Now for some separate personal thoughts which I emphasise is mainly all that's on this particular page, and so please do not read anything on this page as gospel:

 

How does all the information on balance, precision and forgivness apply in practical terms when looking at a given putter?  To understand teh following you must have read and understood all that first.

 

First off there is a very good thread  on the precision of various putters here.

 

Now let’s look at some specific putters along:

 

 

L35 Ghost Spider

 

Good Balance - This allows you to confidently use at least the 15’ – 50’ scales for many putts.  However, as with even high level putters it’s best to go with the shallowest scale you can manage where you really need to weight delicate breakers.  If faced with a very long putt go with the shortest scale you can to get it close, unless you are just ramming.

 

Forgiveness / Meter Speed – Also very good.

 

This putter is a great buy at the price.  A little gem that will allow you to easily progress well into Legend where you may consider looking at higher level putters.  All Ghost Spider putters are really primarily ding putters, but this one will easily allow slight to moderate missing to hold a line too.

 

L55 Rossa

 

Key differences to the L35 above greater precision, less forgiveness.  The Meter is slightly faster but still very acceptable.  I personally never liked the putter, but it must be said this putter was used to great effect by many top players for a long time.  The lack of forgiveness perhaps aided those who liked to use off ding putting the most.

 

Once you understand the above you will be well placed to choose which putter is best for you as you move up. I will quickly add that I never found the L66 Spider much more beneficial than the L35, but I did really like the L70 Versa.  That L70 seemed as at home dinging as it did missing the ding.

 

 

In the end putting is REAL personal.  I should add though that I have though never yet met anyone with great putting stats who only putts by missing the ding, never moving the aim marker.  Varying degrees of missing after aiming I have seen used to great effect, and of course some short putts a simple miss to hold is fine with just about every putter. 

 

It really is about deciding what style you like best, and trying out putters that suit you.  I would add that any putter should be stuck with for a good long time once bought.  For example putting 6’ with a Nike 10’ scale does not translate to say putting at 6% out with a Versa 60’ scale.  The Nike most will tell you to ram with that scale if not just to use the 20’.  Basically take your time choosing, get forum advice but once bought LEARNING YOUR putter with every nuance it has is key.

 

L70 Versa - See notes on the L96 Versa below - all v similar indeed, just that this one has an even nicer meter speed.

 

 

OK quick look at some v top line putters:

 

All fine putters:

 

L92 Ghost - Well looking a tad long in the tooth now with what's around it.  Basically by this level treat this one as ding only machine.  Sure you can massage that a bit close in, but going against the grain v soon if not a ding guy.  It's lesser balance rating means I would not swap it in if I already had the L70 Versa though.

 

L94 Nike - Slowest meter of the three, but nothing is ever perfect.  It's 10' scale can feel a bit dead (needs an oomph more than think often), but it's 20' scale is wonderous.  Now go beyond that 20' meter it's poorer balance means it will not weight putts as well as a putter with better balance.

 

L96 Versa - Great balance and high precision in one, but a slightly faster meter than the Nike.  However that faster meter is offset a good deal as you can safer go a bit deeper in to the meter due to its great balance rating.

 

Really gets v personal and all the top line putters are easily capable weapons in teh right hands, just which one suits you really.  Some do find they prefer different increments over others.  Personally that has never bothered me as a putter is a very long term friend that you get to know over time - including all its particular nuances in each meter scale.

 

If I were starting with what I know now I would start with the L35 Ghost as my first putter, and then swap that for the L70 Versa (almost as good at least as the L96 Versa), and then think long and hard between the L94 Nike and the L96 Versa as to which I prefer. All these putters a very happy as ding putters as well as allowing a little bit of missing to help hold a line (after doing teh basic aiming with the marker of course)

 

Now remember what I said about everything on this page being mostly just personal thoughts:)