I fancy myself a golfer. I enjoy the game, the courses I visit, and the people I meet. I marvel at how much money golfers spend on their equipment, especially drivers. Every year, club manufacturers promise the newest, longest, straightest hitting club they have ever made…at a price. The gains in performance for the average golfer are minimal. The golf saying, “You drive for show but you putt for dough” is still true! So let’s talk about the putter.
The putter is the one club you will actually use the most. It is the essence of golf, for it is the club you use to actually hit the ball into the hole, which is the point of the game. It does not look like any other club, and yet it is arguably the most valuable.
Putters come in all shapes and sizes, because every golfer needs one. They look different, but they have the same goal…roll the ball into the hole. Good ones are used for years and they are hard to replace. As such, the grip on the putter is different, the energy exerted is different, and the design of the club is different. A putter is not judged by terms like “ball speed” or “swing speed”, “launch angle” or “spin rate”. The putter is more associated with phrases like, “well balanced”, “rolls true”, “solid feel”, and “minimal twist”.
Though the putting stroke is the shortest in distance, it actually stays in contact with the ball the longest.
In the body of Christ, some people really are like the putter, and God has placed them in the body to remind us of the true essence of our Christianity. They are those people who are not flamboyant, high maintenance, overtly charismatic, or the most obvious. Prayer warriors are putters. Those that serve on every “behind the scenes” ministry are the putters of the church. Good ones serve for years and they are hard to replace.
Those folks who look a little different than everyone else, that need to be handled differently, those who require extra focus and some finesse, they are like the putter. They remind us of our commandment to love, and to be patient. All of us, at one time or another, spend some time as somebody’s putter. Whether it was a one-time situation, or a season of our life, we served to remind someone of the essence of Christianity, to love one another like He loves us.
Children make great putters. They must be handled with care, stroked and not smashed, and valued for their contributions. Our seniors are putters, sometimes we have to walk a little further with them, be quiet around them, and slow down for them. They did it for us when we were young and someone will do it for us again when we are the seniors. Take care of your putter and your putter will take care of you.
In short the putter is what Jesus called “the least of these”, and they are the most important measure of how well we are doing. Golfers know they can hit every fairway, hit every green…but if you can’t make the putts…you will not have a good round. The point is to get the ball in the hole, not close to the hole…in the hole. So while we spend more money on drivers, we should spend more time with our putters.
How are you treating your putter?
Everyday God... 