As arguably the greatest golfer to play the game to date, Tiger Woods has captured the imagination of young and old for more than two decades.
Whether you love him or loathe him, his undeniable golfing talent fostered by his dad Earl Woods since the age of two has enabled him to equal and set golfing records that will be hard to break.
Given the fame and fortune of Tiger Woods, many people are interested in the clubs he uses. We look specifically at the question – what putter does Tiger Woods use?
Tigers’ Selection Changes Over The Years
Over the years Tiger Woods has changed his woods, irons, and wedges ranging from Mizuno MP14’s as an amateur, Cobra, Titleist, Nike, and currently TaylorMade.
In the early 1990s, Tiger used a bronze Ping Anser model before switching to a Ping Anser 2 Stainless Steel putter winning the 1995 and 1996 US Amateur titles.
Thereafter Tiger tried an Odyssey Dual Force 660 putter, Scotty Cameron Flow Neck, Ping Anser 2 (again).
The most suited specs are 35 ½ inch length, 3 ½ degree loft.
📢 Need To Know: Tiger Woods’s putter specs are extremely precise and took a while for him to settle on a specific combination.
What Kind Of Putter Does Tiger Woods Use?
After trying out several putters Tiger Woods was introduced to the Scotty Cameron Newport 2 GSS (German Stainless Steel) prototype putter in 1999.
Since this introduction, Tiger has remained faithful to this putter using it in fourteen of his fifteen major victories.
The exception is the 1997 Masters Tournament victory.
GSS putters are manufactured using an extremely expensive material that is only used by Scotty Cameron on putters to be used by professional golfers, or if you are lucky enough to afford it, sold from his collection in California.
Titleist branding can be found on the back of the putter together with Tiger’s name and surname stamped on the bumpers on either side.
The top line contains a single red dot that assists Tiger with alignment on the greens.
The front-end of the putter is quite clean with the name Scotty Cameron below the neck and a “red cherry bomb” on the heel portion.
All branding and markings are filled in red paint, which is fading after being used for two decades.
Due to the consistency of Tiger Woods’s putting stroke, you can see visible wear marking in the sweet spot of the face.
After all the back surgeries the question is what is Tiger Woods putter now?
He currently employs a Titleist Scotty Cameron Newport Putter, a model known for its face balanced putters, with a balanced head and adjustable weighting making it easier to square the face during impact.
A slight offset hosel offers an unobstructed line of sight to the golf ball leading to straighter putts
Tiger Woods Putter Grip
When it comes to Tiger’s putter grip, Woods has predominantly used a Ping PP58 putter grip, except for when he used a Scotty Cameron grip on his Scotty Cameron Newport TeI3 putter for his first major victory
The grip contains the Ping logo with a caricature of Mr. Ping.
This caricature looks similar to a walrus with a putter in his “hands” and a wide-rim hat.
The Ping grip is manufactured by Golf Pride using a blend of natural and synthetic rubber.
📢 Need To Know: The PP58 was designed by Karsten Solheim, the founder of Ping. The artwork, including the Mr. Ping caricature, was designed by Karsten’s son John Solheim.
Like most of his game, the way Tiger Woods grips his putter is constantly under scrutiny. He uses an interlocking grip rather in contrast with the Vardon or overlapping style that is prevalent on professional tours.
As the years progressed Woods changed his grip position slightly ranging from neutral to mildly strong.
In the summer of 2014, he moved to a stronger grip with fingers on his left hand forming a nearly 90° angle to the handle and shaft.
His choice in putting grips prevents the wrists from becoming overactive during the forward stroke and is conducive for a golfer with an arc-style putting stroke.
Tiger Woods Putter Length
As one of the greatest putters in the history of golf with a number of injuries and back surgeries, there is often speculation on what length putter does Tiger Woods use.
Initially, Tiger Woods used a 35 ¼ inch shaft but due to his constant battle with back problems, he has recently extended it to 35 ½ inches. The additional length prevents Tiger from bending over too far.
Speculations often arise about how long is Tiger Woods putter, and it’s interesting to note that the new length is the same as that of Tiger’s sand wedge, which he uses in putting drills to hit the golf ball on its equator.
How Heavy Is Tiger Woods Putter?
Tiger’s putter weighs in at a relatively lightweight with the head of the Scotty Newport 2 GSS weighing 326 grams and the Ping PP58 grip adding 58 grams for a total of 384 grams.
In comparison, most new forgiving putter heads weigh in at between 340 and 350 grams while the standard grips weigh in at between 75 and 85 grams.
How Much Would Tiger Woods Putter Be Worth?
It would be difficult to set a value to Woods’s current, and favorite, putter. That is if it ever has to go on auction.
To place it in perspective, some of Tiger’s backup putters that have never been used in competition, have sold for $44,000 and $60,000, respectively.
Another of his Scotty Cameron putters produced in 2000 went on the auction table recently and was finally sold for $88,809. His Scotty Cameron Newport 2 GSS, a backup putter, recently sold for more than $150, 000.
Using these prices as benchmarks, it is likely that the putter he used in 14 major wins can reach well more than $1 million.
What Putter Did Tiger Woods Use In First Master Win?
In his first major tournament win, Tiger Woods’s 1997 Masters putter remains a popular putter that is high in demand. The Scotty Cameron Newport TeI3 putter with a Teryllium face insert contained five rows of sound-dampening white dots in the back cavity.
Conclusion
Many golfers have their favorite putters that remain in the bag for a long time. Don’t fix what is not broken.
Tiger Woods achieved major success with his Scotty Cameron Newport 2 GSS and even though he has tried other putters along the way, he often returns to old reliable to stay competitive.
Any feedback or additional information will be welcomed in the comments section below.
