Advantages And Disadvantages Of A Center Shafted Putter Vs Heel Shafted

The putter ultimately is the club that gets the ball into the hole. It can be the make or break club in your bag, helping you shoot your best score ever or causing you countless extra shots.

Although putting is seen as an art, the equipment you use can dramatically help you in making more putts. The length, lie angle, loft, head shape and hosel type all play a role in you making your best stroke possible.

In this article we will be diving into hosel types, and how they can help you make more putts.

What Is A Center Shafted Putter

A Center Shafted putter is where the shaft lines up in the middle of the heel and toe of the putter. This promotes a straight back and straight through stroke as the putter is Face Balanced.

Because a straight back and straight through stroke would need little face rotation and Center Shaft Putter would suit that stroke type.

Although the shaft itself might be off putting to some, as it sits in your eye line, some people find it extremely easy to line up, because the center of the Putter and shaft are together.

Advantages Of A Center Shafted Putter

Alignment

Having the shaft in the center of the heel and toe makes it very easy to align, this is because the shaft and sightline line up together.

Straight Arc

Players with a straight back and straight through stroke will benefit from a center shafted putter as it is face balanced, this means the Putter Face has little rotation.

Strike

Because the shaft lines up between the center of the heel and toe, it makes it really easy to hit the ball out of the center of the putter, this is because the shaft and the center are aligned.

What Are The Disadvantages

Looks

Because it isn’t your traditional Heel Hosel or Offset Hosel it may look off putting to some.

Off Center Strikes

The shaft being in the middle of the putter makes it fairly unforgiving, this is because there are two pieces of the Putter Face either side of the shaft, any strikes towards the heel or toe could cause the face to rotate at impact.

What Are The Other Options?

There are three other options to choose from, Heel Hosel, Offset Hosel, and Single Bend or Double Bend Hosels.

These all provide a different feel, look and rotation.

Center Shafted Vs Heel Hosel

A shaft with a Heel Hosel has the shaft more towards the heel. There are a few variations of the Hosel type, but they all have the same concept.

The idea behind the Heel Hosel is to have the clubhead rotate to match your stroke, the more toward the heel the hosel is the more Toe Hang it has, the stronger your arc is in your stroke the more Toe Hang you need.

Center Shafted Vs Offset Hosel

Offset Hosels have a Toe hang similar to the Heel Hosel, so a player with an arc in their swing would benefit from this. The shaft has an ‘L’ type piece for a hosel, this causes the clubface to be behind the shaft.

The theory behind this is to automatically have your hands in front of the clubface, this help provide a nice roll on the ball, some suggest that a right handed player with a dominant right eye should use an Offset Putter, this will help your eyes be over the ball, this theory has never been scientifically proven to work, but it is worth a try if you ask me.

Center Shafted Vs Single Bend or Double Bend Hosels

Putters with a Single or Double Bend Hosel are Face Balanced Putters like a Center Shafted Putter, the biggest difference is that the shaft doesn’t go into the center of the face, it actually goes in towards the heel.

Technically speaking the shaft is aligned to the center of the putter but about 3 inches before the head the shaft either has a Single or Double Bend going down towards the heel, this takes away the shaft being on the center of the club, but still provides the player with a Face Balanced option.

You also get Offset Putters with a Single or Double Bend.

Personal Experiences With Center Shafted Putters

If I told you I have not tried every Putter on the planet then I’d be lying to you, at the end of the day putting is an art and takes a lot of practice, but having said that after all my trial and errors with different style heads, shaft lengths etc.

I always seem to end up with my old faithful Spider X by Taylormade.

The length is 34 inches, lie angle of 72 and loft of 3 degree, but the most important part is that it is a Heel Shafted putter with a Short Slant neck.

This style just always seems to sit well in my hands and allows me to make a good stroke.

Is A Putter Fitting Worth It?

100% yes, it may not be as technical as a Driver or Irons, but it is the finer details that make the biggest difference.

Having the right length, lie angle, loft, head shape and hosel type can make a massive impact on your putting stroke, and ultimately make you make more putts.

Scotty Cameron Newport Select 2 – Best Offset Putter

The Scotty Cameron Newport Select 2 is Titleist’s flagship putter, whenever a golfer thinks of a blade style Putter they think of the Scotty Cameron Newport.

The whole range of Putters is made from a block of solid 303 stainless steel, this gives you incredible consistency and an awesome feel.

Pros

  • Great feel
  • Consistent roll
  • Classic Look

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Although it has good heel toe weighting it still isn’t very forgiving on miss hits
  • No insert (which could also be a Pro to some)

Overall Score: 95/100

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TaylorMade Spider X – Best Heel Shafted Putter

The Spider X could arguably be the most popular style in the world at the moment, designed to be extremely forgiving, it certainly doesn’t disappoint.

The extreme perimeter weighting provides great stability on miss hits, their Pure Roll technology puts more topspin on the ball when you strike it for more consistent putts.

Pros

  • Great feel
  • Promotes topspin
  • Incredibly stable
  • Comes in a center shaft and heel single bend option

Cons

  • Expensive
  • It has an insert (which could also be a Pro to some)

Overall Score: 96/100

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Odyssey Stroke Lab – Best Center Shafted Putter

Callaway makes top of the range Putters and the Stroke Lab Putter does not stop there.

The new Stroke Lab shaft is a combination of graphite and steel combined, this increases stability and lowers overall torque.

It has a Micro Hinge Face, which is unique to the Callaway range. This technology promotes forward roll when you strike the ball.

Pros

  • Stroke Lab Shaft for great balance
  • Micro Hinge Face
  • Unique Weight Distribution

Cons

  • Expensive

Overall Score: 96/100

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Conclusion

I think it’s safe to say that buying a Putter off the shelf can be tricky business, the chances of you choosing a putter with the right length, lie angle, loft, head shape and hosel type is almost impossible.

Personal preference plays a big part but ultimately you need to match the right hosel with your stroke type.

We highly recommend getting a fitting for a putter, it will ultimately lower your scores.