Broom Handle Putters

[Crow]

Interestingly there was no standard size for golf holes until 1891, when the R&A adopted a size based on a hole cutter made by a green keeper at Musselburgh back in 1829. This was based on a piece of discarded iron drain pipe which just happened to be 4 1/4" in outside diameter. Other clubs dug holes out with trowels or some similar gardening implement. So there is no Act of God or Law of Physics that says that the hole has to be a certain size! It might be worth trialling a few different sized holes to find out what people like.

But there are the rules of golf that say this!

If you want to make golf easier, in addition to a 12 inch diameter hole I suggest the following:

* Shorten hole lengths, how about 3 feet maximum, combined with the 12 inch diameter hole most people will get a hole in one every time!

* Reduce the number of holes to one, this will speed up the round and reduce the mounting pressure on a player who might be having a good round as their round will be over after one shot and they won't, therefore, crumble under pressure on the back nine. :thup:


These adjustments might take the fun and challenge out of the game but hey-ho.

 

[ColchesterFC]

Basically you cannot anchor the butt end of the putter, or any part of your top hand or arm against your body. I am sure that any long putter uses will use a method that shows they are not anchoring. Even easier, go back to a short putter!

So could I get a 10ft long putter and rest the shaft (firmly) against my shoulder so that it becomes a pivot point and putt like that perfectly legally?

 

[Imurg]

There would be a number of advantages to increasing the size of the hole:
1) Less chance of players developing the putting yips.
2) Would speed up play. Badly needed!
3) Would make golf more enjoyable/less frustrating for the vast majority of players who are not fantastic putters.
4) No need for long putters.

They'll still get the yips when they start missing 5 footers instead of 3 footers.
If you're trying to speed up play, making the hole bigger shouldn't be the answer.
Putting, believe it or not, is the easiest thing to get reasonable at in golf.
Although there is a technique involved, you're rolling a balls few yards on a purpose built area of smooth grass. You're not taking a full swing where the club moves 20 feet or whatever, the putter head moves a Foot or 2 - maximum!
Given a relatively flat green, there is no reason why you couldn't teach a complete beginner to take 2 putts from 10 feet in about 20 minutes of practice.
Of course we all miss short putts, we also hole long ones.
Putting is a lot easier than a lot of people make it seem.

Apart from on the Pro circuit, I'm struggling to recall seeing a long putter on the course. Having said that, I've always been against anchoring as you don't hold the putter in your hands and swing freely.
But the decision has been made so those who use them have to abide by it..

 

[guest100718]

I see a number of players have already gone back to the regular putter in anticipation of the ban, although i ssaw scott was still using the broomstick, has he said what he is likely to do next year?

 

[Imurg]

I see a number of players have already gone back to the regular putter in anticipation of the ban, although i ssaw scott was still using the broomstick, has he said what he is likely to do next year?

I'm sure I heard he was going to continue with the long putter but not anchor it....
Not sure if that's true ....

 

[Fyldewhite]

They'll still get the yips when they start missing 5 footers instead of 3 footers.
If you're trying to speed up play, making the hole bigger shouldn't be the answer.
Putting, believe it or not, is the easiest thing to get reasonable at in golf.
Although there is a technique involved, you're rolling a balls few yards on a purpose built area of smooth grass. You're not taking a full swing where the club moves 20 feet or whatever, the putter head moves a Foot or 2 - maximum!
Given a relatively flat green, there is no reason why you couldn't teach a complete beginner to take 2 putts from 10 feet in about 20 minutes of practice.
Of course we all miss short putts, we also hole long ones.
Putting is a lot easier than a lot of people make it seem.

Apart from on the Pro circuit, I'm struggling to recall seeing a long putter on the course. Having said that, I've always been against anchoring as you don't hold the putter in your hands and swing freely.
But the decision has been made so those who use them have to abide by it..

Fully agree and I just don't buy the "I can't putt without them" argument. It's all in the head, just get on with it as like you say it's the simplest part of the game, easy to practice and easy to get reasonably good at. Reminds me of Eric Bristow and his "Dartitis" in the 1980's.....utter nonsense.

 

[delc]

They'll still get the yips when they start missing 5 footers instead of 3 footers.
If you're trying to speed up play, making the hole bigger shouldn't be the answer.
Putting, believe it or not, is the easiest thing to get reasonable at in golf.
Although there is a technique involved, you're rolling a balls few yards on a purpose built area of smooth grass. You're not taking a full swing where the club moves 20 feet or whatever, the putter head moves a Foot or 2 - maximum!
Given a relatively flat green, there is no reason why you couldn't teach a complete beginner to take 2 putts from 10 feet in about 20 minutes of practice.
Of course we all miss short putts, we also hole long ones.
Putting is a lot easier than a lot of people make it seem.

Apart from on the Pro circuit, I'm struggling to recall seeing a long putter on the course. Having said that, I've always been against anchoring as you don't hold the putter in your hands and swing freely.
But the decision has been made so those who use them have to abide by it..

I was a reasonably good putter until I developed the yips at age 55! They started when I had a 4 foot putt to win a foursomes match at the 17th hole. It missed well left and went about 6ft past. A few weeks later I scored a 7 on a par-3 after hitting my tee shot to 20 feet! Once you have got the yips, putting is anything but easy. A right handed friend of mine ended up putting left handed as that was the only way he could make a reasonable putting stroke. I now use the claw grip as a fix. As I said before the putting yips normally affect good middle-aged golfers who have played the game for twenty years or more. Famous sufferers have included Harry Vardon, Ben Hogan, and Bernhardt Langer who developed them (the first time) at the age of only 20.

If a hole size was selected that would allow most players to hole 95% of 4 footers, I think that would solve the problem, as you should be able to get your approach putt within that range. Needn't be much larger than the current hole.

 

[Imurg]

Maybe the solution is a stronger mind and worrying less about a GAME...!!!

 

[duncan mackie]

So could I get a 10ft long putter and rest the shaft (firmly) against my shoulder so that it becomes a pivot point and putt like that perfectly legally?

I suggest you reference the rules rather than the delc 'basically' version - it's a lot easier and more appropriate that way.

 

[delc]

Maybe the solution is a stronger mind and worrying less about a GAME...!!!

Bernhardt Langer is a pretty strong-minded individual, but that didn't stop him from developing the yips! Tournament golf was (and still is) his profession, so it was a bit more serious for him! Having said that many amateur club golfers take the game pretty seriously!

 

[delc]

Fully agree and I just don't buy the "I can't putt without them" argument. It's all in the head, just get on with it as like you say it's the simplest part of the game, easy to practice and easy to get reasonably good at. Reminds me of Eric Bristow and his "Dartitis" in the 1980's.....utter nonsense.

The yips don't only affect golfers. In fact any sport that requires fine motor skills. Darts players suddenly find they can't let go of the dart at the right moment, bowlers in cricket can't let go of the ball, and snooker players develop a twitch in their cue action. The latter is the reason why Stephen Hendry retired from competitive snooker.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Why oh why has a thread about the banning or use of broom handle putters turned into once again another thread about "Yips" and bigger holes from Delc.

It's a two monthly cycle and nothing new has changed

 

[delc]

Why oh why has a thread about the banning or use of broom handle putters turned into once again another thread about "Yips" and bigger holes from Delc.

It's a two monthly cycle and nothing new has changed

The only good reason for broom handle putters is that they allow players who have developed the yips to stay in the game and putt reasonably well. Therefore the topics are totally connected!

 

[Imurg]

Bernhardt Langer is a pretty strong-minded individual, but that didn't stop him from developing the yips! Tournament golf was (and still is) his profession, so it was a bit more serious for him! Having said that many amateur club golfers take the game pretty seriously!

And there is the problem.
If its your livelihood then I can understand how sinking a 3 footer can be the difference between getting a new kitchen or not but in OUR game, too many people put far too much pressure on themselves when all that is at stake is a drink, a couple of quid or 0.1 on you handicap.
Don't confuse the world of the Tournament professional with the World of the Sunday Roll-Up...
Their golf matters - ours, in the great scheme of things, doesn't.

Keep holes the same size
Anchoring is banned from January

End of thread

 

[Craigg]

And there is the problem.
If its your livelihood then I can understand how sinking a 3 footer can be the difference between getting a new kitchen or not but in OUR game, too many people put far too much pressure on themselves when all that is at stake is a drink, a couple of quid or 0.1 on you handicap.
Don't confuse the world of the Tournament professional with the World of the Sunday Roll-Up...
Their golf matters - ours, in the great scheme of things, doesn't.

Keep holes the same size
Anchoring is banned from January

End of thread

And that gentlemen, is the voice of reason. :thup:

 

[delc]

And that gentlemen, is the voice of reason. :thup:

In reality 'this putt to win the monthly medal' may put as much pressure on a player's mind as 'this putt to win the Open Championship and a million quid'!

 

[ColchesterFC]

In reality 'this putt to win the monthly medal' may put as much pressure on a player's mind as 'this putt to win the Open Championship and a million quid'!

Do you have a live leaderboard at your monthly medal? If not how do you know that you have a putt to win? Surely you just have a putt to return a good score.

 

[delc]

Do you have a live leaderboard at your monthly medal? If not how do you know that you have a putt to win? Surely you just have a putt to return a good score.

I think most players have a pretty good idea of a probable winning score. At our course about 3 or 4 under SSS net in a medal, or 40+ points in a Stableford.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

I think most players have a pretty good idea of a probable winning score. At our course about 3 or 4 under SSS net in a medal, or 40+ points in a Stableford.

It's still massively different to someone having thier lively hood relying on a putt

If you miss the putt - oh well it doesn't mean anything in the grand scheme of things

A pro and it means he earns less

we may play the same game as the pro but we play with no pressure they have the pressure of being able to look after themselves and their families because of it

You will never know if a putt is for a win because you will never know the score of everyone playing bar maybe club champs second round

 

[delc]

It's still massively different to someone having thier lively hood relying on a putt

If you miss the putt - oh well it doesn't mean anything in the grand scheme of things

A pro and it means he earns less

we may play the same game as the pro but we play with no pressure they have the pressure of being able to look after themselves and their families because of it

You will never know if a putt is for a win because you will never know the score of everyone playing bar maybe club champs second round

OK, putt for the Club Championship, or for a match, when you know exactly what you need. My first yipped putt was for a win in a foursomes match.