The trend to switch to the ‘belly’ or ‘long-handled’ putter has really taken off on the European Tour with this week’s Castellon Masters boasting the biggest usage all season.

John Whyte, Sports Account Manager for SPORTS MARKETING SURVEYS INC indicated there is eight players (7% of the field) using belly putters this week and just as many using long-handled putters.

Alejandro Canizares among a record number this year of 16 players using either long-handled or belly putters on day one of the Castello Masters. (Photo Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)

That’s 14% of players competing on the Club de Campo Mediterranean course using the controversial but legal putters.

John indicted this figure tops the previous high of 9.6% of players who used either a long-handled or belly putter at the Joburg Open in January and also in June at the Saint Omer Open in France.

The most notable change to the belly putter is double Major winning, John Daly.

“I’m trying the belly putter for a first time in my life but it just feels weird,” said the American on the eve of his first appearance in the event.

“The thing is for me that my putting has always been my Achilles Heel all my life but at least with the belly putter you know straight away what you are doing wrong.”

However Daly was spotted after a round of 73 in deep conversation with sports psychologist, Jos Vanstiphout.

Daly had been lying well-placed at two under par but doubled his closing two holes.

Those players using either the belly putter or long-handled putter this week include:

Brett Rumford, Alejandro Canizares, Marcel Siem, Carlosdel Moral, James Kingston, Gregory Havret, Lorenzo Gagli, John Daly, Kenneth Ferrie, Scott Strange, Soren Hansen,  Rafa Echenique, Mark Brown, Steve Webster, Santiago Luna and Richard Bland.

Thanks to SPORTS MARKETING SURVEYS INC for this information.