Long putter review

Long putters are all the rage with pros but can they help your game Skysports.com test them out.

I've never thought about sticking anything in my belly on a golf course apart from a burger/bacon butty (or possibly a twix if I'd already eaten) at the halfway house, writes Dave Tindall But after watching a belly putter help Keegan Bradley land a major, Webb Simpson triumph twice in three weeks and Bill Haas land the $10m jackpot for winning the FedExCup, I'm curious to find out if they can help me too. And, while I'm at it, what about having a whirl with the broomstick so successfully wielded by Adam Scott this year. I have to admit that I still have to fight the urge to view these long putters as an admission of defeat, an antidote to yips. But I guess these young guns are starting to remove the stigma. In their eyes a long putter is no different to using a fancy new driver. Both (for now at least) are pieces of legal technology which might help them take the fewest number of strokes. And so, with an open mind.... actually, scratch that. I didn't have an open mind. Secretly I was hoping I'd be hopeless with the broom and fairly useless with the belly. So, consumed by bias, I headed off to Hollins Hall golf club in West Yorkshire. They have a huge putting green with numerous gradients while the greens on the course itself are vast and undulating. Ideal ground therefore to test both long and short putts with these new blades. After a quick warm-up with all three clubs, I decided that, with the green clear due to the less then hospitable weather, I'd invent a nine-hole golf course on the putting green and post a score with each club. My guess was that the belly might do quite well while the broom would trail in a distant third. After all, when in action, the belly is a close relation to the conventional putter while using the broom is like trying out some bizarre new Olympic sport that they only play in Scandinavia. How wrong I was. To my amazement, the broom came out on top, with the conventional second and the belly last by a mile. Because the holes I'd invented were quite long, often I would finish about six feet away - that awkward distance where you can make or break a round. And yet, despite it being so alien to me, I nailed about five or six of these in a row with the broom. Seriously, I couldn't miss with it despite unconsciously wanting to. I actually decided at one point that if a mad dictator took over at the R&A and introduced a law where all golfers must use broomsticks I'd be happy to go with it. The only negative was sometimes I couldn't pull the trigger. I got stuck over the putt like someone on the oche with dartitis (was this my unconscious at work again, trying to stop me). But when I did finally release the club I kept making the putt. My failure with the belly was more baffling than my success with the broom. Wedging it in my gut and giving the club an anchor gave me confidence over the putt but my takeaway was all over the place, a sort of juddery 's' shape that led to mis-hit, misjudged putts galore. Weird. But then something even stranger happened. When I returned to the conventional putter I felt this huge sense of freedom. With the club not anchored to me, my hands felt as if they'd just been released from "hand prison" and were able again to express themselves. My feel and touch had suddenly returned. It was art not science. And so when I went back to conventional from broom it felt like I'd substituted Lionel Messi for Peter Crouch. This gangling, awkward stick had been knocking them in with aplomb 10 minutes earlier but suddenly I couldn't hole a putt with it. My conclusion. Never have I been so clear that putting is all in the mind! Out on the course Obviously, repeated use on a putting green is one thing but what about when you actually put them into play over a full 18? I headed back to Hollins Hall two weeks later, but this time with colleague Mark Kendall in tow. Mark put the broom in his bag while I went with the belly and then at halfway we switched. I actually performed better with the belly this time, the main problem being that I kept three-putting with the broom on Hollins' Hall huge greens due to underhitting the first putt. On the 18th after the round was finished, I got my normal putter out and again felt that sense of freedom. What's more I knocked in a few nice putts. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the two Ping clubs - belly and broom - to anyone who wants to make the switch as, having tried them, I can see the appeal. But, for now, I'm sticking with my short club. Mark Kendall Like many golfers, my confidence on the putting greens tends to come and go in frustratingly sporadic bursts and I have long been searching for some form of consistency with the flatstick. With that in mind I was happy to give the two new options a test-run, although I was predictably sceptical that two such different techniques would produce tangible, instant results. It was then, perhaps, hardly surprising that I found the first few strokes with the broom handle an utterly alien concept and struggled both with grip and take-back. But having settled upon a set-up with which I felt comfortable after three or four holes, I did notice that the broom-handle seemed to offer me a consistency and rhythm of stroke that I often struggle to achieve with the regulation short handle. While the results were certainly not earthshattering, I did feel a confidence and solidity with it, especially over mid to short-range putts - even joking with Dave that he might struggle to get the broom back off me at the halfway stage. It certainly put into stark contrast my feelings when switching to use the belly putter which started off feeling uncomfortable and never got any better. For starters, I simply found myself unable to 'lock' the club properly in my midriff with any real semblance of comfort or confidence. In the end it largely sat resting uneasily on my belt buckle and, with this uncertainty always at the back of my mind, it was predictable that my take-back and stroke through the ball was inconsistent and unconvincing. Indeed, in holing a four-five footer towards the end of the round, Dave chuckled and commented that it looked like I had somehow guided the ball in with the heel of the putter... and that was exactly what had happened. While nine holes is obviously not enough time to form a complete opinion, I would certainly side with the broom-handle if pushed to make a decision on the two - although, while not an exact science given some of the approach play involved, I did end up taking the same amount of strokes with both putters. What others golfers at Skysports.com thought.... David Keywood (handicap 1): Belly: I have tried one of these in the past as my old man has struggled with his putting over the past ten years. I can't get to grips with resting a shaft into my gut as a way of putting. I lose all feel and most, if not all my putts were pulled to the left and hit with too much pace. Broom: If I was forced into using one of the two long putters, the broom handle would be my chosen weapon. I can see the advantage of this for short putts but I just couldn't get the hang of the broom-handle for longer putts, again pulling all to the left. Perhaps a lesson is how to use properly would help me out Conclusion: Driving and putting are the two best parts of my game. I have used the same putter for as long as I can remember so it would take something drastic for me to change to something else. With that said I can understand why so many golfers are changing to these types of putter but they really are not for me. Would you put either in your bag: NoAdam Norman (handicap 16) Belly: At 6ft 4in I've always struggled with back problems on the putting green, particularly if practising for long periods. Hence it was a pleasure to try out a belly putter for the first time. However, being so tall the 'belly' didn't actually come into it - I merely used it 'Cabrera-style'. And I have to say it felt good in the hands. With more weight than a conventional putter, I can see why it might help with shorter putts. Broom: This extraordinary contraption felt completely alien to me - it didn't even feel like a golf club. You would need an afternoon of tuition to learn how to use this 'club' correctly. It was hard to know which grip to use, the take back was all over the place and the results were poor. Conclusion: Always in need of some inspiration on the shortest cut, I'm looking forward to giving the belly putter a go, if only for its extra length. Would you put either in your bag? Yes, the belly. David John (handicap 14) Belly: This was my first attempt with anything other than a standard length putter but it felt really secure clamped into the midriff. It encouraged a gentle rock of the shoulders and the ball felt really smooth coming off the insert. The "branding iron" head looked a bit unusual but was not an issue once over the ball and the whole experience putting from long range and closer to the hole was positive. Broom: This felt slightly more awkward and I was not quite sure whether the it felt best tucked under the chin or more towards the sternum. The feel of the ball off the putter was good once again but there seemed to be slightly less control of the putter head during the swing motion. Clearly a quality club, but one that would need quite a bit of adapting to and some time on the practice putting green. Conclusion: Two lovely clubs but they clearly require a new approach on the green compared to a standard putter. I would not be very keen on the broom handle but the belly putter felt pretty comfortable after a few rolls on the putting surface. I would not rule out giving that one a try on a regular basis. Would you put either in your bag: Certainly the belly putter. What are your thoughts? Have you tried the belly or the broom? And would you consider using one full-time?