classic profile, GT2 perfectly balances performance and forgiveness while consistently being a high performer across all categories.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT2 here.
Other drivers receiving >2% of the vote
| Driver | Vote percentage (%) |
|---|---|
| Cobra DS Adapt Max K | 4.85% |
| Ping G430 Max 10K | 3.85% |
| Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond | 3.68% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 | 3.51% |
| Callaway Elyte | 3.18% |
| Cobra DS Adapt X | 2.34% |
| Cobra DS Adapt LS | 2.17% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 LS | 2.17% |
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Frank
Sep 14, 2021 at 8:23 am
Totally agree with Bill above. Overall, I’d rate this article a “flop” at best. Didn’t learn a thing.
MCoz
Sep 14, 2021 at 3:34 am
People have to be open to what works best for each individual. And most often the best putter head and fit is nothing like what they think they should putt with. I have worked on fitting putters as a side favor for putter manufacturers and the players for several years across the country. Most of the time someone can become a better putter but they have to start with a “clean sheet” and an open mind. Often their “favorite” model doesn’t fit the player at all. Overlooked is the players vision and their dominent eye can play a part also. It can be much different than other club fittings and no less important, maybe more so!
William Dutton
Sep 13, 2021 at 11:35 pm
this should be marked as an advert for club champion I didn’t learn anything at all about putter fitting.
“we use SAM put lab and sell you a putter’
Mike
Sep 13, 2021 at 8:24 pm
This was a useless article it’s stating the obvious who doesn’t know to get fit.