Does Putter Length
really matter?

According to a past poll by the Golf Channel 82% of golfers putt with a standard putter length of 35 inches. The remaining percentage is made up of golfers using a shorter putter (12%), a belly putter (3%), or a long putter (3%).

These statistics are interesting when considered alongside the result of another poll. This asked the following question. "On average, how many times do you three-putt during an 18-hole round"?

This revealed that more than 77% of the golfers surveyed three-putted two or more times during the round. 17% of golfers confessed to three-putting four or more times. Unfortunately the poll didn't link the number of putts to the putter length.

The result would suggest that there are a lot of people playing golf who simply can’t putt. Either that or the putters they are using are not suited to the task.

It is important to have your putter custom fitted for your height and arm length. With the correct putter length it is easier to get your eyes over the ball, and your arms hanging naturally under your shoulders. This set-up will encourage a pendulum-like stroke rather than a gating stroke. The advantage of a pendulum-like stroke is that the putterface stays square to the arc of the swing.

However, for most golfers the biggest problem with their putting is over-active wrists. The greatest manifestation of this habit is known as the 'yips'. For those interested in the derivation of words, Tommy Armour first coined the term 'yips' around 1963. Previously golfers such as Harry Vardon referred to this putting affliction as 'the jumps' and later it acquired the name of 'the jitters'. Tom Watson calls it the 'flinches' and it is also known in some circles as the 'twitch'.

One solution for the involuntary hinging of the wrists is to take them out of the play altogether by using a long (broomstick) putter. Charlie Owens first initiated a major change in putter length when he introduced the long putter in the 1980s on the Senior Tour. A number of professionals on the main tours around the world have now changed over to this form of putting.

Originally it was seen as a confession by the golfer that he or she just couldn’t putt. Tom Watson is quoted as saying that the long putter was not part of the tradition of the game and that you would never see him use it. However, this is not the view of golf’s governing bodies who have ruled in its favour stating that they were disinclined to make the club unlawful.

This is despite Appendix II of the Rules stating that "the club must not be substantially different from the traditional and customary form and make". An interesting aside is that, whereas there is a minimum height of 18 inches for a putter, there is no limit to the maximum putter length.

Curing a twitchy putting stroke is not the only reason for switching to a long putter. It has several other attractive advantages. Because the butt end of the putter anchors in your chest, neck or chin, it helps you to make a smooth pendulum-like swing.

But there is another more compelling reason why a long putter makes sense. It allows you to stand up straight taking pressure off your lower back. Rocco Mediate who had disk surgery in 1994 putted for a long time with a 48 inch putter as it allowed him to practise longer without pain.

It seems that lower back pain accounts for almost 25% of all athletic injuries and is second only to the common cold as a cause of employee absenteeism in the United States. Care of your back is an important consideration since golf requires a repetitive torquing of your spine. If you want to improve your golf and putting, you will need to practise. The longer putter allows you to do so without putting too much stress on your back.

This does not mean that you should rush out and buy a long putter, only that you should consider it if you are experiencing difficulty in holing short putts, or if your back is bothering you. Scott McCarron states that, although he can putt with a short putter, he putts better with a long putter.

Bernhard Langer would no doubt agree. Another benefit, albeit marginal, is that you can use it when claiming relief from ground under repair or an immovable obstacle. The extra few inches may make all the difference to your shot.

To balance the discussion, you should also be aware of the reported disadvantages of a long putter. It is claimed that distance, or lag putting, is not as easy as with a short putter as you have less feel. In the wind it is not as easy to control the long putter. That said, many golfers who should be using a long putter, simply don’t, for fear of appearing the odd person out in their fourball.

An alternative to consider is the mid-length or belly putter. This has the advantage over the long putter in that the setup at address appears the same as that for a standard putter length. This is a way of protecting your ego if you are sensitive to peer criticism.

The belly putter does have one particular advantage over the long putter. It can include in its ranks of users a three-time major winner. This gives it a certain respectability, although it must be added that Vijay Singh captured his first major, the 1998 US PGA Championship with a conventional putter. Freddie Couples, also a major winner, now putts with the mid-length putter that is attracting many devotees on the various tours.

It would seem that the problem of the wrists hinging at crucial moments is not a problem confined to the amateur ranks.

When I am asked if you should change your putter length and go with the long or belly putter when your putting goes south, I remind the person that golf is only a game. Anything lawful that can make life on the greens more enjoyable should be embraced with both hands.

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