Basic fitting for conventional setup

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1. Choose an angle adapter
   The angle adapters are aluminum cylinders drilled at specific angles.  They set the shaft tilt - the angle away from vertical.  It's related to - but not exactly the same as - a conventional putter's "lie angle".  We'll choose an approximate starting point and adjust later if necessary.
   
   The "21" adapter matches the lie angle of most off-the-rack putters, so it's a good place to start.  If you already know that the golfer needs an upright lie, start with "18", or for a flat lie, start with "24".
   
   Stick the adjustable shaft into the adapter.  Put the screw into the bottom hole and tighten it down.
   
   Slide the adapter into the hole on the fitting putter head, with the adapter indicator mark pointing to "8" on the rotation gauge, as a starting point.  Tighten the thumbscrew to lock the adapter into place.
    

2. Set the shaft length
   The shaft length is adjusted by loosening the nut on the black gadget in the middle of the shaft.  A good starting length is the golfer's existing putter length.  Just put them side by side and slide the adjustable shaft to match.  If you don't have the golfer's putter to use as a reference, start with 35" for a person of average height, more or less as necessary.
   
   Tighten the adjustment nut to lock the shaft at that length.  Realign the grip so the flat lines up with the stem of the T-line.  To realign the grip, step on the putter head to hold it in place then twist the grip.  It should be snug; if it turns too easily then either the adjustment nut is loose or the screw that holds the shaft in the Angle Adapter is loose.
    

3. Fine tune the length
   Let the golfer stroke a few putts and look at their posture.  If they are holding the putter at the very end and seem to be stretching down, lengthen the shaft until they look comfortable.  If the putter head is sticking way out or if the golfer is "choking down" on the long grip, shorten the shaft.  Give them a little leeway so their top hand has enough grip to work with.
    

4. Set the forward lean
   Rotating the angle adjuster changes the forward lean - how far the hands are forward of the ball.  The starting position "10" is approximately correct for an "off the left eye" ball position.  If the golfer prefers a more centered ball position, rotate the adjuster to a larger number - or to a smaller number for farther forward.  "15" is pretty good for "ball in front of the nose".  "0" works for "off the left foot" ball position.  I don't recommend coaching to that "left foot" position, because it often results in an unstable wristy stroke, but some golfers are already accustomed to that position and don't want to change.  Rotations outside the range 0-15 are possible, but should be considered extreme for a conventional setup.
   
   Check the flatness of the putter at address.  If the face is up, rotate to a smaller number, for to a larger number for brass-ring-up.
   
   After you rotate the angle adapter, realign the grip so the flat is lined up with the stem of the T-line.
   
   Left-hand-low putting typically feels better with less forward lean (lower rotation number) because the left arm is more vertical.
    

5. Fine tune the lie
   Next we revisit the angle adapter selection.  If the toe is up, go to a larger numbered adapter (flatter lie/more shaft tilt).  If the putter head is flat on the ground, but the golfer is holding their hands higher than is comfortable, also go to a larger numbered adapter.
   
   Conversely, if the putter head is too far away from the golfer's body, so their eyes are "inside" the ball position, try a smaller numbered adapter for a more upright lie. Use your judgment, as some golfers prefer to have their eyes a little bit "inside".
   
   The goal is to get the golfer comfortable, with the ball in a good position relative to their eyes, and the putter head flat on the ground.  If you swap out the angle adapter, set the new one to the same rotation position as you had in step 4, then repeat step 4 to get that dialed-in again.  You might also need to tweak the length.
    

6. Test putting
   Have the golfer put to a target about 4 feet away.  Another golf ball makes a good target.  Check to see if they look comfortable, and ask them if there is anything they don't like.  Often they will be able to tell you if something doesn't feel right.  If they don't like their hand position or the heel-toe tilt of the putter, that's correctable with the angle adapter.  If they don't like the ball position front-to-back, that's the forward-lean rotation.
   
   Now check the putting results.  If they are consistently missing on the left (and it isn't due to break), try decreasing the forward lean (lower rotation number in step 4). Missing on the right can often be corrected by increasing the forward lean.
   
   If the golfer is not hitting the ball right at the T-line intersection, encourage them to try hitting there, and adjust the lie and length until they can do so comfortably. The Honu Putter is reasonably stable on off-center hits, but performs best on-center.  Note that their address position relative to the T-line is not necessarily the same as their impact position (mine isn't).  The impact position is the important thing.
   
   When the golfer looks and feels comfortable, and "can't miss" from 4 feet, the fitting is solid.  You can enter the numbers from the Angle Adjuster, the rotation marks, and the shaft length on the fitting form on the How To Buy page.