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Broomstick Putters And Lie Angle Balance

It sounds dramatic, but it’s true. The golf industry has abandoned those of us who use long (aka broomstick) putters. And we think it’s a shame.

If there’s one thing true about putting, it’s that there’s more than one way to get the job done. And if we’re only looking at the science, long putters used in the broomsticks style might actually be the best way to improve consistency (more on that later). Not to mention long putters keep a lot of golfers in the game because they’re less strenuous on the back. 

So whether you’re looking to try the Broomsticks style for the first time or you’ve been using a broomstick for 20 years, we want you to know that we’ve got your back. 

Lie Angle Balance Makes Broomstick Putters Better

Why should you get a Broomstick with Lie Angle Balance? The simple answer is that L.A.B. Golf is one of the few putter companies making long putters, and when it comes to custom options we’re way ahead of the game.

Before you pat us on the back, you should know that several people in our company swear by their broomsticks. Are we long putter freedom fighters? Maybe. Obsessed with our own putting? Definitely. Being the golf nerds we are, we’ve always believed that if we made cool stuff we want to play, others would probably want to play it, too.

Let’s move on to Lie Angle Balance’s role in all of this. 

The purpose of a Broomstick putter is to remove a variable from the putting stroke. Whether a Broomstick putter is anchored to the upper body (now outlawed by the rules of golf) or positioned a safe distance away from the upper body (totally legal), the idea is that swinging a putter on a more upright plane allows a more linear, and thus consistent putting stroke. 

Lie Angle Balance makes broomstick putters better because it removes yet another variable: the torque of a putter head. Torque isn’t some esoteric variable that only matters for the best golfers in the world. You’ve felt it before. With putters that have torque, you have to grip the putter with more force than you should to keep the head from twisting and turning during the stroke. Some days, golfers apply more pressure than others. And this is why torque can screw up your stroke. 

Yesterday, you pulled a few putts. Today, you pushed a few. You didn’t feel like you did anything different… and you didn’t. The only difference was your relationship to torque and milliseconds of timing. 

With a L.A.B. Golf putter, you won’t be trying to keep the putter square because there is no putter head torque. All you have to do is let the putter head stay square. And that’s a huge distinction. 

Grip our broomsticks however you want. You can use a claw grip with your bottom hand or you can aim your bottom hand down the target line. You can drive the stroke with your shoulders or you can use a bottom-hand dominant, pistol-style stroke. These methods have all been used effectively to win big golf tournaments around the world.

No matter how you putt, a Lie Angle Balanced broomstick is going to make putting easier. All you have to do is hold the putter lightly and let it swing. It is programmed to roll the ball exactly where you’re aiming. 

Kevin Nealon was onto something in Happy Gilmore: “Feel the flow … Feel it. It’s circular. It’s like a carousel. You pay the quarter, you get on the horse, it goes up and down, and AROUND. It’s circular. Circle, with the music, the flow. All good things.”

Choosing The Right Lie Angle

We can build L.A.B. Golf Broomstick putters to just about any lie angle, but we typically don’t see them go any flatter than 77 degrees. 

The maximum lie angle allowed by the rules of golf is 80 degrees. Our most popular Lie Angle is 79.5 degrees. We stop a half-degree short for safety, because who knows when you’re going to run into a tournament official with a protractor. 

The Lie Angle of 79.5 degrees is a special number for a lot of broomstickers who want the putter to move as straight back and straight through as possible, and it’s what we recommend for most golfers. It’s not going to be the best lie angle for every golfer, but theoretically, the less the putter has to arc the better it is for most broomstickers. 

To stay with the Happy Gilmore reference, it’s more up and down than around with a 79.5-degree broomstick. 

Choosing The Right Length

When we’re fitting length in a broomstick putter, what we’re trying to achieve is a length that allows for a 79.5-degree lie angle and keeps the butt end of the grip a safe distance from the upper body.

Some golfers don’t want the putter to come close to their chest at all, and they may choose a length that’s several inches short of their upper body. Others want to as much as possible replicate the feeling of an anchored broomstick putter and choose a length that’s very close to their upper body. Our recommendations are going to vary widely based on height, body type, and style. If you would like our help selecting the Broomstick right length for you, email us here. 

It’s easier than you think to fit someone for a broomstick over email or the phone. What we often have customers do is use their hybrid, fairway wood, or driver to measure length. When you hold a 46-inch driver like a broomstick, it actually measures closer to 47 inches. 

For those who need a really long broomstick, we can do fittings with common household objects like shower curtain rods. As they say in construction, measure twice and cut once.  If you’re still uneasy about your order, we recommend that you error on the longer side. You can always cut the putter down an inch or two. It’s much easier than trying to add length to a putter, although neither will affect the Lie Angle Balance of your broomstick.

A Pro Tip: Choose a broomstick length that ensures the butt end of the grip won’t get caught in a warm sweater or rain gear.

Blade Or Mallet Broomstick?

Because long putters are longer, their putter heads need to be heavier to feel right. For that reason, we had to create special putter heads for DF 2.1 and MEZZ.1 MAX just for broomstickers. They’re both very forgiving. 

The placement of this weight is important because you can’t add weight just anywhere with a Lie Angle Balanced putter. It has balance implications. Custom head weights are available, but we find that a head weight of 500 grams is generally the best for most broomstickers. 

MEZZ.1 MAX

MEZZ.1 broomsticks are built with our special MAX head, which has twice the number of weights on the bottom of the sole compared to the standard-length MEZZ.1 to allow us to get the head weight and balance right. It’s also larger than the standard MEZZ.1 head to provide more confidence at address. MEZZ.1 MAX broomsticks are available for purchase here.

Why Choose MEZZ.1 MAX?

Off-Center Putts

MEZZ1. MAX is not quite as forgiving as DF 2.1, but it’s really close.

The Feel Of Steel

MEZZ.1 MAX uses a multi-material construction (part aluminum, part steel) to offer more feedback than DF 2.1.

Cleaner Look

The shaft is closer to the face with MEZZ.1 MAX than DF 2.1, offering a more traditional look at impact.

BUILD YOUR MEZZ.1 LONG

DF 2.1 Long

We tried adding a sh*t ton of weight to the standard DF 2.1 and using that for long putters, but we didn’t love the way it felt. So we developed a special DF 2.1 with more weights on the underside to bulk it up and get the sound just right. It’s available for purchase as the DF 2.1 Custom.

Why Choose DF 2.1?

Off-Center Putts

DF 2.1 is our most forgiving long putter.

Alignment Aids

DF 2.1 allows for larger alignment markings and more alignment options. 

You Have A Thing For Color

DF 2.1 is available in 7 colors.

BUILD YOUR DF 2.1 CUSTOM LONG