At MyGolfSpy, we’re continuously refining our testing methodologies to provide golfers with the most comprehensive, unbiased data possible. While there is always room for improvement, with most of the clubs in the bag, we’re generally happy with where we are. Putters have long been an exception. It’s not like our testing hasn’t identified some inarguable standouts over the years but we’ve long looked for opportunities to do more.
As our putter testing has evolved, we’ve tried different approaches. We’ve integrated Strokes Gained and three-putt avoidance into our methodologies but opportunities to collect meaningful data beyond make-or-miss have proved elusive.
When the last putt of any given test has dropped, we can tell you which putters excelled at a given distance and which ones outperformed the field but we didn’t always have great answers as to why.
Was it due to alignment, impact consistency, launch direction or something else entirely?
We wanted to give you more details and better answers.
That’s where PuttView comes in.
Getting acquainted
We’ve had conversations with the PuttView team at past PGA Shows about how their technology might improve our putting tests. When those conversations started to get serious, I found a local spot where I could test one of their smaller putting greens.
In addition to being one those “I want that!” moments, the technology genuinely changed the way we thought about what could be possible in putter testing. PuttView could provide feedback, visualization tools and a way to measure putting performance well beyond what we were doing.
With a new MyGolfSpy facility in the works, a fresh opportunity to rethink putter testing and to take it to the next level, PuttView was the obvious choice.
A sketch comes to life
Like many other ideas, the layout of our PuttView green started with a rough (really rough) sketch on a napkin. We envisioned a state-of-the-art putting green that would allow us to create a more robust putter test. That meant integrating slopes, breaks and enough space to test everything from short knee-knockers to longer lag putts that can make or break your round.
PuttView worked with us every step of the way to design a custom green that would serve as the showpiece of our new test facility and elevate our putter testing.
The final design took shape as a 30×20(ish)-foot green featuring precise slopes and breaks, ensuring we could replicate much of what golfers experience on the golf course.
Engineering a custom green
Building a green of this scale isn’t as simple as unfurling a roll of turn and cutting out a few holes. Every inch of the green was meticulously planned, from the base construction to the final calibration.
Once the design of the green is finalized, the installation of a PuttView putting green begins at the factory where a series of CNC-milled foam panels are cut to exact specifications. Hole locations are marked and everything is labeled for assembly.
“When everything showed up at HQ, it was like Indiana Jones,” says Phillip Bishop, MyGolfSpy’s Director of Testing. “Everything is in massive wooden crates like those ancient artifacts. Everything is cut and coded where 1 goes here and 2 goes there. They basically plot it out and put it together like a jigsaw puzzle.”
Once assembled, the panels formed the foundation of the green, complete with the pre-engineered slopes that dictate how putts break and roll. The next step was turf installation. The putting surface was laid down and secured with additional material placed around the perimeter to create a realistic fringe area.
Holes, while pre-marked on the panels, are cut on-site to ensure perfect alignment with the system’s tracking software.
A footnote to all of this: While our PuttView green was initially designed with seven total cup locations (five physical and two virtual), we use only the physical ones during the testing process. We’ll likely leverage the virtual options in the future but for Most Wanted testing we want to avoid anything that could complicate the process.
Installation and related tweaks
PuttView’s Stuart Smith oversaw the install of the panels and turf from start to finish, ensuring each piece was placed correctly, securing the turf, setting up the overhead projectors and tracking cameras and cutting the holes.
Once the physical build was complete, PuttView Co-Founder and Managing Director Christoph Pregizer took over, installing and calibrating the software necessary to power the PuttView system.
For the most part, installation was a breeze (it’s easy for me to say that; I wasn’t at HQ while it was happening). So what was the biggest hurdle?
Lighting.
It’s always something, right?
Because our putting green is significantly larger than most PuttView installations, we need to control the lighting over a significant area – and that includes any unwanted ambient light leaking in from our doors and windows. The PuttView system leverages cameras to track the golf ball and any inconsistencies in lighting can create problems with ball recognition.
The last thing we want is something to interfere with the system’s ability to read putts, forcing our testers to repeat the same putt over and over again.
“There are certain issues that you can run into depending on the size of your putting green,” explains Bishop. “Since it is camera-based and the camera is being utilized to track the golf ball, there are cases where the camera may be blocked by the person putting.”
With that, we expected we’d need to make some adjustments and, as we’ve tested and re-tested the new PuttView testing protocols in preparation for Most Wanted testing, we found additional tweaks were necessary. The PuttView team has gone above and beyond to help us recalibrate, get everything dialed in and update the software as we go.
Building a better putter test with PuttView
In addition to the data implications, PuttView makes our putter tests significantly more dynamic. On the golf course, every putt is different: distance, slope, break, speed. While we’ve always tested putters from multiple distances, we weren’t able to integrate other aspects of putting that golfers experience on the course.
With our custom-developed randomized testing protocol, we’re able to replicate on-course putting more accurately. Every putter is tested under identical conditions. Every tester hits the same number of putts from uphill, downhill, left- and right-breaking and straight—but the exact locations are randomized. The hope is to prevent golfers from getting grooved in from one location, making the results more reflective of actual putting performance.
But the biggest leap forward is data.
With our PuttView system we now easily measure:
Proximity to the hole on every putt.
Left or right miss bias.
Dispersion patterns that show how consistently a putter leaves golfers with makeable second putts.
Launch direction and speed, helping us identify which putters provide the most consistent launch conditions (yes, putters have launch conditions).
A new Strokes Gained putting handicap metric that simplifies putter performance in a way every golfer can understand.
Beyond that, the flexibility of the system is a game-changer.
“We’ve got it preconfigured for Most Wanted testing,” says Bishop, “but we have the flexibility to essentially recode any other putter tests we might want to run. That means we’re not locked into a single testing model—we can adapt, refine and continue improving how we evaluate putters.”
What comes next?
Our first full test using the PuttView system is underway. We’re planning three Most Wanted putter tests in 2025 and we’re confident they’ll be the most comprehensive we’ve ever conducted. The additional insights we’re getting from PuttView go far beyond what we’ve been able to measure in the past.
But we’re not stopping there.
As PuttView continues to add integrations with other systems (Foresight GC Quad launch monitors, for example), we’ll look for additional opportunities to improve the testing process.
One thing is certain: putter testing just got a whole lot better.
For years, putting has been viewed as an art—feel-based, unpredictable and, to an extent, difficult to quantify. With our new PuttView lab, we can focus on the science of putting. And that means golfers will get the data-driven insights they need to make smarter decisions about the most-used club in their bag.
We’re not entirely sure where this will take putter testing but we’re certain this is just the beginning.
The post Rolling With PuttView: Inside The Build, Installation And The Future Of Our Cutting-Edge Putting Lab appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
