I've been faced with the same crisis that 10%
or more of our amateurgolf.com members who
putt anchored have in the last six months.
Even before the new rule was carved in stone,
I haven't wanted to practice with a long
putter. (You didn't think they would change
their minds did you?)
And my lack of practice has showed in my
putts per round, which have crept up into the
low 30's and some days higher.
Since I don't plan on winning the U.S. Amateur
any time soon, I decided it's best for me to go
"cold turkey" and that's exactly what I've
done, first starting with an old favorite and
then experimenting with little tweaks here and
there. I thought the fat grip would be the
answer, but have you tried regripping a putter
with one? It changes the feel of the club, even
if you use one of the light weight options.
I'll leave it to the experts who design and build
putters to come to market with new ideas,
because they've seen this coming for a while
too. Odyssey has several choices that should
be looked into, including a putter designed for
Arm Lock (think Matt Kuchar) and the new
Odyssey Tank.
Odyssey started with a head style (The #7)
preferred by many Tour players and better
amateurs, made it heavier (400g), and added a
heavier shaft while placing a counter-balance
weight at the butt end of the club. All of this
increases moment of inertia (MOI) over
conventionally designed putters. (Watch the
video above to learn about the benefits.)
You'll want to try both the short (34" or 36")
and the long (38" or 40") models to determine
what fits your stroke.
Belly players will likely gravitate towards the
long model that has a an extended grip and is
approximately 30% heavier than a standard
putter. You won't stick it in your belly, just
grip down on it until it feels comfortable, like
one of our members who excels at top-level
senior events, who told me:
"With the belly putter I was more stable on the
short putts but I lost my feel on long ones.
The Tank is so stable that I'm putting as well
as I ever have. At least six of my friends have
tried mine and purchased their own."
Either model has great feel, thanks to an
improved white hot insert and tour-preferred
balance point.
The bottom line? If you're putting with a long
or belly putter it's not just anchoring that
you're going to change if you go cold turkey,
like me, to a short putter. The weight and
length differences are huge adjustments.
Reduce those, and you might find yourself
thanking the USGA for the change as you hole
more long putts and get your first one close
more often.
Even if you don't use an anchored style now,
you should try rolling the Odyssey Tank.
Visit Worldwide Golf
Shops, home of the 90 day playability
guarantee, to view current pricing and
availability on the Odyssey Tank putter. Their
service, prices, and ship times are the best in
the business!
