Guide

Putter length

Most putters are sold at 33, 34 or 35 inches, and the right one is the length that lets you stand comfortably with your eyes just inside the line of the ball: Scotty Cameron puts them 1 to 2 inches inside the target line. Too long a putter stands you up with your eyes too far inside; too short a putter hunches you over with your eyes outside the line. Your height is a rough clue at best, because arm length and posture change it, so check your setup instead.

Check your putter length at home

  1. Set up as you putt. Bend from the hips with a little knee flex and let your arms hang loosely from your shoulders. Take your usual grip on your putter without reaching for the ground.
  2. Look at your hands. With your arms hanging relaxed, your hands should sit at the top of the grip with the sole flat on the floor. If you choke down an inch or more to get there, the putter is longer than you need; if you have to straighten up or let your hands slide off the end, it is shorter.
  3. Check your eyes. Hold a second ball at the bridge of your nose and let it drop. It should land just inside the ball you are putting, toward your feet, which puts your eyes the 1 to 2 inches inside the line that Scotty Cameron's guide aims for. Landing well inside means you are standing too tall for this putter; landing outside, too bent over.
  4. Try the next length. In a shop, hit the same head at 33, 34 and 35 inches and keep the one where your setup feels natural and the drop test lands just inside.

Signs your putter is the wrong length

A golf shop can shorten a putter, and the maker can build a new one to your length: several of the putters below are made to order in other lengths. Shortening a putter makes the head feel lighter, so ask the shop about adding head weight if you take off more than an inch.

Stock lengths of the putters we cover

Lowest price first. 13 of the 21 are sold in all three stock lengths; the Vice Golf VGP03 ZT, the Vice Golf VGP04 ZT and the PING Scottsdale TEC Ketsch Onset come in one.

The forgiving putters we cover: stock lengths, the length range built to order where the maker gives one, hands and price
PutterStock lengthsBuilt to orderHandsPrice
Wilson Infinite Buckingham 33", 34", 35" ask the maker Left or right; 33" right-handed only $139.99, checked 2 Nov
Wilson Infinite Bucktown 33", 34", 35" ask the maker Left or right; 33" right-handed only $139.99, checked 2 Nov
Wilson Infinite Bean 33", 34", 35" ask the maker Right only $139.99, checked 2 Nov
Wilson Infinite The L 34", 35" ask the maker Right only $139.99, checked 2 Nov
Wilson Infinite South Side 34", 35" ask the maker Right only $139.99, checked 2 Nov
Wilson Infinite Grant Park 34", 35" ask the maker Right only $139.99, checked 2 Nov
Cleveland HB Soft 2 Model 11 34", 35" 32" to 38" Left or right $159.99, checked 2 Nov
Vice Golf VGP03 ZT 34" 30" to 36" Right only $199, checked 2 Nov
Wilson Infinite Zero Torque The 606 33", 34", 35" ask the maker Left or right; 33" right-handed only $199.99, checked 2 Nov
Wilson Infinite Zero Torque Lakeview 33", 34", 35" ask the maker Left or right; 33" right-handed only $199.99, checked 2 Nov
Vice Golf VGP04 ZT 34" 30" to 36" Right only $239, checked 2 Nov
Odyssey Ai-DUAL #7 DB 33", 34", 35" ask the maker Right only $249.99 at Golf Discount, checked 17 Oct
Odyssey Ai-DUAL Square 2 Square MAX 1/2 Ball Center Shaft 33", 34", 35" ask the maker Left or right $299.99 at Golf Discount, checked 2 Nov
Odyssey Ai-DUAL Square 2 Square Jailbird Center Shaft 33", 34", 35" ask the maker Left or right $299.99 at Golf Discount, checked 2 Nov
Cobra 3DP Tour Agera 34", 35" 33" to 37" Left or right $379, checked 2 Nov
PING Scottsdale TEC Ketsch Onset 35" ask the maker Right only $397 at Golf Discount, checked 2 Nov
L.A.B. Golf DF3 Stock 33", 34", 35" ask the maker Left or right $399, checked 2 Nov
Evnroll ZERO Z1cs Mallet 33", 34", 35" ask the maker Left or right $449, checked 2 Nov
TaylorMade Spider ZT Max 33", 34", 35" ask the maker Left or right $449.99, checked 2 Nov
L.A.B. Golf VZN.1i Stock 33", 34", 35" ask the maker Left or right $499 at L.A.B. Golf, checked 2 Nov
Scotty Cameron Phantom 11R OC 33", 34", 35" ask the maker Left or right $549 at Golf Discount, checked 2 Nov

Cleveland, Vice Golf, Vice Golf and Cobra publish a build-to-order range; for the others, the maker or a fitter can say which lengths it builds. The forgiving putters page compares the heads, and blade vs mallet explains which shape suits your stroke.

Questions golfers ask

What is the standard putter length?

There is no single standard: makers sell 33, 34 and 35 inches as stock, and 13 of the 21 putters here come in all three.

What length putter for my height?

Height charts give a starting guess, but two golfers of the same height can need different lengths: one with longer arms or a more bent-over stance needs a shorter putter. The drop test above checks your own setup in a minute, which is why we do not print a height chart.

Should a beginner buy a longer putter?

Not for its own sake. A beginner benefits most from a forgiving mallet head at the length that fits their setup; the putters for beginners page lists them by price, length and hand.

Does putter length change the lie?

Yes: a longer putter at the same setup stands its toe up, and a shorter one its heel. That is why Scotty Cameron's guide sets the length first and keeps the standard lie for most golfers (Scotty Cameron's selection guide).