Short Putter experiment?

[calvin4w]

Enough with the armlocks and broomsticks!!!!😁 Anyone else experimented with a shorter putter?

 

Found a great deal on a putter that was advertised as 33in but once I received it it measured to 31.5in. 

I'm 5'10 with slightly longer arms (irons are usually 1.5deg flat) and I currently use a 34in putter, but I bend over a good amount and grip near the bottom of the grip. Tweaked my shoulder last week so haven't been able to try the short putter on the course but just from rolling on carpet I'm pretty intrigued—my arms fall in a more natural position now and so far it feels pretty different, but I can't decide if its better or not until I see some results. 

 

Any tips for using a short putter? Am I going to 3 putt everything now? I know lie may be an issue 

 

 

 

[roundersmitty]

1 hour ago, calvin4w said:

Enough with the armlocks and broomsticks!!!!😁 Anyone else experimented with a shorter putter?

 

Found a great deal on a putter that was advertised as 33in but once I received it it measured to 31.5in. 

I'm 5'10 with slightly longer arms (irons are usually 1.5deg flat) and I currently use a 34in putter, but I bend over a good amount and grip near the bottom of the grip. Tweaked my shoulder last week so haven't been able to try the short putter on the course but just from rolling on carpet I'm pretty intrigued—my arms fall in a more natural position now and so far it feels pretty different, but I can't decide if its better or not until I see some results. 

 

Any tips for using a short putter? Am I going to 3 putt everything now? I know lie may be an issue 

 

 

 

Cutting it that short will bring swingweight low.  Might need lighter grip or add weight to head. 

[MattM97]

I prefer 35" but I've bought a few putters in the 31-32" range cause dumb to pass up the head. And the length isn't bad for a few putts but putting a whole round or practice you have to have a flexible back. 

[calvin4w]

1 hour ago, roundersmitty said:

Cutting it that short will bring swingweight low.  Might need lighter grip or add weight to head. 

I was worried about that, but surprised to find that it doesn't feel too different. I think because I choke down to the bottom of the grip on 34in, that brings the swing weight down a lot too so I'm used to it already. 

[calvin4w]

23 minutes ago, MattM97 said:

I prefer 35" but I've bought a few putters in the 31-32" range cause dumb to pass up the head. And the length isn't bad for a few putts but putting a whole round or practice you have to have a flexible back. 

definitely have some back soreness after rounds, even in my current stance (somewhere between a normal person and Michelle Wie), but I just can't hole anything standing up straighter, elbows always get caught on shirt or stomach

[msnchez]

I have been using a 31” putter for at least for at least 20 years.  I’m my opinion there are benefits than drawbacks, yes you need to add weight to make the head noticeable. My hands feel more of a pendulum than with a longer putter and my elbows bent. 

The best putter I had was a Snake Eyes with a 400 GE head and a 200 gr shaft.  It was different at first but I could make anything in sight. My current flat stick is an odyssey #9 at 31.5”, to make the head heavy I re shaft es the club and preinserted and epoxied a steel screw. I have tried 34” putters and the feel is not there specially when I have to bend my elbows. 

[skraly]

22 hours ago, calvin4w said:

I was worried about that, but surprised to find that it doesn't feel too different. I think because I choke down to the bottom of the grip on 34in, that brings the swing weight down a lot too so I'm used to it already. 

Because the putter swing is so slow, putter swing weight isn’t really that important in a putter.  Total weight is more important than swing weight in a putter.

[lefthack]

I ordered a 32" by accident and it didn't go well.

[calvin4w]

Thanks for all the comments and tips, I tweaked my shoulder playing too much golf last week so am taking a break till next week. Going to game this short flatstick for a few rounds and report back with results!

[driveandputtmachine]

I went the opposite way and went way longer.

 

I was thinking about trying arm-lock to help my 8-20 range that I struggle with.  I ordered a V-Line tank that had a counter balance weight and it is 39" long.   I came really close to bending it a la Webb Simpson for the arm-lock.

 

I was messing around with it on my putting matt and messing around(due to the longer grip) with a split grip.  I was amazed at what I was seeing on my putting mat.   So I decided to hold off on bending it and give it a whirl on the course.

 

I added a newer grip(the old one was horribly dirty and nasty, and cleaning did no good) added a new super stroke with a CB weight.  The old grip was an odyssey that had a CB weight in it as well.  I have played it now 4 rounds, and normally any honeymoon phase I have dies sometime in the second round.  After the first round I was so happy with it that I played it in the second round in our 2 man match play match.   Shot my best round of the year.  Played it in two more rounds since then and in both I have seen my 8-20 range get so much better, shooting my handicap one day(bad ball stroking) and under my handicap again the second day.  My less than 8 foot range is pretty much the same.  Long putts are OK, still working on my distance control a bit.   

Edited June 30, 2021 by driveandputtmachine

[cmporto10]

I’m 6’2” and I find I putt best with shorter putters. I’ve been gaming a 33-33.5” for the past 3 seasons to great success. By letting my arms hang I feel it frees up my stroke. The only annoyance is the club is sometimes too short for the bag!

[Hammer_Hands]

13 minutes ago, cmporto10 said:

I’m 6’2” and I find I putt best with shorter putters. I’ve been gaming a 33-33.5” for the past 3 seasons to great success. By letting my arms hang I feel it frees up my stroke. The only annoyance is the club is sometimes too short for the bag!

This is my frustration as well.  I've played 32-33 inch putters for a while and i can't stand the way the putter wants to fall down into the bag.

[tatertot]

Google "Paul Trevillion Putting Method" for a unique short putter method ...

 

Or you could regrip and add an extension to whatever length you want.

[wfallon]

 i play with a short putter at 6'1 feels more natural not sure why anything 34"+ need to hold at very bottom of grip

[Swashbuckler]

I have several putters ranging from 33” 34” 35”

 

I go through them all, and putt well. However I noticed, if my stroke does get a little off… using the 35” for some reason gets me back on track. 

[jbrunk]

I am also 5’10; typically play 34.5” putter length. My short-lived experience with a short putter came last Fall. This Carbon fang-style seems to be a long putter of some sort, 72° lie angle, cut down to 31.5”.

 

 

The upright lie angle combined with the shorter length placed my eyes more directly over the ball.  I was able to start the ball more on line, and did ok with lag putts too, carrying a “no 3-putts” streak for about three rounds or so.

 

Ultimately, I found something better to roll with this season, and have since had the Carbon putter extended .

[dlow206]

31" putter here. But i am 5'5" with short legs, so its more of a normal length for me. 

[Russ757]

5'9 with long monkey arms so I play abt 32.5 but can go up or down a half inch 

[2Down]

im 6'4" and have recently put a 34" inch putter in play.  

 

 putt well with it.  But my pre round practice has changed to accommodate my back.  

I now take only one ball and walk to the ball a lot more than I used to.  My back stays happy with me and I find a happy back is the one of the best things for a good round. 

 

 

 

 

 

[calvin4w]

Thanks for all your comments, good to hear all the tips.

 

played my first round with it yesterday after and shot my best so far (82)! Previous best was 84. Also averaged 1.9 putts per hole, and I’m usually around 2.2. Definitely going to keep it in the bag for now, like many have said, letting my arms hang and bending over a little more definitely helped me start the ball on a better line. I did have some trouble with speed and feel at first, but that was mostly due to the microhinge face which is a lot softer than my old white hot insert.