There’s a lively controversy concerning top players using putters with shafts longer than usual and it reached crescendo at this year’s Masters when Australian Adam Scott came close to winning while using a 49 inch Scotty Cameron Kombi. There are heated words from opponents of any putter designed to contact parts of the body other than the hands. They say long putters (so-called broomsticks anchored under the chin and belly putters imbedded in the abdominal region) are unfair and that they violate the traditions of a game where tradition is very important. Traditionalists point out when a putting stroke gets a little shaky under pressure it’s all part of the game; something to be overcome without resorting to artificially long clubs.
On the other side are those who say, “So what?” The point is to get the ball in the hole and it’s OK if the putter is 34 inches with one grip or 50 inches and two grips. No player has ever won a major championship with a belly or broomstick though Tim Clark did take the 2010 Players Championship using a 45 inch Odyssey White Hot 2-Ball putter and put the golf world on notice back in 2006 when using a long putter for sole second at the Masters. Clark said of the switch from a regular length putter, “Changing to the long putter 10 or 12 years ago helped me a lot. It took me a while to get used to it—I had to work pretty hard at it. In the end, I’ve become a better putter than I was before.” Well, that was the idea wasn’t it?
Long putters were originally classed as cures for shaky flat stick strokes of senior players who wanted to continue competing on the Champions Tour. Charley Owens, the U.S. Army veteran with a pronounced limp from a parachuting accident, not only popularized the long putter for seniors but had the added distinction of making his full swings cross handed. And then there was 1969 U.S. Open Champion “The Sarge,” Orville Moody, who came to life on the then Senior Tour after switching to a long putter. His 11 individual senior titles included the 1989 U.S. Senior Open and Senior Players Championship.
However, no matter the success on the over-50-circuit there was, and to a large degree still is, a stigma attached to younger professionals seeking relief for putting problems with a longer shaft. They may be within the Rules of Golf however long putters are thought by many not to be in the spirit of the game. Scott, the cause of the latest discussion, at one time was adamantly against long putters. He was quoted as saying holding the end of the shaft against the body was not a true stroke and even suggesting they should be banned.
Others speaking out in opposition over the years include Ernie Els, who in recent weeks has switched from a regular putter to a broomstick and lots of the Tour’s very top players use a long putters at least part of the time: Vijay Singh, Lee Westwood, Paul Azinger, Fred Couples Matt Kuchar and Retief Goosen. Plus there are those who tried them for a while and gave them up like Tom Lehman, Rocco Mediate, Jim Furyk, Sergio Garcia and Stewart Cink who won the 2009 British Open Championship shortly after putting his belly putter in the closet.
For the average recreational golfer the question is, as long as the USGA hasn’t yet banned the longer putter, is it something I should consider? The short answer is, “yes,” for the simple reason it may provide relief for putting woes particularly for those who don’t have the time or who have lower back issues precluding extensive putting practice. Golf instructors point out broomsticks or bellys reduce the amount of touch or feel in a stroke but if a player has the “yips” or “hands of stone” they can be helpful. The right one for you can only be found by trying out different models and styles. The long putter or broomstick is held by the lead hand (that’s the left for right-handers) against the upper chest under the chin and the putting stroke is made with the trailing hand. The user stands very upright and therefore it’s great for players with bad backs. The shaft length and position of the hands produce a pendulum stroke but face alignment and distance control may be difficult.
The mid-length or belly putter is held with a conventional placement of the hands but the added length allows the shaft butt to contact the abdomen for stability and control of the wrists during the stroke. However, on the downside, since a much thicker grip must be used, putting touch is compromised. There’s even a training aid called the BellyPutt that fits into the end of a conventional length putter to convert it to midlength. After drilling a hole in the end of the putter grip the BellyPutt slides into place and tightens with a set screw. To make it legal for on course use the old putter and BellyPutt grips are cut off and a long grip installed over a tapered sleeve which comes in the BellyPutt package. Many major manufacturers have responded to the interest in non-conventional length putters and here are their most popular models.
Adams Golf – Adams has reintroduced the YES! putter line they purchased in January and included are two models available in belly and broomstick lengths. The Sandy is a high MOI mallet shape in 304 chrome-plated stainless steel with a double bend shaft with long and mid-lengths available in right hand only. The Victoria II also has a double-bend hosel with mallet style head in 304 stainless steel and a large cavity-back. It is face-balanced and perimeter weighted. Long and mid-lengths are available in right hand only. Both have the well known YES! C-grooves and are listed at $249.99.
Boccieri Golf – The makers of the Heavy Putter have a mid-weight series with belly or broomstick length shafts at a small up charge from the regular $169 price. The H1-M is a high MOI face balanced mallet weighting in at 750 grams. Its’ stainless steel face is milled in either Black PVD or Bronze Black Nickel finish. To raise the balance point of the HM-1 a 200 gram weight is inserted in the butt end of the shaft.
Callaway Golf – The popular Odyssey White Ice 2-ball can be custom ordered in 16 different lengths between 481/2 inches and 52 inches for $189 in right hand only. The White Ice insert according to Callaway is the best feeling, multilayer insert they have ever made. The head has a dark nickel finish but unlike some of the other 2-Ball models the 450 gram head weight cannot be adjusted.
Ping Golf – In addition to the high contrast head, one of the features of Ping’s Scotsdale Pickemup line is a soft but solid feel due to the face insert. The company says this is the key to consistent response, accurate distance and predictable results. The Pickemup in either belly or broomstick length, like all Ping putters is available in right or left hand models. Street price is $169.99.
SeeMore Putters – The m3 Belly model has the SeeMore red dot alignment system on the milled stainless steel head. This midsize mallet has small vents cut in the back flange for proper weight distribution and is priced at $350.
TaylorMade Golf – for the new golf season the Rossi part of the Corza Ghost name has been dropped but there have been no other changes to this face-balanced mallet with a circular hole that acts as a secondary alignment aid. The white head (TMaG nomenclature is “golf ball white) is distinctive and features their Titallium face insert, said to promote a forward roll at impact rather than a skid, and three alignment lines on the top of the head. Available in right hand only for $159.
Titleist Scotty Cameron – The Studio Select Kombi mallet putter carries a $299.99 price for either the 43 inch or 50 inch length. Used by Adam Scott, the milled aircraft aluminum head has 3-point weighting and a double-bend shaft. It is available in right-hand only. The company says the Kombi’s features include a “Misted” topline with a sight line along the rear edge to reduce visual thickness making face alignment easier.
About Ed Travis
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