By JAMES ACHENBACH
Senior WriterI could care less about belly putting, except that I’m a Sergio Garcia fan, and any golfer who jams the butt end of his putter into his belly looks like he’s performing a blatantly illegal act.
There is no way belly putting should be permissible. Anchoring the putter is just plain wrong.
Ask yourself this: How can rulesmakers ban Ben Crenshaw’s favorite paddle putter grip – as they did about 15 years ago – yet give their blessing to a radical belly putter that requires a body assist?
You’ve got to be kidding. The world is upside down. Next thing you know, Garcia will grow up and start winning major championships.
OK, I admit it: Garcia is the most immature 27-year-old in professional golf. But I predict a Spanish renaissance. He will win big. He will win often.
Why do I make this prediction? Belly putting.
Sergio and his belly dance at the British Open captivated golfers worldwide. He used a TaylorMade Corzina belly putter and led the championship for the first three rounds. With half a brain, he would have won.
“We’re still flooded with inquiries,” said Scott Leightman of TaylorMade’s public relations department. “There’s a frenzy because of Sergio’s performance at Carnoustie.”
This particular putter was made for Victor Garcia, Sergio’s father.
He didn’t like it; his son did. God knows Sergio needed help.
“Sergio moves all around when he’s putting,” said putting instructor Todd Sones. “Belly putting helped him stay steady.”
Based in a suburb north of Chicago, Sones conducts golf schools and owns his own custom putter company, Coutour Golf (www.coutourgolf.com).
Belly putting has its advantages, he said.
“You have to stay still with a belly putter,” Sones explained. “It’s a necessity. Also, belly putting helps players who tend to open up. More often than not, their shoulders are open. With the belly putter, the body becomes more like a T square. It makes it easier for golfers to figure out what square really is.”
He also said there are disadvantages.
“Because you fix the butt of the putter, you increase the arc,” he said. “That means you increase the amount that the putter head opens and closes. So there is more chance to be open or closed to the target line.”
Golfers with belly putters need to pay particular attention to hitting through the putt, Sones said. There is a tendency with a belly putter to hit up on the golf ball. This can cause players to fall back slightly and hit the ball with a cut stroke.
“There is give and take with everything in golf,” Sones said. “You gain something, you lose something. It’s certainly true with belly putting.”
Proper fitting is essential with a belly putter. The wrong length or the wrong lie can doom a golfer on the greens. Lengths of belly putters can vary widely, depending on a golfer’s anatomy and address.
Sones offers this advice first and foremost: With a belly putter, your body at address should look identical to your address with a conventional putter. If it doesn’t, you are trying to use a mismatched belly putter.
• • •
Sergio’s putter a specialty item: Although Sergio Garcia switched to a TaylorMade Corzina belly putter, it was a custom order and is not a stock item in the TaylorMade line. The Corzina is sold as a conventional-length putter at 33, 34 or 35 inches. However, TaylorMade club fabricator Kia Ma recently constructed 500 belly-length Corzinas that are being sold through TaylorMade retailers. There are no plans to manufacture more. Meanwhile, the Monza Corza Mid belly putter (MSRP: $179) is available as a standard item in the TaylorMade line, offered at 38, 41 or 43 inches.
Posted: 9/2/2007
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