How to Measure Yourself for a Broomstick Putter
Sizing yourself for a broomstick putter takes two measurements and about five minutes. Stand upright with your arms hanging, measure from the crease of your wrist to the floor with a soft tape measure, then cross-check against a height chart: a long putter sits far higher against your body than a 34-inch model, and most golfers who get on with a broomstick end up between 45 and 52 inches. This guide covers the measurements, the chart, the 2016 anchoring rule and what to do with your number.
- Measure wrist to floor with your arms hanging, then check your height against the chart: under 5ft 8in wants roughly 45 to 47 inches, over 6ft 4in wants 51 to 52.
- Follow it with the sternum test: the grip should finish just under your breastbone while you stand over the ball, with nothing pressing into your chest.
- Anchoring the putter against your body has been banned since 1 January 2016, so pick a length that works with the grip floating free (USGA rule explanation).
- Not ready to buy? A shaft extension such as the Longridge universal extension adds up to about three inches for under a fiver, so you can trial a length first.
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What counts as a broomstick putter
A broomstick putter is the long one: a shaft in the high forties or low fifties of inches, played from a much more upright stance than a standard putter. The club reaches toward your middle and your top hand grips the very end of it. Fitting guides put the useful range at 45 to 52 inches, driven mostly by how tall you are (published broomstick fitting ranges).
The style also carries a rule change worth knowing. Since 1 January 2016 the Rules of Golf have banned anchoring the club against your body (USGA guidance on the anchoring rule). The club is legal; you just cannot press the butt end into your chest and swing around it, so any length must work with the grip floating clear of your body.
The two measurements that matter
Wrist to floor. Stand in the shoes you play in, arms hanging loose, and measure from the crease inside your wrist straight to the floor. That distance shows where your hands naturally hang, which is why fitters start with it when sizing a conventional putter (how putter fitting measurements are taken). A standard 5m tape measure handles this job and the shaft measurement later.
Height. For a broomstick, your height carries more of the weight than the wrist number does, because the grip sits so much higher on your body than it would with a 34-inch putter. Note both figures, then read them against the chart below. If they disagree, trust the height bracket and let the sternum test break the tie.
Broomstick length by height
Fitting guides settle on the same ballpark brackets, and they are a sensible starting point before any custom work:
| Your height | Length to try |
|---|---|
| Under 5ft 8in | 45 to 47 inches |
| 5ft 8in to 6ft | 47 to 49 inches |
| 6ft 1in to 6ft 4in | 49 to 51 inches |
| Over 6ft 4in | 51 to 52 inches |
Treat these as a bracket rather than a verdict: arm length and how upright you stand shift the answer, so the check below matters more than the table (source for the ranges).
The five-minute fit check
With a candidate length, stand over a ball in your normal posture and hold the putter so the grip butt runs just under your breastbone, hands in playing position, nothing anchored against your chest (the sternum method used in published fittings). Your eyes should sit over or just inside the ball, arms hanging without strain. Roll a few putts before you trust the tape.
Two tells give the game away. If you have to grip down below the top of the grip to get comfortable, the putter is running long for you. Hunching at the waist to reach the ball comfortably means the same (signs your putter is the wrong length). Standing taller than natural with your hands cramped low means the stick falls short.
Measure the putter you already own
Before buying, find out what you have. Rest the head flat on the floor and run a tape from the centre of the face up the shaft to the top of the grip, keeping it pressed against the shaft (the standard measuring routine). Measuring straight down the wall reads short by an inch or more, which is how golfers order a replacement for a putter that was fine all along (why the angle of the tape matters).
Compare it with your bracket: the gap is your shopping list.
What to do with your number
Extend what you own. Standard shaft extensions add up to about three inches in practice (how far a shaft can be extended), covering most moves from a conventional putter into broomstick lengths. A Longridge universal extension costs a few pounds, and a Mistillion two-pack leaves a spare for the second attempt. A local pro shop will epoxy one in while you wait.
Fit a longer grip. Length is only half the job, because both hands need room up the shaft. A long, non-tapered grip of 16 to 17 inches fixes the crowding you get from a standard pistol grip: the Superstroke Zenergy 3.0, the JumboMax JumboFlat 17 and the Karma Big Softy all sit between 36 and 42 pounds.
Buy a purpose-built long putter. If the gap is wider than an extension should bridge, step up to a real one. The Odyssey AI-ONE Cruiser comes as a counterbalanced 38-inch model at 264 pounds, a comfortable bridge for golfers who want more length without going the whole way. At full broomstick size, the TaylorMade Spider ZT Long runs to 46 inches and was listed at around 636 pounds when we checked prices. Prices were current at the time of writing.
Frequently asked questions
How do you measure yourself for a broomstick putter?
Stand upright with your arms hanging loose and measure from the crease of your wrist down to the floor, then cross-check the result against a height chart. Most golfers who fit a broomstick land between 45 and 52 inches, so the two numbers together put you in the right bracket.
What length broomstick putter do I need for my height?
Published fitting charts put golfers under 5ft 8in at 45 to 47 inches, golfers 5ft 8in to 6ft at 47 to 49 inches, golfers 6ft 1in to 6ft 4in at 49 to 51 inches, and anyone taller at 51 to 52 inches. Use the bracket as a starting point and confirm it with the sternum check.
Are broomstick putters legal under the Rules of Golf?
Yes. Long putters have never been banned. What was banned on 1 January 2016 is anchoring the club against your body, so the grip must float free of your chest during the stroke rather than being pressed into it.
How do you measure the putter you already own?
Rest the putter head flat on the floor, then run a tape measure from the centre of the face up the shaft to the very top of the grip. Keep the tape against the shaft, because a measurement taken straight down the wall reads short by an inch or more.
Can you extend a putter instead of buying a long one?
Usually yes. Standard shaft extensions add up to about three inches, which is enough to move a short putter into broomstick territory for the price of a coffee. Much beyond that, and a purpose-built long putter makes more sense.
What grip do you need for a broomstick putter?
A long, non-tapered grip of 16 to 17 inches gives both hands room to sit up the shaft without crowding. Standard pistol grips are too short for the split or high-hand positions that a broomstick encourages.
Products mentioned
- Realm double-sided tape measure - soft 150cm tape, 2.99 pounds.
- Amazon Basics self-locking tape measure - 5m rigid tape for body and shaft work, 3.50 pounds.
- Longridge universal shaft extension - the cheap way to trial three extra inches, 3.95 pounds.
- Mistillion shaft extenders, two-pack - spare for the second try, 6.09 pounds.
- Superstroke Zenergy 3.0 17-inch grip - long non-tapered grip, 36.49 pounds.
- JumboMax JumboFlat 17 grip - flat wide profile, 38.17 pounds.
- Karma Big Softy 16-inch grip - the value option of the long-grip group, 41.52 pounds.
- Odyssey AI-ONE Cruiser, 38 inches - counterbalanced 38-inch pick, 264.36 pounds.
- TaylorMade Spider ZT Long, 46 inches - full broomstick length off the shelf, listed at 636.25 pounds.
Measure first, check the chart second, then let the sternum test have the final word.
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Last reviewed: September 25, 2026 · Evidence-based content · Contains affiliate links