Why are long putters in trend again on the PGA Tour?

Long putters are back in trend. In 2013, they were seemingly banned but later "unbanned" as they can still be used without being anchored to one's body.

With the recent influx of cash due to competition from rival leagues such as the Saudi-backed LIV Golf, golfers are now exploring different avenues to gain a competitive edge, and the long putter is becoming popular again.

The back-and-forth between the two major leagues has resulted in increased prize money for professional golfers. This has prompted them to seek ways to improve their game. Long-putters appear to be one of the methods that is gaining acceptance among elite golfers.

Long putters are easy to use. They have a lean angle that is very close to the legal limit of 80 degrees. This allows you to simply push the golf ball in the direction you want, without having to make a well-defined arc.

The latest grip trend among the pros involves splitting the grip between both hands. This is known as the "arm-locking" method, which has become less popular over the past decade. However, this newer grip technique effectively eliminates any variance caused by wrist motion, making it a more consistent method of putting.

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Lucas Glover's resurgence using a long putter

When it came to strokes gained while putting, Lucas Glover was among the bottom five PGA Tour players.

His conversion to a long putter has rocketed him to the top with three top-five finishes in his last six starts (including consecutive wins in the Wyndham Championship and FedEx St. Jude Championship. Moreover, he also reserved a spot on the Ryder Cup team.

This enormous jump cannot fully be attributed to the changing of the putter itself, but it is definitely something that is being considered by the rest of the players on the Tour. All of them are athletes at the highest level and using any tool that gives them the slightest advantage is something they will be adopting.