What does a shorter putter shaft help you with ?

[VanTheMan0519]

Just asking for personal opinions. Always played 35 and have never wavered. What made you switch and what were you hoping to improve upon?

[MachineHack]

I’m 6’ and I play 33.5” but I’ve considered cutting down again to 33” 

 

short stick = greater head control 

 

For the same reason that every little league coach trolls the kid who can’t hit to choke up on the bat 

 

Don’t know what I was looking to improve when I switch, coach suggested it to me when I was 14 or 15 and I just did it. 
 

I don’t think I could ever got back to something like a 35”, hell when I try out flat stocks in the store I actually choke up on them lol

 

 

[robcha]

When I did a putter fitting with me 35', my eyeline straight down was actually inside the ball. When he shortened my putter to 34', it helped me stand more on top of the ball.

 

Also a greater control with your stroke. 

[Mych]

When I played tapered grips, it was pretty important to get my hands/arms in a more comfortable spot for the type of stroke I like. When I'd use 35+ inch putters, it felt like my arms formed a "U" rather than a "V". Now that I use mostly non-tapered grips, I can grip down as much as I need to, but I still prefer a slightly shorter length.

[MattM97]

Let's my arms relax a bit more and I don't bottom out the club on the stroke sometimes. 

[Phabs]

I’m 6’0 and recently switched to a 34 from 20 years of 35” putters.  Helped make a more relaxed stroke, not so much tension in my forearms and shoulders.  

[BagofToast]

Went from 35 to 34 and it gets my eyes over the ball more

[Honeybadger]

I played a 33 inch putter most of my golfing life because the shorter length felt good. Well, turns out standing closer to the ball (I’m 5’11’’) messed with seeing the line because of the parallax effect. I switched this year to a 35 inch and either get my eyes inside or inside and in back of the ball and it’s been a revelation. I barely miss inside of 5 feet now, where I used to be so erratic as I struggled to line up my putts. Just watch out if you switch to a shorter putter- it may affect how you see the line… or don’t see the line. 

[rd1959]

I'm 5' 9" and use 33" putters. Like others have said, with a 33" the ball is directly below my eyes which helps me see the line better. Longer putters always felt like they were too far away, like I was swinging a pw. I use heavy putters and the shorter length reduces the pendulum effect of the heavy putter head.

 

 EDIT: Another benefit I noticed was the shorter putter length also will affect lie angle slightly. My putters were originally 34" with a lie angle of 72 degrees which, at 72* the toe was sticking up about 2-3 degrees. After shortening the putters the head sits almost flat now.

Edited June 29, 2022 by rd1959

[rd1959]

On 6/27/2022 at 4:14 PM, MachineHack said:

I’m 6’ and I play 33.5” but I’ve considered cutting down again to 33” 

 

short stick = greater head control 

 

For the same reason that every little league coach trolls the kid who can’t hit to choke up on the bat 

 

Don’t know what I was looking to improve when I switch, coach suggested it to me when I was 14 or 15 and I just did it. 
 

I don’t think I could ever got back to something like a 35”, hell when I try out flat stocks in the store I actually choke up on them lol

 

 

I'm not trying to talk you out of getting a shorter putter but, I've got one putter at 33.5" and another at 33" and I can't see or tell any difference between them. 

Edited June 29, 2022 by rd1959

[MachineHack]

2 hours ago, rd1959 said:

I'm not trying to talk you out of getting a shorter putter but, I've got one putter at 33.5" and another at 33" and I can't see or tell any difference between them. 

thanks for the feedback!

 

wouldn’t get a new putter anyways would just blow the grip off and whack another 1/2” off this shaft anyways 

[ShortGolfer]

I blew the grips off two putters and cut them down to 32 and 31 inches.  Then I put the grips back on.  They both felt better to me.

Then I bought a 32" 2 ball blade that had a ladies grip installed (between Juniors and men's).

The 29.5 Juniors 2 ball was a little too short for me.  32" seems to be the right length as I'm only 5' 2".  And the ladies grip feels about right as well.

 

Edited June 29, 2022 by ShortGolfer

[maverick]

At 33" I feel I have more control. I am 6' tall.

[hitnfades]

In the last year, I went from a 35” to 34”. This helped me be more consistent, better control of pace, not bottoming out/hitting the fringe and looking down my line was better for me. I started dropping more putts right away. I could probably could go down another .5”-1” based on my arm length/height of 5’9”, but I was not ready to make that big of jump. 
 

The other item that helped me was moving to an oversized grip. This reduced the tension in my hands/arms. These 2 changes have really helped me out on the greens. 

[rd1959]

56 minutes ago, hitnfades said:

In the last year, I went from a 35” to 34”. This helped me be more consistent, better control of pace, not bottoming out/hitting the fringe and looking down my line was better for me. I started dropping more putts right away. I could probably could go down another .5”-1” based on my arm length/height of 5’9”, but I was not ready to make that big of jump. 
 

The other item that helped me was moving to an oversized grip. This reduced the tension in my hands/arms. These 2 changes have really helped me out on the greens. 

One of my putters has an oversize grip. The extra weight in the grip makes it feel more balanced overall.

[2Down]

For me practice is key to putting well.  At 6’4” a short putter limits my practice as my back will complain.  
 

35-36 for me.  

[njlam]

I have purchased almost all my putters at 35" and I was a terrible putter.

After trying a friend's 34" in the same model as one of mine, and what a difference an inch makes!

I am hooked...getting over 30 putter shortened is a pain in the a**.

 

Shortening a putter up to 1" can mess with the balance...Scotty's require heavier weights, the others get lead tape.

[maverick]

From pga.com

"Virtually every Tour player is fit to their putter. But almost no amateur players do that! The average height of a PGA Tour player today is 6' and he uses a 33.5 inch putter on average. You guys are using a 35 inch putter on average because that is the "standard" putter. A properly fit putter will allow you to set up with your hips over your ankles, your hands under your shoulders with a little bend in the elbows and your eyes over the ball."

Unless you're 6'2" or more, then your 35 inch putter will not allow you to set up correctly and will not give you the best chance to make a good stroke. And just cutting down your putter will not work because it will then be too light. The head weight must increase as the club gets shorter to keep the swing weight in balance. The answer then is a custom fit putter.

 

 

[shanx]

On 6/30/2022 at 7:17 AM, 2Down said:

For me practice is key to putting well.  At 6’4” a short putter limits my practice as my back will complain.  
 

35-36 for me.  

 

I'm 6'2", went to 36" middle of last season, results have been better, I didn't feel comfortable hunched over 33" 34" putters I have used forever.

 

I got a Club Champion putter fitting this spring and they fit me at 36.5", but I'm happy with 36" and a few degrees upright.

[rlb4]

Why not just choke down 1"? This will allow you to be a little more upright when needed if your back is sore. I realize that shortening/choking down 1" will lower the swing weight but most putters(usually only higher end ones) do not compensate head weight from the factory for different lengths.

[2Down]

Pretty much the grip for me.  I hold the thing place and the same way every time.  Well I try to, 
 

scotty used to have different weights for length.  The first red x putter had a paint fill on the sole of the head weight and length.  All three lengths were stamped but they paint filled only the one the one you had.  35 330, 34 340. Etc.  

[Anser3]

I'm 6'3" and use a 33.5" putter.  Bubba Watson is 6'3" and was using a 34" putter.  I believe he uses 34.25" now.  Phil Mickelson is 6'3"ish and also uses a sub-34" putter.  I believe he has gone as short as 32.5.  He usually uses between 33" and 34" (generally 33.5").

[BigUrsus]

For me it's always been ball placement. Longer shaft gets flatter lie and the ball gets more away from my.feet. I used to have my eyes 3inches outside of the ball with a 33" long putter , now with a 35" putter they are perfect

[rd1959]

On 7/4/2022 at 3:29 PM, rlb4 said:

Why not just choke down 1"? This will allow you to be a little more upright when needed if your back is sore. I realize that shortening/choking down 1" will lower the swing weight but most putters(usually only higher end ones) do not compensate head weight from the factory for different lengths.

Shhh, you're making too much sense. 😁 Remember, this is the WRX forum. There's no room for simplicity here.
 1" more upright to ease back pain doesn't help me at all. I have 3 degenerated discs in my lower back plus sacroiliitis that flares up from time to time. At the moment I've settled on 33" but I'm very interested in trying one of those Hybrid X putters that are the length lie of a hybrid club only with a putter head. I've practiced putting with my 4 hybrid and discovered that my putting stroke is much smoother with no pain in my lower back.

[b.mattay]

Makes putter lighter (easier to swing) and allows me to find comfortable posture. I'm only 5'9, so I play my putter at 31". I have  T-Rex arms too. If I had gorilla arms I would play even shorter. 

[ShortGolfer]

I had a putter fitting at Club Champion.  My fitter said I needed a 31" face balanced putter.  Precisely my gamer last year!  

I put on a new grip as the old one was too big and put it back in the bag.  I also traded in some clubs I didn't need to buy a 2 ball Odyssey ten,  which I'll cut down to 31 inches and put on a new White Hot Pro grip.

[Deep Sunoji]

On 7/6/2022 at 6:47 PM, ShortGolfer said:

I had a putter fitting at Club Champion.  My fitter said I needed a 31" face balanced putter.  Precisely my gamer last year!  

I put on a new grip as the old one was too big and put it back in the bag.  I also traded in some clubs I didn't need to buy a 2 ball Odyssey ten,  which I'll cut down to 31 inches and put on a new White Hot Pro grip.

What is your height?

[ChipNRun]

On 6/27/2022 at 3:14 PM, MachineHack said:

short stick = greater head control 

 

A few years ago I got a tune-up fitting for my putter. Shaft was at 34", which was fine for me.

On 6/27/2022 at 3:24 PM, robcha said:

When he shortened my putter to 34', it helped me stand more on top of the ball.

 

For about 20 years, I played with a Bullseye putter which was 35" long. Some weeks, I would miss shots to the left. Pulling it out of "the museum" a decade ago, I realized that the longer shaft was causing me to rock putter back on heel a bit - much like left misses with a fairway wood that is too long.

 

As far as "on top of the ball," I get more natural arm hang with a 34" putter. With a longer putter, I need to have more of a V-alignment with my forearms. This feels unnatural to me and is hard to maintain week to week.

[ShortGolfer]

I'm 62 inches tall, so a 31 inch putter is half my height.

[Pepperturbo]

I am 5'10, and my SC putter is 34", 360 head weight - 2/15 gram weights, SW-D5.  Can't say what a shorter putter shaft would do, depends entirely on the user.