Let's get right to it: yes, you can absolutely have two putters in your golf bag. As long as you don't carry more than the maximum of 14 clubs, the rules don't care what combination of clubs you use. This article will break down the official rule, a few reasons why you might consider this unconventional setup, the major pros and cons, and a quick guide on how to smartly implement it if you decide it's right for your game.
The first thing most golfers want to know is whether this is even allowed. It can feel like you’re trying to pull a fast one, but the governing bodies of a golf, the USGA and R&A, are completely fine with it.
The relevant regulation is Rule 4.1b (Limit of 14 Clubs). This rule states that you must not start a round with more than 14 clubs or have more than 14 clubs during the round. That's it. The rule makes no specific distinctions about the types of clubs you can carry.
In the eyes of the rules, a putter is just another club. A driver is a club. A 7-iron is a club. A sand wedge is a club. As long as the total number in your bag is 14 or fewer, you could theoretically carry 14 putters and be perfectly within your rights (though your score probably wouldn't appreciate it).
So, the legality isn't the real question. The more important question is: should you carry two putters? And that's where the strategy comes into play.
Putting can feel like a game within a game, and sometimes a single tool just doesn’t feel right for every situation. While most golfers stick with one trusted flat stick to build consistency, there are a few practical reasons why a two-putter system might be tempting.
This is probably the most common justification. The greens at your regular, budget-friendly course might be drastically different from the slick, glass-like surfaces at a private club or tournament venue. One day you’re hammering putts just to get them to the hole, the next, you’re just trying to breathe on the ball to get it started.
Having a “slow green putter” and a “fast green putter” can give you a lot of confidence when you play a variety of courses.
Another popular strategy involves using different putters for different jobs on the green. This often comes down to long putts versus short putts.
Let's be honest - putting is deeply psychological. When you’re in a slump, your trusty flat stick can suddenly feel like a foreign object in your hands. Every putt feels doomed before you even start your stroke.
In this scenario, a second putter acts as a mental reset button. If your primary putter has betrayed you three holes in a row, the ability to switch to your "backup" can break that negative mental spiral. In your mind, it's not you that's the problem, it's the putter. Giving it a timeout and bringing in a substitution can be a powerful psychological trick to get you back on track.
Before you rush to the golf shop, it's important to understand the full picture. Carrying two putters comes with some real benefits, but also one massive drawback that can't be ignored.
If you've weighed the pros and cons and still think a two-putter system could benefit your game, here's how to do it without torpedoing your scores.
Don't just add a second putter because you're having a bad week. Identify the exact problem you’re trying to solve. Write it down. Is it: "I three-putt constantly on fast greens"? Or: "I yip every putt inside four feet"? The more specific your problem, the better you can select a second putter to solve it.
Don't just carry two similar blade putters. The two putters in your bag should feel and perform very differently. The goal is to make the decision of which one to use as black-and-white as possible. Think in terms of opposites:
Go through your bag and be brutally honest about which club you can live without. A good way to do this is to track your club usage for 5-10 rounds. Which club do you hit the least? Is there a big yardage gap between two clubs that you could solve by hitting one of them softer? For many, the club to go is either a long iron (like a 4-iron if you have a 4-hybrid) or a specialized wood (like a 5-wood if you can hit your 3-wood different distances).
This is the most important step for avoiding decision paralysis on the course. Before you ever put the system into play, you need to create your own personal set of "regulations." For example:
Whatever your rules are, stick to them. Go to the putting green and practice with this system until the decision of which putter to pull becomes completely automatic.
Legally putting two putters in your bag is simple, the strategic part is much more complicated. While it can be a clever solution for very specific challenges on the greens, you have to be honest about the major trade-off you’re making by giving up another valuable club.
Making a smart, evidence-based decision about your club setup, like figuring out which club to sacrifice for a second putter, can feel like guesswork. That’s why I can be a helpful partner on and off the course. You can use Caddie AI to analyze your shot data and see exactly which clubs you’re using and which ones are just taking up space, giving you the confidence to make a data-driven choice for your bag. My goal is to take the uncertainty out of these decisions so you can play smarter.
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