Equipment
Is Low Torque right for you?
It truly is a fantastic time to be a golfer
The tech we use on the golf course today makes the clubs at the turn of the millennium look like complete antiques. Think back to the clubs that were in your bag 20 years ago, from driver through to putter, our modern clubs look and feel distinctly different and make the game a lot easier.
Delving further into the past, up to the 19th century, golfers used wooden hickory putting cleeks to knock the ball into the hole. Towards the end of the era, renowned club-makers of the time like Robert Forgan were experimenting with fresh ideas including forging metal putting cleeks, while the legendary Old Tom Morris designed a cylindrical “drain pipe” putter head concept.
As the 20th century got underway, metal clubheads became the norm. By now, metal was a readily accessed material for manufacturers, and when the numbering system for golf irons became standardised in the 1930s, the term “putter” gradually phased out the traditional “putting cleek”.
Come the 1960s, one of golf’s rare visionaries appeared on the scene. PING’s Karsten Solheim had a flash of genius and in January 1966 sketched the design of what was to become the Anser putter on the dust jacket of a 78-rpm record.
The putter was extremely successful and would go on to rack up over 500 tour wins. The model was so lauded that it became the set standard for manufacturers to aim for. Through the Anser and other designs, Solheim had pioneered perimeter weighting, a concept that includes increasing clubhead MOI for more a more forgiving, stable putting stroke, and is still hugely influential for modern clubmakers.
Fast forward to the 90s, club makers were by now introducing revolutionary putter face inserts after they’d found success on tour. Crafted from unique polymers, elastomers, and overall softer materials that absorb shock, these components serve to give the player a softer feel for more control over their strikes.
And that leads us to the present. Today we want to delve into the world of low torque golf putters and how cover how this ground-breaking putter design can help you sink more putts on the greens.
What are low torque putters?
Putters come in all different shapes and sizes with a variety of distinctly crafted components, from clubheads to hosel types. Low torque golf putters have the shaft placed directly through the heads’ center of gravity, reducing any natural twisting force, or torque, that occurs through your stroke. This results in a supremely accurate swing and strike.
Low torque putters have a design that keeps the face of the putter relative to the path of your stroke while traditional putters have a natural tendency to open the face. This strategically placed shaft reduces the amount of clubhead twisting that occurs when you bring the club back from the ball for a more predictable stroke.
I’ve you’ve never held one, we’d encourage you to come and see them up close in the pro shop. As we’ve just said, golf putters come in all shapes and sizes, so how would you know if a low torque putter would be right for you?
Are low torque golf putters right for me?
The short answer is that yes, this new putter tech will benefit a huge majority of players. Low torque putters certainly help players who tend to overthink when standing over the ball as you’d have to put a fair degree of conscious effort into taking the clubhead of its intended path. Essentially, the stable build makes it harder to ‘jerk’ or ‘jab’ your stroke.
As we stated, these low torque putters tend to have a straight hosel that directly connects to the head’s center of gravity. So, while these clubs are fantastic, if you prefer to play with a bend neck hosel for example, they might simply not be your aesthetic preference. We have a whole range of fantastic golf putters in the pro shop for you to have a go with, including the latest low torque Scotty Cameron Onset Center (OS) putter.
Our range of Scotty Cameron golf putters
The Onset Center (OS) putter from Scotty Cameron has a central shaft and hosel design that makes the club feel incredibly stable at every stage of your putting stroke. The Fastback model features a carbon steel face insert while the Phantom 11R has a distinctive chain-milling pattern on the clubface. With an overall construction that's 15-grams heavier than the other clubs they produce, it's hard to send your ball off-line when you have this putter in the bag.
Another fantastic putter offering from Scotty Cameron is the Phantom. This set consists of 10 different mallet models that all have unique head sizes and alignment aids. Constructed from a sturdy stainless steel, with dual-milled faces, and aerospace-inspired clubheads, the Phantom putters feel incredibly well-weighted when you swing them through the ball. A characteristic that will prove to be invaluable on delicate mid-range putts when you need to get the line just right.
Putting is a crucial part of the game to get right if you want to score well, so if you’re in need of a short game lesson or you’d like to learn more about which putter would best suit your game, we’re ready to help you in the pro shop.
