My Tangle with the Adam Scott Putter Style
Alright, so I kept seeing Adam Scott on TV, draining putts with that long broomstick thing. Looked smooth, looked steady. You know how it is, you see something working for a pro, and the little voice in your head goes, “Maybe… maybe that’s the secret.” So, I decided, what the heck, let’s give this long putter thing a whirl.
First hurdle was getting my hands on one. Didn’t want to splash out loads of cash right away. Found a used one online, looked kinda like his setup, long shaft, decent grip. Wasn’t exactly the same model, but close enough for my little experiment. When it arrived, picking it up felt… weird. Really weird. Like holding a walking stick you’re supposed to putt with. Definitely not the feel of my trusty old blade putter.
So, I took it out to the practice green. First few attempts were just awkward. Where do you even stand? How do you hold this thing? I tried anchoring it lightly against my chest, kinda like I saw Scott doing (before they changed the rules, mind you, but I was just messing around on the practice green). The stroke itself felt completely different. Less handsy, more shoulders, like a big pendulum.
- Felt super stable on short ones, like 3-footers. The putter head just didn’t seem to wobble much.
- Distance control on longer putts? Man, that was tough at first. Felt like I had no touch. Either blasted it way past or left it embarrassingly short.
- Lining it up also took some getting used to. Standing so tall felt unnatural compared to my usual crouch.
Spent a good few afternoons just grinding. Trying to get a consistent feel. Some days it felt like magic, everything rolling pure. Other days, I felt like a complete beginner, couldn’t buy a putt. It wasn’t an instant fix, that’s for sure. There was a lot of trial and error, fiddling with my grip, my stance, how much pressure to use.
What I did notice was that it forced a smoother tempo. With my old putter, I could get quick or jerky if I wasn’t careful. This long stick kind of forces you to make a more rhythmic stroke. That part, I actually liked. It simplified things in a way, taking my twitchy hands out of the equation more.
Did I stick with it? Well, not permanently. It was an interesting experiment, and I definitely see why it works for some guys. The stability on short putts was undeniable. But for me, the lack of feel on longer putts and just the overall awkwardness compared to what I was used to… I eventually went back to my shorter putter. It just felt more natural in my hands, even if it meant dealing with those nervy short ones sometimes.
Still got that long putter in the garage, though. Every now and then, if my putting goes really sour, I’ll pull it out for a practice session. Just to remind myself of that pendulum feeling. It was a good learning experience, trying something completely different. Sometimes you gotta mess around to figure out what really works for you, right?
