Long putters are considered an alternative to a conventional putter, and are specifically designed to promote a straight-back, straight-forward, pendulum stroke. Using a long putter is much easier on the lower back, too.
By eliminating excessive hand and wrist action, the long putter provides better control of the club, which often translates into making more putts.
The top of a long putter is used as a fixed axis, making the pendulum stroke more natural than with a conventional putter. Here’s how it’s used:
- Aim the putter head at your target and take your stance, with the feet about shoulder-width apart. Your feet, hips and shoulders should be parallel to the target line.
- Hold the top of the putter with the left hand (for a right-handed golfer) and secure it against the upper body to serve as the anchor.
- Place your right hand on the middle section of the shaft. This hand swings the putter, controlling direction and tempo, while the left hand holds the butt end steady against the chest.
- Take a comfortable, long-putter type stance, addressing the coin as you would a ball.
- Hold this position while your assistant measures the distance from where you want the butt end of the grip to rest (i.e. the sternum) to the center of the coin. There should be a slight angle between the two spots.
Also note that setting up with an open stance (lead foot open to the target) may help on short putts while lengthening your stroke on longer attempts.
Fitting Instructions for Custom Long Putter
To determine the proper length and lie for your long putter, you’ll need an assistant, a tape measure and a coin. Next:
(You may want to repeat this process a couple times to be confident of your measurement.)
