Long Putter may help improve your game

Putter length became a hot topic last August when Keegan Bradley, 25, won the PGA Championship with a belly putter. Until then, every major in PGA Tour history had been won by someone with a standard-length putter.

The long putter has been around for about 25 years, the belly putter for about a dozen years. Until last year, both lengths were usually considered the tools of flawed golfers. However, Bradley and Ping G20 fairway wood Simpson considered themselves good with standard-length putters but even better with belly putters.

"Try reversing your grip — for a right-handed golfer, the left hand will be low," she said. "This stabilizes the wrists and promotes a more rhythmic stroke, two elements of putting that often break down for those struggling on the greens. A thicker grip can also help as it keeps the hands quieter. If your misses are inconsistent, you may benefit from a heavier putter, one that allows you to feel the head. Putting is, after all, about feel and confidence."

The belly putter is anchored into the golfer's stomach, about an inch or so to the target side of the belly button, and that anchor becomes the fulcrum for the swing. The putter is gripped with Ping K15 Irons both hands in the grip of the golfer's choice and the club swings like a pendulum. Wrist action is easier to control and the golfer automatically is in what is considered by many pros to be a perfect putting position. The result is a more consistent swing.


Coston also reiterated the age-old putting advice that proper speed on a putt is more important than direction and a pre-putt routine is essential. He also said that most putts are either 30-40 feet or 5 feet or less and golfers should practice accordingly.

There is controversy regarding belly and long putters. A lot of golfers, including Tiger Woods, think any putter longer than a conventional one should be banned. Their argument is that discount golf clubs was intended to be played with hands, not with a club anchored to the body so the business end can swing as a pendulum.

One option with the long putter is to hit sidesaddle (facing the hole and putting from the side). This is an unusual style, but some golfers find it effective.

A heavy putter is about twice the weight of a regular putter. It's easier to have a good pendulum stroke and good tempo with a heavy putter because the club does a lot of the work on its own. The heavy putter has advantages on short putts, but distance-control problems are common.

Coston also reiterated the age-old putting advice that proper speed on a putt is more important than direction and a pre-putt routine is essential. He also said that most putts are either 30-40 feet or 5 feet or less and golfers should practice accordingly.