Reply To Golf World Editor Re. Tiger's Putter Switch

Perhaps the timing of this article was a little off on how great the new putter switch was for Tiger Woods. Even worse, however, was the total "hype and myth" about grooves and polymers coming from Tiger and relayed by E. Michael Johnson.

Since the ball is a sphere with a surface of 90% or more dimples, the putter face only contacts a very small area on the ridges, or on just one ridge area. Another big surprise -- the putter face never strikes the same spot or ridge area on the next stroke! It is likely that the space between the magic polymer-filled grooves only makes contact with the ridges and the polymer groove never touches the ball. This is my opinion only, but is the opinion of some great teachers and club builders outside the "big ad dollar companies" that the major golf rags promote.

Speaking of grooves -- which style is best? Horizontal, Vertical, or Half-Moon ????

In addition, the ball does not sit down in a depression on the green....TOTAL MYTH! and I have the data to prove it. This type of article does a disservice to truthful knowledge that the average golfing community needs to hear.

There is some great information about putters/putting that is being ignored by the "high profile" golf magazines. Custom fitting, proper set-up ritual, absolute lie and loft to each individual golfer, ball and eye position for the golfer's personal build -- all of these will greatly improve the putting stats. Having said that, a golfer will never be consistent until the perfect lie angle is dialed in! This will be achieved by using Ontic Golf's putters with the patented self-adjusting lie angle system. No other golf putter will achieve this due to the fact that they all have a convex sole (which rocks, therefore changing the golfer's set-up every time). Ontic Golf's putters feature the Dynamic Sole Technology (DST) --- it does not rock, but it sure does roll!!!

Go to my recent posts to learn more about the "dimples" and consistent set-up.

'Til next time! Have a Great Putting Game!

Blade Tips From Teaching Pros

1. DO NOT BUY A PUTTER OFF THE SHELF! IT IS THE MOST VALUABLE CLUB IN YOUR BAG, SO MAKE SURE IT IS CUSTOM-FIT JUST FOR YOU. (CORRECT LENGTH, LIE, LOFT, AND WEIGHT). ALL ONTIC PUTTERS ARE CUSTOM-FIT.

2. DO NOT BUY A PUTTER THAT IS TOO LONG -- AND THEN CUT IT DOWN AND LOSE WEIGHT.

3. BEFORE YOU BUY IT, TRY IT -- OUTSIDE ON A PUTTING GREEN.

4. PUTTER SHOULD BE PLEASING TO THE EYE. THE FEEL SHOULD SUIT YOU; THE LIE ANGLE SHOULD BE CORRECT FOR YOUR HEIGHT. ALL ONTIC PUTTERS ARE CUSTOM-FIT TO EACH INDIVIDUAL!

5. PUTTER SHOULD BE FITTED JUST LIKE YOUR SET OF CLUBS. ALL ONTIC PUTTERS ARE CUSTOM-FIT JUST FOR YOU.

A GOLF POEM (AUTHOR UNKNOWN)

In my hand I hold a ball
White and dimpled, rather small
Oh, How bland it does appear
This harmless looking little sphere!

By its size I could not guess
the awesome strength it does possess.
But since I fell beneath its spell
I've wandered through the fires of hell!

My life has not been quite the same
since I chose to play this "Stupid" game!
It rules my mind for hours on end;
A fortune it has made me spend.

It has made me yell, curse, and cry,
I hate myself and want to die!
It promises a thing call Par
if I can hit it straight and far.

To master such a tiny ball
Should not be very hard at all.
But my desires the ball refuses
and does exactly as it chooses.

It hooks and slices, dribbles and dies,
and even disappears before my eyes.
Often it will have a whim,
to hit a tree or take a swin...

With miles of grass on which to land,
it finds a tiny patch of sand.
Then has me offering up my soul,
if ony it would find the hole!

It's made me whimper like a pup
and swear that I will give it up,
and take to drink to ease my sorrow.
But the ball knows ..... I'll be back tomorrow!!!

(Author Unknown)

A CLOSER LOOK: PROF. TOUR PLAYERS' GOLF STATISTICS

When the final statistics for the top 200 Pro Tour Players is published at the end of the year, the numbers can be very "interesting". These stats. can be a very valuable tool that points out parts of their game they need to work on.

The following stats. are for 2008 as ranked by Golf Week Magazine.
Vijay Singh: #1 on the money list
Driving Distance: 297.8 yds (Ranked 25th)
Driving Accuracy: Ranked 150th
Scoring Average: 69.58 (Ranked 6th)
GIR: ranked 12th
Putts Per Round: 29.5 (Ranked 119th)
Note: Not ranked 1st in any category

Sergio Garcia: #4 on the money list
Driving Distance: 294.6 yds. (Ranked 43rd)
Driving Accuracy: Ranked 153rd
GIR: Ranked 37th
Putts Per Round: 29.6 (Ranked 142nd)

Bubba Watson: #58 on the money list
Driving Distance: 315.1 yds. (Ranked #1)
Driving Accuracy: Ranked 183rd
GIR: Ranked 27th
Putts Per Round: 30.1 (Ranked 182nd)

There are a couple of interesting points when analyzing these 3 players: Driving distance and Accuracy. There is no doubt that distance off the tee is a plus for hitting GIR, however, these 3 players ranked 119th, 142nd, and 182nd for putting!
You can see that one or two areas of the game can affect money earnings and rankings.
Of all the statistics for the top 200 players that were ranked, it is very clear that PUTTS PER ROUND would be the category to improve for greatly moving up the money list. Kenny Perry said it best, "Just two 3-putts during a tournament can mean the difference between winning or finishing in the top 20."

SKID AND BOUNCE: A FUNCTION OF LOFT

At the beginning of the section on Loft, I mentioned Absolute loft and Effective loft.

The Absolute loft is the loft that the golfer should strive for at impact. It is the loft that comes from correct ball position in the set-up for the putting swing plane. The Absolute loft is the designed/machined loft of the putter. The absolute loft on all Ontic putters is 2.5 degrees.

Ball Skid and Bounce are the result of Effective loft at impact. The Effective loft is a variable loft. The golfer's stroke plane, or angle of attack, is the function of set-up, lie angle changes, hand movement, forward press, ball position in the set-up, and ball position along the swing plane. Effective loft is the result of poor putting ritual, wrong lie angle, and wrong length of the putter.

We all have seen infomercials that show one putter with one type of roll, while the other has very bad roll. Many design factors come into play, however, the manipulation of the stroke exaggerates the skid and bounce.

BERNIE-OLOGY:
My last point is a personal point/observation; call it "Bernieology"
The subject of Face Inserts and Grooves continues to be a design feature for many putters sold today. Many golf and marketing articles tout the advantages of inserts and/or grooves.

There are many variations of design and materials that claim to be the "newest and best" for putter performance. They promote no skid or less skid, no bounce, better roll, and unbelieveable putter breakthrough technology!

Some face groove patterns are horizontal, some vertical, some in a circle, and some so fancy they look like pieces of art, a colorful billboard....There are inserts that the golfer can change, and polymers for the same purpose.

LET'S GET REAL .... The golf ball is a 1.67 inch SPHERE and the golf ball SURFACE is 90% plus DIMPLES....So -- The groove on the putter face strikes what on the ball ??Answer: Only the ridges around the dimples, and a dimple ridge pattern that varies tremendously at impact on the putter face....
So, What is the influence of the inserts and/or grooves on this dimpled sphere for the millisecond the putter face makes contact?

See you next time!
Have a Great Putting Game
Bernie Pinder

LOFT

Loft is measured as the degree of face angle designed to slightly lift the ball during the stroke. The loft (degrees of loft) is very important. I would rate putter loft at the top of the list for putting performance. However, having the correct lie angle first is critical for consistent putting.
CAUTION:
In putter loft there is both absolute loft and/or effective loft at impact. There is a big difference in these two loft functions, and one will make you a much better ball striker. I will come back to these two loft functions later in this section. REF: Skid and Bounce section.

In the past putters were made with high loft angles in the 6-10 degree range and perhaps higher. It was just the norm for the time. I suspect it was greens conditioning, grass types, and cutting heights for that time period. The theory was, higher loft was needed to lift the ball out of the depression the ball made on the longer putting green grass height at the time.

With the development of newer grass types, grass maintenance, watering systems, and grass cutting technology that created smoother and faster greens, putter lofts changed to a range of 4-6 degrees. This reduction in loft did not change the believe that hihg loft was still needed to lift the ball out of this "mythical" depression made by the ball on the putting surface.

When I first started making putters, I questioned the putter lofts based on observations and testing I was doing. My first putter was made in 1987 with a machined loft of 2 degrees. The roll was phenomenal. I also started to teach no forward press when putting.

At the time putting instructors and many tour players were promoting high loft putters and also teaching or using the forward press to start the putting stroke. High loft, thende-loft with a forward press, that changed the absolute loft to the effective loft. There was no way this could produce consistent ball roll because it is impossible to de-loft the putter consistently from stroke to stroke.

The Myth:
To me the "Myth" about putter loft and ball depression on the putting surface did not make sense. The results from my putters at 2 degrees of loft convinced me that putter loft and absolute loft at impact produced more consistent ball roll.

Based on my observations and beliefs about putter loft, I did a study to test my theory. I had serious doubts about ball depression on modern greens; the main reason high loft putters were being promoted and still promoted today!

Using very precise measuring equipment to measure the depression depth of the ball at rest on a putting surface, a program was formulated to test the theory. I selected putting greens that the average golfer uses, and selected the same time of day to do the test (just two hours after greens were cut). The grass cut height was recorded, and a USGA Stimp Meter was used to insure green speed was recorded between 8-10 stimp. This was done on a number of different golf courses.

FACTS, OBSERVATIONS, AND RESULTS OF THE TEST:
- The golf ball is 1.67 in. in diameter and weighs 43 grams
- A blade of grass is approximately .005 in. thick. As a reference, the thickness
of a human hair is .004 in.
- Golf greens typicalls cut at .180 in. high; the stimp will be 8-10 on most public
golf courses.
- Golf greens for country clubs and for the touring pros have a cut height down
to .090-.125 in. and a stimp of 10 or faster.
- The golfer marks and lifts the ball off the surface as soon as he arrives at the
green. The ball is not placed back on the surface until he is ready to putt. The
average time the ball is at rest on the green is approx. 50 seconds.
- For my test the ball would stay in the same position for a full 3 minutes.
- At the end of the first minute, the ball settled less than .0008 ten thousands.
- We continued the measuring process for 3 minutes. The average movement at
the end of 3 minutes was .0015 ten thousands of an inch.

CONCLUSION: WHAT BALL DEPRESSION ???
Our Observation on loft was validated and confirmed when Ontic Golf, working with a large Michigan College Engineering Dept. found that loft between 2-3 degrees was the optimum loft range for ball roll performance.
Ontic Golf CNC machines all putters with 2.5 degrees of loft, and our QC holds the final assembled putter within the 2-3 degree range.
The "Myth" about loft is still being promoted, and articles continue to be written about loft and the need to lift the ball while Tiger Woods has 1.5 degrees of loft on his putter. HE GETS IT !!!

Next Episode: Skip and Bounce: A Function of Loft

See you later!

Bernie Pinder

MOI (Moments of Inertia)

MOI is a measurement of resistance by a force, to a surface plane that causes rotation deflection when the force is moved away from the center or sweet spot. MOI formulas, and there are a few, takes design elements such as mass and CG into account, when calculating MOI. The higher the measured number, the higher the MOI.

The measurements for MOI came into vogue a few years ago when golf club designers found that moving the weight to the heel and toe and perimeter of the club produced less twisting if the ball was not struck on the sweet spot. Basically higher MOI enlarged the sweet spot, giving better results for golfers with inconsistent ball striking on the putter face.

Putters that are face-balanced, center-shafted, and have high heel and toe weighting, normally rate higher for MOI.

As always, there can be exceptions. For example, our M-PULSE MALLET has very good MOI numbers, however, the mass down-the-line weighting also has great CG numbers that affects the MOI rating numbers. Our Mallet design has the best of both worlds.

CG (Center of Gravity)
The CG can be a simple measurement or a complex measurement, based on the object's mass weight and the placement of that weight. For instance, a solid square of one type of material will have CG in the center of the shape. If you add weight to one side and keep the same shape, the center of gravity will move to that side.

When measuring complex shapes with various materials, i.e., on a golf club, finding the CG will require complex formulas to pinpoint the CG.

CG can influence balance, feel, launch, etc. In a club design, weight can be moved around the design to accomplish CG placement as well as verious features including MOI, Face Balance, Shaft Balance, etc.

SWING WEIGHT:
The swing weight is a numeric measurement done on a balance scale designed to measure the swing weight and total weight of golf clubs. It is a starting point for making sure the clubs have a matched weight within the set, or to make swing-weight adjustments to a club(s).

Swing weight in putters is a personal preference for the golfer. In the past few years, the head weight of putters has increased, and so has the swing weight. For most golfers, a swing weight of C-8 to D-8 is acceptable.

A putter measuring in the 33-36 inch length range, with the head weight in the 330 gms. to 360 gms. range, is very typical to meet a swing weight in the above range.

As the length of the putter is increased, the swing weight also increases with a given head weight. As a rule of thumb, in order to keep most putters in an acceptable swing weight range, short putters should have a heavier head weight, and longer putters a lighter head weight.

For belly and long putters, the preference has been for a heavier head weight to help compensate for the heavier shaft and grip.

In our custom-fitting sessions, we have had every conceivable length, head weight, and swing weight that does not fit the model. I highly recommend a custom-fitting session to get the putter "dialed in". In a custom-fitting session the putter can be fine-tuned, but the golfer must communicate what he likes, what feels best, and what produces consistent results.

Stay tuned for the continuing "Definitions and Their Importance to Putting!
Bernie Pinder
Have a Great Putting Game!

DEFINITIONS--IMPORTANCE TO PUTTING (CONT.)

PUTTER LENGTH:
The Length of a putter is a measurement from the butt end of the grip, down the shaft to the bottom of the sole.
The length of a custom-fit putter should only be measured after the precise lie angle is found, and after the golfer's physical stature, putting posture, etc. are determined. The correct length will be determined from the fitting session.

Finding the proper length is not complicated. Of the three measurements: Lie angle, Loft, and Length -- the first two are critical. Length has more room for proper fitting. If your grip is down in the palm of the hand, or inches above the wrist crease line, you have a putter length that is not correct.

There should be 1/4" to 3/8" of grip butt end above the wrist crease line of the golfer's top hand placement. Most custom-fitted putters will be of non-standard lengths. As an example, if we measure the length to the wrist line at 34-1/4", we cut the length at 34-1/2" to 34.625. Proper length results in more consistent putting.

NOTE: Off-the-shelf putters come in standard lengths, typically in one inch increments, i.e., 33', 34", 35", etc.

SWEET SPOT:
A spot on the putter face where the putter will not rotate/twist when struck by the ball. Theoretically, the spot is located at the alignment line, dot, or mark.

Finding the Sweet Spot is easy. With the thumb and forefinger, loosely grip the putter shaft near the grip, and let the putter hang down. With a ball in the other hand, strike the putter face in various spots along the face until there is no rotation/twisting at impact. This is the Sweet Spot area and should be the impact target spot for ball contact.

The Sweet Spot can change when the lie angle changes. On a standard off-the-shelf putter with a standard lie angle, the sweet spot should be at the alignment mark. The sweet spot will move toward the heel with flatter lie angles, and toward the toe on more upright lie angles. The CG and MOI will also change.

FACE-BALANCED:
The putter is face-balanced when the shaft angle dissects directly through the center of the face, and the head weight is equal from heel to toe.

In theory, with a face-balanced putter, the putter head feels more balanced, and the stroke release will square up the face at impact. This feature is most beneficial when the golfer has a consistent lie angle, consistent setup ritual, and a consistent putting stroke.

In most face-balanced, fixed lie-angle putters, altering the lie angle changes face balance, and the advantages of a face-balanced putter are lost. REF: Lie Angles

NOTE: The Ontic M-Pulse Mallet is face-balanced through all the lie angle adjustments, from flat to upright, and is very consistent.

Hope these Definitions are helping you to know what to expect in a custom-fit putter. I look forward to your questions: onticgolf4856@att.net or
1-877-788-8370.

Look for more updates to my Blog soon! Be informed...


Bernie Pinder, Pres.
Ontic Golf Group, LLC

HAVE A BLESSED AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!!!

ONTIC GOLF: ABSOLUTE CUSTOM-FIT PUTTERS

I will be submitting "definitions" that are used by Ontic Golf to help golfers "know" their equipment. Visit my blog as often as you like to keep informed!

LIE ANGLE:
A measurement of the shaft angle relative to a flat surface plane on which the putter sits. This measurement is normally made on a lie angle gauge designed especially for this purpose.

Most putters "off the shelf" will have a fixed lie angle around 71 degrees and will have a convex (rounded) sole design. The 71 degree lie angle is too upright for 90% of golfers.

Putters with a convex (rounded) sole can be lie angle adjusted, however, the lie angle can change when the golfer rocks the putter to make the lie angle fit their set-up. In most cases the golfer will have the putter toe up. With a convex sole it is very easy to change the hand position and set-up position, which changes the lie angle.

Example: When the lie angle moves flatter, the toe of the putter moves higher. This shifts the CG toward the heel, and the MOI shifts to the toe. These small changes can have a big impact on alignment, absolute loft, ball position, and swing plane.
Results: Inconsistent putting performance.

CUSTOM FITTING the golfer's PRECISE LIE ANGLE is the MOST IMPORTANT PROCESS in the putter-fitting session. However, the precise lie angle comes from a total fitting session with the golfer. Posture, eye, and ball position are also taken into account when fitting a putter.

We have found from our fitting sessions that 95% of all the golfers we fit will have a lie angle below 70 degrees. The largest percentage will be around 66-68 degrees. Just one-half of one degree can make a tremendous difference in putting performance.

Only Ontic Golf putters, with our patented Dynamic Sole Technology (DST) and our patented Lie Angle Adjustment Feature can and does guarantee dialed-in lie, length, and loft for precise, consistent set-up. Correct lie angle is critical, and it is the foundation for making more putts, time after time!

Next Time: Putter Length and the Sweet Spot! Don't miss it.

Bernie Pinder, Pres.
Ontic Golf Group, LLC

THE IMPORTANCE OF CUSTOM FITTING THE PUTTER

Golf is really two games in one. One is airborne (tee to green); the other (putting) is keep it on the ground. Both are important skills if you wish to accomplish the object of the game -- getting the ball from tee to green and in the hole in the least number of shots against the par value for the course. Both skills require controlling the ball with accuracy, speed, and distance.

Putting is the one skill that is credited for lowering scores. Sadly, the putter is the one club that most golfers purchase without much thought. They purchase the latest fad just because a Tour Pro used it, even though he was paid to do so. Or they purchase a putter just because it has a prestigous name and is expensive. These putters are almost never custom fitted to the golfer! Experience shows that 95% of the putters "off the shelf" never have the correct lie or length.

Having a custom-fit putter will immediately improve a golfer's putting performance. But what area of fitting should the golfer be most concerned with? Answer: fitting the lie angle. No other fitting procedure should be done until this is done first. Fitting for lie angle should be done in conjunction with proper set-up posture for eye and ball position, physical build, etc.

Let me be clear!! Custom fitting the putter is the most important process for the most important club in your bag to lower your scores. Having the correct lie angle is the foundation for all other putter fittings. Without the absolute correct lie angle, all other fittings and rituals will not and can not be consistent.

WORD OF CAUTION! Because most putters have a convex sole, they can not be adjusted for lie angle that is consistent putt after putt. There is only one putter design that guarantees consistent lie angles because of their patented sole design -- Ontic Golf Putters!

For most golfers putting is the least-practiced skill. I am sure you have heard that "practice makes perfect"....Practice does not make perfect...Perfect practice makes perfect. You cannot practice with a bad club and/or a bad putting ritual and hope for better results.

I trust this information wakes up that great putter in you. If you are serious about lowering your score, the best way is through making more putts...with a properly custom-fit putter; I guarantee it.

I look forward to hearing from you; your questions are greatly appreciated.

Bernie Pinder, President
Ontic Golf Group, LLC