Crazy Earthquake – Localized To 1 Building
It was odd…but this morning their was a HUGE earthquake that shook the ground in Carlsbad, Ca. Funny thing though…this massive quake was localized to only one building….and that was Scotty Cameron Headquarters. What caused the quake…well it was a fault line located all the way across the pond in St. Andrews, Scotland.
The stress had been building on this fault line for sometime and all it took for the fault to break and release the wrath of its energy was golfer Tiger Woods setting his new Nike Method 001 Putter down on to the practice green. And the ground instantly began to SHAKE!
It is not often that a putter change makes front page headlines or becomes “Breaking News” on just about every media outlet across the country. Especially since most golfers change putters what seems to be close to a gazillion times a year. But when Tiger Woods made the switch from a Scotty Cameron to the new Nike Method 001 Putter that is exactly what happened. The names Tiger and Scotty have been linked for almost all of Tiger’s career…not many other players can say the same when it comes to using a flatstick that long.
So…Why The Switch?
Well Tiger said, “It rolls the ball better and faster.” And that he has always struggled on slower greens and that this putter gave him a better roll for these greens at the 2010 British Open. But honestly this has been in the works for a while now. And in my opinion the change was just a matter of time. And remember…Nike was one of the few companies that stuck with him through the thick and the thing of late and from people I have spoke to in the industry this also had an effect on his decision to make the change. Nike had the ball in their court in many peoples opinion by sticking by his side…definitely would give them some bargaining chips when trying to get him to put that 14th Nike club in his bag. But his statements so far make people think…. “will he switch back to the Scotty after the Open?”
Well the statements people have heard from Tiger can mean 1 of 2 things in our opinion.
- Either he really is just going to game this for one tournament (a major) *highly doubtful.
- Or he is just trying to soften the blow to Scotty and their followers. *guess only time will tell.
So Is This The End Of An Era?
For all the golf gear heads and Scotty Cameron collectors across the world they are asking themselves this question right now. Especially the collector’s. Many of these guys have putters that could see values plummet if this is the case. And when you are talking about $3,000-$5,000 putters this is a big deal. And I am sure you will see an increase in listings on EBAY and forum classifieds for some of the more rare Scotty’s in the coming weeks from guys trying to get top dollar for them while they can.
Crazy to think that one player might have this effect on one brand…but the putter industry is a finnicky one. There are more then a few putter companies that have literally been put on the map from a single golfer winning a single tournament with their brand. So having the #1 golfer in the world change brands might just have the opposite effect. Now by no means do I think Scotty will fall off the planet. He will always be a highly sought after designer in the putter world. He is too talented, too creative, and too respected by tour players not to be.
So will $100 headcovers and $3000 putters be a thing of the past?
Sound off…tell us what you think.
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Allan Strand
13 years ago
To putt at your highest level, the design of the putter needs to fit the type of stroke you have and work toward.
I personally design Dandy putters that are balanced to swing straight back and through. They promote having your hands slightly forward at setup, with your left hand in-line with the ball, and using your shoulders to power the stroke.
Scotty Cameron makes rotational putters, which support an open to square to closed stroke, like the opening and closing of the door. The reason they are rotational has more to do with the way they are shafted; typically the shaft aims more toward the heel, which gives his putters toe-throw.
If you want to putt at your Highest Level, you need a putter that fits your stroke. Evidence shows that a straight back and through balanced putter used with a straight back and through putting stroke gives better results over time, especially under pressure. If you would like to learn more about this, you can visit my Web site, http://www.dandygolf.com.