Will Anchor putter rule change your game?
 

Today on Golf Channel they announced that "anchoring" putter (long) to the body will not be allowed effective January 2016....I must admit that this rule announcement timing pales in comparison to the tornado tragedy in Oklahoma

Can't understand why the ban didn't begin on Monday. Why the delay?

They claim that it will give the members enough time to adjust/adapt to the regular putter and putting stoke.

But geez - almost 3 years? Seems a bit much.

I agree---why wait more than January 2014. The bigger question is what will the PGA Tour do? The only mistake that the USGA made was waiting so long to act. The USGA should now ban golf balls that travel so far that some of the world's best known golf courses have to be made over every five years. A golf ball that will travel well over 300 yards is IMHO ridiculous and with current equipment and the live golf ball this has "hurt" the history and tradition of the game. Sorry for getting off the subject of this thread but the USGA has more "work" to do.

I find this ruling to be curious and at odds with the millions that the USGA is spending trying to get more people to play golf. Adding more rules and restrictions is not the way to get more people involved. What's next - requiring knickers because that's what they wore in the early days of golf?

To me, it would be like the ruling body of tennis outlawing two handed tennis shots just because the way the game was played 50 years ago only had one-handed shots.

I have found the anchoring of the putter to be cheating from the first time I saw it happen.

I've been playing golf fairly consistently for about 10 years, roughly the time the "anchored" putters started to be used. In all that time, probably hundreds of rounds at private, semi-private and public courses, both business and personal, I can recall only 6 people I have played with who used an anchor putter. This ruling will not have a substantial affect on most amateur golfers, IMHO, even though the manufacturers would like us to think it will. It would be interesting to know what % of the golfers in TV use them. We see pics of golfers in the Sun and the Villages Mag all the time, and I don't remember seeing many with an anchored putter.

I want to make sure I understand this new ruling. My understanding is that the prohibition is against anchoring the putter on the body, and does not actually prohibit the use of the longer putters, as long as it is not anchored on the body. Am I right?

I don't use a longer putter but the rule change will force me to lose weight so my belly won't continue to anchor the regular putter. ;)

anchor putting stroke
 

My understanding is that the prohibition is against anchoring the putter on the body, and does not actually prohibit the use of the longer putters, as long as it is not anchored on the body. Am I right?

That is correct....

I was surprised to find out that the long putter was invented in 1961...
Wonder if the Keegan Bradley's, Adam Scotts, and Webb Simpsons will
change putter or change use of the long putter

Curious as to how this is cheating when the use of anchoring is currently permitted? Besides don't all golfers have the option to anchor, at least for now?

I agree, it is clearly NOT cheating under the past and present rules. The ban will not affect my game, as I have never used an anchored putter. Over the years I have played with hundreds of other golfers including dozens in TV and I have played with exactly one person who used an anchored putter. Btw that golfer only used it for a year or so.

I agree with Tiger Woods who said golf is all about controlling your swing and emotions and an anchored club should not be allowed since it takes the swing out of golf.

I'm personally a bit ambivalent on the issue.

I can see the arguments on both sides, but then if we're going to really go back to being purists.....there are a lot of other things that need to be changed;


- Adjustable clubs.

- Balls that are engineered to go further, than the skill level warrants.

- Putters anchored against forearms and putting grips that do not keep both hands on the club grip.

- Range finders/GPS's.

- Grooves and club faces engineered to maximize spin.

- Etc., etc.


I've personally never used an anchored putter, but there is still so much other skill needed (reading the slope, speed and having the touch to go the correct distance)...I don't see how anchoring is going to be the end of golf. :shrug:

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I totally agree. I've wondered for the longest time why they don't standardize the distance capability of golf balls. The physically stronger players would still hit it further, and courses would stop "shrinking", which requires drastic, expensive changes in many courses and simply ruins others.