Long Suffering
The latest realization that I can't putt a lick coincides with an interesting trend on the PGA Tour.
For the third straight week, the winner on tour was wielding a long putter. Webb Simpson used a Ping G5i Craz-E B Belly to capture the Wyndham Championship. It seems like a no-brainer to conclude that golfers everywhere will take note of this trend and jump on the bandwagon. But interestingly, it hasn't happened yet according to this piece at waggleroom.com.
I gave one a brief tryout several years ago, and it was amazing in the golf shop (aren't they all?). But I had a hard time adapting to uneven lies out on real greens and didn't have the patience to stick it out through the rocky times. I know it's hard to believe that a guy with the patience of a saint, who gave his new driver all of 15 holes before banishing it to the basement, couldn't stand the pain for the long-term gain. But it was just too much for me at the time.
Now, I am rethinking it. Beyond the PGA Tour, just look around at the sheer numbers of golfers using these long sticks successfully. I know quite a few guys who have had them for years and wouldn't part with them no matter what. Among the top local amateurs, Chris Lange, Chip Lutz, Charlie McClaskey and several others have had success. Stu Ingraham has been dominating Philadelphia PGA events this season with his long putter, and two of the guys who have won more than their share of local events -- Greg Farrow and Dave Quinn -- also wield them.
So maybe it is time for another experiment. Those of you who know me, quit rolling your eyes. The rest of you: don't pay any attention to those unbelievers. I have suspected for years that a magic wand is out there somewhere, still waiting for me to pick it up. I'll let you know when I find the right one and report on my progress.
And I give you my word that I'll give it at least a week.
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Ed Abrams anchors mornings on KYW Newsradio, and you can hear his Golf Reports there on Fridays and Saturdays. He has also created a new website at www.DealTrackerGolf.com, a resource for golfers seeking the best bargains on clubs, apparel and everything golf.
