The short game can make or break your run on the course, and having the proper putter can make the difference between birdie or bust. We’ve set out in search of the top putters on the market this summer to help you improve accuracy and consistency in your putts.
Nike METHOD – $249
Incorporating the “scientific method” to create their latest putter, Nike Golf crafted a special formula of steel and polymer to create a soft-faced putter. The METHOD’s low-durometer polymetal groove technology provides a softer by limiting vibrations. The putter’s multi-material face results in increased Moment of Inertia and a positive spin. In layman’s terms, the ball rolls forward faster off the putt without a backward spin. The new polymer technology also reduces the initial bounce on the putt, meaning you’ll have more control over the shot and the ball will stay on line. Nike athletes Lucas Glover and Stewart Cink have each ridden the METHOD to victories at the 2009 U.S. Open and The OPEN Championship. Glover in particular noticed dramatic effects in his short game after switching to the METHOD – his 2008 putts-per-round ranking of 116 jumped to 39th in 2009 thanks to the Nike putter. “This putter has made all of the difference in my game,” said Glover. “I attribute a lot of the success I had at Bethpage to my putting. I give a lot of credit to Nike for coming out with such a great product.”
Odyssey White Ice – $179
While the Nike METHOD focuses on the face of the putter, Odyssey’s White Ice putter examines the entire head to deliver an optimized roll. As golf’s Higher Ups continue to change standards to grooves in irons and wedges, golf ball technology has changed in turn to better match the clubs’ new designs. Softer golf balls with more spin require a more finely-tuned putter, and the engineers at Odyssey consulted with Tour pros around the world to develop inserts to follow the shifts in golf ball technology. The White Ice’s insert features a stiffer and firmer inner core built with Advanced Roll Technology keeps a low center of gravity deep in the head while Head Weight Optimization provides calculated proportion between the head weight and club length. The result? Better balance, control, and accuracy in the putt. Because every golfer handles a putter differently, the White Ice was designed to handle adjustable weighting with interchangeable weight chips. These easy to switch chips provide a head weight of precisely 350g, 360g, or 370g to perfectly match a golfer’s preference. The putter also features an innovative 2-Ball alignment system using a pair of bright white circles on the head that increases accuracy in lining up putts.
Rossa Corza Ghost – $159
In line with Odyssey’s alignment system, the brand-new Corza Ghost from Rossa was crafted specifically to improve aim. With the intention of creating a putter easier to aim than any other on the market, Rossa began with vision when researching the design. Consulting Dr. Steven A Hitzeman, professor at the Indiana School of Optometry, Rossa built a putter head utilizing contrasting white and black colors to improve eye alignment. The putter’s stark white head stands out from the green putting surface, helping you square up the putter at the first address. “That high contrast maximizes stimulation to the retina and highlights the head’s shape and features,” said Dr. Hitzeman. Additionally, three black alignment lines and a circular hole on the crown provide different focal points with which to aim. Aside from chromatic design points, the Corza Ghost incorporates Rossa’s tour-proven Anti-skid Grooce System Insert Technology with a series of polymer-filled grooves to briefly “hold” the ball at impact, reducing backward spin and improve consistency. This specially-engineered insert delivers high Moment of Inertia for an optimal forward roll even in off-center hits, should those three alignment lines fail you.
PHOTO CREDIT: Listed manufacturers
