Over the history of Professional Golf have any of the great putters been tall?

[Forged4ever]

On 10/3/2020 at 2:05 PM, caniac6 said:

Were you a great putter?

 

"Great" is such a subjective word and classification however I can say that my putting was considered the best part of my game, I spent over twice as much time, probably closer to three times on my putting, as I did on the line and the only part of my game that I spent more time on was my mental, where over half of THAT was spent on putting, lolol.

 

Yah, I believe that some of it is natural, however the most critical part is mental and confidence, and that is only forged in granite by reps, mental and physical, and for me, or the three men who influenced my putting, it was not about the putter, the mechanics, angles or other bullsh*t that most Ams waste their time on. It was ALL about BPH(Ball, Path, Hole).

 

Lest someone think that my biggest putts were made either on the practice greens or in my mind, my two biggest putts "under the gun" were probably an 8' left to right downhill curler on the 22nd hole(Oakmont) in the final match of the 1993 3-day Ryder Cup style Inter Club Championship, where my putt allowed me to win the deciding point against future Walker Cupper(1997) Duke Delcher and interrupt, at least for a year, 😂😂, Oakmont's 11 year victory streak. The second was a fairly vanilla straight 12' uphiller to defeat a past State Am Champion & future USGA Champion in the semis of the MP tourney for which I won that trophy in my avatar(and a sweet engraved bag tag, lol) 

 

Though karma being what it is, two weeks later I yanked a fairly straight uphill 3'er that would've sent Madison and I to the Open Mixed BB Nationals in Vegas. As I've stated previously, I had myriad other thoughts on my mind prior to that putt, none of them having to do with the putt, the round or even the game. I skipped my PSR, and those closest to me watching later said that they knew it was gonna miss before I even took the putter back, lolol. FWIW, I didn't share those thoughts as I truely believed that I couldn't miss, so I guess hubris had set in as I thought that just by bending over, takin my stance and strokin the ball, that it was goin into the cup. That was merely the Big Guy showin me that that was not the case🤷🏻‍♂️. Karma, like a putter, swings both ways😉

 

I always liked the answer that I heard Vijay give a youngster on the practice green up at the club following his round at a big annual 36 hole Charity Event. When asked by the boy "are you a good putter," Vijay smiled, tossled the boy's hair and quipped, "I'm decent," lolol

 

So, following this novella, if I had to classify my putting, I was "decent." past tense emphasized, lol.

 

Stay well Brotha👊

 

Fairways & Greens 4ever⛳️
RP
 

Edited October 12, 2020 by Forged4ever

[LeoLeo99]

On 10/3/2020 at 4:19 AM, Forged4ever said:

I haven't read through the thread however I know that at 6'5"-6'5 1/2", George Archer is the the tallest to take a Major('69 Masters) and then I guess you'd have Stewart Cink & Hal Sutton at 6'4" who both grabs Majors~

 

Anyone that takes a Major I'd classify as a "Great" putter😉

 

Oh, and Tiger ain't 6'1", lol. He MIGHT be 6', MAYBE. Hey, what's an inch to an inch and a half, lol. He'd still be a great putter if he was 6'6".

 

Fairways & Greens 4ever My Friends⛳️

RP

 

I've heard Tiger say he's 5' 11" and he was surprised to see his height listed above 6'.  

[caniac6]

38 minutes ago, Forged4ever said:

"Great" is such a subjective word and classification however I can say that my putting was considered the best part of my game, I spent over twice as much time, probably closer to three times on my putting, as I did on the line and the only part of my game that I spent more time on was my mental, where over half of THAT was spent on putting, hahaha.

 

Yah, I believe that some of it is natural, however the most critical part is mental and confidence, and that is only forged in granite by reps, mental and physical, and for me, or the three men who influenced my putting, it was not about the putter, the mechanics, angles or other bullsh*t that most Ams waste their time on. It was ALL about BPH(Ball, Path, Hole).

 

Lest someone think that my biggest putts were made either on the practice greens or in my mind, my two biggest putts "under the gun" were probably an 8' left to right downhill curler on the 22nd hole(Oakmont) in the final match of the 1993 3-day Ryder Cup style Inter Club Championship, where my putt allowed me to win the deciding point against future Walker Cupper(1997) Duke Delcher and interrupt, at least for a year, 😂😂, Oakmont's 11 year victory streak. The second was a fairly vanilla straight 12' uphiller to defeat a past State Am Champion & future USGA Champion in the semis of the MP tourney for which I won that trophy in my avatar(and a sweet engraved bag tag, lol) 

 

Though karma being what it is, two weeks later I yanked a fairly straight uphill 3'er that would've sent Madison and I to the Open Mixed BB Nationals in Vegas. As I've stated previously, I had myriad other thoughts on my mind prior to that putt, none of them having to do with the putt, the round or even the game. I skipped my PSR, and those closest to me watching later said that they knew it was gonna miss before I even took the putter back, lolol. FWIW, I didn't share those thoughts as I truely believed that I couldn't miss, so I guess hubris had set in as I thought that just by bending over, takin my stance and strokin the ball, that it was goin into the cup. That was merely the Big Guy showin me that that was not the case🤷🏻‍♂️. Karma, like a putter, swings both ways😉

 

I always liked the answer that I heard Vijay give a youngster on the practice green up at the club following his round at a big annual 36 hole Charity Event. When asked by the boy "are you a good putter," Vijay smiled, tossled the boy's hair and quipped, "I'm decent," lolol

 

So, following this novella, if I had to classify my putting, I was "decent." past tense emphasized, lol.

 

Stay well Brotha👊

 

Fairways & Greens 4ever⛳️
RP
 

I am certainly not tall, 5'8", and my putting depends on the day of the week. I recently shot a 67 with 5 birdies, and I also hit 12 of 18 greens, and shot 84. I go from good to putting like the love child of Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles.

[Soloman1]

The last time I stood next to Hal, he looked about 6'4" . . . in circumference. 😎

[Forged4ever]

2 hours ago, caniac6 said:

I am certainly not tall, 5'8", and my putting depends on the day of the week. I recently shot a 67 with 5 birdies, and I also hit 12 of 18 greens, and shot 84. I go from good to putting like the love child of Stevie

Wonder and Ray Charles. Cheers 

I myself do not believe that there is any advantage to be gained or sacrificed in putting based on one's height, as long as the individual has 100% confidence in the putter in his/her hands. As long as one has what Pete & Sam referred to as "C&T," ie., Confidence & Touch, one has a shot at being a "decent" putter under the gun.

 

Throwing a 67 down shows that unless you were knocking down pins and tappin in for birds, you have C&T, it's just a matter of having the focus and mental discipline to putt, swing & score consistently😊

 

Have a Great Week👊

RP

 

 

 

[mahonie]

42 minutes ago, Forged4ever said:

I myself do not believe that there is any advantage to be gained or sacrificed in putting based on one's height, as long as the individual has 100% confidence in the putter in his/her hands. As long as one has what Pete & Sam referred to as "C&T," ie., Confidence & Touch, one has a shot at being a "decent" putter under the gun.

 

Throwing a 67 down shows that unless you were knocking down pins and tappin in for birds, you have C&T, it's just a matter of having the focus and mental discipline to putt, swing & score consistently😊

 

Have a Great Week👊

RP

 

 

 

Hi RP, hope you’re well.

 

Totally agree with you and I’ll just add that anyone can become a good putter just by reading Bob Rotella’s ‘Putting out of your mind.’ Makes it all so simple really...just as it should be.

 

Best

[Titleist_PT23]

Is it legal to get down on both knees and putt with say a 20 inch putter?

[BIG STU]

23 hours ago, OrangeGravy said:

I tried going with a longer 38" CB putter this summer due to 3 bad discs. It's more comfortable, but my eyes would way inside where they need to be for me. I putt best with a 33", but it's brutal if you're having a tight back day. I'm 6', longer torso than legs. A 6'5" guy and me sitting in a chair look the same height! 

Seems like you and I are built similar. At 6'2" I wear a 32 inch length pants. I am having the back issue deal now due to an accident back in April when I broke the L-2 on both sides and collapsed the disc. Due to rehab therapy I can bend over some like I used to but can not at this stage practice putting like I used to

[Soloman1]

Yes, 20" putter is legal. 18" is minimum club length.

 

Mac O'Grady tried playing with an 18" putter for a short, short (pun intended) time.

 

Please don't tell Mac that I said this. He'll get mad and send me a long, angry letter.

 

I don't think there is any rule against putting on your knees; however, I will defer to the many others more knowledgable. 

[BIG STU]

9 hours ago, Soloman1 said:

Yes, 20" putter is legal. 18" is minimum club length.

 

Mac O'Grady tried playing with an 18" putter for a short, short (pun intended) time.

 

Please don't tell Mac that I said this. He'll get mad and send me a long, angry letter.

 

I don't think there is any rule against putting on your knees; however, I will defer to the many others more knowledgable. 

Yep but you can bet the farm IF someone goes to canning putts with an 18" putter on their knees and winning majors the Golf Channel will raise holy hell. And then the USGA in a kneejerk reaction will promptly ban the putters and method

 

[MattyO1984]

This could have been posted already but isn’t Spieth 6 foot 1? He putts it pretty good.

[NRJyzr]

1 hour ago, MattyO1984 said:

This could have been posted already but isn’t Spieth 6 foot 1? He putts it pretty good.

 

He was actually only 105th in strokes gained putting in 2020.  He was 2nd in 2019, but was 123rd in 2018.  

[MattyO1984]

25 minutes ago, NRJyzr said:

 

He was actually only 105th in strokes gained putting in 2020.  He was 2nd in 2019, but was 123rd in 2018.  

 

2014 - 20th

2015 - 9th

2016 - 2nd

2017 - 48th

2018 - 123rd

2019 - 2nd

2020 - 105th

 

Over the course, I am taking it and still thinking that he putts it pretty good all in.

[TLUBulldogGolf]

6'1" and 6'2" isn't tall, don't even have to get out of standard equipment. Oosterhuis doing what he did when they didn't really have the equipment options back then is pretty impressive. 

[Medson]

2 pages into the thread, no mention of Jordan Spieth who is 6'1". 

[forrester_fire]

On 10/2/2020 at 7:07 PM, 2bGood said:

Given 5'10 is average height for much of the world (now) and historically people were shorter, I would go with over 5'10 for the modern golfer as 'tall' maybe less for the historic golfer.

 

Then I will put it out there that the average golfer is historically not over 6'- so that will mess with the numbers as the pool of tall golfers is small to start with. It would be interesting to know per capita if tall golfer putt as well as average and short golfers.

 

All the same here is a few.

 

6'3"-Phil Mickelson

6'1" - Tiger Woods

6'0" - Seve Ballesteros

5'11" - Billy Casper

5'11" - Dave Stockton 

5'11" - Walter Hagen

5'10" - Jack Nicklaus

5'10" - Arnold Palmer

 

 

If you use "average" as a metric, you probably need to go into standard deviations before you consider someone tall.  If they're outside, say, one (upper 16%) or two (upper 2.5%) standard deviations of average, then they're tall.

Edited October 16, 2020 by forrester_fire

[fowlerscousin]

Mickelson and spieth only golfers come to mind

[grm24]

On 10/12/2020 at 2:27 PM, Medson said:

2 pages into the thread, no mention of Jordan Spieth who is 6'1". 

6'1" isn't considered tall.

[bladehunter]

On 10/12/2020 at 1:10 PM, TLUBulldogGolf said:

6'1" and 6'2" isn't tall, don't even have to get out of standard equipment. Oosterhuis doing what he did when they didn't really have the equipment options back then is pretty impressive. 

That’s not really true.   Depends a lot on if it’s long legs or long torso.  Long legs puts the hip bend higher up , thus arms farther from the ground.  Unless you have orangutan arms 6-2 isn’t using standard length wedges.  Most likely not standard past 7 iron.  

Edited October 18, 2020 by bladehunter

[bladehunter]

By the way. I’m talking a real 6ft1 or 2.   You know. Barefoot.   Not tigers 6ft1.  Which isn’t 6ft1 in spikes. 

[TLUBulldogGolf]

3 hours ago, bladehunter said:

By the way. I’m talking a real 6ft1 or 2.   You know. Barefoot.   Not tigers 6ft1.  Which isn’t 6ft1 in spikes. 

I’m 6’6”, I realize it depends but generally speaking I just don’t think that’s that all that tall to where it would have a negative effect on ability to play. I don’t see them having to make huge adjustments, especially not with a putter.

[OrangeGravy]

14 hours ago, grm24 said:

6'1" isn't considered tall.

What ever the consensus of tall is. I was just throwing out over 6'/6'1", so say 6'2"+

[OrangeGravy]

5 hours ago, bladehunter said:

That’s not really true.   Depends a lot on if it’s long legs or long torso.  Long legs puts the hip bend higher up , thus arms farther from the ground.  Unless you have orangutan arms 6-2 isn’t using standard length wedges.  Most likely not standard past 7 iron.  

6'/long torso/32" inseam, I play 1/2" over-3.5*up irons. Generic wrist to floor (for Ping) puts me at +1/2-2*up/green. 

Speaking of which. Anyone out there with a long torso know of shirt brands or specific models that are longer than normal? I haven't been able to tuck a shirt in for years!