Geoff Mangum's Flatstick Forum: 28 1/2 inches

Geoff,

I took your advice and cut my putter down to 28 1/2 inches. It is a Scotty Cameron Bullseye Flange. I am 5'9" and have always putted with a 35" putter. I play mini tour events in Florida and play in a lot of qualifiers too. When I first started reading your web site a couple of months back, I was skeptical about the short putter and the forehead low.

I began to experiment with my 35" putter by gripping down the grip onto the steel and started to putt pretty good and decided to cut down the putter I am currently using. This is the best thing I have ever done for my putting stroke. It puts me in such a relaxed position with my head directly over the ball and I am able to rotate my head and eyes down the line. I see where I want to putt the ball now, amazing! I see two lines now, one from my eyes directly to the ball and the other from the ball directly to my target, like an L. And with my arms and hands stress free I am able to stroke the ball without having a lot tension. My arms are hanging straight down from my shoulders and this eliminates extra angles I previously had in my stroke. I feel as if my stroke is now on plane as my shoulders rock back and thru. And with the putter being so short it puts my forehead low automatically, in a position that is perfect for my putting stroke.

I am very excited about my putting since I started reading your articles and this forum. I especially related to the stuff about why I should putt with a putter that fits me instead of what is sold off the shelf. It is so simple too, how did I miss it? My putter now feels like I am in control of it instead of the other way around. It feels like a weapon that I can use to gain a big advantage on my competitors.

As a side note about human nature, I will share this with you. When I first cut my putter down I was good naturedly teased about the length or lack of length of my putter. The funny thing was that the guys that made the comments all had 35 inch putters and aren't particularly good putters. One guy after watching me putt on the putting clock for a while said sarcastically, keep your head down referring to my forehead low as opposed to the more popular forehead above the chin you see most players use today. I felt like the guy in the movie, "Midnight Express" when he was locked up in the insane asylum and the activity of the day was to walk around the pole in a counter clockwise direction. One day this guy decided to walk in the opposite direction and the other walkers practically beat him up to get him to conform to what they were all doing and they were certifiably insane. It is easier in life to conform and go along to get along but you never excel when you do this. Anyway, I knew I was on the right track after all the ribbing I received.

I still have a long way to go and I know I may not have expressed myself perfectly here but I am putting better than I ever have in my life, and that is under tournament conditions. Thank you Geoff for sharing your knowledge here on this site. You the man!

28 1/2 inches

I Love It!

Re: I Love It!

So at what length should a 6'0" guy like myself have?

Re: 28 1/2 inches