Every golfer must have a putter (and must learn to use it well!) to master this game of golf. The old cliché "Drive for show and putt for dough" couldn't more true to this day but as putters come in a mind boggling variety of shapes and sizes it pays to think carefully before selecting this item.

It's fair to say that putters are probably the item that comes under the banner "personal preference" more than any other but there are several considerations that can help to narrow down the selection process.

Choosing A First Putter

The most important thing about a putter is that you like it. The technology behind putters has rapidly evolved in the last few years but there are many unknowns with putting and confidence plays a big part.

The main variables with putters are head construction, face construction, shaft type and shaft length.

Putter Head Construction

Head construction varies widely. Historically there were three types of head; blade, half mallet and mallet. A blade putter has a simple head of a thin rectangular shape, a mallet putter has a thicker rectangular shape with a semi circle at the back and a half mallet is a bit in between. Furthermore, putters have grown into various space-aged looking shapes with the 2-ball putter becoming very popular and starting a new trend of having much bigger alignment aids on top as you look down. The two white circles on top of the putter are the same size as a golf ball and they form a row of three balls when placed alongside your golf ball thus giving a large alignment aid. There are various other alignment aids on the market and you have to find the one that suits you best.

The other consideration with regard to head construction is the size and therefore weight of the head. A heavier putter may suit new players to golf as it helps to prevent "quitting" on putts of short distances and ensuring you make a smooth stroke through the ball towards the hole.

Putter Faces

The face of the putter has changed considerably in recent years. Milled faces are common and they have the aim of giving a perfect striking surface to ensure the ball rolls accurately off the face. Other faces include inserts which give softer or firmer feel to a putt depending on either personal preference or the speed of the greens on which you play. Finally, there are new anti-skid faces which aim to get the ball rolling forwards quickly which increases accuracy.

Putter Shaft Types

The shaft type is important as it can determine how often you can square the putter face accurately to the ball at impact. Offset shafts can help you to do this more consistently and could be a good first choice.

Shaft length is important. Most putters are 35 inches in length but if you feel more comfortable stooping more over the ball then its worth trying 34 or even 33 inch shafts to see how they feel.

Finally, although the popularity with the amateur golfer is waning, there are two other types of shafts. The belly shaft or putter is one which is anchored in the belly region and the broom handle putter is one that is used by placing your left hand high up the shaft away from the right hand.

Both putters are designed to remove the wrists from the stroke, i.e. to ensure that the stroke is a pendulum type movement and not a flick with the hands, and this can lead to more accurate putting. Both types are used more extensively by golf professionals than amateurs and may be worth a look if you struggle to maintain a smooth stroke.