Last Updated on December 26, 2023 by Matt Greene
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Fast greens are scary. One and two footers look like 10 footers when you're low on confidence. You start seeing 6 inches of break on a 1 foot putt! Lag putts turn into guaranteed three putts in your head as you walk up to the green. No more my guy, no more
We're going to run through everything you need to know about putting on fast greens and which are the best putters for fast greens. The green is the easiest place to pick up or slash some strokes so let's get down to business.
Best Putters for Fast Greens
- PING Kushin 4 (Best for inside 10 feet)
- Scotty Cameron Newport 2 (Sleeper pick)
- EVNROLL ER1.2 Tour Blade (Best for mis strikes)
- Taylormade Spider X (High MOI style for all green speeds)
Ping have made a forgiving blade putter but any putter in their new 2021 range is worth a try. They've put a steel weight in the heel and tungsten in the toe to make it easier to square the face up and start the ball on the right line. Alignmeent aids that Ping used have made this putter so easy to line up and when I stand over the ball with it, I feel like the putter is always lined up correctly.
The new inserts have shallow grooves in the a lot like the EVNROLL style of putter which I used to play. I have always been a fan of the grooves in the putter face or at least a milled putter face. The grooves help to increase forgiveness on off center hits. The ball still gets near the hole, though usually short. The insert Ping has used is new and also makes the putter face feel very soft and effortless.
Pros
Cons
Scotty Cameron Newport 2
The original and probably best
Scotty Cameron needs no introduction. This is the brand Tiger has relied on for years. It's simply superb. With EVNROLL and Bettinardi in the market now, there are some competitors but Scotty remains the leader in premium putters.
I have putted a lot of Scotty's in my life but was never really convinced by them until I tried this Newport 2 model. It's equally on the same level as the EVNROLL putter lower on this page.
The craftsmanship, feel, look and consistent roll of the Scotty is what makes it so good.
The best putter I have ever held
In this video on my Youtube channel, I used this very putter. I've tried out a lot of EVNROLL putters and when I do move away from Cleveland putters, and feel it is warranted, EVNROLL will be my first choice.
The ER1.2 I used made it so easy to get the pace right on the very fast greens at Horizon Hills golf course. All I could think was "this is sex in your hands".
What EVNROLL get so right with all their putters is the look. It looks so professional and so crisp. The satin look is calming and the sharp clean lines of the putter make it feel sturdy and ready to deal one-putts. You feel like a boss just standing over the ball. Thats 80% of the battle won.
When you do take the putter back, it feels sinful. It actually feels like the putter has cheats enabled. You take it back and it stays where you want it and when you stroke the ball on the follow through, your instincts immediately know how much power to give it.
I have never felt putters as good as this. I know it all sounds over the top, but this is the best putter brand out there right now.
Pros
Cons
Taylormade Spider X
The top of the putter has a new alignment aid which was missing in the initial models of the Spider. It was solid on top with a dark line running down the center. These new Spider X models have a white 'Y' shape on the top of the club with a black line running through it.
With the weights on the outside, you can control the balance. of the putter to suit your stroke. The insert has been improved with 45° grooves for a better roll as well as a improved sound.
A more compact head makes this putter more accessible to a wider range of golfers. The prior generations had much larger, bulkier heads which swayed a lot in the back stroke. With a bit of nipping and tucking, Taylormade has produced a putter that remains stable on the take away and suits both a straight back and through stroke as well as a slightly arced stroke.
Pros
Cons
Secrets of Putting on Fast Greens
What speed is fast?
Usually we consider a green to be fast if the stimpmeter reading is 10 or more. Above 11.5 on the stimp meter and we start calling the greens, glass!
How to putt on fast greens
Fast greens are intimidating but there are some hints and tricks to remember when putting on slick surfaces. Here's a quick guide:
Add more break to what you can see
In other words, never under-read the greens, always add another couple of inches of break.
Always try have an uphill putt
If you're chipping, try chip it to a place below the hole. If you know the greens on the course, aim to be below the hole even if you're further from the pin. Downhill putts on fast greens are even quicker and produce even more break!
Hit downhill putts off the toe of the putter
I grew up playing on greens 12 or 13 on the stimp all week. When I had a downhiller, I just took the same stroke and hit it off the dead weight of the toe. Works like a charm.
On short putts, DO NOT LIFT YOUR HEAD
You should never actually see a short putt go in the hole with your eyes. You should only ever HEAR them. Just trust your line, jam it and listen for the rattle of the ball in the bottom of the cup. I promise you will make more putts. Trust that you align correctly with your putter and make your stroke with confidence.
On short putts, take less break and hit it firmer
This goes hand in hand with number 4, because if you hit it firm and miss a 3 footer, you can have a 6 footer back. Keep your head down, trust the line and try slam the ball into the back edge of the hole. You don't want to baby short putts into the hole on fast greens.
Should we use light or heavy putters on faster greens?
Personally I prefer lighter putters but it makes no difference on fast greens as you can tell by what people use on the pro tour. Yes they are pro's but some are using blades, and some are using massive sledgehammers on the same greens.
Heavier putters work well on fast greens because you only need a short back stroke to get the ball moving. But the lighter putter also works because it just feels more nimble in your hands like a magic wand. The thing you need to be aware of with the bigger putter heads is often they are high MOI putters that allow a very soft stroke but generate easy pace on the ball because of the design where the energy comes form behind the face.
I will always use a lighter putter on speedy greens and recommend the same for others.
The choice is yours really but here are putters I believe work on fast greens. Always remember to mark your ball with a golf ball marker which is cool too. You don't want to be left out.
Conclusion
I hope this guide helped you to find a putter to cure your woes. I played on fast Bent grass greens for a long period and found the best putters were easily the heavier mallets and I drained a ton of putts with them. Short putts on fast greens with a mallet putter is like taking candy from a baby.
