OT: Long putter rule change proposal

[ckDOG]

http://www.golf.com/tour-and-news/u...e-would-ban-anchored-putting-stroke?hpt=hp_t4

Personally, I think they are going about it the wrong way. How you swing a club is subjective. Swing it however you want as long as you are striking the ball from the side and not scraping, spooning, etc. or whatever the rule says.

Equipment standards, on the other hand, or totally objective. If you want to ban long putter, then ban long putters. Just put in a rule that says your putter has to be the shortest club (or some other reasonable and objective way to measure) in the bag and be done with it. How the golfer swings that is up to him or her.

 

[Dawg1976]

I think they are going about wrong too. No anchoring to the belly, but OK to anchor to your arm as Matt Kuchar does. If they were going to ban the thing, they should have just blown it up all together. Personally, I don't think they should have banned them. Heck, they have been around forever.

 

[DAWG61]

I'm not a fan of the long putters. Hope they get banned. To me they take the skill and nerve out of putting. By bracing it against your chest it eliminates shaky hands or nerves. The shorter hitter that relies on their superior putting is punished when any dick with a stick can use a long putter.

 

[cowbellringer.sixpack]

Equipment standards, on the other hand, or totally objective. If you want to ban long putter, then ban long putters. Just put in a rule that says your putter has to be the shortest club (or some other reasone and objective way to measure) in the bag and be done with it. How the golfer swings that is up to him or her.

The USGA/R&A has avoided an equipment rule change for one reason and one reason only, lawsuits. They are scared of being sued by manufacturers and professional players. Just look at the Ping lawsuit for an example. They can now argue that they did not make any equipment "illegal" only the specific use of said equipment.

Golf on the USGA level is run by attorneys. They are slow to respond, but when they do it is well thought out and deliberate. There is a reason that every press release and video has stressed that this is not an equipment change.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

If you want to ban the putter because it takes the skill out of it then they need to reduce the size of drivers back to what they were 20 years ago because it takes the skill out of it.

For the record I have no problem with the big drivers or putters (I don't own either one).

 

[Dawg1976]

I'm not a fan of the long putters. Hope they get banned. To me they take the skill and nerve out of putting. By bracing it against your chest it eliminates shaky hands or nerves. .

The Kuchar style does too, but they are allowing the long putter for that.

 

[ckDOG]

That's interesting.

The USGA/R&A has avoided an equipment rule change for one reason and one reason only, lawsuits. They are scared of being sued by manufacturers and professional players. Just look at the Ping lawsuit for an example. They can now argue that they did not make any equipment "illegal" only the specific use of said equipment.

Golf on the USGA level is run by attorneys. They are slow to respond, but when they do it is well thought out and deliberate. There is a reason that every press release and video has stressed that this is not an equipment change.

Not suggesting that's not their motive in this, because I could see that being the case. I don't understand how they wouldn't have an argument defending themselves though. They already regulate equipment standards. Shaft length could easily be one of those. Plus, manufacturers are still welcome to sell whatever products they like to the weekend hacker, right? It's not like they play by the rules anyhow. And if someone was SOL on the long putter, then they have to go experiment with new short putters. Manufacturers should be happy either way, unless there is a brand out there that specializes in long putters only. There could be, I don't know.

 

[Optimus Prime 4]

Well they did ban the Ping Eye 2s didn't they? And some drivers and even balls

that have over X amount of rebound force or whatever. I'm sure one of y'all engineers knows what I mean.

 

[DAWG61]

Ping Eye2's are banned? The irons?

wtf I just got a set. Nvm it's the square grooved wedges that are banned.

 

[FlabLoser]

If you want to ban the putter because it takes the skill out of it then they need to reduce the size of drivers back to what they were 20 years ago because it takes the skill out of it.

For the record I have no problem with the big drivers or putters (I don't own either one).

Good point. And graphite shafts, cavity-backed clubs, etc.

 

[Optimus Prime 4]

I doubt you're on the PGA anyway. At one point all the irons had square grooves

maybe just the wedges do now. And they may have unbanned them, but at one point you couldn't play competitively with them.

 

[DAWG61]

Nope I'm not on the PGA tour but I still don't want to be using banned clubs. The Ping irons I have do not have square grooves. That's for a specific wedge type Ping made that is now banned.