Broomstick and Face-On Putting: Who They Help and How to Get Fit

Broomstick putters and face-on (side saddle) putting are the two most misunderstood options I build, and also the two that produce the most grateful emails afterward. Both are fully legal, both solve real problems — shaky hands, aching backs, a stroke that won't stay on line — and both are ordered from my shop as a simple option on any putter I make. Here's how each style actually works, what the rules say, and how to figure out if one of them is your answer.

What a Broomstick Putter Is

A broomstick is a long putter — typically somewhere in the high-40s to low-50s in inches, fit to the individual golfer — that you swing standing more upright, with the upper hand stabilizing the top of the grip and the lower hand rocking the stroke like a pendulum. The length takes the small muscles of the wrists and hands mostly out of the stroke, which is exactly why golfers fighting twitchy short putts gravitate to it. Several major champions have putted this way, and it remains completely legal.

What Face-On (Side Saddle) Putting Is

Face-on putting means you stand facing the hole, ball beside you, and swing the putter with an underhand-style pendulum motion along your eye line. Instead of standing sideways and rotating your view to the target, you look straight down the line the whole time — the same way you'd toss a ball to a target. For golfers whose misses come from aim and alignment rather than stroke mechanics, that head-on view can be a revelation. Sam Snead famously putted this way late in his career after the rules ended his croquet-style method.

The Anchoring Rule — What's Actually Banned

Here's the part everyone gets wrong: long putters were never banned. Rule 10.1b, effective January 1, 2016, banned anchoring the club or a gripping hand directly against your body during the stroke (Source: USGA). You may not press the butt of the grip into your sternum or belly. You may absolutely use a broomstick putter with the top hand held free of the body, or braced against the forearm — that's how the current generation of broomstick users on tour putt, legally, every week. Face-on putting is likewise legal as long as nothing anchors and you don't stand astride the line of the putt.

Who Each Style Helps

Consider a broomstick if: short putts feel twitchy or “yippy”; your wrists break down under pressure; bending over a standard putter aggravates your back; or your tempo is quick and you want the longer pendulum to slow everything down.

Consider face-on if: you consistently misread or misaim putts that you stroke well; you're more athletic tossing a ball at a target than swinging across your body; or standing sideways bothers your neck or back. It has a learning curve of a practice-green session or two, but converts tend to be devoted.

Neither is a gimmick. They're different answers to different failure points — the broomstick fixes the stroke, face-on fixes the aim.

How I Build Them

Every putter I make — any body style, any wood combination — can be ordered as a standard, broomstick, or face-on build. It's a selection on the product page: broomstick and face-on are a small upcharge, and for either one you choose “Other” for length so we can contact you and fit the build to your height, posture, and setup before we cut anything. The head still gets the same CAD design, CNC machining to exact tolerances, and hand finish; what changes is length, lie, and balance tuned to the stroke style. If you already have a favorite wood combination in mind, browse the custom putters collection and pick the style option that fits your stroke at checkout.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are broomstick putters legal?

Yes. Long putters are legal at every level of golf. What Rule 10.1b banned in 2016 is anchoring the club or gripping hand against your body during the stroke — hold the top hand free of your chest (or braced along the forearm) and a broomstick is fully conforming.

Is side saddle or face-on putting legal?

Yes, with two conditions: you can't anchor the club to your body, and you can't stand with a foot on each side of the line of your putt. Stand beside the ball facing the hole and it's conforming.

How long should a broomstick putter be?

It's individual — generally fit so the top hand sits near your sternum height at address without touching your body. When you order a broomstick build from me, I contact you to fit the length to your height and posture before building.

Will a broomstick or face-on putter fix the yips?

No honest maker promises a cure, but the broomstick removes the wrist action where yips usually live, and many golfers find the change of method breaks the pattern. Face-on helps most when the real problem is aim rather than nerve.

Can any wood putter be made broomstick or face-on?

In my shop, yes. Any body style and wood combination can be built standard, broomstick or face-on with length fitted to you.

The Bottom Line

If conventional putting is costing you strokes and confidence, the answer might not be another conventional putter. Broomstick and face-on builds are legal, proven, and — in the right hands — transformative. Order the wood you love, pick the style that fits your stroke, and I'll fit the rest to you.