Alright, so I gotta talk about this Rickie Fowler putter thing. My putting, man, it was just awful lately. Felt like I couldn’t buy a putt, you know? Every time I watched golf, seemed like Rickie was rolling them in, especially with that mallet thing he was using for a while. Made me think, maybe it’s the arrow, not the archer? Or maybe a different arrow helps the shaky archer, whatever.
So, I started looking around. Didn’t want to drop a ton of cash right away. Found a used one online, looked pretty similar to the one he games. Not exactly the same model maybe, but the same shape, that plumber’s neck mallet style. Looked clean enough in the pictures, price was decent, so I pulled the trigger. Figured, what the heck, worth a shot.
Getting Used to It
When it arrived, first thing I noticed was the weight. Felt heavier than my old blade putter. And looking down at it, that shape is definitely different. Took it straight out to the practice green behind the clubhouse. Didn’t even hit other balls, just went right for the putter.
First few putts were… weird. Really weird. The feel off the face was softer, more muted than my old flatstick. Alignment was supposed to be easier with the lines on the mallet, but honestly, it took some getting used to. My first hour was just trying to figure out speed. Kept leaving things short or blasting them way past.
- Spent maybe 30 minutes just hitting 10-footers, trying to get a feel for the swing weight.
- Then moved to lag putts, like 30-40 footers. That heavier head actually felt kinda stable on the longer strokes.
- Finished with short ones, inside 5 feet. This was where I hoped it would help most. The stability felt okay, but I wasn’t draining them automatically or anything.
Taking it to the Course
Next day, I threw it in the bag for my regular Saturday game. Told the guys I was trying something new. First few greens, I was tentative. Still getting the speed wrong. Left a couple short, hit one way too hard. Classic me, right?
But then, around the 5th hole, I had maybe an 8-footer, little bit of break. Lined it up using the lines on the putter head, focused on a smooth stroke. Rolled right in the heart. Felt pretty good, not gonna lie. Had a couple more decent putts like that during the round. Made a nice 15-footer on the back nine that definitely saved me a stroke.
Did it magically fix my putting? Nah. I still missed some easy ones. Still had a three-putt on 17 that made me want to throw it in the pond. But, overall? It felt… different. Maybe a little more stable on the short ones? Hard to say for sure after just one round.
So, What Now?
I’m gonna stick with it for a bit longer. It didn’t instantly turn me into Rickie Fowler, shocking I know. But it didn’t feel terrible either. It’s different, and maybe different is what I needed. The heavier head and the alignment lines, maybe they’ll help over time once I really get used to them. Gotta put in more practice time, really dial in the distance control. It’s not a magic wand, just another tool. We’ll see how it goes over the next few weeks. If it doesn’t work out, well, back to the drawing board. That’s golf, right?
