Putters for Golf Beginners from Darts to the Fat Lady

Golf for Beginners has examined the best drivers, hybrids and irons for newer players but it is the putter, aka the flat stick, that can shave the most strokes from your scorecard. Many websites have placed these mighty clubs in the hands of amateur golfers and, with that in mind, we have shortened that list to three putters we believe to be more effective for a newbie.

What constitutes a good putter for a beginner golfer?

There are flat blades, mallets with high MOI and hybrids with companies from boutique (Axis 1) to large (Titleist, Odyssey and Cleveland) touting that their putter is the easiest to use. You will also hear some players say to try a variety and buy the putter that just "feels right."

Confusing? You bet!

A good beginner putter should be weighted so that it feels as if it swings freely in your hands - balanced...in other words, you should not have to grip it tightly nor guide it back and through.


Listed below are a few of our game improvement putter picks for golf beginners:

1. Odyssey line of putters - The Two-Ball putter is a personal favorite of mine and I have tried many putters! The Odyssey Two-Ball series gives me the line of sight that I need to look over the golf ball, balance, aim and shoot with confidence.

For an updated version, Odyssey has come out with the White Hot Pro D.A.R.T. putter (Direction And Realignment Technology) - "golfers will focus their eyes on the three white lines (which look like the fins of dart) making sure all three point to the center of the ball."

Speaking of confidence, keep this word handy in your golf dictionary at all times: putting is built on your certainty of getting that tiny ball in the hole in the least number of strokes.


2. Bobby Grace AMG Fat Lady Putter - The fat lady sings quite well from within five feet, as stated by testers in Golf Magazine's Hot List. Having problems with straight back-straight through shots? Beginners have found this putter to be "automatic" on short putts.



3. TaylorMade White Smoke Big Fontana - An easy-to-aim mallet with a new design for TaylorMade based on a study which revealed that "65% of golfers fail to square the putter-face to the target from twelve feet." Smooth feel when pushing the ball to its target.

As a side note, Golf for Beginners reviewed the Taylor Made Rossa Corza Putter in the past and happened to notice it on or near the top of several lists of top putters for beginners (Leaderboard golf for example) so, if you happen to find one and can try it, keep in mind as well.


Which putter do you currently have in your golf bag?

Voice your opinion on our Golf for Beginners blog, on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and Like us on Facebook.


This is a subjective list of putters. Golf for Beginners makes no claims that any of these putters will help your game and lower your handicap.

Axis1 Golf to Introduce the UMBRA at 2011 PGA Merchandise Show

Axis1 Golf, maker of the world’s first perfectly balanced and completely torque free putters, announced today the March 25th retail availability of the Axis1 Umbra.

“The Axis1 Umbra, a modern mallet, is uniquely engineered for a breakthrough in control and feel,” said Axis1 Founder Luis Pedraza. “Axis1 Umbra features the world’s first 100% perfectly balanced and completely torque free platform along with the new L-Frame Alignment feature, which perfectly frames the golf ball for easier alignment.”

“We are excited to join the industry in Orlando to launch the Axis1 Umbra Putter to PGA Professionals, some of golf’s most influential retailers and golf media members from around the world,” mentioned Phil Long, Axis1 Golf Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “There is not a better launching ground for a new product, in my opinion.”


Axis1 Umbra:
Considered to be "the putters that never turn on you".

• Modern Mallet with L-Frame Alignment Feature
• CNC Milled Face for a solid feel
• 17-4ph Stainless Steel with black ion plating for enhanced durability
• Stainless Steel Counterweight Screws for perfect final balance calibration   
• Individually balanced

Here's a sneak peek of the new Axis1 Golf Umbra putter



About Axis1 Golf

Founded in 2006 by Luis Pedraza, an internationally-acclaimed industrial designer with over 20 patents and an avid golfer, Axis1 is an innovative putter company dedicated to developing the world’s most perfectly-balanced golf putters.

The Axis1 Eagle is the first 100% perfectly balanced putter. Because it is perfectly balanced, it doesn’t naturally open-up, resulting in more on-line putts and lower scores. This special feat was accomplished by pushing the weight forward with a patented heel counter weight that for the very first time places the center of gravity right on the center of the striking face and perfectly aligned with the axis of the shaft.


Axis1 Golf Awards:

• Best in Show – Sports Illustrated Golf Edition
• Best New Golf Product – Golf.com
• Most Innovative Club – PGA Show
• Bronze Medal Winner - IDEA® Most Innovative Products of 2010

Follow Axis1 Golf on Twitter
Check out more pictures of the Umbra and join Axis1 Golf on Facebook


Golf for Beginners Axis1 Golf Eagle putter review
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Posted via email from stacysolomon's posterous

Last minute golf accessories and golf gifts for Christmas

Last minute holiday shoppers with golfers on their gift list have no fear: you can still buy great golf accessories and gifts before Christmas!

Here are a few notable golf gifts ranging from kitchy to cool!


1. Axis1 Eagle golf putter:

The Axis1 Eagle golf putter was created by Industrial Designer Luis Pedraza to be perfectly balanced so that it resists being pulled open when twisted in your hands.
A lighter grip and perfect balance = less stress and fewer off-line putts.

With a long list of accolades including BusinessWeek's Design Excellence Award and 2009 PGA Show winner "Best in Show", the Axis1 Eagle golf putter will make your significant other want to get out and practice putting on the green, even in the cold of a New York winter...brrr.
Still available for Christmas by heading over to either TGW.com, Edwin Watts Golf or to the Axis1Golf.com website.
Listen to this great interview with Luis Pedraza and Phil Long about the Axis1 putter on the Golf Club Radio Show with Danielle Tucker.



2. Golf jewelry for the lady with almost everything:
From beginner golfers to those players with more than a few years under their belt, there still is the outside chance of unwittingly omitting a stroke or two after a snowman hits your scorecard.


Combining beauty with functionality, the golf score counter, a bracelet from GlamorousGolfer.com, is handcrafted with love (and crystals) by individuals with mental and physical difficulties. You will not only look great but feel good helping others at this time of year!




3. Adidas Golf aG Strike stand bag:

Adidas has created one of the most lightweight and durable golf stand bags on the market with its new aG Strike. Colorful and stylish for both men and women, this golf bag will not disappoint! There are plenty of pockets, insulated water bottle area and the new FAS-TEK system which allows a golfer to attach everything from GPS to cell phone right onto the bag.

The Adidas aG Strike stand bag will not break your budget and will give your golfer the biggest golf gift under the Christmas tree!




4. Kodak Playsport Camera:

I originally wrote about this tiny Kodak PLAYSPORT Camera not only because its really cute, lightweight and waterproof but also because it can help a golfer to analyze the golf swing at close range. Yes, there are hundreds of cameras on the market to choose from but the little Kodak is created with the golfer in mind. Playback on an HDTV or upload your golf swing onto Youtube.com for the whole world to watch and rate!


5. For those with unlimited funds, how about the Porsche of Luxury golf carts? Costing about $50K, the Garia Soleil de Minuit will make an impression on the golfer who has everything but wants more!


Don't know what to get and don't have much money to spend? A gift card can be impersonal but on the flip side, the golfer can buy anything they want.


If presents are more fun for your family during the holiday season, why not put together a package of golf balls, golf gloves (remembering to check for the correct golf hand), golf ball markers (with swarovski crystals for the ladies?) and divot repair tool from G-Clip?


Need more ideas? Just ask golfforbeginners@aol.com


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Follow Golf4Beginners on Twitter and we can chat there!

Posted via email from stacysolomon's posterous

Can the Innovative Axis1 Putter Help Lower Your Golf Score?

The new Axis1 putter has received its share of accolades, from "Most Innovative Putter" to "Best New Golf Product". The creator of the "Eagle" putter (Luis Pedraza) adopted a scientific approach to this "alien-looking" flat stick (?) giving it a shape that it not only looks unique but for many performs when the heat is on.

The Axis1 Eagle putter was designed to be perfectly balanced so that it resists being "pulled open" when twisted in your hands allowing you to lighten your grip without the clubface opening. The weight is pushed forward "with a patented heel counter weight that places the center of gravity right on the center of the striking face perfectly aligned with the axis of the shaft."

The result is that the golfer should have fewer off-line putts, resulting in lower scores.

But, isn't a putter a very personal golf club? You have to like it, from the feel within your grip to the style of it. The putter should instill confidence each time you pull it out of your golf bag and every time you make a stroke on the putting surface.

Although there have been numerous testimonials confirming the "physics" and design of the Axis1 putter from Pro Golfer Patrick Sheehan (who uses it on Tour) to equipment reviewers and golf club manufacturers, how well did the Axis1 Eagle Putter perform in the hands of a mid-handicap (12-15) golfer?

Since the time of this article the Axis1 has only been created for right-handed golfers (sadly, the majority of players.) I had to hand over this unconventional putter which I was to test to my husband Barry, asking him to swap out his trusty Odyssey Two-Ball for review.

Unique Look of the Axis 1 Eagle Putter

Here are his thoughts.

It isn't easy to replace your trusted putter for a new one. New golf clubs take time to get used to, no matter what club you change out of your bag. That being said, Barry liked the Wynn grip which he said "has a great feel to it." It's also a "good-looking putter which can lead to a confident putting stroke."

The balance of the Axis1 putter was also commended for not having a single pushed putt. The shaft is perfectly balanced with the face and the weighting allows the putter to glide without the golfer having to add force. Technically speaking, "the center of gravity is right on the center of the striking face and perfectly aligned with the axis of the shaft."

Barry did have one "visual" complaint when he stood over the Axis1 putter:

"The reason my eyes have trouble getting used to the putter is because when I look down the shaft, I see the shaft in the middle of the ball which makes me think I may hit the ball with the shaft instead of the putterhead." Although he still has some difficulty with it, another golfer who tried the Axis1 putter had a similar reaction.

This putter is a conversation-starter. When Barry pulled the new Axis1 putter out of his golf bag, he was greeted by curious stares from fellow golfers who asked to try it out on the green.

Wonder at the design caused initial interest and upon first try, each of the golfer's reactions were similar. The Axis1 does not produce immediate results right out of the bag: it takes time and practice to get accustomed to the change in stroke caused by the balance of the putter. Many golfers' strokes are personal as putting goes hand-in-hand with "feel" and not necessarily with science.

The Axis1 Eagle putter can help reduce the number of pulled and pushed putts and help straighten off-line strokes.  Combined with the correct speed and distance caused by a confident stroke,  this putter can be a solid addition to both novice and low handicap golfer.

Read more about the Axis1 Putter.

Dave Stockton helps Taylor Made and Rossa create easy Corza Ghost putter

Taylor Made, with the help of putting instructor Dave Stockton, has created a good looking, supposedly easy-to-use putter called the "Corza Ghost".

Yes, it really is all white as opposed to metallic (hence the name), and it even has a hole in the back as if an eye was eerily staring up at you but the new Rossa putter is hardly spooky.

The intent was to come up with an exceptionally easy to aim easy to use putter to roll your golf ball down its intended line.

Rossa senior director, Bill Price said, "We started with the intention of designing a putter that's easier to aim than any other. That led us to experiment with a white finish. We consulted Dr. Steven A. Hitzeman, a professor at the Indiana School of Optometry and he felt we were onto something."

Why consult with an Optometrist? Can an eye doctor unlock the key to correct putting?

"The high contrast between white and green maximizes stimulation to the retina and highlights the head's shape and features. The contrast would be lower if the putter were black or gray because these colors are closer in luminance to the color of the putting green than white," said Dr. Hitzeman, who is also a past president of the Indiana Optometric Association and a past chairman of the American Optometric Association's Sports Vision Section.

"White creates the biggest difference in luminance, hence maximizing contrast and promoting focus. Many golfers use the leading edge of the putter as part of their alignment strategy (by positioning the edge perpendicular to the imagined target line). This high contrast for the leading edge gives the golfer the best chance of squaring up the putter face at address. Also, the lines on the top of the putter are painted black to achieve maximum contrast against the white surface of the putter. All of these high-contrast alignment elements give the golfer the best possible chance of accurately aiming the putter."

Jack Nicklaus won the 1967 U.S. Open with the Bullseye "white fang" putter making eight birdies in his final round. He said it was to reduce glare from the sun.

Rossa engineers also placed "three black alignment lines on the crown and a circular hole in the back of the putterhead, offering several different options to focus on to lock in your aim. 

"You can focus on the topline to aim Ghost," said Bret Wahl, senior director of iron, wedge and putter development, "or you can focus on the alignment lines to visually connect the circular hole and your ball to lock in your aim. The point is that you've got options, each one highly effective."

 No More "Hot Spots"

Hot spots occur when sunlight hits the top of the putter and distracts a golfer's focus away from the putterhead, the alignment system, and aiming the putter squarely down the target-line. The white finish turns the putter into a ghostly image that keeps hot spots from glaring into your eyes.

Rossa's tour-proven AGSI®+ (Anti-skid Groove System Insert) Technology. is built right into the Corza Ghost.

AGSI+ features 14 polymer-filled grooves in the face that "hold" the ball briefly at impact to promote forward spin for a smoother roll and more accurate results. The AGSI+ insert, in concert with the putterhead's extremely high MOI, also delivers superior consistency in forward roll on off-center hits, something not shown in tests of other popular putters.

This model is a mallet, a forgiving putter feature and two more Rossa Corza shapes are due out this spring. With a retail price of $159, it seems only fair to give this new putter technology a chance. Of course, it is usually not the putter but the golfer behind the stick that determines his or her game. With that in mind and with the wealth of putters currently on the market, putting is purely derived of comfort and, if you roll in a few good putts you might give it a place it in your bag this season.

For more information on the Rossa Corza Ghost putters, visit Taylor Made.

Also, check out the Adidas adiPURE Golf Shoes now tooted by Sir Nick Faldo!