MORE PUTTER MUSINGS

Before I start today's article, let me bring you up to date on the Destiny Project. I told this story of a "blast from my past" last week. The Destiny putter was the first I ever designed, and launched my career that has included over 100 putter designs, wedges, irons ... even persimmon woods! But the culmination of this career is the revolutionary SCOR4161 precision scoring clubs – a total re-invention of the short end of the set that delivers proven improved performance for golfers of all skill levels.

But the Destiny started it all, and you can have one of the only 15 that will ever be made available. To see how this putter is made, click here.

And to get one of your own, with all proceeds going to charity, here's the link to the eBay auction.

Now, on to today's subject ...

Putting A New Putter in the Line-Up

I've been struggling with my putting for some time now, so badly that I even have taken a deep dive into the yips. Like happens to all of you, the more I fought the yips, the worse they got. Putts under 5' became more daunting than a 200 yard approach over water. I got more and more deeply wound up into the mechanics of putting, which put me deeper into a funk.

I've always putting with center-shafted, and/or face-balanced putters, as I believe in that technology. But two weeks ago, while rummaging through my putter archives, I ran across a putter we did at Reid Lockhart, working with Ben Crenshaw to exactly duplicate his most favorite Wilson 8802. We even developed new shaft technology and a shaft/head marrying device that delivered feel like the old "Headspeed" shaft that Ben loved. When we did that putter back in the late 1990s, I putted with it a little, but mostly it was for Ben.

So, just for grins, I took this old "Ben Crenshaw by Reid Lockhart" putter out and spent an hour or so on the putting green. Since it handles totally differently than what I've always used, I forgot all about mechanics and just focused on gripping it light and hitting putts at the hole. And it was amazing. My lag putting was extraordinary and I began to look at the hole from 3-10 feet with only positive thoughts. I was making everything. So it went into to the bag.

My last three rounds, putting with "old technology" and a putter that feels and handles nothing like I've used the past 25 years, have been the best three of the last year or more. My putting is even earning accolades around the club, quite the opposite of what I've earned the past few years.

My point of all this is that sometimes a radical change can do you good. If you are struggling with your driving, iron play or putting, go to your archives (most of us have some old favorites in the closet) and pull a sub. Put the regular starter on the bench for a while and see what happens.

If you get half as positive a result as I have, you'll be ecstatic.

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Terry Koehler is "The Wedge Guy" and President of SCOR Golf- The Short Game Company.

Click here to learn more about Terry.