There is a God, and he doesn't anchor his putter

[Jud_T]

I never thought this day would come, but here's an excerpt from the new issue of Golfweek under the title "USGA to look at putter 'anchoring'":

"Belly putters may not be spared the rulesmakers' scrutiny after all.  Just when it appeared likely that belly putters and chest putters - and more specifically, their use by "anchoring" - would be left unhindered, U.S. Golf Association director Mike Davis says the governing body and the R&A will re-examine the putter technique."

[Kalen Braley]

Jud,

Holy hell man, once the ghost hears word of this he'll be sure to haunt this thread for all time and eternity!! 

I must say though, I can't wait...this rule change is long overdue.  I've always felt the rule would be simple to wordsmith...

...something like, "When thy hands are grasping the club, neither the club nor thy hands shall touch anywhere else on thy body"

[jeffwarne]

All while the ball continues to go farther and farther (it does seem the TOUR players are longer than ever this year-no doubt just "conditioning")
but I digress.....

and alignment aids are being used (and taught ) with cheater lines . (I can't imagine a clearer breach of the  no artificial alignment aids rule than a line on one's ball!) to say nothing of the pace of plaay routine realign issue....

but they can always just use their caddy I guess it used to be just chicks that did this.

Belly putters while unconventional, and perhaps not really a "stroke" just seem to be least of golf's rules issues (and don't affect architecture or need for more land/more money)

[Kalen Braley]

Jeff,

I think for the pros, putting is a critical part of the game because it represents such a high portion of the total strokes they will take during the round.

Lets say on your average tour stop, your average pro shoots par of 72.  With 18 greens, he's likely to putt about 27-30 times, (given a few greens he'll one putt, a few others he'll get it up and down after missing the green).

27-30/72 = 38-42% of his strokes during the round will be putts.  He won't be anywhere close to using 1 other club in his bag anywhere near that % of the time.  So i think it is important to regulate what is happening with the putter as it pertains to the "spirit" of the rules.

[Ed Brzezowski]

I believe I can hear Melvyn typing from here.

[Adam Clayman]

Jud, This day you said will come, was last week sometime. Dawson has already said he has no idea what you're talking about when asked about the R&A's discussions.

IMO, this proves this a media driven campaign to once again "Be part of the story".

Anchoring is a red herring. I anchor the club to my hand on almost every swing.

Try to write a rule outlawing anchoring, good luck. A rule that limits the length of a club, is already in place. Isn't it?

[jeffwarne]

Jeff,

I think for the pros, putting is a critical part of the game because it represents such a high portion of the total strokes they will take during the round.

Lets say on your average tour stop, your average pro shoots par of 72.  With 18 greens, he's likely to putt about 27-30 times, (given a few greens he'll one putt, a few others he'll get it up and down after missing the green).

27-30/72 = 38-42% of his strokes during the round will be putts.  He won't be anywhere close to using 1 other club in his bag anywhere near that % of the time.  So i think it is important to regulate what is happening with the putter as it pertains to the "spirit" of the rules.

Kalen,
I'm not debating that putting isn't a "crucial" part of the game, although your math is a bit skewed in that it includes gimmes that would be made no matter what style or putting ability one has.

I'm saying golf has undergone a significant change for the worse with poorly regulated distance gains of the past 10 -15 years and that impacts every course, no matter what clever responses come back at me from the treehouse after my rant.
Good players are now 70 yards shorter than the pros/long hitters and average golfers are 100-150 yards behind them as they just don't get any of the benefits that a high speed swinger gets.
and to combat this we have new tees costing more money and further bifucating the game by having players all over the place playing different tees (I say bifurcate the rules instead)

Does anyone really think changing the grooves did anything? (although I'm fine with that restoration of the rules as well)

I'm not supporting long putters, I'm just saying
that the USGA either can't see the obvious or simply goes after the battles it thinks it has a chance of winning (evidently Titleist has deeper pockets than putter shaft makers)

People love to hit it far and watch people hit it far, but that;'s absolutely all relative.
I didn't love golf any less when I watched Jack Nicklaus rip it 300 yards in 1975-seeing Bubba hit it 350 isn't any more impressive, particularly when 1/2 half the TOUR can fly it 290.
All of these distance gains result in the backward and game slowing thinking of "defending par at the green" or with deep rough and pinched "driving areas", instead of simply restoring the challenge of the entire game by limiting "bought" distance gains.

maybe though if they keep the long putters and people start making everything they'll start putting the contours back into the greens they've been  flattening  in order to  make them faster so they can challenge the players That's sentence that makes my head hurt.

Seriously though Kalen.
The "spirit" of the rules.
with cheater lines? and caddies lining up players?
that ship has sailed

[Jud_T]

Adam,

Is it really that hard of a rule to write?  How about something like "No part of the club shall intentionally touch the body to aid in the stroke other than the hands except incidentally in the course of making a swing"...

[Andy Troeger]

One...that article hardly proves that change is coming. It just means the USGA is sick of hearing people complain and will "review." Big difference.

Two...Kalen...I can easily adapt my use of the long putter to avoid anchoring it. I've practiced a little bit with my top hand an inch out from my body--its still a heck of a lot better stroke than my normal putting stroke. The belly putter is a different story, but again, see #1. They aren't going to change anything now--the last thing golf needs is to chase away all the amateurs that hate putting and went to one of these things to make the game more enjoyable. We need more golfers, not less.

Why do you guys care so much about the pros? The rules should be more concerned with the rest of us too.

[George Pazin]

Much ado about nothing...

[Jud_T]

Jeff,

You make some valid points, but can't we just enjoy one small victory is the spirit of something is better than nothing?

[Andy Troeger]

Jeff,

You make some valid points, but can't we just enjoy one small victory is the spirit of something is better than nothing?

Jud,
To throw my bias in this out there, I spent $200 on one of these things a month before they became "popular" with winning professionals last year. You better believe I am using it regardless of what the USGA decides. I don't play tournament golf anyway. You don't regulate 30 years (!) after somethings become introduced.

[Stuart Goldstein]

Forgeting the amateurs for a second, for professionals, of the recent changes in equipment over the past several years has belly or long putters really changed the game as much as say the new balls, shafts or 460 cc heads.  Every single golfer uses these to their advantage-everyone.  The belly putter would down the list if you ask me.  In fact several have tried it and switched back-Mickelson, Furyck.  Nobody has swithed from the other technology.  

[jeffwarne]

Jeff,

You make some valid points, but can't we just enjoy one small victory is the spirit of something is better than nothing?

Jud,
I've never used a long putter, although I did try one for fun when i worked for Jim Ferree when he was pioneering them.
My problem was at 6"5 my putter was crazy long anchored against my sternum.

I just say a technique invented to make something debatedly easier (vardon grip, sand wedges and blasting, long putters) pales in comparison to allowing the ball to get completely out of control to a point where billions has been spent on renovation.
If everyone starts making 2 more putts per round, no courses will need altering.(at least not for safety reasons)
Now while it can be argued that no courses need altering for distance gains, I'd say the corridors certainly have to be widened for a game that's 10-20 % larger than it was 20 years ago.

I'm with you on something is better than nothing, I just can't see why the USGA/PGA is so blind, or I'm so stubborn .



I just read Stuart's and Andy's recent posts and am in agreement on them, which is why the ball should be regulated sooner rather than later.

[Kalen Braley]

Jeff,

You certainly make some good points in terms of other issues that plague the game that need to be addressed.  No doubt the anchored club is not the only one.

But the way I see it is, every little last bit helps.  As an analogy, I'll offer the example of the 1st cars from 100 years ago, to what we have now.  The reason why we have what we have now is due to the small leaps in innovation that we had over the years.  Car innovation didn't happen all at once, but was very gradual.  A slightly more efficient engine here, a slightly improved set of tires there, a set of disc brakes that last 5% longer here, a radiator that's 20% cheaper and 30% more effective....all small improvements until one day you look back and see the entire car has changed.

The same is with golf rules....just because there are other rules that need fixing too, doesn't mean we shouldn't fix the ones we can now, even if they are "lesser" rules.

Andy,

As things pertains to the pros, that's exactly the reason why it matters, because your weekend warriors all want to play what the pro plays.  They want to play like the pro plays, they want to play where the pros play, and they certainly want to use the same equipment the pros play.  Do you think ProVs are so expensive because of their intrinsic nature?  Or because half the pros on tour use them?

The reality is what the pros do, does matter, because its monkey see, monkey-do on TV and in television ads.

[Andy Troeger]

Kalen,
Don't forget...I know your game. Putting is your strength, and the only reason you care about this is because you lose your only potential advantage if some lousy putter finds improvement through these longer putters. The rest is just you justifying that with other reasons 

[Adam Clayman]

Adam,

Is it really that hard of a rule to write?  How about something like "No part of the club shall intentionally touch the body to aid in the stroke other than the hands except incidentally in the course of making a swing"...

I don't believe the essence of the sport, through the rules,  is to dictate how one (as it relates to the swing) achieves the task at hand.

I've hit shots where I have anchored the club to parts, other than my hands. It's a creative shot, used to prevent the club from doing something I don't want it to do. Should that type of creative thinking be ruled out?

Plus, It's only opinion that anchoring assists in achieving a lower score, or advantage. There is no proof.

[Kalen Braley]

Kalen,
Don't forget...I know your game. Putting is your strength, and the only reason you care about this is because you lose your only potential advantage if some lousy putter finds improvement through these longer putters. The rest is just you justifying that with other reasons 

Andy,

While the facts seem to be to the contrary in my case, I can promise this has nothing to do with me not wanting others to have an advantage.  As a life long mid to high capper I know I'm always going to be on the short end of the stick when playing straight up against anyone. 

The difference is, I'm not willing to sell my soul to the devil to overcome my weaknesses like driving, playing out of fairway bunkers, and hitting long irons. 

[Melvyn Morrow]

If there was a God, did not that last cart take him out? So do we rely upon God or call in the Health & Safety kids and soon all carts will be banned, certainly in GB

[Andy Troeger]

Kalen,
Not having the ability and not being willing are separate things 

[Jim_Kennedy]

"The PGA Tour’s most reliable statistic for putting is called “strokes gained.” The top 12 players on the list use a conventional putter. The more traditional statistic is average putts per round. None of the top 12 players on that list use a long putter, either."

I don't believe it'll be about performance if the USGA ends up fashioning a rule about these putters, I think they'll use the same clay they used to construct the 'Sam Snead' rule.