SeeMore – Talk about teaching an old dog new tricks.

Jim,

Thank you for making me a “vintage” SeeMore putter to match my old one.  With the effort you put in, I wanted to let you know the results.  Here is my testimony about the use and my history with a SeeMore putter.

The distance you hit the putt is directly related to the putter loft.  Since a putter’s loft does not change, how does a putter’s loft change?  It is ALL in the set-up, where the ball is placed in your putting stance and how the putter addresses the ball.  For instance, you will see a player “forward press” the putter shaft where the player addresses the ball then moves his hands forward to the hole.  A forward press can dramatically change the putter’s loft!  Putters are generally fit to have between 2.5 to 4.5 degrees loft with the shaft vertical.  More putter loft has been used for slower greens and less for faster greens.  Just as a side observation, you can add loft at impact by moving the ball forward thereby striking the ball on the putter’s upswing.  Taking this further, if you forward press the grip end to remove 3 degrees of loft and you move the ball forward to a point where you negate the 3 degrees, you actually strike the putt at the actual loft of the putter.

Loft is important, think about it.  Your 7 iron is 4 degrees stronger (and 1/2” longer) than your 8 iron.  The point is they are only 4 degrees different in loft.

This is a long preface to what I want to say, the distance you hit the ball is directly related to putter loft.  To consistently stroke a dead level put with no break you must consistently strike the ball with the same putter loft on each stroke to roll the same distance.  

The second point but probably the most important, to consistently stroke a put you must set up to the putt exactly the same way each time.  Obviously you set up to the line you want to start the ball rolling but it is exactly the same set up every time you address the ball.  Without consistency of set up you CANNOT putt consistently.

I have a flaw that I unconsciously do unless I consciously check before I putt.  I will move my hands slightly forward (decreasing my putter loft), a big no-no for my address position.  Plus, for me, my forward “press” naturally opens my putter face slightly.  So with an incorrect set up, I’ve decreased putter loft and affected putter alignment, i.e., putt length and direction.  Not good.

My incorrect and ever changing set up for the 50 years of my golfing life has cost me strokes and the price of purchasing hundreds of putters.  I currently still own 15+ putters.  A putter I bought 25 years ago that I pulled out of my collection was a SeeMore but knew very little about it.  I did the research and found how to use the rifle scope technology alignment system by visiting the SeeMore sight.  I carefully followed their instruction and found it was easy to set up exactly the same for each putter stroke.  The alignment system allowed me to check the putter alignment to eliminate all my bad habits.  I must check the putter alignment before every putt.  The result has been substantial.  Because I’m now setting up the same, I’m more consistent not only making more putts but my putting stroke is now consistent enough to evaluate why I miss a putt.  Now I just concentrate on slope and speed to get the right distance.  I’m not frustrated when I walk on a putting green, I actually now enjoy putting.  I have the feeling when I putt that it has a real chance to roll close to or in the hole.  

The sad part of this story is that I had the the answer in my possession for 25 years.  Talk about teaching an old dog new tricks.

Thanks, Jack S.