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Re: Putter precision tests

Mon, Feb 13 2023 12:09 AM (211 replies)
  • DonCaron
    5,502 Posts
    Wed, Feb 21 2018 4:46 AM

    Got to give it a chance. Always add 2 feet to my putts, unless its a treacherous one .

  • MioKontic
    4,585 Posts
    Sun, Oct 3 2021 12:01 PM

    I know this thread was done long ago, but I only just saw it a few days ago.  Very interesting results with the putters, results which pose a number of questions regarding precision.

    Assume 2 players both with, for example, the Daytona putter (the one I've used for the past 10 years on WGT).  If we both have, say, a 30ft putt, both select exactly the same line, both hit exactly the same power and both ding.  Going by the results of the test on page 1 of this thread, one player could sink the putt and the other could miss.  That seems grossly unfair.  One might say that over time things would even themselves out, but I'm pretty sure the precision deviation is random, and over 9 holes (and probably over 18 holes too) it is highly unlikely to 'even itself out', meaning that a player could lose a match even though they haven't played any worse than the other player.

    That poses another question - can anything be done about it?  You can't make it non-random because then it would no longer be a precision deviation; over time players would work out what the deviation is and allow for it.  But can it me made fairer?  Unfortunately it's not a question I have an answer to, but I'd be interested in hearing thoughts.

    Another question that the precision deviation poses is does it affect players differently, i.e. does a player with a higher tier/lower average have less deviation or same deviation but fewer times than a player of a lower tier/higher average?  Putting is about feel, and in the real game everyone uses a putter that suits them, for whatever reason.  A cheap putter can be just as good as an expensive putter in the right hands.

    When I first started playing this game 11 years ago I was a ding putter.  But maybe 12-18 months later a WGT friend told me about off-ding putting.  My putting became much better and I sunk many more putts than I did as a ding putter.  Let's face it, if you are a ding putter it means that, in theory, you have to ding it to make the putt, and that doesn't happen every time.  Now this opens the line to another question - how does the precision deviation affect off-ding putting?  Is the deviation worse for off-ding putting than if you ding'd every putt?

    Another question I have is whether a putter with a higher precision rating is better than one with lower precision when it comes to off-ding putting?  And what part does forgiveness play in this?

    A can of worms comes to mind!

  • SamSpayed
    4,863 Posts
    Sun, Oct 3 2021 3:14 PM

    MioKontic:

    Now this opens the line to another question - how does the precision deviation affect off-ding putting?  Is the deviation worse for off-ding putting than if you ding'd every putt?

    Another question I have is whether a putter with a higher precision rating is better than one with lower precision when it comes to off-ding putting?  And what part does forgiveness play in this?

    Those are some excellent questions, Mio, and I don't know the answers, but I think if you look at some of WGT's apparel enhancements you can gain some further insights.  There are 3 possible apparel enhancements for putting:

    • Putting Precision
    • Putting Forgiveness
    • Putting Sweet Spot Accuracy

    Obviously, all 3 are programmed into the game, and each could affect the overall accuracy of your putt.  We already know what Precision and Forgiveness do... that's already been covered in other Forum posts, including some by the folks at WGT.  Sweet Spot Accuracy is a bit of a mystery.  I imagine that it might be something having to do with how much your putt can deviate when you hit the ding (sweet spot).  But that's just a guess.

    How off-ding putts are affected by each of these, like you said, is an open question.  By off-dinging your putts, you're intentionally forcing more deviation from your aimer spot and your intended distance.  So I imagine that if you use a putter with higher Precision and/or Forgiveness, you'd have to off-ding by a greater amount in order to compensate.

  • MioKontic
    4,585 Posts
    Sun, Oct 3 2021 4:38 PM

    Thanks Sam, that was my thought on a 'better' putter too, which is why I'm reluctant to buy another one; the Daytona has worked well for me, and I'm used to it.  Granted, some putts don't go anywhere near the line I hit, but that will probably happen with any and every putter.

    Distance doesn't seem to be a problem, the ball still goes the distance I hit it, it's only the line that seems to be affected.

  • SamSpayed
    4,863 Posts
    Sun, Oct 3 2021 10:08 PM

    MioKontic:
    Distance doesn't seem to be a problem, the ball still goes the distance I hit it, it's only the line that seems to be affected.

    A putt's distance is influenced by your putter's Balance rating.  See the quote from WGTniv in this post for details:

    "The higher the balance rating, the more you can rely on the ball consistently going the distance you've struck your putt, especially so on longer putts."

    WGTniv also stated:

    "Balance also works with forgiveness in a very similar manner to help reign in the effect of off-center hits, also making them react more consistently on longer putts."

    His reference to "off-center hits" in that sentence makes me wonder if maybe Sweet Spot Accuracy is the same thing as Balance.  If that's the case, then Sweet Spot Accuracy would be the opposite of what I speculated in my previous post.  In other words, it would be how much your putt can deviate distance-wise when you miss the ding (sweet spot).

  • HamdenPro
    2,402 Posts
    Fri, Nov 5 2021 10:14 AM

    MioKontic:
    the ball still goes the distance I hit it, it's only the line that seems to be affected.

    Although Sam has covered alot about forgiveness and balance, I believe, if your problem is finding the line, your best bet is...

  • OGRevanchist
    4 Posts
    Thu, Jan 19 2023 2:09 PM

    Can anyone tell me why I don’t have any Nike equipment available to me at lvl 90?

  • tramilleo
    1,863 Posts
    Thu, Jan 19 2023 3:50 PM

    that equipment is long gone Nike doesnt make clubs anymore

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