If you are struggling with your putting, sometimes it makes sense to adjust the weight and not change the putter itself.
When you add weight to your putter, it can really change the performance of the club.
Adding weight can help you gain more control and make your stroke smooth.
There are several different ways to add weight to a putter, and you can vary them to get the proper fitting.
How to Add Weight to a Putter
There are three main ways to add weight to a putter: you can add to the putter head, the putter grip, and then you can also add to both the grip and the head.
With these three ways, there are many custom fittings you can get.
We will explain how to accomplish all three of these weight increasing techniques to get you the proper fit.
1. Adding Weight to the Head of a Putter
The two main ways to add weight to the head of a putter is to use an adjustable weight or to use lead tape.
Lead tape is going to be a very simple method, and it is commonly used in the world of golf.
For those who have an adjustable putter head, sometimes it makes more sense to use a weight to change your putter head than to use the lead tape.
Although your putter may not come with all of the putter weights you need to get the proper fit for your game, you can usually find more.
Some examples of an adjustable putter head are the Scotty Cameron putters with removable weights.
When you add lead tape to a club, you will want to do it in stages.
Ideally, you should be measuring how much lead tape you use and adjusting your putter weight by a certain amount.
However, most people will cut a piece of tape and slap it on the bottom of the putter head.
Two grams of lead tape is going to equal one swing weight.
Again, you don’t have to keep the putter within a certain weight limit, but you should understand that each piece of lead tape is going to make a significant difference in the total weight.
Make sure you add the weight to your putter in a place that it is not going to affect your putting stroke in any way.
Putting tape on the bottom of the putter head can interact with the way the putter travels along the ground.
Find a spot that will not change the way the putter impacts the ball.
It is also important that you put the weight on the putter head evenly.
If you have all the weight towards the toe or the heel, it will affect the way you are able to play.
One of the good things about lead tape is that you can remove it should you find that the position the tape is in is not ideal.
Adding weight to the putter head is going to help you control your swing and make you feel as though you have a better connection with the head of the putter.
This extra feeling with a heavier head can help golfers who struggle with distance control.
If you have a hard time feeling the difference between a four-foot putt and an eight foot putt, changing the weight on the putter can help.
2. Adding Weight to the Grip of the Putter
Adding weight to the grip of the putter is going to give some different performance than adding weight to the head.
When you add weight to the grip of the putter, you are trying to balance out the grip end with the putter head end.
Sometimes this is done to help to counterbalance the club and get a more consistent feel.
When the grip of the putter is much lighter than the club head, it can cause an off-balance feel for some golfers.
When you counter-balance a putter, you will offset the weight of the head of the putter.
There are many golfers who struggle with using their hands too much in their putting stroke.
Your hands should remain on the club, but they are not active in the stroke.
This is done to make sure you utilize the larger muscles in the game.
If you are using your shoulders and arms to putt, you will get much more consistency.
When the butt end of the club is very light, it causes golfers to get more handsy.
This type of feeling will make players control the putter head too much and not have much consistency.
Handsy putters tend to do very well one day and poorly the next as they lack this consistency.
The best way to add this weight to the putter grip is to look for a weight that fits into the butt end of the putter.
You can also add lead tape on your putter grip or under your putter grip if possible.
Make sure that the weight is not going to interfere with where you put your hands on the club.
3. Adding Weight to the Head and the Grip
If you add weight to both the grip and the head of the putter, you will find that the putter gets much heavier.
For those who like the overall weighting on their current club but just wish it were slightly heavier, this is the way to go.
The extra weight will help to give your putter a higher moment of inertia.
This higher moment of inertia will help the ball have a much better roll.
When a ball starts off on the right path with a high MOI, it tends to stay on the line better.
Keeping a ball rolling true and on the intended path is the best way to start sinking more putts.
Again, when you add the weight, you will want to make sure you balance it at the bottom and at the top of the club.
Anytime the weight is slightly off, it can affect the way the ball and club interact.
How Much Should a Putter Weigh?
Putter weights are going to be different for all golfers.
What works for one player will not necessarily work for another.
A standard putter is going to weigh about 350 grams.
Some of these larger, more modern putters are going to have about 400 grams of weight.
This is why it is essential to pay attention to how much weight you are adding to your putter.
If you end up adding too much weight to your putter head, you will have a hard time controlling your speed on faster greens.
When the putter head combines with the extra weight, you will notice that it has a high MOI.
On a very fast green, the moment of inertia will be important.
If you get it to the point where it is too high, you can miss a downhill two-footer by about ten or twelve feet!
Keep this in mind when you are working to make sure your putter’s weight is ideal.
Can I Add Weight to My Irons?
Many golfers will add weight to their irons in addition to their driver.
Adding weight to iron can affect it in several ways.
If you add weight to the heel of the golf club, you may be able to get rid of your fade and start drawing the golf ball a bit more.
You will want to make sure you don’t add too much weight as you can then cause yourself to start hooking your shots.
If a golfer wants to be able to reduce a hook or a draw, they can add weight to the toe of the club.
If you put too much weight on your club, you can remove it with an Exacto knife.
If there is some residue on the club, a bit of alcohol can usually help to get it off.
Adding some weight to the head of the club can also cause the ball flight to decrease a bit.
This is great for players who are noticing the ball flying a bit higher than they would like.
Anytime you change the weight on any of your golf clubs, it makes sense to use a scale.
A scale will give you a much better idea of what you are doing to the club and the changes you are making.
Blindly customizing golf clubs can lead to some results that are less than ideal.
One way we recommend adding weight to your irons is just to head to the driving range with some lead tape and a seven iron.
Hit some shots with your seven iron, then add a small piece of tape.
Once you have done this, you can compare how the shots have changed after you added the tape.
If you see that things are working and you want to add more tape, you can do so.
Take this process slowly, and don’t add more than necessary.
Once you figure out what you need, you can then add that same amount of weight to your other irons.
The good news about lead tape is that it is not a permanent fix.
You can always adjust it at a later point.
Putting some weight on your clubs and adjusting them is a better idea than purchasing new clubs.
Sometimes a slight adjustment can end up saving you a lot of money.
Are Heavier Putters Better?
There are lots of debates in golf.
Some of those are related to whether a putter is better when it is light or heavy.
Most golfers find that a tour weighted putter, which is heavier, is going to be easier to remain consistent with.
When your putter is heavy, it keeps the rest of your muscles in place, and your stroke can remain smooth.
Newer golfers seem to do better with some extra weight in the putter head as well.
Developing some speed and distance control takes time, and the heavier putter can undoubtedly help make this easier.
As you spend more time practicing and playing, you will find a putter weight that works best for your game.
Conclusion
Adding weight to your putter is not difficult.
However, you must be careful about how you do it.
You will need to make sure the putter is still balanced even after you add the weight.
There is no perfect weight for a golf putter.
You will have to spend time finding a fit that works best for your game, and it will take a bit of experimenting to get the exact weight you need.
Luckily, using something like lead tape is a temporary fix.
You can play around with how it affects your clubs but take it off and return them to their original weight if it doesn’t work out.
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