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The Anchoring Ban

Cavity back irons, graphite shafts help people. Are they all against the spirit of the game as well?


THPing on Tapatalk
 
JB said:
At one point in time, I would agree. Now we are speaking 40 years with it in play and guys have come up and its all they know. So the idea that "if they could get comfy with it" is no different than saying someone anchoring could do the same thing in reverse. Was Keegan Bradley struggling out there so he turned to a belly? How about Webb Simpson?

Guys made a switch for the same reason guys switch to different putters or different grips. Because something was off and they wanted to fix it by trying something different. Really no different than someone changing anything in their entire bag such as wedges, going to hybrids, etc.
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I agree. It is like kicking the dog for peeing on the floor four weeks ago. Little late at this point....
 
I don't have any strong feelings one way or another, but looking at that graphic, it seems like such a farce that they are saying it is not an equipment ban; they even plugged a little disclaimer in there at the end to reassure us of that. These are not the droids you are looking for.....
 
Trout Bum said:
Are you for the ban or against it? Honest question.
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I am obviously for the ban. I feel anchoring is used to help steady the club. Plain and simple.. I have been told by those that use it that is the only reason they use it..
 
fastbasser said:
I am obviously for the ban. I feel anchoring is used to help steady the club. Plain and simple.. I have been told by those that use it that is the only reason they use it..
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I am also for the ban. If it didnt help you steady the putter by giving you that THIRD point of contact why would you do it? It steadies the putter and thus gives you an advantage in the putter stroke.
 
SanDiego_Husker said:
I am also for the ban. If it didnt help you steady the putter by giving you that THIRD point of contact why would you do it? It steadies the putter and thus gives you an advantage in the putter stroke.
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I can show you some bad strokes with a belly putter...If it isn't anchored in the same spot or if you move at all you're screwed. I actually have missed more tap ins with the belly than with my short putter.
 
JF said:
Cavity back irons, graphite shafts help people. Are they all against the spirit of the game as well?


THPing on Tapatalk
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None of those add a place of contact to your body. It's using the additional contact to help steady the club I have issue with.
 
FB and SDH, I see that both of you use modern drivers, metal woods and hybrids. Is there and advantage in these clubs? I believe a roll back is in order. I have long and empirical evidence that they make the game easier and are helping make courses obsolete. Oh, I forgot neither of you use wound balls either. We need to get rid of those also. I am sure that steel shafts, the sand wedge and absolutely, graphite shafts have given people an advantage. All of these things are absolutely proven through empirical evidence. All of those things are called innovations.

My point is not to ridicule, but, to highlight. The anchored putter, is the least of advantages and the worst place that the USGA and R&A could be spending their time. This runs people away from the game. The problem with the anchoring ban is that the integrity of the game is coming before the survival of the game and purists don't care. The second problem is that where were they (USGA and R&A) when the ball made an estimated 17,000 courses obsolete?

Even if the long putter is an advantage, it is so miniscule as to be non-existent. We should be concerned about stuff that really matters and let people enjoy the game.

I use a conventional putter btw.
 
Phil, I respectfully disagree. During a round, we use or drivers about 10-14 times. We use our putter over 30.. We all know great putting will save more strokes than great driving. We have all heard, "you drive for show and putt for dough".

I also feel on top of the obvious added stability anchoring provides, putting with the putter anchored is not a golf stroke.

JMHO
 
Show me the evidence that their are great putters with the long putter. Your argument falls apart when you have to furnish evidence. No matter how sound you think your logic is, it is not empirical evidence.
 
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One more thing, I see Bradley is continually taking "offence" to being called a cheater. I do not think he is cheating but he is single handily making himself the "poster boy" on the subject by running off at the mouth. If he had half a brain he would be quiet and stop being a spoiled brat and crying "why me"..

He is only going to make it worse for himself..

JMHO
 
And around and around and around we go....:alien:
 
fastbasser said:
One more thing, I see Bradley is continually taking "offence" to being called a cheater. I do not think he is cheating but he is single handily making himself the "poster boy" on the subject by running off at the mouth. If he had half a brain he would be quiet and stop being a spoiled brat and crying "why me"..

He is only going to make it worse for himself..

JMHO
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Webb Simpson is doing the same thing and it irks the heck out of me, I know these guys feel betrayed and are upset over it, and they've worked hard to earn their stage, but I think at this point it would be wise to start practicing a bit with a shorty just in case.
 
I hope they continue to complain because it's another person standing up to an organization that has made subjective and knee-jerk decisions on whatever whim they have at the moment.

The USGA has a history of poor decision making and this is another prime example. Feeding the vanity of certain members and not basing a decision on any solid evidence is a joke. Even bigger than the groove rule, which was absolutely mangled.
 
Hawk said:
I hope they continue to complain because it's another person standing up to an organization that has made subjective and knee-jerk decisions on whatever whim they have at the moment.

The USGA has a history of poor decision making and this is another prime example. Feeding the vanity of certain members and not basing a decision on any solid evidence is a joke. Even bigger than the groove rule, which was absolutely mangled.
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I totally agree about the groove rule, no doubt that that was one of the biggest wastes of time, money, and resources in the game I've ever seen. However, to say that the USGA is the only one that makes bad decisions is untrue, the PGA has a history of racism and discrimination that goes as far back as the organization itself and in some geographic areas still rings true today.
 
I didn't say they were the only one, but they have a history going back to the beginning of the 20th century that shows their claim of protecting the integrity of the game is not always reality.
 
Jersey Nate said:
And around and around and around we go....:alien:
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Your right JN, I couldn't help myself. I left it alone all day yesterday.

A pox and the yips on all of us. :deadhorse:

I may have to breakout a face on putter in protest. Now that looks like a stroke, but, it is legal.
 
LargePhil said:
Show me the evidence that their are great putters with the long putter. Your argument falls apart when you have to furnish evidence. No matter how sound you think your logic is, it is not empirical evidence.
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the best putters in the PGA use normal length, normally blade style, and regular (not JUMBO) grips.

and maybe i'm the only one, but i honestly don't believe that "anchoring" is aiding the golfer in any way at all. that fact that you can stick the butt end into your stomach or chest or chin or whatever doesn't take out the fact that you're still holding it with your hands, and you have to swing with your arms, shoulders, and torso. all while keeping your head still, getting a correct read on the green and judging the right speed, while also taking in the elements of weather and nature, as well as pressure, money, lights, sounds, wild animals, and nerves, etc...
at the end of the day, there is still a correct and incorrect putting stroke, no matter how you hold the damn thing.

people act like "anchoring" is taking the human and environmental element out of the game and in a way somehow creates these robotic putting machines that never miss a putt. this is false.

but even worse is eventually the USGA decides to ban these for all golfers, you and me, hackers elite. why? why ban top down? especially when the USGA never even sees or cares what goes on at the local golf level? you're saying that we're as good as PGA Tour pros? so we don't deserve to have U-shaped grooves on our wedges and an anchored putting stroke? that i don't get...you're not helping bring players to a game that already struggles. and i would venture out to say that most amateurs that use an anchored stroke or a belly putter only even came up with the idea to do so, strictly due to seeing someone use one on the PGA Tour. now you ban them, and kill business for the putter manufacturers....and so on and so forth until the world ends in complete nuclear Armageddon because you thought an anchored putting stroke was cheating...
 
I left it alone too Phil hehehe.

I'm not trying to convince anybody, but I will throw out some facts to counter what I believe is a very subjective and aesthetically contrived issue :D
 
Hawk said:
I didn't say they were the only one, but they have a history going back to the beginning of the 20th century that shows their claim of protecting the integrity of the game is not always reality.
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I agree that they are not the most advanced thinkers in the game, this is a slippery subject for both sides and the passion it has created on both sides is evidence that this game is truly loved by all of us.
 
Trout Bum said:
I agree that they are not the most advanced thinkers in the game, this is a slippery subject for both sides and the passion it has created on both sides is evidence that this game is truly loved by all of us.
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True enough! For me, it's about fairness. I don't believe in giving the ok for something and then taking it back. That's poor policy making and does nothing but reduce the legitimacy of the organization.
 
Hawk said:
True enough! For me, it's about fairness. I don't believe in giving the ok for something and then taking it back. That's poor policy making and does nothing but reduce the legitimacy of the organization.
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I fully support that argument dude and that's the only thing I don't like about the proposed ban, as someone else said it's like kicking the dog for peeing on the floor 4 weeks after he did it. They should have never let it start.
 
c0ncept said:
I can show you some bad strokes with a belly putter...If it isn't anchored in the same spot or if you move at all you're screwed. I actually have missed more tap ins with the belly than with my short putter.
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But how much worse would those strokes have been without the anchor? This is the point of issue. Anchoring doesn't automatically make great putters, and that isn't the point of the change. It eliminates a variable in the stroke which means that making a stroke requires less skill, less coordination. That is what is behind the proposal. Not advantage, not "look", not "belief". Anchoring removes a variable from the process, which reduces the skill needed to make a stroke.

The groove issue was based on a similar premise, that the large grooves in wedges and short irons took the rough out of play. Those grooves took away the reward for hitting the fairway, and reduced the skill needed to play approach shots from the rough. In that case they had no recourse but to change the equipment rules. In this case they have simply refined the definition of a stroke without making any changes in the equipment allowed, only in how the equipment is used.

Hawk said:
I hope they continue to complain because it's another person standing up to an organization that has made subjective and knee-jerk decisions on whatever whim they have at the moment.

The USGA has a history of poor decision making and this is another prime example. Feeding the vanity of certain members and not basing a decision on any solid evidence is a joke. Even bigger than the groove rule, which was absolutely mangled.
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Why, and again WHY, is everyone laying this solely at the feet of the USGA? The R&A has as much or more to do with the proposal, yet guys like you have only one axe to grind, and that is your continuing and well known antipathy toward the USGA.

I'm not trying to convince anybody, but I will throw out some facts to counter what I believe is a very subjective and aesthetically contrived issue.
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Okay... let's see the "facts". Good luck with that.
 
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They backdoored a rule to eliminate something they don't like the look of because it was more visible with a couple major wins. If it takes a variable or element of difficulty out of putting, then wouldn't that make it more effective? There is nothing​ to show that.
 
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