There has been a bit of debate around long putters since Keegan Bradley wielded one to win the PGA Championship earlier in the year.
I must confess that I’ve been using a really long putter for years now so I’m a little biased but feel I’m speaking from a position of authority. Here’s the thing.
Long putters don’t give the user an unfair advantage. If they did every tour player would use them. And I have no doubt that every player would have given one a go in practice to see if it’s a good fit. And what I’m also certain is that most will realise that it’s not some magic tool. It doesn’t sink the putt for you – you still have to make a good stroke and hit the ball into the hole. There’s definitely no magic.
I remember when I first used one – it was horrible and I actually got worse. So I stopped using it and went back to the standard putter. It wasn’t until years later that I decided to try again and adopt a better attitude that I had some success.
And this is my main point. The putter doesn’t do much. It might give some short relief and an injection of self-confidence, but if you’ve got the wrong attitude and mindset you’ll eventually return to your horrible ways – no matter what putter (or technique) you’re using. This is why many poor putters change their tool all of the time. They’re looking for some magic cure and it doesn’t exist.
Some will argue that they’re not in the spirit of the game. While it’s definitely not a traditional club, nor are titanium drivers or the new balls. I just hope the governing bodies don’t come out and make a stupid rule that would be impossible to govern, like you can’t have the top hand (or top of the club) fixed against your body. This would open a can of worms and would be more trouble than it’s worth.
It seems that the long putter is here to stay. There are more pro’s using them and I’m sure the club manufacturers are happy as many amateurs will rush out and buy them. But be warned. They’re not a quick fix to your putting woes.