Deep dish vs shallow putters

[Alexplz]

Hey dudes.

I've been looking at honing my putting game this season to where it was at the end of 2016. Every season I check out a pair of videos, one from Feldberg, one from Ricky, on push (shovel) putt technique.

They don't cram their recommendation down your throat or anything, but I can't help but notice they both putt with the Dagger. As you may know, Lat64 made the dagger for Feldy, who requested a deep-dish putter to fill up the space in his hand.

I used to putt with wizards, another deep dish putter, but traded them in for judges due to the lower profile and more neutral flight for longer putts from 10m out. This was before I started honing my putting form to match a true push/spush putt.

My question is this - this season I'm tempted to switch back to wizards as a more deep-dish putter to emulate my putting role models. The idea of filling up my whole hand as mentioned makes a lot of sense. On the other hand, I A. have smallish-medium hands and B. do prefer the flight of judges.

What do you guys think - judge vs wizard for push putts? I know switching putters to increase one's percentage is a classic mistake, but I do wonder how much I have to gain. :\

 

[Aim For The Chains]

Any putter works if you practice putting.

You're overthinking the whole thing. The judge and wiz are not even that different of discs... Keep on putting. Hell use both? Who cares lol.

Judge:
Diameter: 21.2 cm
Height: 2.0 cm
Rim Depth: 1.5 cm
Rim Width: 1.1 cm

Wizard:
Diameter: 21.0 cm
Height: 2.1 cm
Rim Depth: 1.8 cm
Rim Width: 1.0 cm

 

[Aim For The Chains]

Dagger:
Diameter: 21.1 cm
Height: 2.1 cm
Rim Depth: 1.5 cm
Rim Width: 1.0 cm

Just use the one you like! All good putter molds.

 

[VictorB]

I used to putt with wizards, another deep dish putter, but traded them in for judges due to the lower profile and more neutral flight for longer putts from 10m out.

This is kind of your answer, right? You went to judges because you liked how they flew better.

Putters are a very personal choice, more so than most other disc types. If you're not getting a clean, confident release with a wizard, that thought is always going to be in the back of your mind. You can push putt with just about anything, just use what you're comfortable with.

 

[ru4por]

No secret magic in any putter.....practice is the secret. I have been putting with Magnets for a VERY long time. I refuse to be convinced that learning a new putter is going to have any long term significant impact on my putting. The Magnet feels great in my hand and I know what to expect the disc to do.

 

[Trent B]

Choose a putter and stick with it. Wizard,judge and dagger are all great choices. I personally use wizards, not because they are better, because that's just where I ended up and I'm not going to change putters or question if another would be better. Practice is what makes a putter your putter. If your changing often or questioning it you're just bringing your consistency down. Choose one and own it.

 

[GoobyPls]

I have small hands as well, and did the exact same thing you're thinking about several months ago (in my case switching from KC Aviar to a Proxy). It actually made my putting worse. I switched back to a deep-dish a month ago with a Warden. Stick with what feels comfortable.

 

[Shamis]

Outside of 10 meters I think both judges and wizards are too stable anyway. Get something you can throw straight.

 

[roggenb3]

Deep Dish vs. Thin Crust putters.

 

[F. Howl]

Huh. Wizards are deeper than Daggers. Daggers do feel larger in hand. It's the squarer nose, I suppose.

I just putt what feels good. If your consistency starts dropping I think it's easier to make slight adjustments to your form to match your putter, rather than bringing in different putters to try and match an inconsistent form. Though I guess if you're drastically changing form, you might bring in a putter that suits the style better. Last year I wanted to start putting a bit softer, but my shallow putters weren't floating, so went from shallow to deep and it worked out.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

I agree with what others have said: find a putter that feels right in your hand, get to know it, stick with it, and you will become proficient with it.

I'm not sayin there's no difference between putters - there certainly are differences in:
- Stability
- Glide
- Rigidity/softness
- Plastics and weights
- Rim Depth
- Beaded/non beaded

There are pros & cons to each of these, and any one of these attributes might be very important to one player, while not important at all to another.

The point is, once you land on a putter that has the qualities YOU like, learn what it does when it's: thrown hard, soft, lofted, annyzer, hyzer. Then focus on putting technique and consistency.

People who are good putters are so because of their habits, not because of what they throw... they've just found something that feels right and works for their style, and they've learned and trust what it does for them.

It you keep missing putts and think it's about the disc, there's a decent chance you'll keep missing them even if you switch molds.

 

[Golden Tuna]

I'm currently in the same position and considering the same molds, + the Discraft Challenger.

Here are the thoughts that I have been processing. This is purely anecdotal, so do not assume what is good for one (me) is good for all (you). This is also the order of operations that I followed, so your experience may be slightly different.

> Wizards: Have loved the mold and the plastic(s) for the last 5-6 years, but hate the inconsistency across runs. I would prefer to buy 10-12 identical putters for practice and cycling. I also felt like my missed jump putts went too far past the basket, so I was looking for something with less glide. That's when I decided to test out the Daggers.
* I use(d) Super Soft & Super Stupid Soft Wizards

> Daggers: I found my putting percentage (inside the circle) was similar, but the misses were typically closer to the basket so the comeback putt was usually easier than with the Wizards... Additionally, I felt the Daggers did not perform as well as I had hoped for jump putts and approach shots. So, I decided to switch back to Challengers, which I used prior to picking up Wizards.
* I use(d) Zero Soft & Zero Medium Daggers

> Challengers: Head to head to head, I had the best putting performance (inside 45') with the Challengers. I love soft Challengers for approach shots and Pro-D (team stamps) for putting. My success in backyard practice did not translate to competition rounds as well as I had hoped. Additionally, I did not love the plastic options Discraft offers in putters, enter teh Judge
* I tried Pro-D, Elite X, Cryztal, & FLX (i had likes & dislikes with each)

> Judges: I took these head to head in backyard putting percentage with the Challengers and the Judges won. So, I am currently using Judges for all putting applications. I still need to figure out how well they do in jump putt & approach applications - but I just received them this week, so they are still on trial 9pun intended)...
* I am currently testing Classics & Classic Soft Judges

The truth is that it is the putter, not the putter... More appropriately, it's the archer, not the arrow. When testing putters from 4 different manufacturers, I just put them in a pile, they were not sorted by brand or plastic type. I found that my putting percentage increased from all distances and putting styles when I focused more, regardless of brand, mold, or plastic type.

So, additional focus will help my game, not a different putter mold, manufacturer, plastic, or style, just more focus...

Good luck

 

[CreemCheese]

I think my signature answers it. For those on mobile, it says "Don't make irresponsible choices, switch to a comfortable putter."

 

[lyleoross]

I have short fingers, I use shallow putters. I've used lots of different putters and as Chains wrote, if you practice, it doesn't matter. I like the feel of the shallow putters and thus, I never think about them in my hand. But I was consistent with Aviars and other putters too.

 

[Keller]

When I'm on, I'm on and can putt with anything, but, when I'm not on?

I like having that single mold putter I have been consistently using for years. I can read my errors on a disc I know well.
When I did my searching for the perfect putter, in hind sight I never knew if it was me, or the mold. Once I found what felt good in my hand across all conditions, I just stuck with it and traded off all of my other putters and haven't felt the need to try a new one.

If it feels good in your hand and has the general flight you want, just stick with it.

 

[Casey 1988]

I use a Hard D Magnet a deeper dish putter that I love. My brother uses a beat up Gator a shallow disc that is his putter while a Cousin uses a putter the Bangor GT and GT soft that is a unique putter. My Uncle who uses a Zone a lower profile putter while another uncle uses a Spider as his putter a mid dish putter. My dad uses a unique putter a deeper dish Ching Ju-ju in what is now the Champion Plastic except the Ching one for putters is flexible, if he does not use that he will use a old Pro Rhyno, now if he got a new one it would be a R-Pro Rhyno. So the Discs very quite a bit to the person. I mean I was using a X Putt'r before the Magnets but before the X Putt'r it was the Rubber Putter pre DuPont material From Lightning.

So I guess it depends on your putting style, my brother does a throw putt where as the rest of my list uses a more common putting style except I use my other hand as a guide to keep the disc flat as I have small hands.

 

[Mike C]

When I'm on, I'm on and can putt with anything, but, when I'm not on?

I like having that single mold putter I have been consistently using for years. I can read my errors on a disc I know well.
When I did my searching for the perfect putter, in hind sight I never knew if it was me, or the mold. Once I found what felt good in my hand across all conditions, I just stuck with it and traded off all of my other putters and haven't felt the need to try a new one.

If it feels good in your hand and has the general flight you want, just stick with it.

I agree with this, and others saying similar things.

If it feels good in your hand, that's more than half the battle right there.

Aside from that, pick a mold that is readily available, in a plastic that grips well for you, that has enough glide to get you to the chains while being able to hold up to some wind.

That's all there is to it. Anything else is over thinking it. Putting practice is much more crucial.

 

[ToddL]

I used to putt with a Polecat, but now, a mere 18 years later, I'm putting with a Colt! Maybe if I practiced more I wouldn't switch so often.

 

[Mike C]

I used to putt with a Polecat, but now, a mere 18 years later, I'm putting with a Colt! Maybe if I practiced more I wouldn't switch so often.

I'm curious. After 18 years with the Polecat, what made you switch? Just happen to finally try a putter you liked better?

 

[ToddL]

Oh there were probably 5 other putters in between, but the story is more entertaining without mentioning them.