Locating the Putter’s Sweet Spot

Golf: Find Your Putter's Sweet Spot

Dick Moss, Editor, PE Update.com

Every golf club has a sweet spot: the center of gravity of the club face. The sweet spot is important because when you contact it, you optimize the force of the shot, reducing vibration and preventing the club from twisting.

The putter also has a sweet spot, and accurate putting depends on making contact with it, so the putter doesn't twist away from the target line on impact.

Is this really a factor in putting? Very much so: according to Golf Magazine researcher, Dave Pelz, statistically it's the most important factor in successful putting. Miss the sweet spot by only one-quarter of an inch and you won't sink a single putt over eight feet in length.

Putters May Not be Accurately Marked
Most putters have their sweet spot marked with an arrow or line at the top of the putter. However, the mark is often inaccurate. Since even small errors can cause inaccurate putting, it would be wise for your golfers to locate their putter's sweet spot themselves.

How to Locate the Sweet Spot
Have your students pinch the bottom of the putter's grip between their thumb and index finger so it can swing like a pendulum. Angle it to simulate the slant at which your golfers hold their club when putting—that is, the bottom of the putter should be parallel to the ground (most putters have a slight loft).

Tap the face of the putter with a tee or the eraser-end of a pencil. Keep tapping until you find the spot that moves the club the farthest with the least vibration and with no twisting — that's the sweet spot.

Mark the spot on the club face (e.g. with a pencil). Then scratch an indicator mark on the top of the putter — you can fill the scratch with paint to make it more visible.

References:
1. James A. Frank, Precision Putting, Human Kinetics Publishers, 1998.
2. Frank Norsworthy & Mark Mansfield, Good Golf is Easy: Eternal golfing truths for weekend golfers, CreateSpace Publishers, 2011.

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