Putter Loft...15
Get Your Putts Airborne!
Although you can spend hundreds on a putter, if you don’t set it up as it was engineered, you won’t get your money’s worth.
When making a putt of some length on a dew-covered green, you can see the trail the ball leaves. However, if you will look closely, you will find there was no trail in the first inches of the start of the putt. This is the result of the 3-4 degree of loft in the face of putters.
This loft is functional with its purpose to enhance the roll of the ball staying on line. If the face was vertical, it would contact the ball at its equator and the ball would “slide” forward. Having loft, the face contacts the ball below its equator and launches it airborne. When it descends to the green it picks up overspin and rolls true to the line.
To ensure that you are benefiting from the loft, the shaft of your putter should not be leaning forward at address (no forward press!). If it is leaning forward your putter face is de-lofted and effectively drives the ball into the ground as the ball is struck causing loss of speed and direction.
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Bottom Line: Putter loft is your friend. Get your putts airborne.
Each Thursday we’ll bring you a helpful insight.
Swing to the Target,
Ed
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