Ever found yourself staring at your putter, the most delicate club in your bag, and wondering what would happen if you gave it a full-blooded swing? This article provides the definitive answer to How far can you hit a golf ball with a putter? We'll look at the realistic distances for an average golfer, the proper technique for giving it a ride, and explore the very rare moments when hitting a putter from a long way out is actually a smart play on the course.
Before we go sending the flatstick screaming down the fairway, it’s important to understand what it’s built for. A putter is engineered for one specific job: precision. Its design features are the complete opposite of what you’d want for hitting a ball far.
So, physics is working against us from the start. We're trying to use a tool designed for sub-5 mph taps to perform a job that usually requires speeds over 80 mph. Still, that doesn't mean it can't be done.
Let's address the big question. With a full-power, body-rotating swing, how far are we talking? The numbers might surprise you. When skilled golfers really go after it, a putter can send a ball a considerable distance. Famously, tour pro Bubba Watson has been known to smack a putter over 200 yards in fun competitions, using his immense power and swing speed.
But what about the rest of us? For an average amateur male golfer who generates decent clubhead speed, hitting a putter between 100 and 150 yards is a very achievable distance. This assumes a solid strike and reasonably firm ground conditions to get some extra roll. A golfer with less speed might see distances somewhere between 75 and 100 yards.
The ball flight will be very low and penetrating, like a line drive in baseball. It won't have much carry, so the majority of its distance will come from roll-out. On a soggy fairway, you'll see a dramatic drop in total distance. On a firm, fast-running fairway, you might get a few impressive bounces and watch it chase for a while.
The distance you can achieve isn't a single number, it's a result of several interacting factors. Understanding them will help you get the most out of this fun experiment.
This is the biggest variable. A powerful golfer who understands how to rotate their body correctly and transfer energy through the ball will hit it much further. Simply arm-wrestling the club won't work. The technique for hitting a putter far is less like a putt and much more like a low, driving punch shot. It’s about using your body as the engine, not your arms.
While most putters share a similar design philosophy, small differences can have an impact:
Because the ball flight is so low, ground conditions are extremely important. Try this on a driving range: hit a few off a wet, grassy area and then a few off a dry astroturf-style mat. The difference in roll will be astonishing. Firm, sun-baked fairways are the ideal launching pad for maximizing your putter's distance.
Ready to give it a try? Let’s be clear: this is a fun drill for the range or an empty course, not a recommended strategy for a tournament round - with one exception we'll cover later. Here’s how to do it safely and effectively.
Your normal putting setup won't work here. You need to adjust your stance to generate power and stability.
The power comes from your body, not from trying to swat at the ball with your arms. The swing feeling is much more like a punch shot than a putt.
Impact is where you send a message to the golf ball. Your goal is to hit the ball first and keep the club low through impact.
After all this talk of hitting a putter incredibly far, there’s one situation where using it from off the green is not just acceptable, but often the smartest percentage play in golf: The Texas Wedge.
The Texas Wedge is simply the act of using your putter from the fringe, fairway, or any area with tightly mown grass surrounding the green. Why would you do this instead of chipping?
Predictability. Hitting a crisp chip requires perfect contact. A slight mistake - hitting it a fraction too fat or too thin - can lead to a chunked shot that goes nowhere or a bladed shot that screams across the green. A putt, however, eliminates those two big misses. Even if your speed is a little off on a putt from the fringe, the ball will still roll forward toward the hole. You are taking the worst-case scenario (a flubbed chip) completely out of play.
You should consider the Texas Wedge when:
For this shot, you use your normal putting stroke, not the power swing described above. Just give it a little extra "oomph" to get it across the fringe and onto the putting surface. It's one of the simplest and most effective ways to save a stroke.
So, you absolutely can hit a golf ball a surprising distance with a putter using a full, body-driven swing. But while it's a phenomenal party trick, its primary on-course value from long range is an extremely low-percentage shot, best replaced by the smart, reliable "Texas Wedge" from just off the green.
Knowing when to attempt a unique shot like a long putter roll-out versus playing a simple Texas Wedge is part of smarter golf. That's why we built Caddie AI. Our app gives you instant, on-demand advice for any shot you face, helping you understand the percentages and make the confident choice. If you’re ever stuck between clubs or aren't sure how to play a strange lie, you can just ask Caddie and get expert strategic guidance in seconds, turning guesswork into a clear plan.
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