Belly Putter
A belly putter is a putter with an extended shaft, long enough that a golfer can rest the grip end against the stomach. The club remains legal, but anchoring it against the body during the stroke is banned under the Rules of Golf.
What is a belly putter?
The defining feature of a belly putter is shaft length: it runs longer than a standard model, so the butt of the grip reaches a golfer’s midsection. Conventional putters usually run 32 to 36 inches. Belly putters typically measure 41 to 44 inches (LiveAbout). That extra length let players rest the grip end against the stomach during the stroke, a technique known as anchoring.
The point of anchoring was stability. Pressing the grip into the belly created a fixed pivot, so the putter swung like a pendulum from one point rather than from the hands and wrists. Golfers who tended to get handsy or flinch through short putts found the motion steadier and easier to repeat.
The belly putter sits between two other designs. It is longer than a conventional putter but shorter than a long putter, also called a broomstick, which reaches the chest or chin. Because of that middle length, it is sometimes labelled a mid-length putter. In how it looks and how a golfer swings it, a belly putter has more in common with a standard putter than with the broomstick.
How a belly putter works
Removing moving parts from the stroke is the whole idea behind a belly putter. A normal putting motion involves the hands and wrists, the elbows and shoulders, even the waist and knees, and any of them can twist the face off line at the wrong moment (Wikipedia). Those small, jittery movements are the source of the yips, the involuntary twitches that wreck a golfer’s short game. Bernhard Langer’s case was so bad at one stage that he once took four putts from inside three feet (Wikipedia).
Anchoring the grip into the stomach took the wrists and hands largely out of the equation. With one end of the club fixed against the body, the putter could only rotate around that point, which produced a more repeatable arc. The trade-off was feel. A golfer gives up some touch on distance control in return for a steadier path, which is why belly putters tended to help weaker putters more than good ones.
Length is the whole reason the club exists, so fit matters. A belly putter has to reach the stomach comfortably at address, which is why golfers were custom-fit rather than buying off the rack.
Belly putter vs. conventional and long putters
Shaft length and historic anchor position are what separate the three main putter types.
| Putter type | Typical length | Where it was anchored | Current status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conventional putter | 32 to 36 inches | Nowhere, held in the hands | Fully legal |
| Belly (mid-length) putter | 41 to 44 inches | Stomach or midsection | Legal club, anchoring banned |
| Long (broomstick) putter | Around 48 inches | Chest or chin | Legal club, anchoring banned |
The naming causes most of the confusion. A belly putter describes the club and its length, while anchoring describes the technique. A golfer can hold a belly putter today and putt with it legally, as long as the grip never gets pressed into the body.
Are belly putters still legal? The anchoring ban
Yes, the club itself is legal. What changed is how it can be used. After several years of debate, the USGA and the R&A announced on May 21, 2013, that anchored strokes would be banned, and the rule took effect on January 1, 2016 (LiveAbout). It first appeared as Rule 14-1b, and in the current Rules of Golf, it sits under Rule 10.1b (USGA).
The rule governs the stroke rather than the equipment. A player must not hold the club or a gripping hand against the body, and must not press a forearm against the body to create an anchor point for the other hand to swing around (USGA). Breaking the rule costs two strokes in stroke play or loss of the hole in match play (Golf Digest). Accidental contact, such as the club brushing a shirt, is not a breach.
Belly and long putters never disappeared. Golfers simply found legal ways to keep the length. Adam Scott, for instance, holds his long putter a fraction off his chest rather than pressed against it, while Bryson DeChambeau uses arm-lock putting, resting the grip against his lead forearm instead of his body (GolfLink). Either method keeps the longer shaft without anchoring.
Belly putters on the pro tours
Paul Azinger is usually credited with drawing attention to the belly putter, having put one in play on the PGA Tour in 1999 (LiveAbout). The design moved from curiosity to genuine force over the following decade. Vijay Singh switched to one late in 2008 and went on to win the FedEx Cup (Golf Digest).
The run that worried golf’s rule makers came in the majors. Keegan Bradley won the 2011 PGA Championship as the first man to take a major using an anchored putter, and Webb Simpson (2012 U.S. Open), Ernie Els (2012 Open Championship), and Adam Scott (2013 Masters) soon followed. At one stage, four of six major winners had anchored, and around 15 percent of PGA Tour players were using an anchored stroke according to figures cited by The New York Times (The Week). That success is what pushed the governing bodies to act.
Related Golf Terms
- Cast irons — Irons made by pouring molten metal into a mold, often more forgiving and affordable.
- Utility iron — A versatile, forgiving alternative to hard-to-hit long irons.
- Forged irons — Irons made from a single piece of soft metal for a softer, more responsive feel.
- 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are belly putters banned?
No. The club is legal under the Rules of Golf. What is banned is anchoring it against the body during the stroke, under Rule 10.1b.
How long is a belly putter?
Most belly putters measure about 41 to 44 inches, compared with 32 to 36 inches for a conventional putter (LiveAbout).
What is the difference between a belly putter and a long putter?
A belly putter reaches the stomach and was anchored there. A long or broomstick putter is longer still and was anchored at the chest or chin.
Why were belly putters effectively banned?
The putters themselves were not banned. The 2016 anchoring rule removed the technique of bracing the club against the body, which was the reason most golfers chose the longer shaft.
Can I still putt with a belly putter?
Yes. You can carry and use one as long as you swing it freely without pressing the grip or your hands against your body.
Sources
- United States Golf Association and R&A. “Rule 10.1b, Anchoring the Club.” Rules of Golf. Accessed June 2026.
https://www.usga.org/content/dam/usga/pdf/2023/rules/2023_USGA_UnderstandingAnchoredStrokes.pdf - Kelley, Brent. “What Is a Belly Putter?” and “Anchoring Ban in Golf.” LiveAbout. Accessed June 2026.
https://www.liveabout.com/belly-putter-golf-definition-1560764
https://www.liveabout.com/anchoring-ban-rule-14-1b-1565973 - “Putter.” Wikipedia. Accessed June 2026.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Putter - Terbush, Jon. “What is belly putting, and why did pro golf ban it?” The Week, citing The New York Times. Accessed June 2026.
https://theweek.com/articles/464136/what-belly-putting-why-did-pro-golf-ban - Golf Digest. “Basics of the Belly Putter” and “Rules of Golf Review: Anchoring.” Accessed June 2026.
https://www.golfdigest.com/gallery/bellyputters
https://www.golfdigest.com/story/rules-of-golf-review-anchoring-putter-stroke-rules-penalty - GolfLink. “How to Use a Long Putter Legally.” Accessed June 2026.
https://www.golflink.com/instruction/putt-belly-putter
