Struggling on the greens? Try a broomstick putter (it saved my career)
For more than a decade, I tried everything imaginable to defeat the yips, including different grip styles, putters and strokes. I even putted with my eyes closed. Nothing worked. Then, after toiling around in my garage with several long putters before the 2023 Memorial Tournament, I tried the broomstick-style putter Adam Scott was using. Almost instantly, I started having success on the greens, even winning back-to-back tournaments on the PGA Tour. This March, I finished a career-best third at the Players Championship along with another broomstick convert, Akshay Bhatia. I can’t promise that you’ll have success with the broomstick, but here are three reasons why it’s worked for me – and why I think it could help your game, too.
It’s easier to get it lined up
While the setup is radically different than it is with a short putter, it has some advantages. For one, it’s much easier to see your lead forearm when standing to the side of the ball. Almost all broomstick players position their lead arm parallel to the target line, which is a great checkpoint for alignment.
It smooths out your stroke
The wider stance you need with a broomstick helps stabilise your lower body so that your upper body can move more freely. The physical act of getting the putter started was where I struggled the most, but by mobilising the shoulders, I was able to make a much more fluid stroke. Poorer putters have a lot of lower-body movement and rely too much on their hands in the stroke. The broomstick neutralises both.
It glides into the ball
With the split-hand grip and being so tilted over the ball, it’s almost as if you’re creating a fulcrum for the putter to swing from without anchoring it to your body (which, of course, is now illegal). Like a wrecking ball, the putter swings back and then coasts into the ball, which is the best way to control speed.
Lucas Glover is a six-time winner on the PGA Tour, including the 2009 US Open at Bethpage Black. He was 50th in the World Golf Ranking at the start of September.
