Add Ernie Els to the growing list of PGA Tour players that may jump on the long putter bandwagon. Els started toying around with a belly putter while practicing at the Masters a few weeks ago. At The Heritage this week, he might take it a step further and actually put it in his bag for tournament play on Thursday. While those close to Els have been encouraging him to make the change, he’s been reluctant for several reasons, including overcoming the stigma attached to long putters.
“I’m old school,” Els said during a candid chat on Tuesday at Harbour Town Golf Links. “I’ve been around a long time and it used to be that whenever you go to a long putter, it meant that you had the yips or you had something really wrong with your putting.”
(Isn’t that still sort of the case?)
Once the 41-year-old South African started tinkering with it, he felt he could stroke the putter more consistently with it anchored in his belly.
“I feel like I can repeat the strokes a lot better with the belly,” he said. “Since the Masters, I started practicing with it a little bit and it felt great. Only problem is it’s so much heavier than any other club in my bag. so it throws off my feel. I get off the green with this heavy putter and then I get on the next tee and the driver feels too light. That’s my only problem. I might try to do something about that.”
Perhaps the bigger challenge is Els letting his ego get out of the way.
“To me, it’s always been a pride thing because a long putter says, ‘Hey, I’ve got a weakness,’” he continued. “But I’m seriously considering playing with it this week.”
While Els still has his reservations, he’s come a long way from his ardent opposition to belly putters in past years. In fact, he launched a crusade to make them illegal after they swept the Tour when Vijay Singh switched to a belly and jumped from 100th in putting average to the top ten. “They should definitely be banned,” said Els in 2004. “I believe nerves and the skill of putting are part of the game.”
(Interestingly enough, Adam Scott backed Els’ campaign, and of course, Scott, who drained almost every putt he looked at on the back nine during the final round of the Masters, switched to a long putter earlier this year.)
Els’ change of heart likely stems from his recent putting woes. He’s ranked 159th in putting average — a drastic drop from last year’s stats when he finished 59th, averaging 1.768 strokes. By this time in 2010, Els had already notched two victories with wins at Doral and Bay Hill. This season his best effort mustered a tie for 15th at Doral.
“At the end of the day, you’re trying to make a living out there — whether you’re playing with a short stick or long stick, you’re trying to get it in the hole,” he said almost wistfully.
On Tuesday afternoon Els had the belly putter — an Odyssey XG#1 — in his bag for practice the next two days and will make his final decision after he plays the pro-am on Wednesday. However, sources in the Callaway van felt Els might be leaning toward using the Backstyrke Marksman, a conventional putter.
Who knows. Els doesn’t even know. And I certainly won’t believe it until I see him anchoring the belly on the first green on Thursday.
“It’s a big deal for me, mentally to get around it, so we’ll see,” he said.
Ernie – I am begging you – Nooooooo! Save it for the Champions Tour.
[...] The “Big Easy” Ernie Els is thinking about a switch to the belly putter. (Wei Under Par) [...]
I think Billy Casper once said in an interview that if the long putter was available in his day, he’d use one.
Now that’s saying something
FWIW, I’m in the long putter camp. Makes it way easier.
Long putter, short putter, you still have to get the ball in the hole. I’ve fiddled with one a few times, and couldn’t make ANYTHING at all with the stupid thing. If he can use it, and it helps, more power to him. I don’t think it is any more of an advantage than a longer driver shaft. You still have to have the skill to use it properly
I think whether its a help or not depends on why you’re putting poorly (or what your particular faults are). Also what sort of feel you like.
Are you kidding? With over $40 million in winnings plus endorsement income, it’s been a very long time since Els was “trying to make a living out there.”
Ernie is sheepishly trying to justify his new position after being so adamantly opposed in the past. That’s like somebody against abortion and now all of a sudden for it, or vice versa, and he has to look his fellow players in the eye after being so strongly opposed. Had he taken a neutral or “so what” attitude before then this would be so easy to segue into the long putter. The reality though is that other players are doing it more and more so it becomes accepted after a while. Time moves on. And so is Ernie. We, as human beings, are entitled to change our views. There is no law against it. Everybody does in life. Everybody’s value system constantly changes and this is no different.
It is nothing like abortion. It is fucking golf. Don’t be an idiot please
To me Els has always had a nice putting stroke but lately he’s looked awkward setting up over putts with a standard length 34 or 35 inch putter. Maybe this will let him stand more upright.
Whatever gets the ball in the hole, Ernie!
They need to be banned. It’s unfair. They’re easier, and yet most players still use the traditional putters. If you struggle, you work it out and keep practicing. Tiger Woods is struggling and he’s not going to a belly putter. They are an unfair advantage. Either they make everyone use belly putters, or make them illegal!
i don’t understand the theory that it is such a huge advantage. the majority of these guys are out there solely to make a living. they aren’t traditionalists to any extent, and yet most still don’t use the belly putter. if it really was such an advantage everyone would use it, no? isn’t the idea to give yourself the best chance to win? i putted with the long putter for a few years and always had trouble with speed. maybe i was slightly better over the short ones, but it wasn’t any ridiculous advantage. i switched back to standard due to lack of results, not because i thought i was cheating while using the long putter.
If it made the game that much easier, everyone would use one.
I think a distinction needs to be made when discussing relative advantage between the long putter a la Adam Scott, and the belly putter
First, Ernie should get rid of the pleated pants!
Hasn’t Dave Pelz studied this yet with all of his scientific staff…what do you say, Pelzie?
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[...] quarter of the field at last month’s British Open was using a nontraditional putter. The winner, Ernie Els, had his putter jabbed in his belly. The runner-up, Adam Scott, had his putter staked against his [...]
[...] quarter of the field at last month’s British Open was using a nontraditional putter. The winner, Ernie Els, had his putter jabbed in his belly. The runner-up, Adam Scott, had his putter staked against his [...]
[...] quarter of the field at last month’s British Open was using a nontraditional putter. The winner, Ernie Els, had his putter jabbed in his belly. The runner-up, Adam Scott, had his putter staked against his [...]
[...] quarter of the field at last month’s British Open was using a nontraditional putter. The winner, Ernie Els, had his putter jabbed in his belly. The runner-up, Adam Scott, had his putter staked against his [...]
[...] of a margin during final month’s British Open was regulating a nontraditional putter. The winner, Ernie Els, had his dabble jabbed in his belly. The runner-up, Adam Scott, had his dabble staked opposite his [...]