 Tiger Woods is widely acknowledged in the professional ranks of both the European Tour and the PGA Tour as the world's best putter. He is No 1, uno numero, the greatest golfer we have seen. He possesses a solid game both physically and mentally. His ability to read greens and sink crucial putts has been the dominating factor in his career. Yes, when he tees it up, he drives the ball a long way and yes he is mentally tough but if he couldn't putt he wouldn't be the greatest.
Over the years we have seen some phenomenal golfers, the likes of Walter Hagen, Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Byron Nelson, Sam Snead, Gary Player, Bobby Locke the list is endless. Latterly Seve Ballesteros, Ben Crenshaw, Phil Mickleson. They are winners because they had the ability to read greens and sink putts. Tournaments are won and lost on the greens.
Club golfers aspire to emulate their professional hero's at the local driving range. Striving to perfect their long game and iron play. Look at any driving range and the majority of golfers are trying to knock the skin off the ball with the driver. We start by hitting a few balls with the wedge before reaching for the "Big Stick". Neglecting what is considered as the most important element of golf, the humble putt. This is the area where we can emulate Tiger Woods and all the greatest putters in the world. We don't need the physical strength, power or flexibility of the top golfers. We just need the ability to read the pace and line of a putt and stroke the ball into the hole.
The equipment needed to do that will have an impact on the results. If it is not suited for our particular style or set up, it will result in poor putting. Too many golfers use ill fitting equipment then wonder why they can't putt. In this day of custom built clubs the putter appears to have been neglected. A putter is used on every hole, this fact alone makes it the most important club in the bag. You cannot recover from a poor putt therefore it is important to ensure the putter is right for you. Less putts mean lower scores and more enjoyment.
Many of the world's greatest putters have used a forward press in order to give the ball a better roll. By pushing the hands forward at address and holding them there during the stroke the clubface is de-lofted and the ball is struck above its equator. This gives a pure roll to the ball. For the handicap golfer this putting technique can make it difficult to hold the face of the putter square to the hole and often results in the ball missing to the right of the hole.
At Purestrike Golf we believe in keeping things simple. Purestrike Putters have this forward press engineered into the putter face, giving handicap golfers the same true roll achieved at the highest levels. The hands stay neutral throughout the stroke as the club is designed to work for you. There is no sophistication, with the right equipment and the correct grip the ball can be rolled into the cup.
Today's putters have to take into account the demand for faster greens. New mower technology means the greens can now be cut to 2 or 3 millimetres, instead of 8 or 10millimeters. When greens were longer the ball would settle into the grass and loft was needed on the face of the putter to get the ball up and onto the top of the grass. Traditional putters have 2 - 4 degrees of loft on the face. Loft on the face of a golf club is designed to get the ball airborne not rolling. In the case of a putter with 4 degrees of loft, the ball may skid or hop for up to 12 inches before it begins to roll. This means that the golfer has to push the weight of the golf ball (1.68oz) in order to get the ball moving. When the ball stops skidding and begins to roll it is slowing down rather than accelerating towards the hole.
At Purestrike Golf we believe the ball needs to roll not skid or hop. The Purestrike putter has negative loft and a deep milled face. It is designed to roll the ball as soon as it is struck. Because
the ball rolls immediately off the face and does not skid or jump, the ball accelerates, the roll is positive and the putt more accurate. The sooner the ball is running at the hole the more accurate the putt. Good putting is all about pace and with a rolling ball, distance and line are easier to control. Standing over a putt for birdie or eagle or to win a match we have to rely on our equipment and technique. The simpler this is the easier the putt becomes as confidence is 9/10's of the game. Purestrike putters are designed to give you confidence on the greens.
As far as technical information is concerned:
Purestrike putters are face balanced and have centre shafts. Face balancing together with heel and toe weighting reduces twist or head rotation during the stroke. There is a weight bar directly behind the sweet spot of the club which transfers the kinetic energy of the stroke directly into the back of the ball. This energy bar is connected to the top of the putter with additional weighting connecting each side of the putter. This spreads the loading to give a large sweet spot. The larger the sweet spot the less risk of miss hitting the ball; with off-centre strikes. A Purestrike Putter hit towards the toe or heel of the club will still give a true roll.
Wrist hinge is so often the cause of "3 Putting". Negative loft on the face helps reduce the effects of wrist hinge, bringing the loft of the putter back to perhaps 2 or 3 degrees rather than 6 or 7. The positive roll of the putter allows for better control of distance and accuracy. With a head weight of 365grammes a Purestrike putter makes the golfer swing the club rather than hit at the ball. "You can always hit a heavy hammer soft but you can't hit a light hammer hard" smoothness is the key to a good putting stroke.
A two-thumb grip adds control by locking the arms and upper body, reducing wrist movement. With the thumbs side by side and the shoulders square, it promotes a straight back straight through swing -10foot putts have never been easier.
Golf Pride V Rad grips and Two Thumb are standard on Purestrike putters.
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