Geoff Ogilvy may have been joking, but he guesses that soon, the typical junior golf set would include a belly putter in every bag.
The belly putter, that longer version of the traditional club that is anchored into the player's midsection, has become a hot topic on tour. Some players, including PGA champion Keegan Bradley and FedExCup points leader Webb Simpson, who are competing this week at the Tour Championship at East Lake, love them.
“I’ve been putting with it for a long time now," said Bradley, who began using one 2 1/2 years ago. “Every time I grabbed one of them, it felt really, really comfortable. Then I had a putter made up and from there on, it clicked. It was something that felt right for me to do.”
Others, such as Ogilvy and Matt Kuchar, aren't so sure.
"I think it's another step away from the game that's been played for 300 years," Ogilvy said. "... To me, golf is two or three woods, irons, wedges and a putter. The putter is the shortest thing in your bag."
However, Ogilvy recognizes that golf, perhaps more than any other sport, is being dominated by technology and mimicry. Players are constantly seeking an advantage. Because the belly putter makes the stroke simpler and because players are winning with it, he can see more golfers trying it.
Phil Mickelson, known as a tinkerer with drivers and wedges, has used an old-school putter to become a multi-time major winner. But even he is experimenting with the new style, debuting it at the Deutsche Bank Championship three weeks ago. He averaged 28.8 putts per round, slightly better than his 28.93 season average. He averaged 28.3 last week at the BMW Championship.
"I don't know if it's a short-term or a long-term thing, but it feels good," Mickelson told ESPN.com before the Deutsche tournament.
One advantage of the longer putter is it eases the stroke because it requires a simpler pendulum motion. With the top of the club anchored -- be it with the stomach, the sternum or the chin as some prefer -- the golfer can concentrate only on moving the putter head. Purists have argued whether a shot with such an anchored club constitutes a traditional swing of golf.
Simpson, who is No. 30 on the tour in putts per round (28.6), began using his belly putter seven years ago when he was a freshman at Wake Forest. He used it last month to win the Wyndham Championship, completing a three-tournament triumvirate for golfers who are using their flat bellies to swing their new flatsticks.
The run started with Adam Scott at the Bridgestone Invitational, continued with Bradley at the PGA at the Atlanta Athletic Club and finished with Simpson at the Wyndham. He then used the putter to win the Deutsche a few weeks later, taking advantage of seven one-putts on the final eight holes.
"I was putting inconsistently at the time and I just tried it, more than anything because I was curious," he said. "I really liked it and tried it for nine holes maybe that day and putted really well and I just stuck with it."
Ogilvy has suggested he'd like to see a change in the rules. But until then, players will continue to try the club.
The USGA considered banning the long putters in 1989, but decided not to because it enabled more people to enjoy the game.
"I think it's feasible if the rules stay the same the way they are, that everybody uses one at some point," Ogilvy said.
Ogilvy, who has tried a belly putter nut has never switched to one, pointed out that just because someone has a belly putter it doesn't make them automatically better. Greens have to be read and speeds have to be judged.
Justin Rose, who tried one during the practice rounds before the BMW Championship last week, said he hit it well and immediately felt comfortable. However, he decided to stick with his traditional putter and won the tournament.
Kuchar doesn't use a belly putter, but he doesn't putt traditionally, either. He chokes down so that the grips runs up his left arm. One of the better putters on tour, he is unsure if the fad is influencing golf.
"It seems theoretically like it would make things easier," he said. "I look at the other side of the coin: If it really was better, everybody would be doing it."
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