Make an illegal driver and call it a "putter"?

[Lihu]

Probably good advice, Lihu.  I'm kind of a cheapskate, though.  I'm eyeballing a new set for next season.  I'll probably go with standard length and see how that goes.

Me too, I won't commit to that kind of money either until I know it is going to be a set I know I can use for a while.

[Fourputt]

Probably good advice, Lihu.  I'm kind of a cheapskate, though.  I'm eyeballing a new set for next season.  I'll probably go with standard length and see how that goes.

Keep in mind that you may need a slightly longer shaft in the iron, but that doesn't automatically extend to the driver.  You may only need a more upright lie with the irons. but with a standard length.  Most taller men also have longer arms which compensates for the extra height somewhat, so only a clubfitter can really tell you for sure what might work best for your height and swing.

[onthehunt526]

It's a good thought in theory, the USGA would nail you for #6 with Intent of design, you might be able to get away with it if your "putting driver" had no grooves on the face then you could in theory maybe sneak it by the USGA, but I doubt it... I personally think your efforts would be better served trying to figure out how to make a driver that could pass off as a putter first... but what the hell I'm no engineer... What I'm trying to figure out is why the hell would you want a 52-inch Driver anyway? You may hit the hell out of this "putter" but you'll be three fairways over, Longer drivers are Damn near impossible to control, even a 47 15/16" driver is damn near impossible to control, I have a hard enough time with a 44 3/4" driver

[acerimusdux]

It's a good thought in theory, the USGA would nail you for #6 with Intent of design,

Wouldn't come into play, that section that was quoted above was only preventing pendulum swing designs, something we wouldn't want anyway.

I personally think your efforts would be better served trying to figure out how to make a driver that could pass off as a putter first... but what the hell I'm no engineer...

Yes, but it would really have to work as a putter. If people felt the need to carry another putter to put with, I doubt it would pass the "designed primarily for use on the putting green" test.

What I'm trying to figure out is why the hell would you want a 52-inch Driver anyway?

I doubt whether even the long drive guys would actually game something longer than 48 inches in an actual round of golf. But lets ignore that part for a moment and think just of a driving putter that's 44 inches, but with a really hot face (since you can exceed the COR limits).

I'm not sure whether the technology is there yet or not to make that a practical design, but it might well be.  But can it be made functional enough as a putter that you wouldn't be losing more strokes on the putting green than you'd be gaining elsewhere?