Equipment Q&A

1 What's the most overlooked aspect when it comes to putter fitting?

I think the aspect that gets most overlooked in putter fitting is that the fitter isn't there to impose their belief system to the client. It's the fitter's responsibility to have the skills so that they're able to look at a fitting from the client's perspective and truly custom-fit a putter to what they want and need.

2 Wedge fitting is becoming more popular. Why do you think getting wedge-fit was so overlooked for so long?

I think it comes down to where the industry gets focused on trends. Many of the game's categories have been exhausted, so the wedge and putter are the last things. I think bounce is very misunderstood, and courses are so closely mown that having the wrong bounce is making people bad wedge players. It's about finding the right grind for your motion and course turf conditions.

3 How do you feel about counterbalancing? Do you think some long-putter adopters will move toward counterbalanced putters to abide by 2016's rule change on anchored putting styles?

I've had counterbalancing in our fitting model for 14 years. I think it's one of the most powerful tools in the fitting process. Heads have been getting too heavy, in my opinion. And, yes, I think counterbalancing will be a big part of the fix to the long putter, as it always has been.

4 How do you decide on how a putter should feel? Are golfers these days preferring softer or firmer putters? Does it even matter?

To me, feel is when we intend to do something and the result is what we intended. When this doesn't happen, we look at things that seem off, such as vibration or sound. I don't focus so much on softer, firmer-feeling at impact–those types of things don't matter. What matters is making a putter that feels good in my client's hands, mind and eyes.

5 What do you think separates you from the rest?

I think the big difference is that from the beginning I've always wanted to make clubs so people play better, not to sell clubs. I'm a PGA professional, and I got into the business to make a difference to the game. This philosophy is the cornerstone of Edel Golf. A majority of the industry goes for the low-hanging fruit. I've been very happy doing what's most difficult in this business–taking responsibility for the clubs I make for people and developing a process for them to find the right ones. I'm not the only one doing this; there are others with the same intentions. I know if you do things for the right reasons, the other good stuff comes with it.