Belly putters

[Ara selai]

There's been a lot of press about the recent spate of success pros have been having with belly putters (BPs).

So, it raises a few questions: has anyone on the forum tried one, or are they planning on trying one now that they're gaining popularity on the tour? If you have tried one, what are the adbvantages and disadvantages compared to a standard putter? What needs to change in one's stroke to play a BP well? I read they're better for shorter than for longer putts; true or not? Can the longer shafts be used with any putter head, or is there a certain combination that is particularly well suited? Thanks for your thoughts!

[supo]

bah humbug

doenst matter what u use a 2 foot slider down hill is still a 2 foot slider no matter what u use, if tiger can miss it with a nike or a scotty, so can mortals.

saying that..............................

that radar putter form caddy shack ????

id pay overs for that!

[jamnguy1]

When you first try one, it's going to feel weird like with trying anything new. Then there's the commitment to it overtime to gain consistency. If you do this, you may be rewarded.

I don't use one, but I know people who do and are very good putters from short range. Then again, I know lots of people who are just as deadly from short range with a blade putter. If putting is a constant issue, then you may want to try it. For me, when I changed my putting grip, it made all the difference in the world.

[willdugdale]

Hi Ara Selai,

I've been using a belly putter on and off for about 10 years. During that time I was playing on some of the many tours and as scratch handicap amateur. Here are my thoughts on your questions:

If you have tried one, what are the adbvantages and disadvantages compared to a standard putter?

Firstly, I'd still say that it's just like any other putter, you do have good days and bad, however I find I'm better at certain things with the belly putter them with a short one. My stroke and the contact seems much more solid and less likely to collapse, or flick at the ball because the top end of the putter is anchored in my stomach, so I'm less worried about whacking the ball miles past.

Unfortunately you still do miss putts left and right, so it's no magic bullet for that, but my hot streaks seem to be hotter than with the short stick and I feel I have a better judge of distance on extremely fast greens. When the belly putter goes cold I usually find that checking my address position (ball position, alignment etc) sort me out. One major disadvantage however is that when your belly putter goes cold, it can go REALLY cold! You don't seem to have the same ability to manipulate the face into the right position at the last moment, because the stroke is more mechanical.

What needs to change in one's stroke to play a BP well?

Not that much really. I found it incredibly intuitive to start with and had success straightaway.

I read they're better for shorter than for longer putts; true or not?

I used to think this is well, and it's probably true that the belly putter isn't quite as good on REALLY long putts - say, 100 feet or more. The reason is that it's quite hard to get the power you need for such a long putt when part of the putter is stuck in your belly.

I have found a solution for this, though. I find on medium to long putts that I grip the putter (with my hands) much closer to the point where it is stuck in my belly, so that this way I get greater leverage on the putter itself. I would now say are better long-range putter that I was before.

Can the longer shafts be used with any putter head, or is there a certain combination that is particularly well suited?

I have used both the regular putter with a long shaft in it and a purpose-made belly putter. The purpose made putters are heavier, which probably does give you a better sense of the head, but I've found that I've been successful with both.

One thing that is quite difficult to get right, though, is the exact length of shaft that you need. Until you've got this exactly right, you'll probably find belly putting to be a bit hit and miss.

Wow, I got a bit carried away there! I am a bit of a fan of the belly putter! You might find the following instructional webpage I put on my website useful: Belly putter instructions

Hope that helps