What is the Correct Putter Length for my Height?

The golf putter is the most important club in the bag. Whether you enjoy the short game and putting or despise it, you must admit its importance. The problem with putting is that most people have not yet realized the importance of playing with the proper length putter.

Putting is something that is very precise and needs to be very consistent. You can get this process on the right track by playing with a putter that fits you properly.

What is the Correct Putter Length for My Height?

The length of the putter will be directly related to your height. If you are 6 feet or taller, you will need a 35 inch putter, 5’9″ to 6″ suggests a 34 inch putter, while 5’6″ to 5’9″ suggests a 33 inch putter. Customized putter are suggested for those above 6’4″ and shorter than 5’6″.

The taller you are, the longer the putter that you will need. Most people choose a putter off the shelf and immediately put it in to play. Very little consideration is made for the length of the putter.

If you are tall and want to see which clubs AEC Info likes for bigger guys, be sure to see our best golf clubs for the taller golfer.

Most stock putters are sold at 33, 34, and 35 inches. You can also purchase custom putters available in a wide range of lengths. Although most golfers will fall into a stock putter length, some will need custom. Let’s look at some golf players’ heights and see how they match the different putter lengths available.

Player Height vs. Putter Length

6’0” to 6’3”

Golfers in this group are going to need putters that are 35 inches in length. This is the tallest standard putter that you can find. Many golfers are playing with a 35-inch putter without realizing that it is built for tall golfers.

5’9 to 6’0”

Players just under 6 feet tall are going to do best with a putter that is 34 inches. The 34-inch putter is a very common length and allows many golfers to easily get their eyes over the golf ball for their stroke.

5’6” to 5’9”

The golfer that is 5’6 to 5’9” needs to use a shorter putter with a length of 33 inches. The 33-inch putters can sometimes be a bit harder to find than 34 and 35-inch models. Luckily with more light coming to the putter fitting issues in golf, more companies are offering a stock 33-inch model.

Above 6’3” and Below 5’6”

Golfers that fall outside of the range of standard putters are going to need to order something custom. You can also have your current putter shaft extended or cut down if you don’t want to purchase a new one.

Luckily, making modifications to putters can be quite simple. If you have a counterbalanced putter, it is essential to make sure this is considered when changing the length.

What Is The Standard Putter Length?

The standard length of an average putter is 33-35 inches for an average height golfer. However, you will notice that only the 34 and 35-inch putters are readily available. This happens quite often, and it has many players thinking that 35 is standard and 34 is for a shorter golfer. The 35-inch putter is not the standard and playing with one can lead to some inconsistencies in your putting game.

When players can’t get eye position over the golf ball, they will struggle with hitting a consistent, smooth stroke. If your putter is too long for you, there is no way to stand as close to the putter as you need to be. This then blocks the vision a golfer has down to the target and ends up costing valuable strokes.

How To Measure Putter Length?

If you think that it may be necessary to change your putter’s length, you will first need to know what the length of your current putter is. There are right and several wrong ways to measure a putter. Follow our simple steps and learn how to measure putter length correctly.

Step1: Gather Supplies

This process is relatively simple, but you will need to make sure that you have your putter, a long, long flat ruler, preferably about four feet long, and a flat work surface area. It is best not to take a putter measurement outdoors as the ground is not always an even area to be measured off of.

Step 2: Get The Putter Set

When you measure a putter, you will do so with the putter head sitting on the ground. When the putter head is flat to the ground, you can get an accurate measurement. Check the center of the putter and make sure it is flat on the ground. Do not hold the putter in any way that would cause it not to sit flat.

Step 3: Measure

At this point, you will take the bottom of your ruler and place it in line with the center of your putter. You will do this at the putter head to keep the ruler in line with the club’s shaft.

The shaft may be on an angle, which is completely fine as long as the ruler is on the ground, the center of the putter is on the ground, and the shaft and grip are touching the top part of the ruler.

You can find the Best putter grip here.

Step 4: Collect Measurement & Analyze

Where the top of your grip meets the ruler, you will find the length of your putter. Sometimes you may find that your putter is 33 1/16”; this is a 33-inch putter. Some golf grips have a bit thicker of a butt end than others, and you should be aware of this when measuring your putter.

If you have a stock putter, the measurements will be very close to the 33, 34, and 35-inch mark. When cutting for a custom putter, you will not have to keep the stock specifications’ lengths.

See what is the best Golf grip size based upon your hand size. 

Should I Get A 34 or 35 Inch Putter?

If you are less than 6’0”, you should be looking at the 34-inch putter. Many golfers worry that their putter will be short; in reality, most golfers play with a putter that is too long. For many years people were buying 35-inch putters without realizing the impact this could have on their game.

When you decide on a putter length, you should consider the stance, the player height, and the natural posture of the golfer as well. Some taller players enjoy playing with a 33-inch putter.

The shorter putter allows them to get closer to the ball and feel a bit more connected to the shot. Most golf professionals will tell you that you are much better off playing with a putter that is too short than a putter that is too long.

Are Putter Fittings Worth It?

Golf club fittings are continuing to increase in popularity. The idea of knowing exactly what the right equipment is for your game prior to purchasing is something that many players enjoy. The putter is the one club in the Golf cart bag that often gets overlooked when it comes to fittings.

If you are serious about your golf game and lowering your scores, the putter fitting can make sense. When you go for a golf putter fitting, you will also get information about your putter’s loft and lie angle. The fitter will be able to tweak the putter to work well for your particular stroke.

For most golfers, a putter fitting may not be necessary unless you are a Beginner or on the extremes of the height spectrum. If you are a 5’6” person playing with a 35” putter, you can simply take your putter in to be cut down by about two inches. The golf club repair technician will check the putter’s weighting and make sure that it is balanced before returning the club to you.

Golf instruction reviews.

Conclusion – The Proper Putter Length

Putting can make or break your round. If you sink a few 8-foot putts, you can turn an 83 into a 78. Most golfers know how different these two rounds will feel. If you grabbed a stock putter off the shelf without paying attention to the proper putter length for your game, it is worth taking a quick measurement.

Putting should feel comfortable, and you should feel in control of your shots. Being a great putter is much easier to do when you have the correct length club in your hands.

Be sure to check out some of our other more popular reviews of putters including the best for Women, beginners, Blades, as well as the best Mallet putters, and top rated Scotty Cameron putters of all time.

And of course, if you can’t read a putt, the type of putter you use won’t help. We recently completed a guide on green reading as well as securing a special discount for AEC Info readers for the Strackaline green reading books.

The team at AEC has also completed reviews on the Alignment ball mark to help your setup and the Golf ball marking tool which will help get your ball lined up perfectly so you are sinking more putts.

We hope you enjoyed this and invite you to come back often for more in-depth reviews.