# Long Putters.



## FrogsHair (Mar 4, 2010)

There's a lot of junk being tossed around by the sports media about a long putter winning a major. (Bradley used a long putter) What's your take on the longer putters? Myself, I could care less as long as they are not used to measure ball drops. I have a belly putter, but I don't use it. I bought it to give one a try, and see if I could make more putts with one. I didn't improve using it, so it's in the garage some where collecting dust.


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## Big Hobbit (Nov 2, 2010)

I guess I'm pretty ambivalent about them. If they were so good every one would be using them, and like metal woods would have been the only type you could buy.

Do they give an average player an advantage? How many average players actually win competitions? How many belly/broomhandle putters have won comps?

Is Keegan Bradley an average player? His record to date suggests so but his iron play last week was exceptional, and every dog has his day.


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## Tincup! (Aug 21, 2011)

I have never tried one, but even when I get old and my hands and legs shake over the ball I will never purchase or use one just like I won't use a pull cart...golf cart ok.


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## Fourputt (Nov 18, 2006)

I personally feel that they should never have been allowed in the first place. I have problems with any club that is allowed to be used with an anchor point to pivot from rather than making a proper stroke. The fact that it *is* legal means that I have no recourse but to gripe about it on golf forums, but that will never convince me that the ruling bodies weren't in error when they allowed it. :cheeky4:


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## FrogsHair (Mar 4, 2010)

The reason I don't have a problem with them (other than ball drops) is because it's just golf moving on with it's ever changing ways to attract more fans, and players. I now use a 43" driver, but to save a loss in distance as I get older I could go to a 50" driver if I wanted. A friend of mine has 46" (legal) 14* three wood. He hits it as far as I do my driver. Don't think I am not looking at that option later on. All golf clubs are nothing more than hand tools when get right down to it. 

I think I read some where that the original reason(s) for the creation of the long putter was for suffers of the putting yips, and those with back issues. It allowed these folks to continue playing. The more people who continue to play this game, the lower my green fees will continue to stay. 

I also believe that just about everyone who found they could putt better (score lower) with one over the shorter putters would probably change to the longer models. I know I probably would before I would give up the game. Earnie Els is dead set against long putter because he feels it gives the user an unfair advantage. But, when asked if it would save him strokes and move him up the money list, would he consider using one, he said "sure I would". 

The game has changed, mostly for the better over the years from what it used to be. We all like to use the latest, greatest technically advanced golf equipment. We all prefer metal over wood. Today's fairways are smoother than yesterdays greens. Even today's cart girls seem to be more advanced.  

The ruling bodies have done away with ball spinning grooves, but allowed ball manufactures to provide balls with more spin.  `The club manufacturers manipulated the original lofts on clubs to make us think we hit a numbered iron farther, and/or give us a reason to purchase that new gap wedge. How did the old pros get along with out that 64* lob wedge? Nope, the longer putters are just another tool, invented for the good of the game....for some.


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## Tincup! (Aug 21, 2011)

Good thoughts. I think long putter or heavy putter great for some folks that need it for various reasons. But when you talk about pros on the PGA tour...they should be held to a higher standard. Soon we will have belly drivers with strings attached to various parts of our body to ensure the perfect swing:laugh:


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## Fourputt (Nov 18, 2006)

Actually you couldn't go to a 50" driver as the maximum legal length for any club except a putter is 48". And the longer the shaft, the less likely you are to hit it in the center, thus most players gain nothing at all by going longer. Often it's just the opposite, they actually gain in accuracy and in _effective_ distance by going shorter than the 45 or 46 inch shaft that most drivers come equipped with these days. 

Another myth in your post is about the "ball spinning grooves". The grooves don't spin the ball. Solid contact with the clubface is what gives balls backspin. All the grooves do is assist in that endeavor by helping to divert grass and moisture away from the face to allow better contact with the ball. On a tight fairway type of lie, a club needs no grooves at all to put backspin on the ball, proved through extensive testing. The now illegal square grooves only helped by giving more forgiveness from rough by channeling more grass from between the ball and clubface because of their larger volume. 

I've been playing irons with new grooves now for 3 years (Titleist AP-2) and I can tell you that when I hit a ball from the fairway or a tee correctly, I get as much spin as I ever did. From the rough I just play for more release, the way I learned to when I was just beginning in the game. My first set, bought in 1974, was a full set of Golden Ram forged blades with the V grooves which were the only style available then. V grooves were playable then, and they are still playable now.


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## Big Hobbit (Nov 2, 2010)

I think the only benefit in the amateur game is that it keeps some people playing longer, whether their reason is the yips or a bad back. In reality the handicapping system negates any perceived unfair advantage. Once the user of a long putter has played a few times, and assuming they do well with it, their handicap reflects their new scores.

As for the pro circuit, as I said before, they're not exactly dominating the various tours.


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## Tincup! (Aug 21, 2011)

Good point about pro-tour in regards to lack of correlation between winning and the long putter. I imagine it is like any new putter...first you try it out and you think you found the answer to putting...then as time goes on...you find that it wasn't the answer Looks like lag putts are a bit akward with the long putter. 

What it comes down to for me is aestetics...it looks ridiculous.


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