Which #Golf Clubs Can I Use as a Putter?

If you watched the Tour Championship this past week, did you happen to notice Matt Kuchar, during the second round, using a hybrid golf club to make a putt?

Ryan Moore, during the sudden death showdown with Rory McIlroy, pulled out an iron on the very fringe of the green to make a shot which ultimately lost him the tournament...and several million dollars. (A higher lofted lob wedge might have offered Moore the height he needed to land safely and, IMO, the putter would have been his best choice...)

Pros will often utilize golf clubs other than the standard putter when making shots just off of the green. For a beginner golfer (or any amateur that has not learned how to use clubs other than the putter just off of the green), I suggest sticking with the flat stick as it offers four degrees of loft and is the safest option (as Ryan Moore probably remanded himself over and over again after his loss).

“Putting is like wisdom – partly a natural gift and partly the accumulation of experience, " 
...The King, Arnold Palmer.

That being said, Golf for Beginners takes a look at a few different clubs which should be learned by amateurs to increase the number of shots in your bag.

The Rules of Golf state that a player can use any club for any golf shot, so why not use...

1. Hybrid Golf Clubs: PGA Instructor Blake Cathey says, "If you miss the green and your ball ends up in a closely mowed area don't forget about the hybrid putt.  Approach the shot just as you would a putt.  Use your putting grip, stance, pre-shot routine and stroke.  You will find that with a little practice you will start getting up and down."

2. Three-Wood: Dave Marsh from iGolfTV.com shows us in the YouTube video below that the fifteen degrees of loft in a three-wood allows the player to use the top-spin to pop the ball over an obstruction (like gnarly grass) and get safely on the green.




3. The Chiputt: In a previous Golf for Beginners article entitled, "To Chip or To Putt? A Golf Dilemma Answered," Master Instructor Dave Pelz's suggested method for very long putts is called the "Chiputt"; basically, chipping with your putter. Click the link above to learn more about his method of saving strokes.

Practice these techniques several times before a round (you don't want to attempt these shots without knowing how to perform them) so, the next time you are near the green, you will be able to better plan your method of attack, get the ball close to the hole or in!

Which golf clubs do you favor around the green? Follow @Golf4Beginners on Twitter and the comments section of this golf blog to share your thoughts.

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
Follow Golf4Beginners on Twitter and Voice your Opinion!

Posted via email from stacysolomon's posterous

Should golfers searching for a new putter try the Cleveland Classic BRZ?

Walking through to the rear of the local Golfsmith store, the putting green is surrounded by about a hundred different putters. Every big name and style of putter encircle the perimeter from Cleveland, Odyssey, Ping including belly putters, flat blades as well as two and three ball putters.

How many golfers that come upon this area in their local golf shop will walk away with just the right putter?

Some may simply walk over to a putter because of its look, pick it up, feel the weight and then take it into the putting 'green' to see how the ball bounces off of the clubface.

If a few golf balls find their intended target then 'voilà' the putter goes home with golfer to try out on the golf course. If the 'flat blade' works for a golfer out on the course then it gets rave reviews and pitched to friends, family, any one who will listen. If, however, your game suffers and your putts per round increase, that new putter either gets returned, exchanged or relegated to golf bag storage.

The above trial and error is one of the mainstays in which the amateur golfer can tell which putter works as putting is definitely based on feel.

I just received another email from a golf club manufacturer, Cleveland Golf, this time urging me to try the latest Classic 1 BRZ putter, "inspired by the classics, crafted for performance". 

The new Cleveland Classic BRZ 1 putters are designed with a copper infused face insert for a soft yet responsive feel at impact and comes with its very own oil cloth to help prevent oxidation. According to PutterZone.com, "oil cloths are typically associated with high-end carbon steel putters bearing “oil can” and black oxide finishes.

Putterzone.com continued with the fact that the "finishes are much more sensitive to the elements—such as water and fertilizer—than stainless steel or plated finishes. Rubbing them down with oil adds a protective barrier to rust and corrosion."

Great, more work trying to keep my golf clubs in optimum condition.

The soft feel at impact as well as heel-toe weighting, however, may provide interest to golfers who will benefit from added forgiveness.

As it is said, 'it's the arrow, not the Indian' so the question for me is whether or not the reward of placing a new putter in my bag to possibly see an improvement in my putting outweighs the risk? Also, shelling out approximately $100 for yet another putter when my Odyssey two-ball putter does the job doesn't necessarily seem worth the investment.

On the flip side, the Cleveland Classic line of putters have earned best buy honors from PutterZone.com for the past two years and are really great looking! However, with all of the many choices in putters, don't be too quick to grab a putter from your local golf store with the hopes of improving your stroke and lowering your score.

Take your time to research the different putters on the market, find a golf store where you can feel the putter in your hands, take more than a few putts and be sure to ask about a return or exchange policy.

With golf club manufacturers eager for your business, be aware that sales is their primary concern. It is up to you to understand the market as well as your stroke.

Think like a professional golfer, 14 putters in your bag and tips for escaping the rough

Click here to listen.


The rough can be very rough! That's not just a play on words either! Just ask professional golfers at a tournament like the U.S. Open and they will probably just shake their heads while remembering a shot that buried deep into the thick stuff and the feeble attempts made at dislodging that ball in a single stroke.

This week Golf for Beginners gives tips for saving strokes from the rough with the help of a 2003 Golf Magazine and golf instructor Mike Lopuszynski.

We also discuss using different golf clubs in lieu of your putter. Remember, you have fourteen clubs in your bag, each with varying amounts of loft. We'll help you decide which iron (or wood) is better for situations you may encounter. Try being creative!

Finally, do you think like a professional golfer or are you stuck with an amateur outlook? Dr. Richard Coop's advice will have you thinking about your target and not sweating over that little white ball in front of you.


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"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

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