[Putters] Putters Just for Putting

[RebelZero]

I've always liked having a single mold that I used for both putting and throwing. It made sense from a mold-minimizing standpoint: if I could putt with it and also use it for tee shots and approaches, awesome. Simple and effective. One disc that always felt the same in my hand, and it covered a wide variety of shots.

For the past several years, that mold has been the Judge. It's neutral enough to be pretty much point-and-shoot inside the circle and yet it has enough stability to handle rips from the teepad and is plenty versatile enough for short approaches. It's been my bread and butter. Classic Blend for putting and a mix of Classic, Fuzion, and Lucid for throwing.

I've always preferred beaded putters that are sorta shallow. Putting is all about feel and confidence and the Judge feels great in my hand. I've tried a ton of others but I've always come back to the Judge.

Recently, though, things have changed: I still love the Judge for putting, but it's not clicking for anything else. It just doesn't feel comfy anywhere but C1 and C2. I still trust it completely inside of 60-ish feet, but that's it. It suddenly feels alien in my hands for anything else.

I don't have any other discs with beads in my bag. I've never liked the feel of them on anything but putters, where my grip naturally has my finger fall right on the bead. Up till now, that bead somehow hasn't bothered me when I'm using the same putter for driving and approaching. But now it's making me crazy. I still love putting with the beaded Judge but throwing it for anything else isn't working at all. I really notice the bead and I don't like the feel of it at all.

So now I'm using two Judges for putting, but I've taken the rest of them out. I'm currently tossing a Pure for dead straight or turnover shots and an Eclipse Envy for stable - slightly OS shots. I feel good throwing those discs but it's added two more molds to my bag.

Now, I know it's all about what works, and mold-minimizing isn't a necessity. It's not like Philo is gonna come throw me in disc golf jail because I have more than five molds in my bag. But it feels a little weird.

I guess I'm wondering if anyone out there has a putter they use ONLY for putting. Is that common? It seems so counterintuitive to have three molds when a year ago I was perfectly fine with one. Am I overthinking this?

 

[Odedge]

I have used the Classic Blend Warden for almost two out of the three years playing to putt with. I did buy a Lucid Warden for upshots and drives... but I found out I like shallower discs for that. So now I putt with the Warden, but drive with the Berg, Bullfrog, or Maiden when using a "putter".

 

[hawgdriver]

I guess I'm wondering if anyone out there has a putter they use ONLY for putting.

The disc-economy rule is meant to improve enjoyment of the game and improve scores.

The more important rule is game enjoyment, usually from lower scores.

The better you putt, the lower your score.

Putt as well as possible.

If you are a good putter you will be a good putter with a wide variety of discs.

But you will be the best putter the more you can, idk..., six-sigma your putting game. Make it as tight and consistent and repeatable and brainless of a process as you can.

(I know you know all this, just saying it out loud)

So...

 

[hawgdriver]

Personally, I've gone back and forth. I'm just starting to putt with an Envy and it's got a good feel in my hands. I love Judges, Wizards, Darts, Aviars, and the disc that I've thrown the most in my life--Banger GT in Jawbreaker.

I can't believe I'm not putting with Bangers anymore. It's a casualty of 'disc-minimization' mentality. I am a pretty decent putter--I've cashed both times I've put money in the pot in local putting leagues (should have done so the first time too), and there are some borderline pros that do those. I always putted with Bangers.

I'm putting with an Envy now and getting comparable results. I also am throwing an Envy about 50% or more of my throws. It's all for science at this point. It might stick.

 

[ray1970]

I tried to putt and throw the same mold for a while but couldn't find a putter that fit the bill for both duties. Finally just decided to throw and putt with whatever worked best for me and quit obsessing about trying to find a single mold for both. It helped my game immensely.

The whole "same feel in the hand" thing turned out to be nonsense for me anyways because my putting grip and my throwing grip are different.

 

[discerdoo]

I putt with Roaches, RB is primary and a worn JB for outside the circle. The JB is also my flippy thrower.

I bag an Envy for off the tee, recently got an Ohm and it's a threat to take over most putter throwing duties. Could it be the unicorn "do it all" putter? Time will tell but MVP will have to run them in all plastics to get there. It's doubtful that anything will replace the Roach for putting.

The cycling dudes throw and putt with discs that start slightly OS - Wizards, KC Aviars etc and can cover everything except a Zone/Harp slot. That will probably never be me.

 

[jakebake91]

I tried to putt and throw the same mold for a while but couldn't find a putter that fit the bill for both duties. Finally just decided to throw and putt with whatever worked best for me and quit obsessing about trying to find a single mold for both. It helped my game immensely.

The whole "same feel in the hand" thing turned out to be nonsense for me anyways because my putting grip and my throwing grip are different.

This was my experience as well. My most thrown disc is an Ion. I putted Ions for a while too. But I found that too many c2 putts would drift more left than I anticipated. So I switched to putting Anodes and will never go back. Similar hand feel to my ions, but straighter. I also have one I throw now too.

In the end, if it lowers your score, do whatever you gotta do!

 

[fishballer06]

If you like shallower, beaded putters, I highly recommend the Link.

 

[HyooMac]

I tried to putt and throw the same mold for a while but couldn't find a putter that fit the bill for both duties. Finally just decided to throw and putt with whatever worked best for me and quit obsessing about trying to find a single mold for both. It helped my game immensely.

The whole "same feel in the hand" thing turned out to be nonsense for me anyways because my putting grip and my throwing grip are different.

I second this. After a lot of similar obsessing with limiting my bag, I've come to the conclusion that I like having a "putter." You know, something just for putting.

Like the OP, I was trying to make the Judge fit both jobs. And I bagged several different weights/plastics with the idea that "everything inside 150 would call for the Judge."

The Judge lost it's spot as my putter when I realized I was much more comfortable with something shallower but still beaded - and it was replaced with a Reko.

Then the Judge lost it's place as my approach when I realized I wanted something a little less neutral - and it was replaced by the P Model S.​

My experience is that by trying to make a single disc do everything, I settled on one that did it all "sort of well" but wasn't really right (for me) at any of it. This isn't meant to be a criticism of the Judge. It's a criticism of my thinking at the time. I really liked the Judge when I carried it. But it's been replaced by two discs I absolutely LOVE, because each does its job so well.

 

[aphilso1]

I carry a lot of putters. Two Judges, two Envies, a Berg, and a Zone. And believe it or not, I actually throw my putting putter mold (Judge), otherwise I would carry five putter molds.

I use my Judges like Discerdoo uses his Roaches in post #6. Fresh-ish one for C1, and beat one for C2/flippy throwing duties. Then a beat Electron Envy for straight drives and a Proton Envy for that Baby-Teebird-in-a-putter-mold flight. Berg is strictly a tweener disc, that makes life easier when just out of putting range but not far enough to comfortably throw a normal putter. And everyone knows what Zones do.

I have a few thoughts on the OP's post.
First, if you're looking to minimize molds (not saying you should, but if you are...) then the easy recommendation is to buy an Electron Envy, beat it in, and put it in the spot currently occupied by your Pure.
Second, there is no right answer to whether your putting putter mold should also be thrown. I do, partially because I want my putting putter to feel as familiar and comfortable as possible when I'm standing over a knee-knocker putt. And part of how I maintain that familiarity and comfort is by throwing it in addition to putting it.
Third, even if you do want to minimize molds I feel like making an exception for putters is reasonable. Putters are asked to do so many more things compared to drivers and mids. If you need a specialist putter that just does one thing, then bag it. Plus, carrying a million putters gives you a James Conrad vibe. Or at least that is what you can tell yourself if you need external validation of your decision to carry lots of putters.

 

[RebelZero]

Thanks for the reassurances, everyone. I feel pretty comfortable with my new setup now. It really resonated with me when a few of you pointed out that putting grip usually differs from throwing grip. No reason to think it would translate perfectly.

 

[EllEstar]

I did briefly when I found a putter I absolutely loved throwing. Then I got it in more plastics and realized I loved putting with it too.

To me putters are a lot about feel in the hand and what feels good for putting usually feels good for throwing too. Note that I have used putters I love to throw but can't putt with, usually faster more OS ones, but if I like putting with something I'll usually like throwing it too.

 

[raceface59]

For me currently it's the Berg K3. My girlfriend, however, follows the "do what works for you" route. She sinks monster putts. Obscured putts. Every time. She does not use a putter. Her weapon of choice is a Prodigy M4 usually from a straddle putt. Same disc from up shot to putting duty. No need to swap to a putter. It's the damnest thing I've ever seen lol. She says it feels better and "lighter" in her hands even though it's a 175. It's almost got me thinking that there just might be some merit to the whole thing.

 

[tbird888]

Wizards for putting
Anything but Wizards for throwing. I just don't like them off the tee even though they're amazing throwers...for other people. I've been through:
Zones
Polecats
Classic Rocs
Pures
PA2s
Proxies
Envies
Omega BBs
many many more

Throw what works for you.

 

[jakebake91]

I carry a lot of putters. Two Judges, two Envies, a Berg, and a Zone. And believe it or not, I actually throw my putting putter mold (Judge), otherwise I would carry five putter molds.
.

Are we not supposed to carry so many? Currently in my bag are:
3 Anodes (2 are for putting, one is a thrower)
2 ions
1 particle
1 stego


I like throwing putters!

 

[BillFleming]

I only like to carry one putter, but that's because I don't drive/approach with a putter.

I've been putting with a Legacy Gravity plastic Clutch. Really like it, but Legacy discs are getting harder to find. I've had lessons on putting and I'm trying out the different putters I have at home.....it seems like the Gateway Wizard is working out/feeling the best for me. I have three of them, two are SSS and one is $ plastic. Still trying to see what feels best in the hand and is more consistent.

 

[Three Putt]

Wizards for putting
Anything but Wizards for throwing. I just don't like them off the tee even though they're amazing throwers...for other people. I've been through:
Zones
Polecats
Classic Rocs
Pures
PA2s
Proxies
Envies
Omega BBs
many many more

Throw what works for you.

Throwing multiple putters isn't a big deal, it's more about keeping your options simple.

I was the opposite from you; I looovvveee throwing Wizards. Hands down it's my favorite driving putter. I was aware for a long time that I got a smoother putting release from Warlocks, but I didn't want to carry two types of putters so I just putt with the Wizard. At some point I made the switch on the putting putter and briefly had a Warlock/Wizard combo, but old habits are hard to break and it's really hard for me to have more than one type of putter in the bag. I swapped the driving Wizards for Warlocks and just got used to throwing them. Again, it's the comfort thing; having that second putter mold in the bag was messing with my head so it had to go. I've always claimed that Wizards and Warlocks fly the same out of the box, the Warlock just beats in quicker. I stand by that.

My daughter on the other hand throws and putts with a Judge, but she has this random Wizard we got at a tournament three years ago in the bag and for reasons I can't understand and she can't explain she sometimes putts with the Wizard. That would drive me bonkers.

 

[ray1970]

My daughter on the other hand throws and putts with a Judge, but she has this random Wizard we got at a tournament three years ago in the bag and for reasons I can't understand and she can't explain she sometimes putts with the Wizard. That would drive me bonkers.

Ha. My wife bags an Aviar, a Voodoo, and a Pig and putts with all three and seems to do equally well with any of them. There seems to be no rhyme or reason why she chooses which one. Weird.

 

[dekdo]

The prodigy pa3 might be the best all in one in my opinion. Great putting putter, but also fairly neutral and still stable for throwing. 300 plastic for putting, 500 for throwing.
That being said, I still have Pa4s and Jokeris for certain situations.

 

[VictorB]

For sure. I only putt with the P Model S. My throwing putters are the P Model US and Breaker.

I used to do the "only 1 putter mold" thing but 1. I don't practice enough to intimately learn and wear cycle my putters and 2. I throw far too many forehand approaches to depend on only 1 mold