Broomstick Putter
A broomstick putter is a putter with an unusually long shaft, typically around 46 to 54 inches, that the golfer holds high on the chest to make a tall, pendulum-style putting stroke.
What is a broomstick putter?
A broomstick putter looks like a normal putter that someone stretched. The clubhead is the same kind of head found on standard putters, but the shaft runs far longer, often reaching the golfer’s sternum or chin when the club is set behind the ball. Standard putters for most adult golfers measure around 32 to 36 inches. A broomstick sits well beyond that, which is where the nickname comes from: the club is roughly the length of a household broom, and the stroke sweeps.
The point of all that extra length is stability. With a conventional putter, the wrists and hands do a lot of work, and that is exactly where nervous or inconsistent strokes tend to break down. A broomstick changes the geometry. The top hand holds the club high and stays fairly still, acting as the top of a pendulum, while the lower hand rocks the club back and through. The result takes most of the wrist action out of the stroke.
Golfers also know the broomstick by another name. “Long putter” became the standard term by the mid-1990s, and the two phrases describe the same club. Older terms like “broom-handle putter” turn up occasionally, though they have mostly faded.
How a broomstick putter works
The defining feature is the upright posture. Because the shaft is so long, the golfer stands taller and more vertical over the ball instead of hunching the way a standard putter demands. The grip end sits up near the chest, and the club hangs almost straight down.
From there, the stroke is a pendulum. The upper hand provides a near-fixed pivot at the top, and the shoulders and lower hand swing the head back and through on a shallow path. Since the hands are separated and the wrists are largely removed, the face stays squarer through impact than it does for many golfers using a short putter. That is the appeal for anyone whose hands tend to twitch at the moment of contact.
A broomstick also changes the shape of the stroke. The long, near-vertical shaft produces a flatter, less curved arc than a traditional putter, so the head travels closer to straight back and straight through. None of this guarantees better putting. The mechanics simply remove some of the moving parts that cause trouble.
Are broomstick putters legal?
Yes. The broomstick putter itself is legal, and there is no rule forcing it out of the bag. What changed in 2016 was the stroke, not the club.
On January 1, 2016, the USGA and R&A introduced a ban on anchoring, originally written as Rule 14-1b and now found in Rule 10.1b of the Rules of Golf. The rule says a player must not anchor the club during a stroke, either by holding it directly against the body or by pressing a forearm against the body to create a stable “anchor point.” For years, broomstick users had jammed the butt end of the grip into the chest or sternum to form a fixed fulcrum, and that specific technique is what the rule outlawed.
A golfer can still play a broomstick today. The grip simply has to be held away from the body, even if only slightly, so the club swings freely. Breaking the rule is costly: the penalty is two strokes in stroke play, or loss of the hole in match play.
The length is not a problem either. Under the Equipment Rules, most clubs cannot exceed 48 inches, but putters are specifically exempt from that limit, so there is no maximum length for a putter. The rules do require that any two-section “split” grip on a long putter have an upper grip of at least five inches, and a putter’s loft cannot exceed ten degrees.
Broomstick vs belly vs armlock putters
The broomstick is often confused with two other longer-than-standard putters. They differ mainly in length and in where the club meets the body.
| Putter type | Typical length | Where it meets the body | Legal stroke today |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 32–36 in | Held in the hands, away from the body | Legal |
| Armlock | 36–40 in | Grip rests along the lead forearm | Legal |
| Belly | 41–44 in | Once anchored into the stomach | Legal only if not anchored |
| Broomstick | 46–54 in | Held high near the chest, free of the body | Legal if not anchored |
The belly putter, popular before the 2016 ban, was anchored into the stomach and is rarely seen now because that anchored method is no longer allowed. The armlock putter rests its grip flat against the lead forearm, which the rules permit because the forearm is not being used as an anchor point in the prohibited way. Matt Kuchar won the 2014 RBC Heritage with an armlock putter, and the style has stayed legal and popular.
Why golfers use a broomstick putter
The classic reason is the yips, the involuntary flinch or jab that wrecks short putts. By taking the wrists out of the motion, the broomstick gives a yippy golfer a calmer, more repeatable stroke. The upright stance is the second big draw. Standing tall puts far less strain on the lower back, which keeps golfers with back trouble in the game longer.
The roster of accomplished players who have used long putters is what gives the club its credibility. Adam Scott won the 2013 Masters with a broomstick. Bernhard Langer has putted with one for years on the senior circuit and remains one of the most reliable putters in the game. The style had a clear resurgence in 2025, when Lucas Glover and Akshay Bhatia both put long putters in play at the Players Championship, and Will Zalatoris has used one as well.
The broomstick is not a cure-all. Distance control can feel strange at first, and getting the length and weight right usually means a session with a club fitter. Plenty of golfers also dislike the look of standing over a club that tall. For someone who has tried everything else on the greens, though, it can be a genuine fresh start.
A short history of the broomstick putter
Long putters drifted into professional golf on the Senior Tour in the 1980s, used by players looking for a steadier stroke as their nerves and bodies aged. Through the late 1980s and into the 1990s, the broomstick spread to the main tours, and for a while, golfers used “broomstick putter” and “long putter” almost interchangeably before settling on the latter.
The anchored stroke reached its peak in the early 2010s, when a run of major champions leaned on anchored putters: Keegan Bradley at the 2011 PGA Championship and Webb Simpson at the 2012 U.S. Open both used belly putters, while Ernie Els won the 2012 Open Championship with a long putter, and Adam Scott followed at the 2013 Masters. That cluster of wins worried the governing bodies, who felt anchoring strayed from the tradition of swinging the whole club freely. The USGA and R&A announced the anchoring ban in 2013 and brought it into force at the start of 2016. Long putters survived the change; only the anchored technique disappeared.
Related Golf Terms
- Muscle back — A blade-style iron with weight concentrated behind the sweet spot for feel and shot-shaping.
- Driving iron — A low-lofted iron used for long, penetrating tee shots.
- Cast irons — Irons made by pouring molten metal into a mold, often more forgiving and affordable.
- Forged irons — Irons made from a single piece of soft metal for a softer, more responsive feel.
- Utility iron — A versatile, forgiving alternative to hard-to-hit long irons.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are broomstick putters still legal?
Yes. The club is legal and always has been. Only anchoring it against the body during the stroke is banned, under Rule 10.1b.
Were broomstick putters banned?
No. The 2016 rule banned the anchored stroke, not the putter. A golfer can use a broomstick as long as the grip is held away from the body.
How long is a broomstick putter?
Most measure around 46 to 54 inches, compared with about 32 to 36 inches for a standard putter. The rules set no maximum length for putters.
Can you anchor a broomstick putter?
No. Pressing the butt of the grip against the chest, or bracing a forearm to create an anchor point, breaks Rule 10.1b and costs two strokes in stroke play or the hole in match play.
What is the difference between a broomstick and a belly putter?
Length, mostly. A broomstick runs longer and reaches up to the chest while staying free of the body, whereas a belly putter is shorter and was once anchored into the stomach, a method the rules no longer permit.
Do any professionals still use a broomstick putter?
Yes. Bernhard Langer, Lucas Glover, Akshay Bhatia, and Will Zalatoris are among those who have used long putters in recent seasons.
Sources
- USGA and R&A. “Equipment Rules, Part 2: Conformance of Clubs.” Accessed June 2026.
https://www.randa.org/en/roe/the-rules-of-equipment/part-2-conformance-of-clubs - USGA. “Understanding the Rules on Anchoring (Rule 14-1b / Rule 10.1b).” Accessed June 2026.
https://www.usga.org/content/dam/usga/images/rules/anchoring/understanding-anchored-strokes.pdf - Golf Digest. “Rules of Golf Review: anchoring putter stroke rules and penalty.” Accessed June 2026.
https://www.golfdigest.com/story/rules-of-golf-review-anchoring-putter-stroke-rules-penalty - Golf.com. “Rules Guy: Are putters allowed to exceed 48 inches in length?” Accessed June 2026.
https://golf.com/instruction/rules/rules-guy-are-putters-allowed-exceed-48-inches/ - Golf Monthly. “What is the longest club length allowed by the rules?” Accessed June 2026.
https://www.golfmonthly.com/golf-rules/what-is-the-longest-club-length-allowed-by-the-rules - PGA Tour. “Anchored Away.” January 2016. Accessed June 2026.
https://www.pgatour.com/article/news/long-form/2016/01/12/anchored-putter-ban - Golf.com. “Is a broomstick putter right for you?” March 2025. Accessed June 2026.
https://golf.com/instruction/is-a-long-putter-right-for-you/ - Golf Compendium. “What Is a Broomstick Putter?” Accessed June 2026.
https://www.golfcompendium.com/2025/12/broomstick-putter.html
