Belly/long putters - to ban or not to ban?

[Deleted member 1418]

If it's perfectly legitimate and seen by some coaches as a better way to putt, then surely it's good coaching on their part rather than lazy teaching to encourage their pupils to putt that way?

Yes, take your point Jezz, but would prefer to see youngsters taught the 'traditional' way and not have the putter anchored to their body. Besides, what happens when they develop a - ahem - less than flat stomach as they get older; would this affect the putting stroke they have developed?!!! Some of my forum 'friends' have already expressed the view that my 35" putter can be classed as a belly putter......... !!

 

[coolhand]

Another anti-anchoring not anti-long putter.

I thought there was something already in the rules that if interpreted strictly already makes anchoring illegal but it might just be wishful thinking.

 

[daveyc2k2]

I voted no. The reason being, as previously stated, we all have a choice. If they are that great and improve our putting that much, why don't we all use them.

There is a guy I have played with a few times at my club that has a belly putter and he putts well. He plays off of 9 I think and he says the putter helped him with the yips. So surely, if we all developed the yips and one of these putters could help that we would all use one?? Or would you rather walk away from golf altogether.........I know what I would do.

 

[bladeplayer]

It makes it easier to make a consistently straight stroke through the ball than with a non-anchored putter. To me, it removes an element of skill from the game.

What skill ? to putt straight through ? even if you can putt straight trrough you still need to be able to read line & pace ..

Do hybrids not make it easier than iron to get out of rough ? so to stop us doing away with the skilled iron player we ban hybrids,
Surely the 460 driver , the choice of shafts , lofts ,the new sets of combi irons , introduced because some players needed help with part of their game,
alignment aids on putters , alignment lines on the balls , balls that help people get more spin , balls that help people get less spin but more distance , should all be banned because they have all equaly helped diminish one skill or another ?
Where does banning stop or do we call a halt to progress altogether ?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Voted ban them purely from an anchoring standpoint. Not a stroke in my opinion if you do so. I can't really see it making that much difference to people leaving the game at club level. There isn't a raft of these mid or long putters inuse at my place anyway and if a ban came in and people love the game that much they'd find a way to use a putter to some degree.

 

[Crow]

I voted for a big BAN.

They're an abomination, not only are they a cheat but they look awful, I can't bear to see the likes of Keegan Bradley wielding his crutch around the green. (Might need to read that twice to get my meaning)

Why doesn't everybody use them? because there still not that easy to get hold of and, thankfully, there's still a feeling of guilt attached to using them but if they are accepted then we'll see a huge increase in their use.

And what's this talk of "I'm okay with long putters but not anchoring so I voted No", belly putters are designed to be anchored, hence the name.

I've no sympathy for the argument that many will leave the game if they're banned either, what about those at the other end of the spectrum like me? I'll leave the game if they're approved by the R&A....

In case you can't tell, I'm against them but Chris's post below gave me an idea:

My playing partner has a broom handle and went to it after a bout of the yips, which still affects his chipping. QUOTE]

What about a belly chipper for all those in favour???

 

[duncan mackie]

some interesting observations already - couple more (unless I missed them earlier in which case I apologise)

1. for the vast majority of golfers it is a handicap game - it doesn't therefore matter if a particular player can gain an advantage for himself by using these (or other - chippers, hybrids, etc) clubs. Therefore a vote of no from me. If it ends up making a mockery of the professional game it will be sorted there.
2. I do object to clubs of greater than 48" being used for measuring 'club lengths' and believe it's right that putters are simply banned for such measuring.

 

[One Planer]

What skill ? to putt straight through ? even if you can putt straight trrough you still need to be able to read line & pace ..

Do hybrids not make it easier than iron to get out of rough ? so to stop us doing away with the skilled iron player we ban hybrids,
Surely the 460 driver , the choice of shafts , lofts ,the new sets of combi irons , introduced because some players needed help with part of their game,
alignment aids on putters , alignment lines on the balls , balls that help people get more spin , balls that help people get less spin but more distance , should all be banned because they have all equaly helped diminish one skill or another ?
Where does banning stop or do we call a halt to progress altogether ?

Toatally, 100% agree with this. Even down to the hybrid argument.

I even started a thread a while back:

http://forums.golf-monthly.co.uk/showthread.php?40177-For-arguments-sake........

 

[JezzE]

Yes, take your point Jezz, but would prefer to see youngsters taught the 'traditional' way and not have the putter anchored to their body. Besides, what happens when they develop a - ahem - less than flat stomach as they get older; would this affect the putting stroke they have developed?!!! Some of my forum 'friends' have already expressed the view that my 35" putter can be classed as a belly putter......... !!

Not sure - when does this 'less than flat' stomach concept start developing...?

 

[Crow]

In case I’ve not expressed my negative feeling towards belly putters enough, I’m also against the belly putter as it will do no favours at all for one of the Forum’s most respected members; Bobmac.

The V-Easy is a practice aid and cannot be used in competition and quite rightly so. As I understand it (apologies Bob if I get this all wrong) one of the benefits of using the V-Easy is that it discourages the use of the hands in the stroke and encourages more of a shoulder led action. The V-Easy is anchored under the arms and so has two points of contact, a belly putter (let’s call it an “I-Easy”) is anchored to the belly and does a similar thing (though much less effectively I’m sure Bob) with one point of contact.

If the “I-Easy” is approved by the R&A and their use dramatically increases then Bob’s livelihood could be affected as the V-Easy will become redundant, think of that all those of you who can see nothing wrong with them.

The only other alternative, and one I’m sure Bob would approve of, is that if the “I-Easy” is approved then the V-Easy should be made legal for use in competition also.

 

[FairwayDodger]

What skill ? to putt straight through ? even if you can putt straight trrough you still need to be able to read line & pace ..

Do hybrids not make it easier than iron to get out of rough ? so to stop us doing away with the skilled iron player we ban hybrids,
Surely the 460 driver , the choice of shafts , lofts ,the new sets of combi irons , introduced because some players needed help with part of their game,
alignment aids on putters , alignment lines on the balls , balls that help people get more spin , balls that help people get less spin but more distance , should all be banned because they have all equaly helped diminish one skill or another ?
Where does banning stop or do we call a halt to progress altogether ?

As I stated, when I picked one up and tried it my putting was noticeably more successful.

Anchoring makes it a different type of stroke than a normal golf shot. Croquet shots were banned, likewise snooker style shots anchoring is a similar issue..

Your comparison with hybrids simply does not apply.

 

[connor]

Is the right answere!
I'm not fussed if people use them or not... Personally I don't see the big deal in them at all. Although for some reason in my head I associate them with oldies lol...

 

[Yer Maw]

Ban em. I think a lot of pros don't use them as a matter of principal. Can you imagine the winning putt in the Ryder Cup being with one of those putters?!?! Doesn't bare thinking about.

 

[Shanks a lot!]

Voted no, because I use one!

 

[Scadge]

I would ban anchoring the putter. The game isn't supposed to be easy especially for the pros and a test of nerves shouldn't be deminished. We all admire Langer fighting and periodically overcoming the yips before he went to a long model. The tour has had to extend classics courses because they didn't check the progress of ball/driver soon enough, I'm worried that if the pros make putting look any easier we will have to increase borrows and trick up the same classic tracks - surely the occasional 3 putt from an average tour putter makes then more like us mortals.

 

[G1BB0]

still have to get the ball to the green, read the line and pace & hole yet so no for me, lets keep them

Actually not that many around on the ET today and its not like those using them are like winning every comp going!

 

[Dave B]

Anything that makes the game easier is an asset to the sport. Anything that makes the game harder only suits those that think the game should be more complicated than what it is.

If we can have offset clubs, weighted clubs to cure inherrent problems within a swing and adjustable drivers to help people keep the ball on the fairway how can anybody suggest that belly putters should be banned as a matter of principle.

The truth of the matter is you still have to read the green, the pace, the slopes and you still have to hit the ball out of the middle of the club.

Why make the game more complicated?

As for principles how many of us would still be in work or married if we truly lived by our principles

 

[Deke]

I am in the "ban anchoring" camp,nothing against the size or shape.Correct me if I am wrong(I am sure someone will) but does it not say in the rules of golf that you are not allowed to anchor the club? If that is the case then surely it should not be allowed,no? Poulter had a good rant about them in a rival mag this month,I think a lot of tour players are against them also.

 

[Imurg]

Weight Bias/adjustable Drivers, hybrids and other changes to the technology of the club have absolutely nothing to do with why anchoring any club should be outlawed.
The reason anchoring should be outlawed is simple.
Golf is played by making a stroke at a ball. That stroke, with the sole exception of an anchored belly/broom, is made with either one or more commonly two hands in contact with the club. That is the way all other strokes are made - holding the club in the hand/hands. Not wedgeing it against another part of the body to provide stability but held in the hands.

A hybrid is held in the hands as is an adjustable Driver, as is a Super Game Improvement iron, as is a Fairway Wood, as is a Wedge

So should a putter - why should it be allowed to be any different?

What I'd like to hear is not why anchoring should be banned but why it should be allowed..

As it stands they are legal to use - I have no problem with people using them as it's within the Rules.

 

[daymond]

I voted for a ban but only until the time I get the yips putting left handed as I suffered right handed.