What makes a DROP Putter better than the almost infinite variety of other putters available today?

Peter O'Leary explains why the DROP Putter overcomes the design shortcomings of currently popular putter styles.

The DROP Putter has specialist features that have been explained in the technical specifications outlined elsewhere. It is worth also considering the following points regarding modern putter design.

'Investment' casting has been very popular with manufacturers for the last 20 years or so, mainly to meet the demands of mass production and to decrease costs to ensure healthy profits. The down side for the golfer has been a substantial loss of 'softness' in the feel of the putter because of the hard alloys that have to be used in this type of production. Manufacturers have tried to overcome this loss of "feel" with heel - toe weighting because off-centre hits really 'clunked'. Now manufacturers are turning to inlays of nylon or balata in an effort to rediscover the 'soft feel'.

Forged blade putters are much better in this area because of the softer metals used.

DROP Putters are better again because the more traditional metal such as brass is used. Being face weighted the soft feel extends across 50% of the face so off centre hits do not go astray.

The round face models of the DROP range have exceptional feel and they also have certain advantages over the more traditional flat face.

We are not all fortunate enough to play often, (or are allowed to!) so when we go out on the course there are only a fortunate few who are able to rediscover that exact position addressing the ball which had the putts rolling in a few weeks ago. Was the ball in the middle or near my left foot? Were my hands forward or back? There is so much to remember. The round face putter removes these variable elements because, whether the ball is forward or back or your grip changes, you will not change the loft of the face, a major cause of putting inconsistencies.

Finally, let us look at 'face balancing'.

This has been around since the early 50's but it was actually better then than since it was re-discovered some 30 years later. Ninety-nine percent of putters that are claimed to be face balanced are not. They are back balanced! The test is to balance a club on your finger at the pivotal point of the shaft. Does the face of the putter lie horizontally, pointing upward? This is achieved by the angle that the shaft enters the head of the putter and by weighting the back of the head. Thus, these clubs are back weighted and back balanced. This might be OK…if you hit the ball with the back of the putter!