The Broomstick Debate: Why It’s Time to Sweep the Long Putter Away

It’s the "Broomstick," the "Long Putter," or as I like to call it, the "I’ve Given Up on My Hands" stick.

At Imagen Golf, we’re all about building a repeatable, biomechanically sound swing. But there’s a fine line between using technology to help your game and using a piece of equipment to bypass the "yips" and the very nerves that make golf, well, golf.

A Quick Trip Down Memory Lane (The "Anchoring" Era)

Before 2016, the broomstick was the ultimate "get out of jail free" card. By jamming the butt-end of the putter into your belly or chest, you created a fixed pivot point. It took the twitchy small muscles out of the equation.

The USGA finally had enough when the floodgates opened with players like Keegan Bradley, Webb Simpson, Ernie Els, and Adam Scott all winning majors with anchored putters.

On January 1, 2016, Rule 14-1b officially banned anchoring the club. They didn't ban the long putter itself, just the act of touching it to your body. And that, my friends, is where the gray area became a thick fog.

The "Is He or Isn’t He?" Controversy

The problem with banning the act but not the equipment is that it’s nearly impossible to police. Unless we’re going to have a rules official with a flashlight and a piece of dental floss checking for a 1-millimeter gap between a player’s thumb and their sweater, we’re just guessing.

• Bernhard Langer: The ageless wonder. After the ban, he just moved his hand a fraction of an inch off his chest. To the naked eye? It looks anchored. To Bernhard? It's "floating."
• Adam Scott: He went back to the short stick, struggled, and then returned to the broomstick. He’s technically legal, but the optics are enough to make a purist’s head spin.

The Latest Flashpoint: Akshay Bhatia at Bay Hill

Fast forward to right now, March 2026. Akshay Bhatia just pulled off a monster comeback win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, erasing a five-shot deficit on the back nine to beat Daniel Berger in a sudden-death playoff. It was a spectacular performance—highlighted by a 58-foot bomb on the 11th hole and a gutsy 6-iron on 16 to set up an eagle—but the internet is losing its collective mind.

Why? Because the 24-year-old is a wizard with his 50-inch Odyssey Jailbird DB broomstick putter, and his top hand is so close to his chest it looks like he’s trying to hear his own heartbeat through the grip. Armchair rules officials were quick to call him out, arguing his hand was grazing his shirt.

When a guy goes from dead last in Strokes Gained: Putting a couple of years ago to putting the lights out at Bay Hill, people start looking for reasons why. Whether Bhatia is actually anchoring or simply exploiting a massive loophole isn’t even the point anymore; the point is that the existence of the broomstick creates a cloud of suspicion over an otherwise brilliant and gutsy victory.

Why We Should Just Ban the Stick Entirely

Look, I’m a coach, and I’ve seen tens of thousands of swings. I want you to play better, but I want you to play golf. Here is why the broomstick needs to go:

1. The Optics Problem: It looks like cheating even when it isn't. Golf is a game of integrity. If the fans and fellow pros are squinting at their TVs questioning a champion's honesty, the rule has failed.
2. The "Fixed Point" Myth: Even if it’s "floating," having your hand tucked that tightly to your torso creates a stability that a traditional 34-inch putter simply doesn't offer. It bypasses the traditional "free swing" of the arms.
3. The Simple Fix: Just make a rule stating that the putter must be the shortest club in the bag. Boom. Problem solved.

The Verdict

If we want to end the endless slow-motion replays and the internet tribunals every time a guy like Akshay Bhatia drains a clutch putt, the solution is simple: ban the length, not just the anchor. Until then, if you see someone at your local muni leaning into a broomstick, feel free to give them a little "helpful" commentary. Or better yet, come see me at Imagen Golf, and let’s fix that stroke for real—no broom required.

Think your putting game is "anchored" in the wrong place? Would you like me to put together a 3-step "Yip-Proof" drill you can do with a standard putter this weekend?

Akshay Bhatia Shows Tiger Woods His Broomstick Technique

This video is relevant because it shows Akshay Bhatia demonstrating his broomstick putting grip and setup to none other than Tiger Woods, giving you a close-up look at the exact technique causing all the controversy.

This is Golf as You've Always Imagined!

Daniel is a Top 100 Golf Coach, The #1 Golf Instructor in PA, a PXG Staff Pro, a World Long Drive Coach and the Head of Golf Instruction at IMAGEN Golf the area's leading golf instruction and advisory firm, host of the IMAGEN Golf podcast and Best-Selling Author of "Unleash The Golfer Within".

For more information visit www.ImagenGolf.com or call 215-595-6299 Reach out to Daniel directly at:Daniel@ImagenGolf.com

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