I am against the ban, personally. I don’t think it is really an advantage, or else everyone would be doing it. Additionally, if some people that believe it helps them play better are now going to give up the game or not start playing in the first place, that is a problem. I would just assume we let the players putt how they want. There is talk that the PGA Tour may play a “local rule” that allows belly putters on tour.
Any of the golf fans on here want to share their thoughts?
I agree that anchor points should not be allowed. The belly putter removes many of the “possible movements” from the stroke.
I do agree that if it was a big advantage that everyone would be doing it. I read an article once that said a belly putter could make a bad putter good, but it can’t make a mediocre putter great.
The proposal suggests that this is based upon avoiding the rapid adoption of the use of belly putters.
They are almost stating in the proposal that it could be an advantage.
I hate the ban. Seems like an idiotic way to make rules, to me–> some people find this easy, let’s ban it! It’s not an engineering advantage from technology, etc.; it’s simply a slightly modified way of holding the club. What’s next, you can only have 9 fingers on the club because some people find it easier to control with 10 fingers?
Why not allow them to anchor it, if they found a new way to make the stroke that makes it easier for them, then awesome! I mean, it’s anchored to your hand for the whole stroke, lol. Dumb.
Full disclosure: I’m biased because I have a friend on tour who is an “anchorer.”
Unlike the the transition to metal drivers, which are clearly longer and more forgiven than wooden drivers were, I believe the reason we haven’t seen a mass transition to belly putters is because there is more of a stigma against them. They are perceived to be an “old man’s” club.
So I think the reason “everybody” isn’t using them has more to do about perception than it does about performance IMO. If there wasn’t that perception I think we might see more people using them.
Roll the ball back about 20 yards, make courses that pros play on grow grass in the rough, do away with the OB rule and make everything hazard, and make sand-filled divots in the fairway GUR.
And last but not least, enforce slow play rules and start giving these guys penalties for holding up the entire course.
They did a similar ban in regards to Sam Snead’s croquet style putting. There was no technology advantage there either. I’m not saying that was right either. Just that there is a precedent.
They did a similar ban in regards to Sam Snead’s croquet style putting. There was no technology advantage there either. I’m not saying that was right either. Just that there is a precedent.[/quote]
Oh, I agree that the Snead croquet style shouldn’t have been banned, either. If pressed, you might be able to make a differentiating argument from that based on stance at address or something more eloquently put than my 10 secs. of thought.
If they are going to ban the use of anchored clubs then I think they should do away with the two ball putters as well. Anchoring the putter on your belly is no more of an advantage than having two additional circles on your putter to help you line up correctly.
Dumb rule… as has been said several times, if it were a big adantage everyone would use one…
I’ve tried one, didn’t like it… I really think its a placebo-
A guy like Ben Crenshaw could put with a baseball bat and make em all day long- he is just a good putter much like Scotty Cameron could craft the best putter ever and I’ll still have the touch of a rapist with it in my hand.
[quote=“hootie, post:5, topic:27178”]Do away with the OB rule and make everything hazard, and make sand-filled divots in the fairway GUR.
And last but not least, enforce slow play rules and start giving these guys penalties for holding up the entire course.
That is all.[/quote]
Preach on Brother Hootie. Those are the top 3 rules that need changing the most.
[ul][li]OB rule- slows play down. Plus the rule for swinging and missing is less punitive than hitting a ball 6 inches OB. [/li]
[li]You can’t call GUR on a divot that will be repaired immediately after the round is over. If it’s not GUR then don’t repair it. [/li]
[li]Penalize slow play. Then I won’t have to watch Ben Crane, Johnathan Byrd or JB Holmes anymore. Get off the course![/li][/ul]
Concerning the belly/long putter, the PGA Tour must be willing to say goodbye to Fred Couples, Bernhard Langer, Keegan Bradley, Webb Simpson, Ernie Els and Carl Petterson just to name a few. I don’t think they are. Lawsuits will be filed and loop holes will be found. It has three years to discussed but I do not think it will be enforced.
The R&A discussions seem like they’re closer to adopting the ban than the USGA or PGA are. However, would be difficult having different equipment rules on the Euro and PGA tours.
Not sure that it gives an advantage, but it has definitely helped some that could not putt to develop enough skill to win golf tournaments. I think this was a pre-emptive strike to make sure that future technology is not designed to help you hinge your driver or other clubs to your body to make it easier to hit the ball straight(er) with those clubs.
Interestingly, Arnold Palmer is for the ban of belly putters. It’s interesting because a few years ago he was against limiting the “trampoline affect” on drivers.