My golf buddy Nick switched to a belly putter a few years ago. Of course I didn't miss the opportunity to lob old jokes at him relentlessly. (Nick is 10 years younger than me, and 10 strokes better than me.) Just like most things I tease him about, I came around later and tried a belly putter myself.
The Rife Island Series Barbados Belly Putter is 43 inches and is a heel-shafted mallet design. The putter's face is "RollGroove Technology," which is designed to utilize less loft because of the gripping of the grooves on the face. The gripping of the putter head at impact helps the ball roll smoother and truer.
For those of you who aren't privy to how a belly putter works, let me enlighten you. The shaft, which is several inches longer than your typical putter, is placed in your gut right around your belly button. This locks in the shaft, promoting a more pendulum-style stroke, and prevents those awful jabbing strokes that we tend to do under pressure.
The best thing about this Barbados Putter is the sweet feel and high MOI. I also like the lines drawn on the head for alignment which you rarely get with these mallet style putters.
In addition many tour players have switched to belly putters, notably Stewart Cink who won the 2009 British Open, and Freddy Couples, one of Nick's favorite golfers. Hmmm, this must've been what tipped Nick off to how sweet these belly putters were before I did. Oh well, it's like I always say: better late then never.
Find this Rife Island Barbados Belly Putter:
Find this putter on eBay:
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NEW BARBADOS BELLY GUERIN RIFE PUTTER 43 Island Ser US $169.97   Auction Ends: 2d 10h 37m Make it yours... |
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Rife Belly Putter Barbados Island Series US $56.00 7 Bids Auction Ends: 1d 16h 21m Make it yours... |
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NICE GUERIN RIFE Barbados Island Series Putter 35 LH US $78.88 Auction Ends: 27d 5h 40m Make it yours... |
September 6th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
[...] this is a problem that you struggle with, you might also try putting with a belly putter, which effectively accomplishes the same thing. Many of the tour pros have switched to the belly [...]
September 10th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
[...] you like this putter, I would also recommend taking a look at the Rife Island Series Barbados Belly Putter. It's the same putter, but in the belly style [...]