In the interest of debate.....golfers

[boatsandhoes]

Where do you come down on the whole anchoring ordeal?

I have two sides of it I suppose. To me, it definitely takes more skill to manage the small muscles in a putting stroke unanchored. Yet, everyone is allowed to use it. Why is that unfair then?

Another side of it is, you have to manage your other clubs without anchoring why not a driver with whatever swing aid you want?

Then there are the other guys like Tim Clark who can't pronate his wrists. Or Keegan bradley/Webb Simpson whom have never used any other kind of putter because it was not illegal.

That all said I have used a belly, and it didn't work for me. I use a 34 or 35 inch standard putter, and I am a better player with it.

 

[Will James]

Ban the belly putters.

 

[Center Z]

My take: if it works for you, you should be allowed to do it.

If I wanted to stand on my head and putt with my feet, I should be able to do it if I get better results than doing it the "normal" way. Jim Furyk's swing is so damn ugly that it should be illegal, but it works for him. He does it the same way every time. Same deal with putting - if it works for you, who F'n cares how you do it. I don't see any advantage at all with anchoring. If it really provided an advantage, then Vijay Singh and Keegan Bradley would have won every tournament they played in over the last 10 years. Sergio Garcia's no-putting *** switched to a belly putter and continued to suck at it.

If everyone has the option to do it, then there is no unfair advantage from one player to the next. Either you can putt or you can't. Just a dumb rule.

 

[fishwater99]

I say ban the long putters. Never liked them..

 

[graphicBYdesign]

I do not agree with the ban at all.

The USGA and R&A said that “Anchored strokes have become the preferred option for a growing number of players and this has caused us to review these strokes and their impact on the game, Our concern is that anchored strokes threaten to supplant traditional putting strokes which are integral to the longstanding character of the sport.”

It's an ill-conceived response to players who use "anchored" putters to win Major Championships. We have 460-cc drivers made of high tech alloys, graphite shafts, balls that go forever, and more technology in every clubhead than golfers could have dreamed of even 20 years ago. All these things have had a much greater impact on golf than long putters.

Personally, I use a 35" Odyssey #5 and I've used it for over 10 years. I have tried both belly putters and long-putters and find them difficult to use. Of course, I would attribute that to a lack of familiarity.

 

[ckDOG]

Require the putter to be as short as the next shortest club in your bag.

Besides requiring that a ball must be hit from the side, don't regulate how the players uses a club, just state that it has to be a short one. I don't think this is unreasonable. If you can manage to get in a position to swing a sand wedge, I'm calling BS on not being able to get in position to move a putter of the same length back and forth. If you can manage to figure out a way to anchor a normal putter, more power to you, but you are going to use a short club while doing it.

 

[maroonmania]

I don't really care but I would be fine if they just standardized all golf equipment on the PGA. I really just want to know who the best golfer is where it is not influenced by who might have equipment advantages or disadvantages. Obviously will never happen but I would be good with it if it did. Of course I realize the same tact could be taken in a lot of professional sports but isn't as far as equipment standardization.

 

[Dawg1976]

I'm with you. I'm an old fart(58) and have used one from time to time, but they are not easy to use IMO. I always go back to a standard length putter. No one at my club plays with one.

As far as I'm concerned, the USGA and R&A missed the boat 30+ years ago. They should have been banned them when they came out if they were considered bad for the game. And you are right about the drivers and golf balls, they are making some of the great old courses obsolete. Putters don't.

 

[coursesuper]

I the R@A and the USGA missed the boat 20 years ago they had their shot an 17ed it up. The things are here to stay. The reason is that we now have an entire group of players that have grown up using the long putter. Why now is there a need for a rule banning the things you get the ball in the hole any way you can. The putters are not what is changing the game tech is, the ball and shaft are the major causes and the courses are now in better conditon than at any time before. Getting rid of the long putter makes no sense.

 

[grinnindawg]

I think it's stupid. If it's a legal club, how you swing it shouldn't be in question.
I use the Arnold Palmer blade Santa brought me in 76 or 77.
I also think the "Sam Snead rule" (can't putt astride the line) is stupid as well. Putted beside the ball like he did for a while as a teenager.

Nicklaus and Tiger, the 2 best putters I've ever seen, don't anchor.
Tiger and McDowell putted circles around the field last week.
It doesn't seem like it skews the statistics enough to warrant banning.

 

[boatsandhoes]

All true, but they have limited drivers core ratings (testing of the face) and all club grooves. It was coming with success from this putter. Just like it came when guys could spin it out of deep rough. Some of the length can be attributed to equipment, but some of it is strength training. Guys are limber and core stronger than they were. Golfers are mostly all fit people now with the training programs coming into play the last ten years. I have to say anchoring makes it easier to make a consistent stroke. Yet I don't use one....it was too constrictive for me to control speed.

I can certainly see both sides of the issue. I think the game is great where it is. Golf is a hard game to get right all the time as it stands right now.

 

[jacksonreb]

^^^^this^^^^. this horse left the barn 25 yrs ago. if they didn't like them they should have banned them early on. plus studies have shown the long anchored putters don't create a measureable advantage over the short ones. i went to a long one last year. it helps me but i think its more mental than physical and since i don't keep precise putting stats i can't prove it but i think i'm only marginally better putting now.

 

[mount lefroy]

It's main advantage in my opinion is that it reduces deceleration if the club head ever so slightly. I'm in the camp that the club has been allowed for long enough that it should be kept. But I do understand that anything that compromises the basic strategy of the game needs to be reviewed no matter what the source is.

 

[Dan Druff]

Bottom line is when you anchor something into your body it makes it more stable. Why do you think Keegan and Webb switched to the belly putter when they did? Because their hands and small muscles cause them to miss too many putts, therefore they decided to wedge it in their stomach and take their hands out of it. That just flies in the face of the game.

Also, if you took away belly putters, the average length of putter on tour is 32in. The average height of the player is 5'11ish. The only reason Scotty Cameron, Oddysey, etc make putters standard at 35 in. is so that they will stick out of your bag higher....marketing. So think about that you guys who are an average joe like me and using a 35in. putter. I suggest you cut it down, get the putter lying flat, and start making some putts.

 

[mcdawg22]

I think it's stupid. If it's a legal club, how you swing it shouldn't be in question.
I use the Arnold Palmer blade Santa brought me in 76 or 77.
I also think the "Sam Snead rule" (can't putt astride the line) is stupid as well. Putted beside the ball like he did for a while as a teenager.

Nicklaus and Tiger, the 2 best putters I've ever seen, don't anchor.
Tiger and McDowell putted circles around the field last week.
It doesn't seem like it skews the statistics enough to warrant banning.

Add Steve Stricker and Loren Roberts to that group. I'll be honest I think it's harder to judge speed with longer putters. It helps line tremendously but I've tried one and on 30 and 40 foot putts it was hard for me to putt inside the barrel. Of course I go the Garrigus route and put with a 31" custom Ping and being over the ball helps me a lot better in the line.

 

[grinnindawg]

I'm surprised some pro hasn't tried 2 putters in the bag, one for long and one for short.

People ought not be able to live in Gulf Breeze or Navarre, only visit.
Love The Club at Hidden Creek and Eglin AFB Eagle.
Tiger Point is nice as well, but for some reason I can't remember I didn't like it as well.

 

[RocketDawg]

Unless I'm mistaken, the long putter was around many, many years ago. Then it sort of vanished for a long time with everybody using the "standard" length one. Then it came back with a few of the current players.

I've tried one one time, and it felt like using a broom to me. But if the players now like it, I don't see why they can't use one since it was allowed for so long. They should have made it illegal some years ago when it made it's resurgence. It's too late to do it now and be fair.

If they want golf like it used to be, go back to persimmon woods and older type irons. Maybe that would "save" the game from the young upstarts.

 

[mount lefroy]

ok, so how come metal drivers were allowed? How come metal shafts were allowed? How come balls have changed so drastically?

Seriously, equipment changes have changed the game before today. Your argument, and this ban are antiquated. They had their chance.

 

[GTAdawg]

My take on the anchoring situation is this...

First and foremost, the rules of golf should be the same for both the pros and the amatuers. Regardless if the anchored putters are allowed or not, the rules should be consistent throughout all levels of play. If the PGA Tour differs their ruling from the USGA and R&A that will not be good for golf.

It is my opinion that the golf swing was meant to be free swinging motion. With that said, I believe anchored putters(or any anchored club) should not be allowed in the game. Players can elect use "long putters" or any length putter, but it can not be anchored to the body.

However, to me the downside of banning the anchored putter is that you risk to turn regular people(screw the pros they will adapt whatever is decided) away from playing the game, thus golf would stuggle to grow. There are amatuers out there that have used nothing but anchored putters their whole playing career.

So there are definitely cases for each side. But the fact that to me the integrity of what is considered a golf swing is questioned with using an anchored putter is grounds to ban it to insure golf is being played correctly.

And I intend on playing quite a bit this weekend....with my regular length flat stick.

 

[mcdawg22]

I'm surprised some pro hasn't tried 2 putters in the bag, one for long and one for short.

People ought not be able to live in Gulf Breeze or Navarre, only visit.
Love The Club at Hidden Creek and Eglin AFB Eagle.
Tiger Point is nice as well, but for some reason I can't remember I didn't like it as well.

Hidden Creek and Tiger Point both were under the same golf management group and they were going to bankrupt both of them. Hidden Creek was bought by the Holley Navarre Water System on of the reasons was because the sprinkler system was worth close to a million dollars. They are completely renovating the greens in April and will be available in August. Tiger Point originally had 36 holes Ivan destroyed one course and housing pressure had the owners make a decision to not repair and just leave it open for development. When the housing market collapsed they reopened nine holes on one side with minimal upkeep which was terrible at times, but gave hacks the opportunity to play for 19.95 all day. City of GB bought it to expand a waste plant and promised to dump money in it and maybe reopen all 18 of the West course. The east course there is playing great right now, probably because they have been using inmate labor. This post brought to you by the Greater Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce. I realize I probably should have PM'd this but I'm already typed too much.

 

[RocketDawg]

Honestly, I've only seen a very small number of amateurs using an anchored. The vast, vast majority use a regular one.

I could well be wrong, but the only rule that I can think of that's different for amateurs is the grooves on the irons. Amateurs can still use square grooves for 10 years, which I think is 2020. Pros had to switch immediately 3 years ago. I think the reasoning is that amateurs have to buy their clubs and many cannot afford a new set of irons, whereas the pros get theirs free.

Amateur rules are the same as pros, but it's my experience that very few amateurs actually play by the rules ... they roll the ball, improve lies, have "gimmees" in regular plays, they tap down spike marks ... the list is endless. And if they can get away with it in tournament play, most do it there too.