Now the fun begins - Bradley to fight.

[Jud_T]

Jud,

I see your argument, but if long putters could not be sold anymore, then all the players wielding one would have to buy another putter. Hence, the putter makers are still in business. There will not be one putter less sold if long putters were banned.

And even if some companies went out of business, I still fail to see how the USGA/R&A could be blamed for consumers refusing to buy a certain type of golf club. Is anyone sueing the USGA/R&A because he would like to sell 50" drivers to the public?

This is preposterous. But I'm not a lawyer.

Ulrich

They'd still be selling putters but Keegen might not be the guy getting the big endorsement checks.

[Mark Johnson]

dumb question here.  (not really but that is how i try to be non-confrontational here).

Does anyone here know the exact prose of this ban on belly putters / anchoring?  Without knowing this, I think much of this discussion is moot.

I think the difference between banning a piece of equipment versus a style of putting is a nontrivial difference.

[Jon Wiggett]

Design types have been banned before i.e. center shafted putters and style types i.e. straddling the line of play. I understand the belly putty gives some players improved putting results but then so do so many other grips, putter heads etc. I've said it before, they should tackle something important like the ball

Jon

[Rich Goodale]

I don't get this at all.

Why would it even be possible to sue the USGA / R&A over a rules change? It's their rules!

If the Tour loves belly/broomstick putters, well then why don't they simply allow them? They have their rules and nobody ever sued them for playing "lift, clean & place", "obstruction by sight" and whatever host of bloody rules they're constantly coming up with! Do the Longdrivers of America sue the USGA because they don't allow drivers longer than 48"? Of course not, they're just using whatever drivers they think are best for their game!

So Keegan Bradley can sue the Tour, if he thinks that will do the professional game any good. But what business does he or any other Pro have meddling with the amateur game??

Ulrich

You speak common sense, brother Ulrich, but it's all about bifurcation........

[Rich Goodale]

.....and bifurcation is all about the loss of control....

[A.G._Crockett]

.....and bifurcation is all about the loss of control....

Maybe. 

But I think there may also be solid business arguments against bifurcation.  The link between the pro game, the amateur game, and the business of golf strikes me as unique among the sports.  Tampering with that link may bring the law of unintended consequences into play in ways that in the end none of us will like.

[Rich Goodale]

.....and bifurcation is all about the loss of control....

Maybe.  

The link between the pro game, the amateur game, and the business of golf strikes me as unique among the sports.

Not at all true, A.G..  Bowling is exactly the same.  Tennis is too, but would you really want to spend 20 minutes on the center court of Wimbledon getting beat by Andy Murray 6-0, 6-0, 6-0?  Golf is a lying bastard of a sport that makes us think we are the same as those who play it for a living just because all of us can beat any player in the world for at least one putt, or one hole or even one round (if we are good and/or lucky enough).  Regardless of what we might think, we are all crap relative to the real players, and the fact that the USGA and R&A spend a lot of their time and our money perpetuating that myth is scandalous.

Rich

[A.G._Crockett]

.....and bifurcation is all about the loss of control....

Maybe.  

The link between the pro game, the amateur game, and the business of golf strikes me as unique among the sports.

Not at all true, A.G..  Bowling is exactly the same.  Tennis is too, but would you really want to spend 20 minutes on the center court of Wimbledon getting beat by Andy Murray 6-0, 6-0, 6-0?  Golf is a lying bastard of a sport that makes us think we are the same as those who play it for a living just because all of us can beat any player in the world for at least one putt, or one hole or even one round (if we are good and/or lucky enough).  Regardless of what we might think, we are all crap relative to the real players, and the fact that the USGA and R&A spend a lot of their time and our money perpetuating that myth is scandalous.

Rich

Rich,
I miss your point.  Tennis and bowling are also not bifurcated as to equipment, true.  And relevant to my point in that it wouldn't be in those sports' best interests to bifurcate, either.

As to your last sentence, I KNOW I'm crap relative to "real" players; that has absolutely nothing to do with the issue of bifurcation, does it?  As for me, I just don't care how low they go on Tour; I LIKE it that we use the same ball and equipment, etc., that they do.  I think that's a good thing, and I would hate to see it go away.  But that's just me...

[Dan Herrmann]

Last year, the NFL made the rules against hits to the head quite a bit stronger in the middle of the season.

After a couple of weeks adjustment, the players adopted very well.   The same thing will happen in golf.