Putting · Tip
Is Your Putter the Right Length?
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Putter fitting is easy to ignore. So many golfers bend their stroke to fit the putter. The simplest stroke rocks back and through like a pendulum. That needs a good setup. Bend from your hips. Eyes over the ball. Arms hanging from your shoulders. Putter flat on the ground. Now grip where your hands fall. Many putters turn out to be too long. That pushes your arms out and your eyes off the line. If you're choking way down, a shorter putter may help.
Step by step
- Bend from your hips, eyes over the ball.
- Let your arms hang.
- Grip where your hands fall.
- Check that the putter sits flat.
- Consider a shorter putter if you choke down a lot.
Why it works
A pendulum stroke works best when your arms hang freely from your shoulders and your shoulders rock. If the putter is too long, your hands sit too high, your arms reach out and your elbows bind. Your eyes can also drift inside or outside the ball. Fitting the putter to a natural setup lets the stroke stay simple and repeatable.
Common mistakes
- You set up to the putter instead of setting up naturally first.Bend from your hips, let your arms hang, and only then place the putter and grip where your hands fall.
- You stand too upright with your arms reaching out to a long putter.Bend more from your hips until your arms hang straight down from your shoulders and your eyes are over the ball.
- You grip down the shaft but leave the toe or heel of the putter lifted.Check that the sole sits flat on the ground at address, and have the putter adjusted if it does not.
How you'll know it's working
- Your eyes sit directly over the ball or just inside it when you look down.
- Your arms hang without tension and your elbows are not locked or pinned.
- The ball starts on your chosen line more often and you strike it on the middle of the face.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Practice the setup without a ball in front of a mirror or a phone camera, and check your posture before you hit any putts.
Harder: Roll putts from 10 to 20 feet and keep the same hang-and-grip setup on every putt, including after a break.
Common questions
How do I know if my putter is too long?
If you have to choke far down the grip, stand upright, or reach your arms out to hold it, it is likely too long. A proper fit lets your arms hang naturally with the sole flat on the ground.
Does putter length affect your stroke?
Yes. Length changes your posture, your eye position and how freely your arms can swing. A putter that fits supports a simple pendulum stroke.
