Ernie Els’ Open Championship victory appears to have reinvigorated the debate surrounding the use of so-called “belly putters”.
Speaking in the wake of the South African’s victory at Royal Lytham, R&A chief executive Peter Dawson suggested the sport’s governing bodies were poised to take definitive action in the interest of resolving the long-running controversy.
Reuters’ Tom Pilcher was on hand to collect the quotage:
“The situation is that the R&A and the USGA do have this subject firmly back on the radar… I think you’re going to see us saying something about it one way or the other in a few months rather than years.”
In securing an improbable victory in Lancashire, Els, a conflicted exponent of the anchoring technique (the 42-year-old has branded it a form of cheating), became the third player in under a year to win a major championship using a longer-than-standard putter.
Coming after a decades-long drought, the current deluge of long-putter-wielding major champions has alarmed those charged with safeguarding the game.
Formerly the preserve of nervous veterans and senior citizens, the clubs have gained in popularity of late among touring professionals anxious to manufacture a repetitive putting action.
It’s a development that has frustrated a number of high-profile players, among whom can be numbered 14-time major champion Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington.
Indeed, the Irishman believes institutional complacency is to blame for the current dilemma.
“If somebody invented the belly putter tomorrow, it would not pass. I think we could all agree with that. The only reason it got through is the people that used it 20 years ago were coming to the end of their careers.
“People would have been sympathetic and didn’t want to finish Bernhard Langer’s career by telling him you can’t hold it like this.”
- For a fairly thorough stating of the case against long putters, click HERE.
- For Tiger Woods’ views on the issue, click HERE.
Conor Nagle
They should be allowed, but there should be a rule that you can’t use them to measure your drop. While we’re at it, the Sam Snead style side-saddle stance should be legalized (if only for the alliteration).
The side saddle is legal. In fact, Jeev Milka Singh used it in a tournament a couple of years ago.
I think you intended to refer to “croquet style” which Snead used before it was deemed illegal forcing him to try the side-saddle.
According to an ESPN article the main concern is, “If players can’t putt with a conventional club, why should they have a crutch to compete with those who can?” But wouldn’t this also apply to other clubs as well? — Why should players be allowed to play hybrids if they can’t strike the ball with “conventional” long irons? How about blade irons versus cavity backs? Fat putter grips? TaylorMade drivers with dozens of adjustment options? The fact is, two players very seldom have the same equipment, so the concern cited above really doesn’t make much sense. There’s no standard, nothing that is truly “conventional”, unless you somehow make the argument that long putters are more unconventional than other club variations….
Exactly my point on this issue. A belly putter is no more assistance for the putting stroke than a superstroke grip, or the claw, or left hand low, or any other unconventional way of holding the club. The stroke still has to be made by the player. Anyone who thinks that belly putters automatically make someone a better putter should take one out to the practice green one day. I built one up to test out, and quickly came to the conclusion that it was much more difficult than my typical setup. IMO banning them after majors have been won would be ridiculous. They missed the boat on this issue.
I don’t buy the argument about the evolution of clubheads, which can be extended to golf shafts as well. That is simply the evolution of technology in the game.
What I do believe is that the golf swing, be it driver, wedge, or putter is meant to be executed with two hands working independently (but hopefully together), with no stabilizing influence from the golfers body. A long putter requires less skill to execute as the anchoring takes lessens the independent action of both hand.
As golf is a game of skill, especially at the highest levels, I prefer to see an even playing field and the most skilled golfer rewarded appropriately.
Moveable weight technology can aid in artificially stabilizing and squaring the head of the driver. How is that any different? There is no less skill involved in putting with a long putter or belly putter than a short one. There may be less muscles involved, but that doesn’t mean it is easier. If it were easier, then no one would putt the traditional way. Again, given the nature of the putting stroke, anchoring the putter to your belly can actually make the stroke MORE difficult to execute properly. Go try it. I would maybe buy the argument if the putter simply slid on the ground in a semi-circle arc while anchored to the belly. But that is not how it works. There is the same potential for making a stroke that has an errant path, speed, or strike.
“As golf is a game of skill, especially at the highest levels, I prefer to see an even playing field and the most skilled golfer rewarded appropriately.”
But it is a level playing field as EVERY player can choose to use a standard putter or a long putter. Just as every player can choose what style driver/iron/wedge to hit, ball to play, etc.
I think it would make more sense to refer to such clubs as anchored putters. The length isn’t the issue, per se, but rather the connection, if you will. Any part of the club being in contact with any part of the body other than the hands isn’t a proper stroke.
Why isn’t it proper? Of course this is only an issue with the putter — theoretically, you should be able to swing at the ball one-handed, but nobody does that because it’s not efficient. I’ve used a short putter with my left hand pressed firmly against my thigh so as to “anchor” it in place. Is this also not a proper stroke?
I would love to see pro golfers have to play with the same equipment that Jim Ferrier, Lloyd Mangrum, and Porky Oliver used.
It isn’t a proper stroke because the club is not freely swung by the limbs. Wedging/anchoring against the torso is done to steady the club because of small muscle movement. IMO, competition is supposed to test exactly that, among other things.
But the thing is, it doesn’t really eliminate small muscle movement, it just means the small muscles move in a different way. You can still have the yips with a belly putter. Just the same as you can with any other type of grip or way of holding the putter. Again, I don’t use one, but I have tried it. Again, if it where a cure all, it would be universally adopted. Much in the same way lengthening your driver shaft can add distance, but also rob you of control. The belly putter introduces a whole other set of variables to the stroke.
14-3 outlaws using the club in and “unusual” way, but there are two exceptions. One is if the stroke is “traditional”. Gene Sarazen sometimes used a small putter and anchored his elbow on his knee. Sam Snead sometimes anchored his putter against his chest. Watch Bobby Jones putt and you will see him anchor his hands on his thigh, so it’s hard to argue that anchoring the putter is not a traditional way of putting. There is also an exception to 14-3 if the golfer is doing it for medical reasons, like Freddie and Ernie. I think the ship has sailed. If you outlaw it, thousands of older golfers would have to give up the game.
Thousands of golfers would have to leave the game?????????? WTF??????????? It’s not illegal on muni’s or private clubs, or when someone goes out and plays a friendly round. What are you talking about?????
Paul Runyan in his book, “The Short Way to Lower Scoring,” published back in 1979, described a method of putting for those having problems with short putts that amounts to making a belly putter stroke with a regular putter. It involved holding the putter in the left hand with the left arm “buried” somewhere between the sternum and the belt line, taking a very wide stance, so that when the player bends at the hips the putter will be near the ground, and, finally making the stroke with the right hand/arm. The only thing that the left hand does is hinge a bit so that that putter can move back and through. In his book Runyan said that he came up with this method for a couple of his students around 1940. I understand that he also described the method in a Golf Digest article in 1966.
If players think the long putter gives an unfair advantage, why don’t they start using them? It’s not like the rules say Els can use the long putter, but Tiger can’t. I don’t see this as an issue, or in any way unfair.
Al said: ” If you outlaw it, thousands of older golfers would have to give up the game.
That comment proves that the belly or long handed putter give a very definite advantage. They certainly should be outlawed because the structure and use of such putters is not of traditional form and make, therefore against the Rules of Golf and has always been.
Actually those thousands of ageing golfers would NOT have to give up the game, they would just score higher and have higher handicaps … so what?
Agreed. Park the go, score the best you an, accept and enjoy the handicap rating,…then play golf, be happy.
Let me get this straight: You’re using some unknown person’s comment on a blog post as “proof”?
The issue I was referring to wasn’t simply that they become bad putters. It’s that they can’t hunch over a putt through a whole round because of back pain. Using a long putter allows them to maintain a straight back through the putt.
I have never figured out why “Getting Old” = “Bad Putter” I’m forty-eight, and I am a much better putter than I ever was as a kid. I use a “regular putter.”
You’re right – it’s not 100% true. But it happens more times than not. NOBODY on the Senior Tour putts better than they did on the regular Tour. Tom Watson is the classic example. Used to be extremely aggressive, often knocking putts 5-6 feet past the hole. Never worried about the come-backers. He still putts well from distance but he lags them now and occasionally nerves get him on the short ones. Comes from years and years of putting under intense pressure. It’s likely you don’t putt under very much pressure.
Wait till your are 75!
I think the USGA should outlaw graphite and while we’re at it, steel and make verybody play with hickory wood clubs because after all steel was an unfair advantage when it came to controling the club head at impact; and we should outlaw dimples o balls because golf should be played on the ground and not in the air on seaside courses; and the R&A and USGA should ban anything but leather soles on leather shoes because anchoring the body in the earth with cleats is clearly a violation of the founders of the game intent to get away from their wives and wager a bob or two while swilling whiskey in the North Sea wind
You actually make it appear so easy with your presentation however I in finding this topic to be actually one thing that I feel I would by no means understand. It kind of feels too complex and very large for me. I’m taking a look ahead for your next put up, I will attempt to get the dangle of it!