50 Words or Less
The The Perfect Putter training aid is the best device I’ve seen for learning to read greens and setting up great putting practice.
Introduction
I’m notoriously tough on training aids, so it’s very rare that I fall in love with one at first glance, but that’s exactly what happened with The Perfect Putter. From the moment I saw it at the 2015 PGA Show, everything about it made sense to me, and I knew that top-level coaches and serious golfers would be making this an essential part of their practice routines. Following golf on social media over the last few months has proven me to be right: PGA pros like Kevin Streelman and renowned coaches like Jeff Smith are singing the praises of this device.
Ease of Use & Set Up
Setting up The Perfect Putter is quick and easy. The extension for longer putts simply screws into the base with two screws, and, depending on the length of the putt you want to measure, you may not even need it. Calibrating the putt precisely requires a little trial and error, but, because the ball rolls exactly the same every time, it’s a straightforward process. Once you have the read, you can set up your gates, string, or chalk line.
There are five drills listed on The Perfect Putter website, and these cover the basic functions of the device: learning to read greens, learning green speed, and working on hitting your line. Undoubtedly, creative golfers will come up with plenty of other drills
Effectiveness
I could easily write 1,000 words singing the praises of The Perfect Putter , but I’ll do my best to keep it brief. To me, the most important thing about The Perfect Putter is that it allows you to know what a putt is going to do. Many putting drills tell you to “Find a straight putt” as if that’s as simple as breathing. Yes, it’s easy to find a straight-ish putt, but without The Perfect Putter, you can’t know that it’s dead straight. Why does that matter? Because if you set up to a putt that you think is straight, hit it straight, and miss, you’re setting yourself up to get worse. However, if you set up to a truly straight putt, then you can accurately assess if you’re pushing or pulling your putts. The same is true with breaking putts. I can’t overemphasize how important that is.
The Perfect Putter is also the only training aid I’ve used that can teach green reading. Many people will go to the practice green and try to work on their reads by putting the ball around. This is certainly better than doing nothing, but it’s not very scientific because you’re adding in all the variables of your putting stroke: Did you hit your intended line? Were you aligned correctly? Was your speed good? With The Perfect Putter those questions don’t exist because you get the same roll time after time. With speed and alignment held constant, you can truly understand how much the ball breaks on a given putt.
Another thing that you’ll learn from The Perfect Putter is the importance of speed. Just from playing around with it, you’ll learn that every line has a speed. Look at the picture below. All three balls were rolled on exactly the same line, but different speeds meant the difference between the bottom of the cup and a three-foot comeback putt.
A final, underrated aspect of The Perfect Putter is its help with visualization. This is something that The Perfect Putter’s inventor, professional golfer Ramon Bescansa, really emphasizes. When you see lots of putts go in, that puts lots of positive mental images in your head which will boost your confidence. Also, by rolling so many putts and seeing so many lines, your ability to be creative and understand line and speed is enhanced.
Longevity
After setting up my putting drills with The Perfect Putter training aid, I don’t ever want to be without it. There’s so much value in knowing exactly what the putt is going to do that it’s absolutely worth bringing an extra item to the green.
I was also a little surprised at just how fun it is to use The Perfect Putter. It became addictive to test different putts, different lines, and different speeds. The great thing is that you’re doing all of this because it’s fun, but you’re also learning about green reading and the interaction of line and speed.
Value
Perfection isn’t cheap. The Perfect Putter, in either compact or standard size, comes in a complete package for $299. This includes the carrying case and four different size gates. If you want to save a little money, you can buy The Perfect Putter by itself for $239. There is also a laser attachment available for $149.
It’s worth noting that this is one of the best-made training aids that I’ve used. It’s very durable, and all the pieces fit together precisely.
While I really like The Perfect Putter, I suspect that the price is going to limit its clientele to teaching professionals and very serious players.
Find a much more affordable putting ramp from DP Golf HERE
Conclusion
The Perfect Putter isn’t for every golfer, but if you’re the kind of player who really wants to improve and likes to practice their putting, this is a must-have training aid. The Perfect Putter will enhance your ability to read greens, understand speed and line, and it will allow you to set up drills with a precision you’ve never had before.
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He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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2 Comments
That saves me. Thanks for being so seisbnle!