Long vs. Short Putters

Video Transcript

" This is Johnny Miles from The Lake Powell National Golf Course in Page, Arizona with another hot tip Expert Village. If you notice in my bag, I’ve got 2 putters. I’ve got a standard, normal length putter. This one’s 34 inches. It actually is that length because it puts the ball right underneath my eyes. I want my eyes and the ball on the same line. This putter, this is my long putter. Like I mentioned before or we mentioned in one of the later tips, I’ve got a bad back. I’ve got a ruptured disk, L4, L5. When it bothers me, it’s very difficult for me to bend over and practice putting; it gets to be painful. You’ll notice that when you put, generally you’ll bend over more than if you just stood up to a golf ball. So the long putter allows me to stand up a little more upright. Again, the right length puts the ball underneath my eye. What I do with this putter is I just take it back and I take it forward just like that. Now, there’s a secret to the long putter. Some people think well, you’ve got to be a bad putter to put with a long putter. I’m a great putter with a short putter, I’m a great putter with this, and I can put with a sand wedge. Let me show you something. When you put with a standard putter, guess what, you’ve got a lever action right here. My hands and that putter have to start back at exactly the same time for me to keep this club head square to where I lined it up. Now, left hand low doesn’t totally do it, but it eliminates a lot of the lever action, and that’s why you see a lot of players put cross handed left hand low. Now, here’s a beautiful thing about the long putter. You’ve eliminated the lever action. You’ve eliminated one of the biggest errors in putting because my hand and that club head have to start back exactly at the same time. So when I line this putter up and I just take it back and take it through, this putter stays square to my target. Why these big heads on putters? Well, let’s call it moment of inertia. They’re more stable, it’s easier to keep this club head square to my target. Now, you might have that sentimental feeling for that old putter that’s 30-40 years old. And they’re not bad putters, but I’m going to tell you something right now. You’re losing a lot of money to your buddies on the greens if you’re not putting with some of this new technology. "