Why getting a custom-fit putter is so important, according to a Top 100 Teacher

It’s no secret that putting is an extremely important part of the game. But what many players don’t realize is how much of a difference a properly-fit putter can make to their score.

Tina Tombs, a former LPGA Tour winner and two-time LPGA National Teacher of the Year, now runs a golf academy at the Arizona Biltmore Golf Club in Phoenix, Ariz. Tombs says she finds many players who pick a putter off the rack based on what suits their eye — an important aspect of putting, to be sure, but looks alone shouldn’t be the priority.

Weighting systems and lies can vary greatly from putter to putter, she says, and standard-length putters tend to be 35 or 36 inches, which may not be right for you if you’re especially tall or short.

“You need to be able to aim the putter to a spot and get the ball started on line,” Tombs said at GOLF’s Top 100 Teacher Summit at Pinehurst. “A putter fitting can help you optimize a club so you can get the ball rolling, as opposed to hitting.

“If you can’t aim the putter where you want to, where you’re comfortable at setup, how can you make putts? There will always be compensations,” she concluded.

Need help unriddling the greens at your home course? Pick up a custom Green Book from 8 AM Golf affiliate Golf Logix.

Dial in a new custom putter at GOLF’s affiliate company, True Spec Golf.

Golf.com

As a four-year member of Columbia’s inaugural class of female varsity golfers, Jessica can out-birdie everyone on the masthead. She can out-hustle them in the office, too, where she’s primarily responsible for producing both print and online features, and overseeing major special projects, such as GOLF’s inaugural Style Is­sue, which debuted in February 2018. Her origi­nal interview series, “A Round With,” debuted in November of 2015, and appeared in both in the magazine and in video form on GOLF.com.