Belly putters...

[Teetogreen86]

I need help!

I've been really struggling with my putting lately. I've been having a tendency to jab at my putts and flip my left wrist just a little bit, which is leading to inconsistency in line and especially speed. I'm seriously considering getting a belly putter. What are the pro's and con's that you've found, those of you who use one on a regular basis?

[curryj]

First off i'm not a regular user of a belly putter, so i'm sure others will give you better advice, but i picked up a redx2 mid 43' two weeks ago and have been tinkering just to see what the fuss is about.

Very first problem was how to hold it, initially everything felt awkward. I normally use a 32" putter, so a big difference here, also there are so many variations on what grip to adopt. I had some success using my left hand to anchor the shaft to my sternum and using my right hand to guide the putter with my thumb & forefinger - I found this method very good for distance controll but had difficulty with the line. When I tried anchoring the shaft end in my stomach and using a more or less conventional grip i got the best results - i found with this setup that the ball started on line almost every time. With a regular putter a bad stroke for me usually resulted in a pull left ( looking up early always an issue too), with the belly putter it was actually hard to miss it left.

I've only played two rounds with it so far and don't think that it will make it into the bag on a permanent basis -but i'll try anything once, don't knock it 'till you've tried it as they say.

It's not for everyone, but it's not going to do you any harm to try it.

[laxwax]

I was using a SC Mid Sur PP for the past 2 seasons. However, I resafted it over the winter to a traditional length.

 

Some of the pros I found:

I found it very easy to stay on my line. In the past, I felt I was not hitting my putts on the line I wanted, the belly solved that. Because of this, I rarely missed from inside 6-8 ft (unless I misread it).

The belly helped my tempo a lot. Being heavier and anchored, I was able to get a nice pendulum swing going.

 

Some of the cons:

Lagging it was definately a little more of a challange. I would find it hard to get close from like 40 ft.

Although I really liked the putter, it always kinda felt like a "crutch." I know that's just mental, but thats how I felt.

 

That's about it. I switched over the winter just to try something different and I liked the feel of the regular length. With a bunch of practice indoors, I was able to find my tempo and line, and feel I don't need the "crutch " anymore. I can always put the belly shaft back in if I need too.

 

Additionally, I think you need a open-square-closed arc swing with the belly. That is my natural stroke anyways so it fit, if you have a square back and through swing a belly may not feel right.

 

There are many variations on how to grip and where to set the butt. I personally used a cross-handed grip and put the butt just to the left of my belly button. You can use a traditional grip and shove it right in the center of your belly button if you want. Whatever feels good to you.

 

You may want to try and switch to a cross-handed grip with your regular putter, that may stabilize your left wrist. It feels a little weird at first, but it became second nature to me with the belly. I did go back to a traditional grip with the regular length.

[Teetogreen86]

Thanks for the info guys. I actually putted left hand low for a year. I just switched back to conventional because I wasn't making any putts from 10-25 feet like I used to.

 

Can anyone else chime in here?

[peteman29]

Don't buy a long putter!!!! They're the devil!!!!!

 

Instead buy a "putting arc" trainer. 15 minutes at home, a few times a week and you won't believe how smooth your stroke will become. They're magic. You'll get one on ebay, the one below is the deluxe but you can get cheaper ones.

 

 

[sergizmo]

You might want to try a claw grip ala Chris Dimarco. Use a straight back and through type stroke and follow through down the target line (ie don't pull the putter inside) . This will definately prevent any pushes/pulls etc.

 

I've only tried a belly once and a long putter once. Both were a little bit more consistant than a standard length when it came to line but distance control was just horrible for me. This seems to be the general consensus.

 

I'll be shipping you out a new toy in about 2 weeks to try different grips/techniques with. ;)