Tri-Fit Method

Great putting is about fundamentals.  The constant lure of going out and buying a putter that will magically improve your putting is a myth at best.  Players that have consistently succeeded on the green have one thing in common: solid fundamentals that are trustworthy under pressure and a putter that fits properly.

Solid fundamentals begin at the set-up.  The set-up in putting is almost more important than in the full swing.  In a full swing, because it is a longer motion, there is more time to recover during the swing.  If you have a 10 inch back stroke and the putter goes outside, it's very difficult to get the putter back on line and square to the intended target.  When a player learns the correct set-up it is much easier to develop a sound putting stroke that will hold up under pressure.

Eyes Over The Ball

There are four major keys to fitting the putter.  The first is that the eyes should come to rest over the ball.  When the eyes come to rest over the ball, they are on top of the target line which is the best optical advantage to make sure that the leading edge of the putter is lined up at right angles to the intended target.

Arms Under The Shoulder

The next major key is that the arms should be slightly flexed at the elbows and hang directly under the shoulders with the shoulders square (parallel) to the target line. When the arms hang under the shoulders, they are able to swing back and forth, allowing the putter to move on the correct path naturally. When the putter swings in the correct path naturally, the player doesn’t have to think about or guide the putter. This is an important element to great putting because when the putter swings in the proper path naturally, the player doesn’t have to think about the mechanics of their stroke. This leaves the players mind clear to focus on the speed, line of the putt and ultimately the hole.

Balanced over the Center of the Feet

The third major key is that the hips should be lined up over the heels. When the hips are centered over the heels, the player is balanced over the center of the feet. When a player is balanced over the center of the feet, they are able to keep their body or head still during the putting stroke which leads to solid and consistent contact with the golf ball.

Find The Length Of The Putter

Once they player is set-up in the proper posture, the length of the putter can be measured. When a putter is the proper length, it should simply connect the distance from where the eyes hit the ground and where the arms hang naturally under the shoulders.

The Tri-Fit Measurement System is a simple method of using the Tri-Fit tool to measure the distance from the top wrist crease down to the ground which becomes the vertical leg of a triangle. Where the eyes hit the ground is measured with a mirror marked in inches at the bottom of the tool. This measurement becomes the horizontal leg of a triangle.

Once the professional Coutour fitter has the vertical and horizontal leg of a triangle, he or she squares and adds them together using the Pythagorean theory (A²+ B² = C²) to calculate the diagonal leg of the triangle which in turn becomes the perfect length putter only determined when the player is in the proper posture.

Find A Belly Putter Length

If a player is interested in being fit properly to a belly length putter, there is an extender at the ending of the grip on the Tri-Fit tool. Use the extender to measure the distance to the player’s belly, then add that measurement to the length of the putter that has already been determined using the Tri-Fit tool.

Lie Angle

Once the proper length of the putter has been established, the sole of the putter should be flush on the ground. If the toe or heel is off the found, the ball will tend to travel off line. The key to lie angle is to only make adjustments if necessary after the player’s posture and length has been determined. Coutour putters are made of the highest quality carbon steel milled in the U.S.A. making it easy to alter the lie angle with a standard loft and lie angle machine.

Swingweight

Swingweight is the most overlooked aspect of putter fitting, mainly because it is not visible. Swingweight has to do with feel. It is the feel of the putter head as it swings. Swingweight influences the distance the putter travels on the back and forth stroke. It influences tempo as well as the path the putter head swings. Swingweight is crucial to the fitting of a putter.

The swingweight of your putter should be close to the swingweight of the rest of your golf clubs. Industry standard for men’s swingweight is D0-D2. Women’s is C6-C8. Whenever you alter the length of a golf club by cutting it down, gripping down it or even adding length to it, you change the swingweight. When you shorten a club, you decrease swingweight. When you lengthen a club you add swingweight. For every inch you alter the length of a golf club, you change the swingweight by 6 points. 1 swingweight equals 2 grams of weight. Ultimately, if you have shortened your putter or even grip down on your putter by one inch, you decrease it’s swingweight by 6 points or 12 grams of weight. 6 swingweights is enough to drastically change the feel of your putter, your tempo and your stroke.

Another factor that most people aren’t aware of is that when you buy a 33 or 34 inch putter off the shelf, the majority of computers use the same head gram weight no matter what length, which serves their purposes for reducing inventory of putter heads and increasing their profit margin. Using the same putter heads benefits the manufacturer, however it is a detriment to the player.

Coutour Golf is dedicated to people putting better, so each model is available in 3 different gram weights of 335, 350 and 365 grams. Once your length has been determined, the professional fitter will match the correct gram weight so that your putter will have the proper swing weight.

No other company in the industry offers what Coutour Golf offers: the opportunity to be fit by a member of the PGA or LPGA who is certified in putter fitting, to learn from the professional how to set up to your putts properly, to be fitted to the length putter that allows you to set-up correctly, an in a model of your choice made with the correct gram weight. When you put together solid fundamentals with a putter that fits you and is balanced properly, you will be able to putt our best.