Mickelson: Oh no, not another four-footer!
Winners at the last three PGA Tour events have used non-traditional putters, renewing the debate on whether or not the USGA and R&A should ban them. Last Sunday Webb Simpson earned his first victory using a belly putter. The week before, rookie Keegan Bradley won the PGA Championship while also wielding a belly, making him the first to capture a major with a long putter. And the week prior to that, Adam Scott used a broomstick putter anchored to his chest to win the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.
Asked during his presser at Plainfield Country Club, the site of this week’s opening FedExCup event The Barclays, on his thoughts, Phil Mickelson said he didn’t have any problem with long putters.
“I think that there’s more to it than just starting the ball online and putting,” said Mickelson. “You have to read the green correctly. You have to start the ball online, which the belly putter I think really helps, but you also have to have the right speed.
“And if it were going to be banned, it should have happened 20-plus years ago. But now that it’s been legal, I don’t think you can make it retroactive. There have been guys that have been working with that putter for years if not decades. I just don’t believe that it should even be a consideration.”
But Mickelson added that golf’s governing bodies have been retroactive on grooves (remember Groove-gate last year?) and the paddle grip, which was legal for three decades.
Traditionally, players only switched to the long putter as a last resort with the implication they had come down with a bad case of the yips or simply weren’t very good putters. (Which until recently has been my view. I’ve never even tried a belly on the practice green, but now I’m rather curious — especially since the flatstick was always my Achilles heel. Problem is, I don’t know if I can find one that fits me!)
Mickelson has missed some memorable short putts in the last few years, including at pivotal moments. Most recently, he flubbed several short putts at the British Open to kill the momentum to his final-round surge at the British Open in July. Would Mickelson ever resort to trying a non-traditional putter?
“I wouldn’t rule it out,” he said. “But I think there are certain things technique-wise that you have to understand to do it well, to putt well with it. It swings differently than a normal putter in your hands and I don’t know those idiosyncrasies, those little secrets, if you will. So I don’t really putt very effectively with it.”
Mickelson said he’s taken a few practice strokes with a belly putter on the rare occasion he’s spotted a left-handed one.
Would it surprise me if Phil tried to tinker with a long wand in the near future? Not really.
(AP Photo/Mark Duncan)
Didn’t Angel Cabrera win the masters with a belly putter?
If they were banned, all it would do is force those players back to a traditional putter. They would still spend just as much time (if not more) on the practice green and I dare say, get back to their old ways – let’s face it, none of these guys learnt to play golf with a long putter. I was something they picked up later.
@Dr D: nope, Cabrera didn’t use a belly putter in that Masters win. The putter he used looked long enough, but he didn’t anchor it against his body.
I think the whole long putter story is a non issue. I would love to know the % of players using these putters. Has this increased of late? More over what is the % of players winning with long putters.
They still have to get the ball to the green as well to make it effective. I’m sure its a numbers game, so if anyone has the stats let us know.
Personally I think they look ugly and would always stick with my short stick, although not as short as Garigus, he just looks like a clown with his kids putter.
The long and belly putter trades off poor long-putt feel with (slightly) better accuracy inside 3 feet. The longer putters are not “magic wands”.
I agree with Johnnirby, i have a belly putter and long putts are difficult to gauge. However, 10 feet and in are much easier. Phil would definitely put the belly in belly putter.
It is about time the PGA ban this putters . Rule 15c-211 is very clear that these putters are illegal!
I did some research and there is not a rule 15-c-2-11 in the rules of golf. What kind of garbage are you making up here Will?
I think Will is a guy who thinks he’s funny with his posts. This is a serious golf blog so let’s keep it that way please Will. The long putter is tough to use from long range (at least for me), but from 10 foot and in those bad boys are money.
Pow Wow, its not the Indian, it s the arrow….
What are paddle grips and why are they banned? I always thought “paddle grip” it referred to a grip that is flat on one side. All my putters are like that. Is there a new rule outlawing them?
Also, when you buy a long putter, they can custom fit it to you.
Can a player have two putters? Belly for short range and short stick for long range? Instead of doubling up on pitching wedge, go with two putters.
@IC: yep, two putters are OK. Sergio actually did this in the 2010 Accenture in Arizona in the first round I think.
Does anybody know if Tiger Woods playing this weekend? Thx in advance.
I must admit I was never a fan of the long putters, more of a traditionalist I suppose. Not that I would ever use one but there is nothing to say that they are illegal so I don’t have a problem with anyone using them.
Phil’s right, you still have to read the green and get the pace right and not putter can help you do that.
If long putters are a cure all, then why do some pros that use them still have to use non-traditional grips like Vijay using the belly cross handed? If it was an advantage, everyone would use one. Long putters have been around for at least two decades, and they have ONE major.
I have no position on banning long putters, but I do believe that they shouldn’t be allowed for purposes of taking one or two club length’s relief. We now have a rule that regular clubs can’t exceed 48 inches in length. The rule for taking relief should be changed to state that clubs longer than that 48 inches cannot be used for measuring relief areas.
Long putters should have been banned at the outset. The rules of golf state that clubs should “not be substantially different from the traditional and customary form and make..”.
There is no way that broomhandle putters meet this description, particularly with the hands gripping the club so far apart from each other.
After all, lesser practices, such as straddling the line whilst putting, have been outlawed.
Long putters, especially broomhandles, are certainly not compliant with the spirit of the rules and should never have been allowed.
To have a situation where a club is considered legal for play but not for measuring relief clearly shows something very wrong ..
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