How to Measure Putter Length in 6 Steps and Find the Right One for You

We'll cover the steps you need to take and give some tips on finding the ideal fit
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Phillip Ortiz
Phillip Ortiz
Expert Consultant
Phillip is a professional golf player who knows exactly what features to look for if you need perfect gear. Apart from golf, Phillip is fond of fishing and hunting.
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Suzanne Holley
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Suzanne is a talented news reporter. She's also a freelance writer with our site being her major and most loved project. In her free time, Suzanne loves reading utopian nove read more
Last updated: August 28, 2023
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The putter is one of the most important clubs in a bag and has to fit the player like a shoe! One very often mistakes made by golfers of all levels is the wrong length. In the long history of golf, it was established that a standard golf putter was 35 inches long. However, for men, women, or children, golf fitting was mostly a foreign concept. This is why, in this article, we’ll show you how to measure putter length and give you other tips on choosing this special type of golf club.

Today even very tall players with a height of over 1.80 m and more often play with a very short putter with a length of 34″ or even shorter, which will be weird for experienced golfers or instructors who are knowledgeable in the concept. So, let’s find out what putter length would be ideal for you!

Finding the Putter Length That Would Be Right for You

How to Measure Putter Length in 6 Steps and Find the Right One for You

Anyone of average stature – especially an average arm length – is usually well served with an off-the-peg set of golf clubs. However, if you are of exceptional stature, you should think about a so-called fitting. But it all starts with finding the right measurement for your golf clubs.

When fitting, it is determined which golf club length is the right one for the respective golfer. Primarily the body size and the distance from the ground to the wrist are measured, but also other parameters such as the length of the trunk and the inclination of the trunk in the address position (the position in which the golfer is directly in front of the shot).

The golf club fitting itself is carried out by some retailers via video analysis free of charge or for a small fee. Adjusting golf clubs afterwards, however, can be costly.

Extraordinarily tall beginners can often make do with an off-the-shelf golf club set that is fitted. To do this, the handle of the racket is often simply removed and the shaft sawn off to the desired length. If you are advanced or want to invest a little more money right from the start, you also have the option of having golf clubs made that are precisely tailored to your body. However, at least a four-digit amount must be invested here.

Shortening each club costs around $12 at some retailers. However, in the case of particularly inexpensive sets, the handles may have to be replaced after they have been removed from the shaft. If you add $20 for an inexpensive handle to the $12 for shortening, the fitting costs roughly around $32 per club. This investment should be worth it for golfers with unusual body dimensions, otherwise, the probability is high that the balls rarely land where they should land during the game.

So, it’s always better to know your putter length and then buy accordingly. If you’re ready, you must now be willing to know how to measure golf putter length.

Measuring Putter Length Step by Step

Step 1: To measure your putter length, start by wearing your golfing shoes.

Step 2: Stand on a putting green (any other place would also be great) and place a golf ball on the green.

Step 3: Then stands in the usual golf posture on the ball. The left eye for right-handers should always be directly over the golf ball.

Step 4: Have your upper body bent forward up to 45 degrees with your back straight and your knees slightly angled. It should be a comfortable and pain-free posture in which the arms can hang down completely relaxed.

Step 5: In this position, you put the golf putter in your hands and reach for the ball as usual without changing the height of your hands. Then the upper position of the left hand is marked, for example with tape. This tape now shows exactly how long a putter would be or would have to be individually adjusted.

Step 6: The length can now be determined with the help of a measuring stick. You measure from the sole of the golf putter to the tape.

So, as you can see, golf putter fitting is easy to do with little effort. You can then go ahead and buy the right putter. For us, the TaylorMade Spider Tour is the best golfing putter. It’s an ideal choice for golfers whose height meets the standard 35 inches of putter length.

Meanwhile, if you need a slightly shorter club, the Cleveland Huntington Beach may be the right one. It had a soft flex and a putter length of 34 inches.

For a more visual understanding of the steps, start watching the video below from 1:27 min.

What’s the Optimal Putter Length?

When the optimal length of a golf club is mentioned, the shaft length is usually meant. The shaft can be shortened as required by a specialist – but not lengthened. Accordingly, there are golf clubs off the rack that have an extra-long shaft (often marked with “+ 1 inch”) but not with a particularly short shaft. Because you can always shorten a golf club.

The Problems with Especially Tall or Short Golfers

The ideal lengths of the golf clubs are of course identical for all clubs. No matter whether it’s a golf club set, iron set, or individual club. The condition of the golf clubs (more precisely: the condition of the shafts) is different for beginners than for advanced golfers and is different for women than for men. For this reason, the following recommendation from golf instructors and specialist dealers are often given:

  • Smaller men should use golf club sets for women Trusted Source Should more men actually be using golf equipment made for women? Should more male golfers be using golf clubs that are advertised for women golfers? We answer that question in-depth on our Fully Equipped podcast. golf.com , as the shaft length is better suited to their body size.
  • Taller women should use golf club sets for men Trusted Source What's The Difference Between Men's and Women's Golf Clubs? As a female golfer you naturally gravitate towards the women's options. There are, however, a few things to consider, for example, the difference between men's and women's golf clubs. www.golfspan.com because the shaft length is also better suited to their body size.

Note: The shafts of the ladies’ golf clubs are generally more flexible than the shafts of the men’s golf clubs! The length of the golf clubs may be the right one for the two recommendations mentioned above, but the flexibility of the shafts, called flex, is not.

The flex determines how much the golf club swings. If the clubs swing clearly, players who hit with comparatively little force will benefit in particular. Because a swinging club catapults the ball forward – the golf ball flies significantly further.

For the problem described above, this means:

  • A women’s golf club may be suitable for a man with comparatively small body size with regard to the length of the golf club, but not with regard to the flex, i.e. the flexibility of the shaft! Even smaller men often swing so vigorously (and thus: so quickly) that the whip effect hinders more than it helps. A women’s set is therefore not recommended for many men – not even for beginners.
  • The situation is similar for comparatively tall women: the height of the golfer may match the length of the golf club in a men’s set. However, with a men’s set, the desired whip effect is significantly less than with a women’s set.
  • In both cases, a so-called golf club fitting is recommended.

Tips and Hack

  • The optimal putter length has more to do with body size. It depends on other factors such as leg and arm length as well as the width of the posture and the angle of the upper body. In short: the shorter the putter and the more the upper body is leaned forward, the less deviations from the ideal movement can occur.
  • The weight of each putter can be changed individually even after the club has been bought. Weighting is carried out using tungsten blocks in the clubhead. A higher weight in the clubhead makes the putter more top-heavy and incorrect movements can be reduced more easily.
  • If a ball is not consistently hit in the sweet spot, a forgiving putter with a center shaft is ideal for play. The straight shaft, which is built into the center of the clubhead and distributes the weight evenly on the clubhead, ensures a constant impact torque and enables easy control of the length dosage.
  • There are different grip sizes and shapes that are offered on the golf market: standard, mid-size and oversize handles in square and round designs as well as different color variants of the individual models. But which one is the right one? There is no general answer to this question. It should be noted that as soon as the putter is picked up, the fingers grip without much sorting, and the club is in a position that is comfortable for the player. So, as for the handle, it’s all a matter of feeling!

Putter Fitting Chart

Putter fitting is rather uncommon because every player swears by his feeling when it comes to puttering. There are no fixed rules. However, if you don’t want to give the self-measurement steps a try, we want to give you a chart that you should keep in mind when choosing the right putter. From this chart from Holder Golf Trusted Source Fitting Guide – Holder Golf Please note that it is very difficult to design a fitting guide that can take into consideration the differences between body types and postures that individual golfers have. Our putters, by design, tend to play shorter than traditional putters, so if one of our fitting methods fits you for a 33" putter but the traditi holdergolf.com , you can simply figure out your height and then the corresponding putter length:

How to Measure Putter Length in 6 Steps and Find the Right One for You

Signs That a Putter Is Not Right for You

  • You’re standing too close to the ball: When your putter is overly short, you’ll find yourself standing closer to the ball to compensate for the missing length. Then your eyes will look past your target line.
  • Off-center shots: If you’re not hitting the center of the ball by the face or the sweet spot, your putter may be the culprit.
  • Higher misses: Your shots aren’t just missing the center face of the ball but you’re missing the ball completely, you may need to recustomize your putter.

Other Putter Specifications to Consider

The most special and long-lasting golf club in the bag, the golf putter has a lifespan of 15 to 20 years, unlike the driver which rarely lasts up to five years. So, the construction is always not in doubt. One of the most important characteristics to consider in the putter is the shape of its head. A distinction is made between the more classic head shape of the blade putter, the half mallet putter, and the mallet putter.

Another differentiating criterion is the balance or the toe slope of the putter. With the face-balanced putter, the center of gravity is below the axis of the shaft. Mid-slant putters dip moderately down when balanced horizontally, and toe-down putters dip significantly down when horizontal.

Further criteria that play a role in the selection of the ideal putter are the design of the striking surface and the texture and shape of the grip.

Final Thoughts

Fitness, nature, and fun: Many reasons make golf a great sport. The game is only successful with the right clubs. The putter is certainly the most important club in the set; most games are won or lost when putting. In addition, the length of a putter is perhaps the most important if you want to ace your putting game.

Putters are approximately 33 to 35 inches long and should allow you to maintain a comfortable posture with your eyes directly above the golf ball. You need to know how to measure putter length to be able to know what length of the putter to choose.

References

1.
Should more men actually be using golf equipment made for women?
Should more male golfers be using golf clubs that are advertised for women golfers? We answer that question in-depth on our Fully Equipped podcast.
2.
What's The Difference Between Men's and Women's Golf Clubs?
As a female golfer you naturally gravitate towards the women's options. There are, however, a few things to consider, for example, the difference between men's and women's golf clubs.
3.
Fitting Guide – Holder Golf
Please note that it is very difficult to design a fitting guide that can take into consideration the differences between body types and postures that individual golfers have. Our putters, by design, tend to play shorter than traditional putters, so if one of our fitting methods fits you for a 33" putter but the traditi
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