The silver arrow on Tony Finau’s Ping PLD Anser 2D putter is no longer crisp and visible, which makes it difficult to spot unless you know what you’re looking for. It’s an interesting addition Finau added last year that literally any golfer can add to their putter, especially if alignment is a continual issue.
“I’ve had guys come up and ask me about it,” Finau told GOLF.com. “But there really isn’t anything special going on there. It’s just something I added to help me during my setup.”
Alignment aids are a common sight at every level of golf. Most, however, are added by the manufacturer during the creation process and serve a valuable purpose as the golfer attempts to zero-in on their line and make center-face contact.
Of course, some golfers need something a little different to get in the right frame of mind when they stand over a putt. When Jim Furyk plucked a second-hand Yes! Sophia putter from a Massachusetts golf shop in 2010 — the same putter that helped him with the Tour Championship that season — it was partly due to a well-positioned nick in the topline that helped him line up putts.
The arrow on Finau’s putter, which was originally added by Ping Tour rep Kenton Oates, serves a similar purpose when the Mexico Open winner addresses the ball.
Instead of simply relying on his eyes to tell him if the putter face is square at address, Finau also takes a look at the arrow to determine if he needs to make a slight adjustment.
“I know if the arrow is too close to my right foot, my face is too closed,” Finau said. “If it’s too close to my left foot, it’s too open. I try to get that arrow in between my feet and I know the putter is pretty square there. The line is a component for where my hands are to ensure they aren’t too high or low. I think a huge part of putting is putting the putter in the same spot each time — and those two lines do just that.”
The alignment cues certainly helped Finau in Mexico, where he ranked eighth in SG: Putting (plus-4.865) on his way to PGA Tour title No. 6. Some golfers might think Finau’s arrow reminder is elementary, but if one of the best golfers on Tour is using a rudimentary arrow to determine if his face is square, maybe we should all reconsider our process for lining up putts.
Here’s a detailed look at the setup Finau used to win the 2023 Mexico Open:
Driver: Ping G425 LST (Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 70TX shaft), 9 degrees with 7 degrees of actual loft
3-wood: Callaway Rogue ST (Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80TX shaft), 13 degrees with 12.5 degrees of actual loft
Driving iron: Nike Vapor Fly Pro (3-iron; Graphite Design Tour AD-DI Hybrid 105X shaft)
