Putter Length - one of the keys to success

Is putter length really that important?

Well... take a look at the picture here. Two PGA Tour winners but with very different putters.

On the left is Robert Garrigus with his "baby putter", which measured 28.5 inches and on the right is Carl Pettersson with his 49 inch long putter which is about the standard length for a tall player.

Over 20 inches of difference - so how on earth are you meant to find the right length for you? It's a much more difficult question than you might think.

Because there are plenty of styles of putter, there are plenty of standard putter shaft length charts - click to see the standard length tables for "normal" (i.e. short) putters,   mid-length (or arm-lock) putters,   long putters (now illegal)   and   belly putters   below - but you'll really only find the ideal length for you after a bit of trial and error.

General points to help you use putter length tables:

• The taller you are, the more likely it is that you'll need a longer putter
• The more curved your arc is, the longer the putter you'll need. 
• Generally speaking, club golfer are using longer putters than pros. PGA tour pros' putters average 33 inches, whereas standard putters are 34 inches.

All that said, Tiger Woods' putter, for the record measures 35.25 inches. Therefore you can see that putter length is highly personal and has to be the result of a good deal of experimentation. 

Extending and shortening a putter is actually easier than it seems and you can do this at home. Click on the links for instructions.

"Normal" (short) Putters

Here is a table showing you the standard putter length for different types of putter:

Mid-length / Arm-lock Putters

Mid-length putters became popular after the 2016 belly putter ban, players such as Webb Simpson, Bryson DeChambeau and Matt Kuchar. Here's a starting point for length if you fancy giving it a go:

Long Putters

How long you should have a long putter is very much a matter of personal preference and can involve a great deal of trial and error. Where you anchor your long putter will largely dictate what putter length is right for you.

The following table gives you approximate lengths of long putters if you anchor the butt end in your sternum area:

Belly Putters

Please note that after the 2016 belly putter ban, belly putters are now illegal in all forms of the competitive golf. If you're solely playing for enjoyment, then of course, you can do what you like and you'll find this table useful.

Putter length for a belly putter is a more complicated question and varies according to the height of the player. Use the following table as a starting point:

Putter length is ultimately a question of feel

Even though I have just listed standard putter shaft lengths in the tables above, I firmly believe that your putter is the one club in your bag for which "standards" should be your second consideration. Feel must always come first!

Therefore, you've got to do some trial and error and you've got to follow your instincts about what to try next. If you see a player on the television who has a similar body shape to you and they appear to be using a putter that's longer or shorter than standard, then give it a try.

Your local professional can extend or shorten your putter easily and cheaply. It doesn't take more than a day to do, no matter whether they need to fit an extension plug and then re-grip or cut the putter down and re-grip.

If you're a practical type of person, you can easily do it yourself, too. Click here for instructions on how to extend a putter and how to shorten a putter.

If you use a belly putter or long putter, finding the right shaft length is even more important than it is with a short putter. It's also more difficult, too.

Tour Pros using longer or shorter than standard putters

There have been plenty of great players on the world's tours who use longer than standard or shorter than standard putters. Multiple major winner Ray Floyd, who was renowned for his electric short game used a putter that was 38 inches long - extended well beyond the standards in the tables below.

Along with Robert Garrigus at the other end of the spectrum, European Ryder Cupper Barry Lane used a 29-inch putter with great success for many years.

This blog is interesting to show the process other players have gone through to get to the right putter length.

by William John
Site Owner

The right putter length is just one element in finding the right putter. Click here for Best-Putter.com's complete guide to choosing the right putter for your stroke.



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