Travel with a Long Putter

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A putter doesn’t have to be as aligned as a pool cue does – and they use screws We are talking about different forms of alignment. A pool cue only requires a straight shaft, which may attachment systems provide. A putter with an asymetric grip has to have the grip positioned square with the head. If there is any play in the screw threads you can get different alignment depending on how tight it is fit. (Trust me, this one is bad. I got a putter as a rental two days ago with a loose head and it was a real pain.) Some mechanism that guarantees the top and bottom halves are always connected the same way, like that button on the vacuum cleaner tools, solves that one.

That can be true if you have asymmetrical grips. My long putter does not. But either way, you don’t want an off-center shot to start unscrewing the connector! A vacuum cleaner tool though is sloppier than you want. I want a precision – solid feeling connection. I think this can happen with a good screw that always screwed all the way in (to the same spot) as well as by other methods.

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I flew overseas with a well made, soft sided travel bag that fit my 50" putter. If you wish, I’ll find and post the make and model. You can write

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You’ve inspired me, Colin. I happen to have some old pool cues in my garage, the kind that break down into 5 pieces. The join between the tip piece and the next one is almost exactly the right diameter for a shaft with a butt size of about .620. You’d want the join to be just at the end of the upper grip, which would disguise its location. It would add, oh, maybe a couple of ounces to the weight of the putter, but given that it’s a pendulum putter, it wouldn’t matter much, if at all. This is, actually, eminently do-able. I’m actually interested in making a prototype for this. All I need is the putter shaft. I am quite sure I can get them aligned correctly–all I’d need to do is screw the two halves together, insert them into the shaft, and then lay the shaft into a v-shaped channel to ensure the upper and lower halves were perfectly aligned while the epoxy cured.

I was just looking in my kitchen and noticed that the dust mop my wife recently purchased has a five-segment shaft of aluminum, about a half inch in diameter, that screws together. While the shaft isn’t something I’d suggest for a wood or iron, it might well be suitable for a putter prototype. IIRC, it only cost a few dollars, and thus wouldn’t be a great loss if it didn’t work out. You could also change the length of the putter by leaving out a segment or two. Eliyahu

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When I get real long putts – over 50′, I switch my long putter to my side, facing the hole.

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A putter doesn’t have to be as aligned as a pool cue does – and they use screws

We are talking about different forms of alignment. A pool cue only requires a straight shaft, which may attachment systems provide. A putter with an asymetric grip has to have the grip positioned square with the head. If there is any play in the screw threads you can get different alignment depending on how tight it is fit. (Trust me, this one is bad. I got a putter as a rental two days ago with a loose head and it was a real pain.) Some mechanism that guarantees the top and bottom halves are always connected the same way, like that button on the vacuum cleaner tools, solves that one. — http://home.att.net/~wamontgomery )

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Dave, as a fellow experimenter… I tried a "home made" version of the long putter last year. It was deadly within ten feet. Trouble was, my approach shots rarely got with-in ten feet ( on the first try). I put it away, since I could never predict how far my longer lag putts would go. The long putter is sitting up in the cottage in Northern Illinois. When I get back this year ( or I may just make another one), I think I’m going to try to use it for ten to fifteen foot putts. I’ll use my "rescue club" for longer putts/chips off and near the green. If I can put those two together, I think I can save a bunch of strokes. Thanks for getting me thinking about it again. — RichG

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This is quickly moving out of the "what if" category of discussion for me. I just got back from spending an hour on the putting green at the course and I was really pleased with the results. It’s going to take some time to get the right swing down for longer lag putts, but I was pretty happy with how things went once in got inside of 10 feet. I’m leaving the shaft at it’s full length which is over 50 inches. I does, BTW, fit in the trunk of my Jetta but just barely. So I am going to have to figure out some way to travel with it. Dave Clary/Corpus Christi,TX Home: http://home.stx.rr.com/dclary Never Forget: http://www.politicsandprotest.org RSG Roll Call http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/claryd.htm

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This is quickly moving out of the "what if" category of discussion for me. I just got back from spending an hour on the putting green at the course and I was really pleased with the results. It’s going to take some time to get the right swing down for longer lag putts, but I was pretty happy with how things went once in got inside of 10 feet. I’m leaving the shaft at it’s full length which is over 50 inches. I does, BTW, fit in the trunk of my Jetta but just barely. So I am going to have to figure out some way to travel with it. Dave Clary/Corpus Christi,TX Home: http://home.stx.rr.com/dclary Never Forget: http://www.politicsandprotest.org RSG Roll Call http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/claryd.htm

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Golfsmith make a "shaft-to-head connector", to allow interchanging heads and shafts by pulling a little tapered pin. This would easily handle the torque of a putter, as it comes in irons and woods sizes. The problem would be getting the connector fit to the shaft around the middle — it comes in .335" and .370" sizes. Thomas Prufer

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to have some old pool cues in my garage, the kind that break down into 5 pieces. The join between the tip piece and the next one is almost exactly the right diameter for a shaft with a butt size of about .620. You’d want the join to be just at the end of the upper grip, which would disguise its location. It would add, oh, maybe a couple of ounces to the weight of the putter, but given that it’s a pendulum putter, it wouldn’t matter much, if at all.

Actually I wonder there isn’t a better way to attach the two halves of a "breakdown putter" than screwing them together, which would create alignment concerns (i.e. is it still going to line up right if it’s screwed together a little tighter or looser than when you put the fasteners in) and potential problems with torque (will that hit on the toe or heel cause the head to twist. What I’d look at is the kind of snap together fitting used on vacuum cleaner hoses (one section has an end that is just enough smaller in diameter to fit inside the other, and a spring loaded button that pops into a hole in the other section when it’s set), or even better the internal bungee cord system used in collapsable tent poles. I think either could be adapted to a metal putter shaft, but it would require a bit more metal working than gluing in a screw together fitting. Of course until 6 months ago I suspect the solution was simply to carry that 48 inch club onto the plane and ask the flight attendant to stick it in the closet for you, but I think golf clubs have been banished from the carry on by most airlines. — http://home.att.net/~wamontgomery )

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A putter doesn’t have to be as aligned as a pool cue does – and they use screws.

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Also: http://www.matzie.com/MTZlongputters.html This one is collapsible. Oh well….

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I was almost going to send you seed money until I saw this: http://www.rivercitygolfexchange.com/html/two_piece_putter.html Still….. good idea, Mike. Pete Z.

Hey Product Marketing Managers move faster than the speed of the internet and sometimes mfg capabilities. Lets order 10000 and see if we get a deal. ‘-)

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Thanks for all the pointers folks…I made a bunch of book marks. The Brown Santa Claus showed up at the door today with the components for my long putter experiment. I’m actually putting fairly well with conventional putters but I’d like to go beyond "fairly well." I’m taking Ray Floyd’s suggestion to heart to try to become excellent inside of six feet. The problem is that with my lower back troubles, I just can’t practice very long with my standard putter. Floyd went to a longer putter so he could practice more–I guess I’m just taking that to an extreme. We’ll see how it goes. Dave Clary/Corpus Christi,TX Home: http://home.stx.rr.com/dclary Never Forget: http://www.politicsandprotest.org RSG Roll Call http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/claryd.htm

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There is a guy at my club that been playing with a long putter that screws together at the middle grip for at least 5 years that I know of. When I see him next (probably mid-April) I’ll ask him where he got it. Ed

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – How?? Are there travel bags that accept a 48′ club?? Dave Clary/Corpus Christi,TX Home: http://home.stx.rr.com/dclary Never Forget: http://www.politicsandprotest.org RSG Roll Call http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/claryd.htm This makes me wonder why it wouldn’t be unreasonable for someone to invent a long-putter shaft that screwed together like a pool cue. That way you could pack it easily, and put it together at the course. I’m not all *that* much up on weird equipment rules, but I wonder if that’s even legal. So long as you didn’t change the characteristic of the putter while you were playing by lengthening or shortening it, I don’t see why this wouldn’t be legal. Mike — Mike Dalecki RSG-Wisconsin 2002 Info http://dalecki.net/rsgwis2002 I do not patronize spammers. Help keep RSG clean! Web Site: http://www.dalecki.net/clubdoctor/ RSG Roll Call: http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/daleckim.htm

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I was almost going to send you seed money until I saw this: http://www.rivercitygolfexchange.com/html/two_piece_putter.html Still….. good idea, Mike. Pete Z.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – How?? Are there travel bags that accept a 48′ club?? This makes me wonder why it wouldn’t be unreasonable for someone to invent a long-putter shaft that screwed together like a pool cue. That way you could pack it easily, and put it together at the course. I’m not all *that* much up on weird equipment rules, but I wonder if that’s even legal. So long as you didn’t change the characteristic of the putter while you were playing by lengthening or shortening it, I don’t see why this wouldn’t be legal. The Rules of Golf Appendix II 1 b. Adjustability covers this. It simply says "… putters may be designed to be adjustable for weight, and some other forms of adjustability are permitted. All methods of adjustment permitted by the Rules require that: (i) the adjustment cannot be readily made (ii) all adjustable parts are firmly fixed and there is no reasonable likelihood of them working loose during a round; and (iii) all configurations of adjustment conform with the Rules. To me there is also the question of whether a putter that screws together is actually an "adjustment". You are not really adjusting it for different configurations, so much as just putting it together. I can’t quite see the difference between a screw and some glue, as long as it holds the putter tightly together during play. Appendix II 2a Shaft Straightness says the shaft shall be straight from the top of the grip to a point five inches above the sole. So it would have to screw together flush. The billiard cue idea would fit that requirement. I think you should make one. Call it the Disrupted Dalecki. No! Wouldn’t it be a medicus putter? Or perhaps Dalecki’s Breakdown! You’ve inspired me, Colin. I happen to have some old pool cues in my garage, the kind that break down into 5 pieces. The join between the tip piece and the next one is almost exactly the right diameter for a shaft with a butt size of about .620. You’d want the join to be just at the end of the upper grip, which would disguise its location. It would add, oh, maybe a couple of ounces to the weight of the putter, but given that it’s a pendulum putter, it wouldn’t matter much, if at all. This is, actually, eminently do-able. I’m actually interested in making a prototype for this. All I need is the putter shaft. I am quite sure I can get them aligned correctly–all I’d need to do is screw the two halves together, insert them into the shaft, and then lay the shaft into a v-shaped channel to ensure the upper and lower halves were perfectly aligned while the epoxy cured. Anyone interested in exploring this, give me a holler via email. Mike Mike Dalecki RSG-Wisconsin 2002 Info http://dalecki.net/rsgwis2002 I do not patronize spammers. Help keep RSG clean! Web Site: http://www.dalecki.net/clubdoctor/ RSG Roll Call: http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/daleckim.htm

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – How?? Are there travel bags that accept a 48′ club?? This makes me wonder why it wouldn’t be unreasonable for someone to invent a long-putter shaft that screwed together like a pool cue. That way you could pack it easily, and put it together at the course. I’m not all *that* much up on weird equipment rules, but I wonder if that’s even legal. So long as you didn’t change the characteristic of the putter while you were playing by lengthening or shortening it, I don’t see why this wouldn’t be legal. The Rules of Golf Appendix II 1 b. Adjustability covers this. It simply says "… putters may be designed to be adjustable for weight, and some other forms of adjustability are permitted. All methods of adjustment permitted by the Rules require that: (i) the adjustment cannot be readily made (ii) all adjustable parts are firmly fixed and there is no reasonable likelihood of them working loose during a round; and (iii) all configurations of adjustment conform with the Rules. To me there is also the question of whether a putter that screws together is actually an "adjustment". You are not really adjusting it for different configurations, so much as just putting it together. I can’t quite see the difference between a screw and some glue, as long as it holds the putter tightly together during play. Appendix II 2a Shaft Straightness says the shaft shall be straight from the top of the grip to a point five inches above the sole. So it would have to screw together flush. The billiard cue idea would fit that requirement. I think you should make one. Call it the Disrupted Dalecki.

No! Wouldn’t it be a medicus putter? Or perhaps Dalecki’s Breakdown! You’ve inspired me, Colin. I happen to have some old pool cues in my garage, the kind that break down into 5 pieces. The join between the tip piece and the next one is almost exactly the right diameter for a shaft with a butt size of about .620. You’d want the join to be just at the end of the upper grip, which would disguise its location. It would add, oh, maybe a couple of ounces to the weight of the putter, but given that it’s a pendulum putter, it wouldn’t matter much, if at all. This is, actually, eminently do-able. I’m actually interested in making a prototype for this. All I need is the putter shaft. I am quite sure I can get them aligned correctly–all I’d need to do is screw the two halves together, insert them into the shaft, and then lay the shaft into a v-shaped channel to ensure the upper and lower halves were perfectly aligned while the epoxy cured. Anyone interested in exploring this, give me a holler via email. Mike Mike Dalecki RSG-Wisconsin 2002 Info http://dalecki.net/rsgwis2002 I do not patronize spammers. Help keep RSG clean! Web Site: http://www.dalecki.net/clubdoctor/ RSG Roll Call: http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/daleckim.htm

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what about one that was a standard putter with a screw applied extension to the top of the grip to make it a long putter? I’d be willing to pay for the parts and pieces to make one if you were interested in providing the labor to put it together. You can have the copyright and make the millions a removable screw applied putter head would be cool too so you could change head styles/weights… — Dave Jones RSG Roll Call: http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/jonesd.htm

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How?? Are there travel bags that accept a 48′ club??

When I traveled, I had to carry my putter next to my golf bag in my soft travel bag. This was when it was 50". Before you buy a travel bag, try it out with your clubs.

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How?? Are there travel bags that accept a 48′ club?? Dave Clary/Corpus Christi,TX Home: http://home.stx.rr.com/dclary Never Forget: http://www.politicsandprotest.org RSG Roll Call http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/claryd.htm

Dave, do a google search on golf travel bag 48 and there are several of them. Mark A

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Dave, I don’t know about a bag that accomodates a 48 foot club , but look at http://www.clubglove.com/gtb/xxllb.asp it will handle a 48" club. I would think that there are others too. Mark A

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You’ve inspired me, Colin.

<snip Anyone interested in exploring this, give me a holler via email.

I’ll take the Australian rights. Cheers Colin Wilson RSG Roll Call: http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/wilsonc.htm Trentham Golf Club: http://www.trenthamgolf.com

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I don’t know about the over-all length, but…. a guy I know was traveling overseas with his long putter. The caddy-master at his club helped him pack up. The caddy-master had him take some of the clubs out of his bag. He then put the HEAD side of the long putter into the bag. He put all the other clubs back in. That left only the shaft sticking farthest out. Maybe that will help RichG

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This makes me wonder why it wouldn’t be unreasonable for someone to invent a long-putter shaft that screwed together like a pool cue. That way you could pack it easily, and put it together at the course. I’m not all *that* much up on weird equipment rules, but I wonder if that’s even legal. So long as you didn’t change the characteristic of the putter while you were playing by lengthening or shortening it, I don’t see why this wouldn’t be legal. Mike — Mike Dalecki RSG-Wisconsin 2002 Info http://dalecki.net/rsgwis2002 I do not patronize spammers. Help keep RSG clean! Web Site: http://www.dalecki.net/clubdoctor/ RSG Roll Call: http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/daleckim.htm

Response:

How?? Are there travel bags that accept a 48′ club?? This makes me wonder why it wouldn’t be unreasonable for someone to invent a long-putter shaft that screwed together like a pool cue. That way you could pack it easily, and put it together at the course. I’m not all *that* much up on weird equipment rules, but I wonder if that’s even legal. So long as you didn’t change the characteristic of the putter while you were playing by lengthening or shortening it, I don’t see why this wouldn’t be legal.

The Rules of Golf Appendix II 1 b. Adjustability covers this. It simply says "… putters may be designed to be adjustable for weight, and some other forms of adjustability are permitted. All methods of adjustment permitted by the Rules require that: (i) the adjustment cannot be readily made (ii) all adjustable parts are firmly fixed and there is no reasonable likelihood of them working loose during a round; and (iii) all configurations of adjustment conform with the Rules. To me there is also the question of whether a putter that screws together is actually an "adjustment". You are not really adjusting it for different configurations, so much as just putting it together. I can’t quite see the difference between a screw and some glue, as long as it holds the putter tightly together during play. Appendix II 2a Shaft Straightness says the shaft shall be straight from the top of the grip to a point five inches above the sole. So it would have to screw together flush. The billiard cue idea would fit that requirement. I think you should make one. Call it the Disrupted Dalecki. Cheers Colin Wilson RSG Roll Call: http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/wilsonc.htm Trentham Golf Club: http://www.trenthamgolf.com

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