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SPi Thought of the Weekend - Long / Anchored Putter Debate...My View

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Long Putter / Anchored Putter Debate...My View
by Jim Grundberg - Owner SeeMore Putter Company

I know it may be too late to have any impact on this debate now. But I'll take my best shot at trying to make a case for the status quo. In my opinion it will be the wrong move for golf to ban the anchored putter at this time. Nothing is really all that broken in this area. I understand golfers believing that maybe these putters should have never been allowed in the first place. Some of them are big influential names in golf. I get that. But these long putters have peacefully co-existed with the game of golf at all levels now for years. So what that a few Major championships recently were won by guys who used long putters? Exciting? Yes. Coincidence? Probably. Random? Definitely. For sure not a game changing trend. The list of top putters on tour statistically has very few using long anchored putters. If left alone it might be years until another Major is won by a player using a long putter.

The issue is not a super divisive issue now. When asked, yes many have opinions on it. But for most it is a very small issue. In other words some believe in long putters, and others do not, but users of standard and long putters regularly play the game on all levels together and enjoy it. 95% of teaching pros I know have at one time or another endorsed use of a long putter for at least one of their students, and many have experimented with long putters themselves. Now is a great time in golf to put more focus on teachers (SPi instructors come to mind) and products (SeeMore's RifleScope Technology comes to mind) which can get students fired up about working to help golfers improve their putting. And in my opinion, anchored putters should remain one of the choices that golfers and instructors have to start the process of improving one's putting.

Changing the rules now makes it a much more divisive issue. Much more. Once the ruling bodies say that long putters are banned, now there are 2 strong sides. One side will say finally the right thing is done. And look at all former users as "cheaters" because by banning something, whether you mean to or not, you put an asterisk next to those who have used them. So the most exciting moments of the last 2 years...Major Championships and Ryder Cups...will all come with the qualifier that of course those were won by players using the dreaded "anchored" putter. This is the tyranny of the majority, where those who really would never use one or benefit from one, will belittle the accomplishments of those who have. The other group, those who have benefited at least in terms of enjoyment by using one, will now also be forced to be defensive, and may feel quite angry about golf's ruling bodies and why they have picked on them. It won't be pretty.

We all believe golf would do well to find ways to make this great sport more inclusive, more fun. Increase participation, build up superstars, etc. Golf courses have become very hard to play. Putting greens are way more difficult than ever, nothing like the old days...there is more undulation, faster roll, and more 3 and 4 putts than ever! Rightly so, we are seeing a trend toward golfers and instructors putting much more focus on helping golfers putt better. Better equipment. Better instruction. More focus and practice time. Better putting involves so much more than just a better stroke and better putter. Green reading in terms of speed, direction, turf type and tendencies, effect of undulation. Very complicated and complex. But a great challenge that can bring more fun to the game for many. And if some choose a long putter now and then, and it gives them more confidence and leads to more practice hours, then better play and more fun will result. Wouldn't that be great?

The worst part of this is that you are going to take some of the most exciting moments and best stars of the game the last few years...Bill Haas and the FedEx Cup, Keegan Bradley at the PGA, and the Ryder Cup, Webb Simpson at the US Open, and Ernie at the Open, and clearly give these guys asterisks. Great Champion Tour careers such as that of Bernhard Langer. One huge asterisk. The decision makers will say it is not so. But it is human nature. Great victories will now be associated with use of a club that will be deemed to have been wrong.

From a fairness perspective, this will be deemed at the highest historical levels as golf's version of baseball's steroid era. Everyone will qualify any statement about any of these great champions. Would they have won with a conforming putter?

Just not good for the game in my opinion.

Let me know your thoughts.

Sincerely,
Jim

Jim Grundberg
Co-owner, CEO
 
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Good post. I think this whole thing is getting blown way out of proportion to be honest. If belly putters were winning every tournament out there I could understand but that doesn't seem to be the case.
 
Great post and wonderful thoughts Jim. First off, thanks for posting and sharing your opinion. Secondly, I agree with everything you have written here. I couldn't agree more. I personally won't look at those who have had success using long putters or belly putters any differently and I would hope most will do the same. They still had to put the ball in the hole in less strokes than the others and no equipment changes that.
 
Thank you Jim for writing this, I enjoyed reading it, and it kind of put a perspective on things. That said, I'm not going to write any heavy opinion here, because I lack an opinion on the matter, long putters are fine by me, but if they would be banned, I wouldn't mind that much because I, or anyone I know uses one. Of course it would be sad, and also maybe discriminating against those who use them, but a lot of equipment has been banned before too.
But, as I said, I enjoyed reading your post, and I suppose I'm a "let all the flowers bloom" kind of a guy, so let's just let them putt as they wish. Cheers.

And what WCBM said, I agree... I would never think less of a golfer who is using a long putter, or think less of their achievements.

P.S. I've tried a couple long putters sometimes, and I've yet to sink a putt :D
 
Castor Hades said:
Thank you Jim for writing this, I enjoyed reading it, and it kind of put a perspective on things. That said, I'm not going to write any heavy opinion here, because I lack an opinion on the matter, long putters are fine by me, but if they would be banned, I wouldn't mind that much because I, or anyone I know uses one. Of course it would be sad, and also maybe discriminating against those who use them, but a lot of equipment has been banned before too.
But, as I said, I enjoyed reading your post, and I suppose I'm a "let all the flowers bloom" kind of a guy, so let's just let them putt as they wish. Cheers.

And what WCBM said, I agree... I would never think less of a golfer who is using a long putter, or think less of their achievements.

P.S. I've tried a couple long putters sometimes, and I've yet to sink a putt :D
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THIS. I tried one once and couldn't get it out of my hands fast enough. I just didn't like the feel and couldn't figure out the stroke. That being said, it obviously still takes significant practice with an ingrained stroke to be successful.
 
I bit on the hype. To begin the season i startd with brand new SC Kombi Belly. I couldn't make anything. I had no feel. I didn't like it. They're not for everyone and you still have to make the putt.
 
I think it's very difficult to say whether they would have won without the long putters. I have never seen Keegan, web or Haas without the putter. I don't know how they would putt. But someone like Adam Scott saved his career with the long putter.

I hate that a rule is being passed after the fact. The amount of wins isn't significant enough to ban them, from where I sit.
 
Nice post. thanks for sharing. I don't use a long putter and maybe i never will but i think it's nonsense to ban them now.

where's hawk? he loves this topic. :act-up:
 
First off Jim, thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us, it's greatly appreciated. I really don't think they should ban them at this point, as it's been pointed out on TV and otherwise, they have been in use in some form for well over 15 years on the tour.....so why the uprising now? Because for years the only people that went to them were old guys trying to hang on...now you got guys like Web Simpson who has been playing one since college...plus somebody finally won a major with one.

As others have said, if every event was being dominated by the long putters...then okay....or if you looked at the putting stats and saw that the guys with the long putters were at the top of all this lists.....but they aren't. I say it's too late to do anything now....and to those that say "well they banned the square grooves".....yes they did....but EVERY player on tour was using clubs with square grooves...so it affected everyone....not just a handfull of people.

And Castor and WCBM....put me in the group that cant make anything with one.....I took one out on the putting green and I couldn't make anything...there are definately NOT a magic wand.
 
Great insight from someone who knows a little about golf and putters! Thanks for sharing.
 
lambro2 said:
Great insight from someone who knows a little about golf and putters! Thanks for sharing.
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Your Welcome


Oh...you were probably talking about Jim huh? :alien:
 
Side saddle puttin may catch on. Just saying
 
I personally do not like long putters but have no issues with someone using them if it helps. I don't like making it illegal now since some guys have been using them forever.
 
Honestly, I am really intriged by these types of putters and have really wanted to purchase one and work with it. So to the question as hand, I do not see a need to ban these types of putters. I have yet to see any information that says someone who uses belly/long putter has a significant advantage over someone who does not use a belly/long putter. Didn't Adam Scott switch to a long putter because of his back issues? Also, if these putters gave a considerable advantage, look at Adam Scotts putting performance on the back 9 at the 2012 Open this year. I am going off memory but I believe he missed very makable 3 ft and 8 ft putts which should be made 90% of the time for players at his level. Heck, I should make putts like that 70% of the time!
 
Thainer21 said:
I use a belly but don't anchor it. The stability throughout the stroke is incredible.
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What about this scenario, if the belly was outlawed and if during your putting stroke you touched your shirt or accidentally touch your belly or torso... Is this a penalty or is your playing competitor going to call a penalty on yourself? Could be a huge grey area!
 
Very well written post by the OP, I agree with it 100%.
 
This is a really good post. Regardless if the putter is long or short, you still have to have the correct line and speed. The greens are so fast nowadays, why not give the player a little advantage. Lets tone the distance down a little bit! That's for another thread. I say whatever works for you, use it!
 
motoo344 said:
Good post. I think this whole thing is getting blown way out of proportion to be honest. If belly putters were winning every tournament out there I could understand but that doesn't seem to be the case.
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This could easily be reversed by the belly putter users. Since more events are won using standard putters then why not ban them instead?

I could care less if your using a hockey stick or a broom,as long as everyone has the opportunity to use them, so the field is level, then why think on banning them?
Golf is supposed to be fun and the higher ups seem to forget that, they want the game tailored to the big names of old but of course they forgot Mr. Snead, because they banned his styles and made new rules saying he was to good etc.
There is big money in the sport and I get that, but governing bodies can't forget about the guys watching the events who like or love to play the game and what is helping them. Without the everyday golfer the purses would be a ton smaller and the sport would not be as popular.
 
seemoreputters said:
What about this scenario, if the belly was outlawed and if during your putting stroke you touched your shirt or accidentally touch your belly or torso... Is this a penalty or is your playing competitor going to call a penalty on yourself? Could be a huge grey area!
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This is a really good point. Lots of skin tight polos would be worn..... and that is not a good look for some.....
 
Quoted from Padraig Harrington.


"The fact is, if somebody invented the belly putter tomorrow, it would not pass" the approval of the governing bodies," said Harrington. "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," he said. "People were sympathetic and didn't want to finish Bernhard Langer's career by telling him you can't hold it like this, you can't attach it to your arm."

Earnie Els: quoted from Tiger Woods article:

Ernie Els once criticized the use of belly putters, but switched to one late last year and said: “As long as it’s legal, I’ll keep cheating like the rest of them.”
 
Hotled said:
Quoted from Padraig Harrington.


"The fact is, if somebody invented the belly putter tomorrow, it would not pass" the approval of the governing bodies," said Harrington. "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," he said. "People were sympathetic and didn't want to finish Bernhard Langer's career by telling him you can't hold it like this, you can't attach it to your arm."

Earnie Els: quoted from Tiger Woods article:

Ernie Els once criticized the use of belly putters, but switched to one late last year and said: “As long as it’s legal, I’ll keep cheating like the rest of them.”
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But it's not new, it's been around for more than 20 years, so it is part of the game, already. IMO, if, when the game was invented, they had nice, fast greens as they do now and a longer stick out in the middle of some sheep pasture, they would have come up with it then.
 
Jim received an interesting phone call yesterday about this topic. Someone wanted to hear more about what he was talking about.
 
That's an interesting thing to say. I want to hear more.
 
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